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| Emerald Lakes, Tongariro National Park |
On our last night on the Tongariro Northern Circuit a fellow hiker pointed out the Southern Cross to us in the night sky. In the northern hemisphere, the celestial equivalent of the easy-to-recognize Southern Cross is the Big Dipper, which of course is nowhere to be seen in these parts - a constant reminder that we're traveling in a different hemisphere than the one we call home.
I silently noted to myself that the Southern Cross seems so much neater and symmetrical compared to our somewhat lopsided (and frankly undignified-sounding) Big Dipper and remarked to our companion that, as the cross appears to be upside down in the night sky it looks more like a "Southern Sword". He agreed, adding that "Southern Sword" seemed a much more impressive name, anyway.
Our exchange was a fitting wrap-up to the four days we spent on the Tongariro Northern Circuit, one of New Zealand's nine Great Walks. The Southern Cross became a figurative exclamation point to my rapidly strengthening suspicion that the Canadian outdoors may have nothing on New Zealand's understated, impressive and picture-perfect wilderness.
But I get ahead of myself…
Tongariro Northern Circuit, Day 1
After spending the night at the Whakapapa Holiday Campground in Tongariro National Park we arrived at the trailhead in Whakapapa Village at 9:30am, ready for a full day of hiking. As the weather was exceptionally pleasant, we decided that in addition to walking the 3 hours to the Mangatepopo Hut, where we planned to spend the night, we would head a bit further down the trail to summit the volcano, Mount Ngauruhoe (the inspiration for Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings films). The summit walk resulted in an additional 7 hours of hiking, making for a bit of a mammoth day, but I'm so glad we did it because the views were not to be missed.
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| Our Campsite at the Mangatepopop Hut |
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| Inside the Mangatepopo Hut |
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| Heading up "Mount Doom" |
Day 2
In the morning we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the cozy Mangatepopo hut before retracing our steps down the trail to the base of Mount Ngauruhoe, then continuing on over the crossing. Though this should have been a shorter, less strenuous day, 95km/hour winds meant the passage over the crossing was slow and treacherous in spots. Thankfully, though the winds were high, the sun was shining and the sky was clear and our efforts were rewarded with beautiful vistas overlooking the shimmering Emerald Lakes and Blue Lake. We arrived at the Oturere Hut in the mid-late afternoon and pitched our tent in the most protected spot we could find in the campground. It was going to be a windy night!
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| One of the Emerald Lakes |
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| Arriving at the Oturere Hut |
Day 3
The short 3-hour hike to Waihohonu Hut gave us a chance to rest our legs on the 3rd day. The Waihohonu Hut is the newest and most comfortable hut on the trail and our early arrival left plenty of time to hang out and enjoy the company of our fellow hikers over a leisurely meal. Coincidentally, there were 3 other hikers on around-the-world journeys who hiked the Tongariro Northern Circuit at the same time as us - a couple from Holland and a woman from Finland - and we took advantage of the opportunity to trade notes and share stories of our experiences with each other.
Day 4
The wind finally died down on the fourth day and the final leg of the hike back out to Whakapapa Village was a literal walk in the park. Always good to end a journey on a high note! We were back at the Holiday Campground in the village by mid-afternoon and quickly set about addressing those pressing back-to-civilization priorities - a long hot shower, a large meal and some rest and relaxation. Ahhhh!
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| Heading back to Whakapapa Village |
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