The hike of a lifetime

Trip Start Jan 11, 2009
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Trip End Apr 12, 2009


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Where I stayed
South Park Motel
(Martinborough hotels)

Flag of New Zealand  , North Island,
Monday, February 9, 2009

We got lucky today as its mostly sunny and calm so the chairlift to the top of Mt. Ruapehu was open. It took about 30 minutes to drive the small twisty road, not a lot of room for error as the sides were steep drops or strewn with massive sharp black boulders. We bought our lift tickets and took the first leg up on a rickety old chairlift.  It's a tad more harrowing going up a dry mountain, when there is snow under the chairlift you think you may survive if you fall, but with rocks you know how it will end if there is a failure.

At the top of the chairlift, there is a hike called the Skyline Walk Track. Its primarily rock with a few scattered snow fields, once you reach the top there is a spectacular viewpoint just below the rim of the volcanic crater.  A quick look around and A2 made the decision not to climb because of the rocky steep scary nature of the track. (bad idea with her foot injury)  This left B2 on his own for the hike 1
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 .  It was quite disconcerting to have B2 go on his own, but he really wanted to do it and there were a good number of others on the track.  A2 sat around  the ski café while B2 headed off for an hour and a half.  Luckily there was an information area with lots of photos and info about the last 100 years of volcanic eruptions.  This of course was interesting, but made the wait a bit more uncomfortable for A2 knowing all about the previous disasters in the area. 

B2 had one of the hikes of his life.  It was tough, scary, amazing, fantastically scenic, difficult, crazy windy, and emotionally striking.  There were several sections of track on top of snow;  the information office specifically told us not to walk on snow, since a person had fallen through a sink hole the previous week.  So, B2 found rocks to trek on avoiding all the snowfields.  At the top the wind was intensely powerful;  it was difficult walking on the narrow ridge since you could get swept off if you were not paying attention.  B2 took photos and a video at the very top to show the 360 degree view around.  Enjoy!

In the afternoon we went south, passing the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere.  It was an awesome sight; tons of giant windmills on golden hills with a dark storm in the background.  We made it to Masterton, which is just outside the wine region near Wellington.  We finally reached a region we loved in the North Island - golden hills, small farms, sheep and wine, but we also got here at the same time as a major storm.  So, we saw the area under dark clouds and pounding rain. They have had a really bad drought so while its bad for us its good for them.
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