Skotel Whakapapa New Zealand

... , we climbed up through mountain and vallies and then the weather changed and snow appeared. Our hostel called Skotel, is the highest alpine lodges in New Zealand and offers great ski facilities but all us, most Brit's from the bus wanted to do is stay ...

... , so I cant really afford a movie anyways. Not if I want to eat lunch at work this week. Ugh. I have work tonight at skotel, dish bitch again, wahooo, but at least its money. They are cutting back our hours even more at the mountain since nobody is coming ...

Early arrival at 6:30am in Auckland, why not jump on a bus and make our way to National Park/Whakapapa to start our hike the same day (ooooh we are a bit tired!).  We catch a bus in Manakau City (between airport and Auckland), getting some fuelite at ...

... had a more sedate drive down to Lake Taupo.  It provided us a good stopover on the way to Whakapapa and gave us a good opportunity to enjoy New Zealand's largest lake for the evening. We stayed in a funny little place called Bradshaws, which was a ...

... the Park had been to complete the 20 kilometre Tongariro Alpine Crossing, across the shoulder between Mts Ngauruhoe and Tongariro, famous as New Zealand's best one day hike.  Our first day dawned grey and rainy with the clouds right down, no day for ...

... For the record, apart from the Karioi Lodge at the Raglan Surf School, the beds here at Skotel are the most comfortable I have slept on in New Zealand so far. They make for a very pleasant, comforting reward after spending three whole minutes hobbling ...

... . First stop, Taupo - the home of the cheapest skydive in the world. Having already done three bungy jumps since arriving in New Zealand, I actually wasn't that scared of the skydive, but once you're packed into a rather small plane, you reach 12,000feet, ...

... with a younger man, me still clinging with grim determination to my mantle as a twenty something. Delighted with yet more New Zealand soveneirs she then made me breakfast, I know something wrong, whilst I reviewed the Bungee DVD for the first time. It ...

22.33 - Unfortunately it was an early start for me today. I had to be up at 06.30 and by the bus pick up point outside TBC at 08.00. This wasn't quite as early as it sounds mainly because of all the luggage and food I was carrying in preparation for the ...

... le plus haut de NZ) et des volcans! Autant dire que c'est un petit coin de paradis oł se sent vraiment au bout du monde! Whakapapa se situe au pied du Mont Ruapehu (le plus haut pic, 2797m), le plus actif des volcans du Central Plateau's volcanoes, en ...

... the Maori people, it was respectfully left out. The view of the volcanoes was stunning as were drove nearer. We were heading for Whakapapa village, which is located at the bottom of Mt Ruapehu and starting point for many of the local walks. On route we ...

... of the Rings.  It's very desolate here and reminds us of Hawaii, but with different vegetation.  We made a stop at the Whakapapa Village to ask about weather and hiking information. We got a suggestion to go up a ski gondola and do a hike around ...

... Meanwhile, Mt Ruapehu is the snow-covered one in the distance, on the slopes of which is Chateau Tongariro and Whakapapa Village.  There is an efficient pick-up and collection service organised by the local entrepreneurs to ensure that ...

... a row now, and I'm getting really bored. I have tomorrow off too, I don't know what to do with myself. I have been working at skotel in the evenings though. I just got my pay slip last night, $215!!!!! That's about 10 times bigger than my paycheck from my ...

... living in Edmonton!  In bed early again, knowing that we had around a 9hr hiking day tomorrow to get ourselves back to Whakapapa Village, and a unknown shortcut above Blyth Hut. January 17, up at you guessed it, 5am!  On the trail at 5:45am, ...