Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tongariro National Park
Vacation in Central North Island
Friday, June 4, 2010 Rob & packed up our little car and set off for the Central North Island to Turangi, a very small town at the southern end of Lake Taupo. We had a timeshare week that needed to be used, or it would expire, so we booked the only available unit in the whole of New Zealand. We had previously been to Lake Taupo, and once through Turangi on our way to Mt. Ruapehu. Turangi is the trout fishing capital of the world…or at least that what it says on the town’s welcome sign. So, Friday, we drove and drove and drove…our start was very slow through the horrible Auckland traffic, caused by road works on SH1, down Hwy 2 through the Waikato, stopping at KaiMai Cheese factory in a town we could not pronounce, along a short bit of SH1, then cut over to Hwy 32, and around the western side of Lake Taupo. We had amazing, clear, sunny, weather the whole way.
We found the Turangi Leisure Lodge right around 4:30, and were greeted by our very hospitable host, Lois. She made sure we would be at “The Get Together”, on Saturday morning between 9 & 10 to meet the other guests and hear all about the varied activities available. It was a complimentary “sausage sizzle”, which is a very kiwi thing to go to. As promised, we arrived at the “sausage sizzle” just as she was introducing the various guides from the area. There was a fellow who would take you fly fishing in the morning, and golfing in the afternoon…a river rafting outfit that also hired out mountain bikes…a guided walk company that had various walks to offer, complete with pick up/drop off and lunch… a pilot with Mountain Air that flew scenic flights over Mt. Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe, and Mt. Tongariro, and …a healing massage therapist. It was actually the best welcome meeting we had ever attended…perhaps because we missed the first bit about how we too could own this timeshare…
At the local i-site (information site) we were able to see the live web cam of the mountains, and although it was thick fog in Turangi, the mountains were clear as. We decided to check out the Mt. Air scenic flight as well as do a tramp to Taranaki Falls, just past the Whakapapa Visitors Center on Mt. Ruapehu. It was so beautiful when we arrived, and the mountains were visible, so we decided on taking the flight first. Our pilot, James, gave us a complete history of all three volcanoes, and was very excited to show us where some of the filming of the Lord of the Rings took place. I have to say I was surprisingly calm on this flight until it was time to land and it looked like we were headed straight for a fence before the grassy landing strip. Funny how your heart feels as if it is going to explode at times like that. Unbelievably…I remained silent, and Rob had no clue how terrified I was…but it took my heart a few minutes to get back down to a normal beat. Overall…minus the landing part, it was a spectacular flight, and Rob got heaps of photos.
Our next adventure was pretty tame in comparison…a two hour tramp to Taranaki Falls. Even though it was sunny out, it did not mean that it was warm…I think when we started it was only 4 degrees. Eventually, we began to feel warm as we climbed up and down through bush and shrubs toward the falls. It was a lovely loop trail that gave us the feeling like we had done a few hours of exercise for the day.
We were very happy that we took advantage of Saturday’s nice weather, because Saturday night a big, bad storm blew in and rained buckets over our little chalet roof. One thing we have learnt from the Kiwis…you never let a little rain keep you from your activities…so we ventured out to the National Trout Center and walked around the grounds there. The Trout Center was having a kids fishing contest, where guides were teaching kids, aged from 6-12, to fly fish and catch a trout. It was pouring rain, and the kids were having the best time…so proud of the trout that they caught. The funniest thing was watching the kids try to whack the fish on the head…the guide would tell them to give it a good whack, and the kid would give it a tap on the head. Finally, after 3 or 4 attempts, the kid would give it a good whack, and the fish would quit flopping.
