Turangi - A Gentle Stroll...
Trip Start
Aug 16, 2003
1
38
92
Trip End
Apr 21, 2004
Turangi,
New Zealand
Saturday, December 13, 2003
I woke up shortly before we arrived in the town, and as a result could not tell you any more about the journey, save that I definitely needed the rest!
We pulled up outside the reception to the YHA affiliated lodge, but were dismayed to see a sign decreeing that the office would not be open for another couple of hours! After a certain amount of moaning, hurumphing and a slumping of shoulders, we quickly brightened as a guy (who it turned out was the barman) came across and dealt with our check-in
An Interesting Rock
.Feeling drained and listless, but with hunger the dominating force we ventured into 'town' for some lunch. After a fruitless search for sandwiches, we went into the local chippy, which had apparently received wide acclaim for its food throughout NZ. True enough, I really enjoyed my chips with a square of deep-fried lasagne! Bizarre, I know, but extremely tasty, nonetheless.
After having a bite to eat, we drove a few kilometres to the town of Tokaanu to have a look around the thermal pools. It was free to walk around the fenced off sulphur pools and well worth doing. As we stood next to each one, we could feel the heat of the steam rising near us and it seemed that we were in an al fresco sauna. We spent a good deal of time watching a small mud pool that bubbled and spluttered, every so often spurting a gloopy jet skywards.
As the afternoon was wearing on, we paid just a few dollars each to have a private thermal bath in the little complex next door. The water was infused with minerals and heated to the temperature of a very hot bath. We could only manage to stay in for a few minutes at a time, before jumping out to cool off, and then repeating the process! Once our time was up, we were allowed free entry to the main swimming pool (also heated well) and smaller, paddling pool. Having taken a paper and FHM, we swam for a while, then relaxed in the second pool, reading.
One of the reasons for choosing this particular lodge as our accommodation for a couple of nights was because it boasted a micro-brewery and bar on the premises
Looking Down At The Volcanic Lakes
! I was very keen to sample the various ales produced and so made the most of the two hour 'Happy Hour', beginning at 5 o' clock. I had a 'handle' of each of the beers, and decided upon the 'Pale' as my drink of choice. Meanwhile, Andrea had finally got herself ready, and joined me in the beer garden, before we had a pool competition between ourselves.I cannot say whether I was helped or hindered by the few beers that I had consumed, but I did claim victory by two games to one (and the one was because my cue-ball went in, off the black!). Andrea demanded a re-match for the following evening!
We ate a hearty meal in the adjoining restaurant (where we were pleasantly surprised by the quality) as we wanted to replenish our energy reserves for the 6-7 hour walk we had planned for the next day. An early night was also in order and we both had little trouble drifting off to sleep, given the circumstances of the previous night!
Rousing ourselves at the strangely unfamiliar time of 6.30 am, we performed our ablutions and made our way across to reception to sign up for the Tongariro Crossing walk. We had a slightly hurried 'Continental Breakfast' at the restaurant and joined a bus load of other 'enthusiastic' perambulists for the journey to the beginning of the trek
Moonwalking!
.With scenes reminiscent of our visit to Uluru, in that we were deposited amongst hundreds of other tourists from a number of other tour operators and from a range of other vehicles, we felt pretty much like cattle, herded into place until we funneled ourselves into single file in an obscure pilgrimage, much like a modern-day, Antipodean 'Canterbury Tales'.
The Lonely Planet guide suggested that the trek was a fairly easy, but long walk that entailed a few steep climbs. After approximately half an hour, we craned our necks to look at the first of the inclines we had to tackle and our spirits dropped in inverse proportion!
It was strenuous going and we had to stop and rest on a number of occasions, but eventually, we reached the summit in the low-lying clouds...
And then saw the actual summit a further 150 metres straight up!
The day, although cloudy, was quite a humid one, and a fair degree of perspiration was occurring
Sitting Down On The Heath
. Guzzling our water, we allowed ourselves a few minutes of recuperation, before we pressed on. With much puffing and panting, we eventually made it, and then descended into the main crater.Our journey across this part of the volcano, which is said to resemble the surface of the moon, was shrouded in cloud which gave it an eerie, but not unpleasant atmosphere. All too soon we had to climb up the ridge on the other side of the volcanic crater, but this time, we were rewarded with views of...
Heavy cloud.
Or fog.
Close up, we could see the various outcroppings of rock, and occasionally, very briefly, we caught glimpses of the adjacent Red Crater. We rounded that particular landform, and trudged along the ridge-way path. As we began to descend the slope of the volcano, the surface became quite treacherous, full of loose, volcanic scree, and causing more than a few people to slip (me included) or slide down unwittingly on their backsides!
Fortunately, at this point, there were sporadic breaks in the cloud and we were able to take in the view of the crater lakes below. These were a bright blue/green, tinged with yellow and orange at the edges, making for a pleasant spectacle and just reward for our efforts.
By the time we had reached the lakes, the terrain had levelled out and we made our way across another basin, marvelling at the snow that was packed into depressions on the mountainside, mere metres from vents, where steam and hot gases were escaping from fissures through the Earth's crust
Steam Rising Up Through The Sulphur Lakes
.Another (shorter) climb followed, before we crested and walked along a small ridge, where the landscape began to change. The rocks began to make way for plant life and the area started to resemble heathland, with wild grasses, moss and hardy shrubs and flowers. We continued, angling downwards, and following a winding pathway with innumerable switchbacks, when we caught sight of the Department of Conservation hut, which was to be our (and pretty much everyone else's) stop for lunch.
As the place was so packed, we left the hut after a brief rest of 20 minutes and resumed our journey down towards the forest below. We passed a couple of springs and streams, with nearby steam vents during the first section after lunch, and commented on how some of the rocks or bare patches of mountainside were coloured by the volcanic chemicals rising to the surface. The sun had by then emerged, bearing down on us with no mercy as we tramped down through the exposed track.
After an hour, we entered a substantially wooded area and welcomed the cool respite that the trees provided. At that point, we decided to slow down as we reckoned we had only an hour to go and we not being picked up for at least another two. With plenty of time to look at the variety of flora or the pretty streams that ran like veins through the forest, we ambled downwards at a comfortable pace, stopping for photos or simply to admire the view.
Our decision to slow up was a good one, as we still had a wait of forty-five minutes before our bus came to return us to the lodge (and bar!).
After a soothing and refreshing shower, we were pleased to make 'Happy Hour' again (or, more to the point, I was) and sat reviewing the events of the day over a couple of drinks. It was then time for our re-match of pool, but unfortunately for Andrea, she didn't have any luck with her at all. I, however, played like a demon (well, at least as demon-like as it is possible for me to play) and secured the series with a 3-0 win!
We enjoyed another good meal at the restaurant and then hung up our boots for another early night, whereby we slept deservedly soundly.
Dan and Andrea
