Tongariro National Park

New Zealand is home to the second oldest national park in the world, second only to Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Comprised of three volcanoes is has some great alpine scenery and when the clouds part there are excellent views of the Mts. as well. Throughout the park are a number of trails one of them being the Tongariro Crossing, often heralded as one of the most beautiful day hikes in the world, with over 20,000 people making the 18km traverse every year. However, there are a number of other trails as well, one of them being the Tongariro Northern Circuit. This trail takes in the best of the Crossing and then bends around one of the Mts. forming a loop designed to take four days and three nights spent in the hut system maintained by the Department of Conservation.

I started the first day walking up a valley towards the saddle between Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngauruhoe. At the top of what has become known as the Devils Staircase there is a flat plain crossing to another short saddle and up another ridge line to the top of Red Crater. From there Its downhill to the emerald lakes and another crater plateau. Finally, it bends around the back side of Mt. Tongariro to Ketetahi Hut at around 6,000ft. I camped the first day there after a good day of pleasant temperatures and great hiking. There were plenty of other people doing the circuit and I met a family of four from Canada and a seasoned old tramper from Australia.

The next day it was up at dawn and off to Waihohonu hut around the backside of Mt. Ngauruhoe. This was probably my favorite day of the tramp simply because of the diverse terrain I crossed. There was volcanic alpine, complete with steam vents and acidic lakes. Then I descended into a moonscape of lava flows and dry stream beds, strewn with small spots of tussock trying to make a living in the thin soil. I stopped for lunch at the edge of a gorge about halfway through the day and ate an apple watching a great little waterfall and the subsequent stream heading off into a vast plain. From there the track turned west and dropped down onto massive gravel bars. Each one gets flooded from above during a heavy rain leaving colorful striations in the surface stretched out over about a mile from the base of the volcano. Then I descended again into beech forests and cooler temperatures with a couple of stream crossings and good views before I finally arrived at Waihohonu hut about six hours after I left Ketetahi.

The next day I woke early and got a quick start onto the trail. I had 18km to cover and I had to be in Whakapa village by 2pm to make my bus connection. It was hard to put the distance under my feet with any speed because of the great views on either side of me. Both Mts. shrugged off their cloud cover about an hour after I left that morning and I walked with clear views of Mt. Ruapehu on my left and Mt. Ngauruhoe on my right. It was really spectacular. I made a slight detour about an hour from Whakapapa to Taranaki Falls and stopped for a quick drink and a bite.

I arrive in the village about two hours before the bus left, so I treated myself to some tea and a hot lunch at the cafe there. Overall, the Tongariro Norther Circuit was a great tramp. The park is known for its fickle weather and I had three days of sunshine and no rain. I'm really grateful for the views and all of the great colors I was privileged to see. The rocks, the dirt, the water, each of them was unique and stunning. Moss, lichen, and fungus of every kind covered the rocks which were all either course lava or sheer faced basalt. There was red, yellow, and orange colored soils and with the tussock to frame it all it the landscape was truly captivating. I look forward to my next adventure on the south Island in Nelson Lakes National Park. Stay tuned more to come

The Legendary Blackwater Rafting Co.

At 8:00 am this morning, I put on a cold wetsuit, harness, and helmet. It was raining hard and visibility was poor, but then again it didn't matter because I wasn't going swimming or climbing, or rafting. I was about to descend into the Waitomo Caverns for a three hour underground tour of the glowworm caverns located roughly 150 feet underground.
It all started by rappelling down through a small (two feet diameter) hole and 100 feet into the ground. We were a group of eight with two guides descending into what the locals had dubbed The Black Abyss. Needless to say THIS was my kind of morning. After a short walk we passed some great limestone formations and what looked like miniature underground coral. Really fascinating. Then it was to the edge of drop off where we clipped in a zipped down into the black until we came to an raised ledge next to an underground river. There, after a quick cup of tea, we grabbed our inner tubes and jumped in! Let me tell you, I quickly became grateful for that wet, cold, smelly wetsuit. Floating down the river for about 20 minutes we turned our lights off and wondered at the thousands of starry points on the ceiling and walls around us. These are the glowworms of NZ that made this cave famous. Honestly, it was surreal, like a starry night at what was now over 200 feet underground. Like nothing I've ever seen.
From there we beached the tubes on another ledge and started walking through the shallows towards the river entrance, slowly making our way back towards the surface. I really enjoyed this part. At times we swam through large caverns and at others we belly crawled through small wormholes barely above the waterline. At the end we climbed up two good sized waterfalls, in narrow passages, stemming off of each wall opposite the waterfall. Really good fun. Thankfully I had a pretty good group and the guides were happy to let me go ahead with them and play around a bit.
W came back out into the sunshine, and yes, the rain. Like Oregon, you can be standing in the sun and heavy rain at the same time in New Zealand. Overall I would say that the morning was legen-wait for it-dary. And well worth the money, in fact, it is probably the last thrill activity I do until I get to Queenstown, where I will be bungy jumping where it all started.