The rain was not going to stop, so we decided that we would explore the Turangi area, and venture out in the elements to walk the Tongariro River Walk. We were able to leave our car at our chalet and head off to find the starting point. We started up near the Bridge Pool, climbed up the cliff side, and eventually came down again alongside the river. We were planning to go further than the Major Jones Bridge, but we were both soaked, and decided a nice, warm, hot tub sounded better than getting any wetter and colder. All along the river there were heaps of fishermen wading in the river fly fishing, even though it was freezing cold and wet, Rob told me that their waders are insulated and they stay warm. He really wanted me to hire a guide and have a lesson in fly fishing. Although, it looked like such a Zen-like activity, I was not so sure about how warm I would have been. And, I was not sure about having to release a flopping fish off of hook. The hot tub sure was nice!
On Monday, we decided to stay close to Turangi again as the weather was so yuck again. We decided on a tramping spot called Lake Rotopounamu aka Greenstone Lake. However, by the time we got to the car park it was hosing down rain. Hmmmn…change of plans as there was a possibility of some clearing in the afternoon. So, plan B was to drive north to Lake Taupo. We thought it might be nice to poke around the shops and maybe grab a warm lunch. Taupo was quite crowded, and shopping was not actually what we wanted to do. Back to our little car to return to our tramping spot at Lake Rotopounamu. Rob had thoughtfully packed a delicious picnic, and we pulled off to a beautiful pull out looking over Lake Taupo. There was still a few hours of daylight left when we returned to the trailhead for Lake Rotopounamu, to give this tramp a go. As soon as we left the car park we were in dense, green bush. It took about 20 minutes to get up the hill to the track that circled the lake. The sun filtered through the bush at times, and the colors were amazing! So many shades of green on this hike! It took us about an hour and a half with a pretty good pace to complete the track. Luckily for us…we reached the car just as another downpour started.
Another shabby weather day on Tuesday…we decided to do a drive that circled the National Park, starting here, in Turangi and going south to Ohakune. The main highway, SH1, was closed when we left Turangi, so we weren’t sure if we could actually complete the circle. The mountains were completely under clouds as we passed the western side of the park. As we got closer to Ohakune we had a few rays of sun, and the rain had stopped. Here, we decided to do a few walks as they were not terribly long. Just enough of a stretch to make it easier to get back in the car for the return trip. And, by the time we had reached Ohakune they had opened up SH1 so we could complete our circle. So we did the Rimu walk, and the Mangawhero Forest walk. Again…two tracks that are set in the dense bush, and were both so enchanting. Seriously…the colors of green were amazing! On our drive back, we got into some heavy snow on the pass… ZER0 degrees and blustery as ever up there. BRRR!
Wednesday we drove back up to the mountain for another tramp that we had read about in our tramping guide. We decided to do the Silica Rapids walk as it was only a two hour hike. We encountered quite a bit of snow on the track, and powered through some very windy areas. It was zero degrees as we set off from the Whakapapa Visitor’s Center. BRRRR! The color contrasts on this hike were so amazing! Bright blue sky, snow white mountains, green, green bush, red, iron stones in the river, and yellowish/white striations in the river bed where the silica rapids were. There were a few dicey…I mean icy spots on the track, but I managed to make it all the way without slipping and causing injury. The only downfall to this tramp was that you had to walk out the last 2.5 kilometers on the road, going back down to the visitor’s center. We had an amazing view of Mt. Ngauruhoe as we ate our lunch in our toasty warm car.
Thursday morning we decided that we would begin to make our way back north as neither of us wanted to get stuck in Friday afternoon Auckland traffic. We also had heard that the weather was going to be back to winter conditions in the afternoon. Before we packed up our chalet, we went out to Lake Rotopounamu once again for another look at that beautiful lake. We were actually the only people on the track…birds were singing, the lake was like a mirror, and the bush was magnificent! Our long drive home began at around 2pm…went to Raglan thinking we would stay there for the night, and decided that 2 more hours were not too far to go for our own bed. So, another fantastic trip to a beautiful area! Next time maybe I will hire a guide to learn the art of Fly Fishing!
I am hoping to attach pictures to this blog…but I may need to send the link separately. Sending heaps of hugs to you all!
