A 6 o'clock wake up call on Saturday morning meant we were ready and on our way for Tongariro Crossing at 8am. And what a day, the weather was amazing and the views fantastic. There were a few small detours along the way...we checked out the Soda Springs (10 mins off the beaten track) before heading up the devils staircase and over the saddle. Andre and Mariska then headed up Mt Ngauruhoe, an awesome feat (2287m: 2hrs up, 1hr down) whilst Avril and Gina headed on to the Tongariro Summit (1967m: 1.5hr return). The crater lakes were stunning and the aroma of sulphur filled the air as we passed downwind of the hot springs. The team met up again at the finish line. Saturday night saw us consuming large amounts of pasta in preparation for our Sunday walk.
On Sunday we walked from State Highway 1 to Whakapapa Village via the Waihohonu Track, with a detour (of course!) to the Tama Lakes. Grey clouds covered the sky, and a few drops of rain were felt along the way. Strong winds greeted us at the look out over Upper Tama Lake. However, none of this detracted from the myriad of landscapes presented to us: tussock-country, desertlands and glacial river valleys.
A special thanks to Lorraine who joined us on our weekend excursion, Lorraine you are a A+ support crew member. Lorraine made the whole weekend possible in so many ways; from booking the accommodation, tidying up our breakfast dishes, waking up early with us to drop us off at the start of the walks to picking us up from the finish line with cold drinks, food galore and changes of footwear. What a star! Additionally, Lorraine joined us for the start of the Tongariro Crossing and the end of the Waihohonu Track walk.