Sailing in the Bay of Islands

At first I was a little worried about sea sickness, but twenty minutes out of the harbour I knew there wouldn't be any trouble. In fact, I was really looking forward to spending a day on the water and on a sail boat no less. I had chartered a spot the Paihia based boat called "She's a Lady", skippered by a man who introduced himself as Glenn. I was a little worried at first when I saw the other passengers that day: three couples two of them retired and well into their sixties. The ladies looked a little out of their element and not entirely fit for the day. The other couple were in their early thirties and had the look of seasoned travellers. At first I thought this was a recipe for a boring day spent rolling over waves in the harbour. Glenn, however, had nothing of the sort in mind.
We had a good 15 knot wind blowing from the south east when we headed out and immediately after setting and trimming the sails the prow dipped down and the boat heeled over sharply to the left. I crawled up to the starboard rail with the boat at a good 30 degree angle underneath me and felt pure exhilaration pass over me. It was by far the most fun I have had so far. I wanted to go sailing in Auckland harbour, but I thought it was too expensive. However, those trips were on America's cup catamarans with sleek hulls and a full crew. I didn't want to be a spectator, I wanted to get wet!
We had a great run out to one of the islands with a little harbour on the lee side where we anchored for some exploration and lunch. After a cup of tea on board I paddle a kayak to shore and did some hiking up to a great view point. From there I could see out into the Pacific and the other Islands that stood in the way. There were some great tidal pools around the beach and the water was cool. There were intermittent showers all afternoon, so we ate lunch on the boat where we could duck into the cabin if we wanted to.
On the way back Glenn asked if I wanted to take the helm for a little while and I wasn't about to turn him down. We didn't much wind on the way back which made for some lazy sailing, but that was just because we were still on the leeward side of the island. Shortly after rounding the end and pointing the bow back towards Paihia, a small squally passed over us and thats when I really started having fun. I had put on my rain coat which was being blown sideways and the wheel needed constant movement up and over each wave. It was fun trying to chase the wind and see how fast you could push our little boat.
All in all it was great day of sailing for my first time and I am really looking forward to trying it again, sometime when there is some real wind!

Father Teds

Feeling very hungry last night and wanting fish and chips I wandered into an Irish pub just up the street from where I am staying. I sat down at the bar and what did I see(gasp!)? Nothing more and nothing less then a tap labeled Kilkenny Irish Red. It was everything that I remembered and it definitely lived up to my expectations. It was a wonderful night. Don't worry, the first toast went to Lon Fendall. I sat down to watch the rugby match and then had my fish and chips. In the middle of the second rugby match a couple came in and sat accross from me. They were Irish who had been travelling for almost a year now. Soon after that two men started playing Irish folk tunes and cover songs. One guy played a guitar and the other a drum, or penny whistle. Hands down, these guys were really good, and entertaining too. For some reason there seemed to be a large crowd of Irish in the bar that night, so before long everyone was clapping, shouting, and singing along. The couple that sat down with me were a lot of fun, and we switched from Kilkenny to Magners which was great because I hadnt had either of those since I was last in Ireland. While the band took breaks other pub goers would grab one of their guitars and play a Flight of the Concords song, an original tune, or just jam for a bit. It was the most fun I have had so far, and I hope there are more nights like it throughout the country.

Rangitoto Island

A small Volcanic Island in Auckland harbor, Rangitoto was a nice little morning trip for me to do a little bit of hiking. It only took about an hour to get up to the summit and check out the views of the city. The rim trail was pretty cool. Tomorrow I leave for the Bay of Islands. Expect some great pictures after that trip

Arrived Auckland

Well, the fourteen hour layover in Tahiti was supposed to be an exciting little side adventure. Instead it turned into one of the longest airport experiences I have ever had. Unfortunately Air Tahiti Nui didn't check through my bags onto my New Zealand flight. I wanted to take a cab into the city for a quick bite and maybe some views of the beaches. Not so. I ended up finishing my book and sleeping on a bench. There was no exchange banks at the airport so I couldn't get some francs, but its probably a good thing because things were freakin expensive! Then again its tourism does cater to the high rollers.
Today was spent walking around the city and I went to the Maritime Museum. I haven't spent so much time by myself in awhile, which sucks, but then again I meet people too. I share a room with a great couple from Denmark who speak English. There are a ton of travellers in the city, but surprisingly enough I don't hear much English around. When I do get kinda down, being by myself, it doesn't last long because, I mean, come on, I'm in New Zealand!
Tomorrow, it will be a quick breakfast and then a thirty minute ferry ride to Rangitoto Island in the Auckland harbor for an hour walk up a small volcano. Then back to the city for a bus tour, the national museum, and the national art gallery.
Auckland is NZ too, but really I can't wait to get outside the city and into the countryside. I came here for the landscape, and honestly Auckland doesn't have that much to offer, not for me anyway. When I arrived last night it was Valentines day so the streets and clubs were packed. I am hoping for a quiet dinner (fish and chips) and a few beers tonight at a small pub away from the city center. There are some perks to staying at a hostel in the thick of it, but if I'm here again I will probably stay in Ponsonby, a quiet inner city suburb.
I think the next stop will be an overnight at the Bay of Islands and then south to Taupo where I can do day trips to the Waitomo caves and then on to Tongariro and Waikaremoana for some serious backpacking.

Side note: I am listening to a Portland radio station online right now. It's kinda weirding me out. Josh did you know that New Zealand per capita has more TOOL fans than any country in the world? The guy I met in Tahiti was a big fan and apparently TOOL did regular tours here for awhile. This place feels more and more like home....

Almost Gone

I am truly thankful for everyone who expressed so much interest in keeping up with me while I am away, and this seemed like a really stress free way to stay connected with a large group of people. So for all you from Pint night, Tuesday night dinner, family, REI, and the winery what will commence are updates on my trip and job abroad in New Zealand. I hope you enjoy, please comment freely, and I hope to see all of you when I return.