Friday, June 4, 2010 Rob & packed up our little car and set off for the Central North Island to Turangi, a very small town at the southern end of Lake Taupo. We had a timeshare week that needed to be used, or it would expire, so we booked the only available unit in the whole of New Zealand. We had previously been to Lake Taupo, and once through Turangi on our way to Mt. Ruapehu. Turangi is the trout fishing capital of the world…or at least that what it says on the town’s welcome sign. So, Friday, we drove and drove and drove…our start was very slow through the horrible Auckland traffic, caused by road works on SH1, down Hwy 2 through the Waikato, stopping at KaiMai Cheese factory in a town we could not pronounce, along a short bit of SH1, then cut over to Hwy 32, and around the western side of Lake Taupo. We had amazing, clear, sunny, weather the whole way.
We found the Turangi Leisure Lodge right around 4:30, and were greeted by our very hospitable host, Lois. She made sure we would be at “The Get Together”, on Saturday morning between 9 & 10 to meet the other guests and hear all about the varied activities available. It was a complimentary “sausage sizzle”, which is a very kiwi thing to go to. As promised, we arrived at the “sausage sizzle” just as she was introducing the various guides from the area. There was a fellow who would take you fly fishing in the morning, and golfing in the afternoon…a river rafting outfit that also hired out mountain bikes…a guided walk company that had various walks to offer, complete with pick up/drop off and lunch… a pilot with Mountain Air that flew scenic flights over Mt. Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe, and Mt. Tongariro, and …a healing massage therapist. It was actually the best welcome meeting we had ever attended…perhaps because we missed the first bit about how we too could own this timeshare…
At the local i-site (information site) we were able to see the live web cam of the mountains, and although it was thick fog in Turangi, the mountains were clear as. We decided to check out the Mt. Air scenic flight as well as do a tramp to Taranaki Falls, just past the Whakapapa Visitors Center on Mt. Ruapehu. It was so beautiful when we arrived, and the mountains were visible, so we decided on taking the flight first. Our pilot, James, gave us a complete history of all three volcanoes, and was very excited to show us where some of the filming of the Lord of the Rings took place. I have to say I was surprisingly calm on this flight until it was time to land and it looked like we were headed straight for a fence before the grassy landing strip. Funny how your heart feels as if it is going to explode at times like that. Unbelievably…I remained silent, and Rob had no clue how terrified I was…but it took my heart a few minutes to get back down to a normal beat. Overall…minus the landing part, it was a spectacular flight, and Rob got heaps of photos.
Our next adventure was pretty tame in comparison…a two hour tramp to Taranaki Falls. Even though it was sunny out, it did not mean that it was warm…I think when we started it was only 4 degrees. Eventually, we began to feel warm as we climbed up and down through bush and shrubs toward the falls. It was a lovely loop trail that gave us the feeling like we had done a few hours of exercise for the day.
We were very happy that we took advantage of Saturday’s nice weather, because Saturday night a big, bad storm blew in and rained buckets over our little chalet roof. One thing we have learnt from the Kiwis…you never let a little rain keep you from your activities…so we ventured out to the National Trout Center and walked around the grounds there. The Trout Center was having a kids fishing contest, where guides were teaching kids, aged from 6-12, to fly fish and catch a trout. It was pouring rain, and the kids were having the best time…so proud of the trout that they caught. The funniest thing was watching the kids try to whack the fish on the head…the guide would tell them to give it a good whack, and the kid would give it a tap on the head. Finally, after 3 or 4 attempts, the kid would give it a good whack, and the fish would quit flopping.
The rain was not going to stop, so we decided that we would explore the Turangi area, and venture out in the elements to walk the Tongariro River Walk. We were able to leave our car at our chalet and head off to find the starting point. We started up near the Bridge Pool, climbed up the cliff side, and eventually came down again alongside the river. We were planning to go further than the Major Jones Bridge, but we were both soaked, and decided a nice, warm, hot tub sounded better than getting any wetter and colder. All along the river there were heaps of fishermen wading in the river fly fishing, even though it was freezing cold and wet, Rob told me that their waders are insulated and they stay warm. He really wanted me to hire a guide and have a lesson in fly fishing. Although, it looked like such a Zen-like activity, I was not so sure about how warm I would have been. And, I was not sure about having to release a flopping fish off of hook. The hot tub sure was nice!
On Monday, we decided to stay close to Turangi again as the weather was so yuck again. We decided on a tramping spot called Lake Rotopounamu aka Greenstone Lake. However, by the time we got to the car park it was hosing down rain. Hmmmn…change of plans as there was a possibility of some clearing in the afternoon. So, plan B was to drive north to Lake Taupo. We thought it might be nice to poke around the shops and maybe grab a warm lunch. Taupo was quite crowded, and shopping was not actually what we wanted to do. Back to our little car to return to our tramping spot at Lake Rotopounamu. Rob had thoughtfully packed a delicious picnic, and we pulled off to a beautiful pull out looking over Lake Taupo. There was still a few hours of daylight left when we returned to the trailhead for Lake Rotopounamu, to give this tramp a go. As soon as we left the car park we were in dense, green bush. It took about 20 minutes to get up the hill to the track that circled the lake. The sun filtered through the bush at times, and the colors were amazing! So many shades of green on this hike! It took us about an hour and a half with a pretty good pace to complete the track. Luckily for us…we reached the car just as another downpour started.
Another shabby weather day on Tuesday…we decided to do a drive that circled the National Park, starting here, in Turangi and going south to Ohakune. The main highway, SH1, was closed when we left Turangi, so we weren’t sure if we could actually complete the circle. The mountains were completely under clouds as we passed the western side of the park. As we got closer to Ohakune we had a few rays of sun, and the rain had stopped. Here, we decided to do a few walks as they were not terribly long. Just enough of a stretch to make it easier to get back in the car for the return trip. And, by the time we had reached Ohakune they had opened up SH1 so we could complete our circle. So we did the Rimu walk, and the Mangawhero Forest walk. Again…two tracks that are set in the dense bush, and were both so enchanting. Seriously…the colors of green were amazing! On our drive back, we got into some heavy snow on the pass… ZER0 degrees and blustery as ever up there. BRRR!
Wednesday we drove back up to the mountain for another tramp that we had read about in our tramping guide. We decided to do the Silica Rapids walk as it was only a two hour hike. We encountered quite a bit of snow on the track, and powered through some very windy areas. It was zero degrees as we set off from the Whakapapa Visitor’s Center. BRRRR! The color contrasts on this hike were so amazing! Bright blue sky, snow white mountains, green, green bush, red, iron stones in the river, and yellowish/white striations in the river bed where the silica rapids were. There were a few dicey…I mean icy spots on the track, but I managed to make it all the way without slipping and causing injury. The only downfall to this tramp was that you had to walk out the last 2.5 kilometers on the road, going back down to the visitor’s center. We had an amazing view of Mt. Ngauruhoe as we ate our lunch in our toasty warm car.
Thursday morning we decided that we would begin to make our way back north as neither of us wanted to get stuck in Friday afternoon Auckland traffic. We also had heard that the weather was going to be back to winter conditions in the afternoon. Before we packed up our chalet, we went out to Lake Rotopounamu once again for another look at that beautiful lake. We were actually the only people on the track…birds were singing, the lake was like a mirror, and the bush was magnificent! Our long drive home began at around 2pm…went to Raglan thinking we would stay there for the night, and decided that 2 more hours were not too far to go for our own bed. So, another fantastic trip to a beautiful area! Next time maybe I will hire a guide to learn the art of Fly Fishing!
I am hoping to attach pictures to this blog…but I may need to send the link separately. Sending heaps of hugs to you all!
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