I had packed up and was ready to go by 7.30am, feeling pretty pumped to start my hike. I did a quick dash to wash my dishes in the holiday park’s kitchen. When I returned, stubborn resistance on the door knob almost jarred my wrist. Shit. Shit. Shit. I was locked out! The reception wasn’t due to open for another hour, so I took a nap in my car and waited. The slightly later start did mean having to sacrifice my morning soy mocha though. Bummer!

Most people walk the circuit in a clockwise direction, spending their first night at Mangatepopo Hut, Oturere Hut then Waihohonu Hut. I walked it in the opposite direction for two reasons - hut availability, and that I’m a stronger climber than going downhill on loose, dusty terrain.

There were already a few hikers on their way out from Waihohonu Hut before I even reached the Tama Lakes junction. It took me less than two hours to get there. It was only 10 mins to the Lower Tama Lake (45 mins to Upper Tama Lake), so I decided to find a nice rock and sat down for lunch.

The junction sign said I had another three hours to the hut, but it took me almost an extra hour because of the heat. I’m used to walking under a thick canopy, and the 2pm desert sun did hit me with a surprising intensity. It wasn’t hot enough to feel my skin burning (I made sure I had plenty of sunscreen), but I was sweating in a lot of places that didn’t feel sexy.

I was tempted to jump into the Waihohonu River to cool down, but I was only an hour from the hut so I kept going. The last hour was mostly through undulating tussock and a few dry rocky riverbeds.

The current Waihohonu Hut is the second of its name, with the original hut located just 150m away. It was the first hut built in the Tongariro National Park in 1904. You can still visit the original hut, but you can’t stay there.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing in winter is simply magical

I was still in Perú when I saw my cousin Rommel’s photos of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and couldn’t believe how much the terrain had transformed into a winter wonderland. I’ve done a lot more hiking since doing the crossing for the first time three years ago, so I was curious to see how different this experience would be. Would it still be this hobby hiker’s Goliath?

This adventure was with a massive group of 32 with the Pinoy Adventurers NZ group - for some it was already their second time, having experienced the crossing in the summer and excited to walk it in the snow. For many it was their first, and for a few it was a personal milestone in their fitness journey. Some even travelled from the South Island - even as far south as Christchurch. How awesome was that?

Road trip: Winter through the Desert Road

We left Whakatane around 8am - in the midst of a quiet morning fog and crisp Winter air, I grabbed a quick coffee at Z Petrol Station where I ran into an old friend. He was moving down south, where he had been studying for almost two years. The woman who made my coffee recognised me from the other day, and was nice enough to give me an extra stamp for a new coffee card. Small towns are great like that!

There’s something fascinating about our reaction to fog - it’s beautiful as long as it isn’t too thick that it becomes a real driving hazard. This was the case as I drove past Hell’s Gate in Tikitere, just outside of Rotorua. Geothermal tourism is big money in this area, and I would have loved to go in and take photos, so I settled for a roadside snap instead.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing: The hobby hiker's Goliath

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is in the Tongariro National Park and about 3.5 hours drive from Whakatane. We had a house in Turangi for the weekend, which was a bonus, especially as we got home late on Saturday night after the walk. Our day started early (I was up by 5am) - we managed to leave the house just after 6am and made our way to the Ketetahi End car park.

We had booked a one way shuttle with Tongariro Crossing Shuttles, which cost $30 each. You can book a two way shuttle pick up, but we wanted the flexibility of taking our time, and in hindsight, was the best option for us (you’ll read about it later!). There is very limited parking at the Ketetahi End car park, so many sure to arrive 30 minutes before your shuttle is due.

There were four of us on this adventure: Myself, my friend Jem and another hiking buddy, as well Jem’s son, Joe, who was my road trip buddy from Whakatane. I have to mention that Joe’s only 12 years old and was the only one in our group who didn’t wake up with aching legs the next day!

© 2015 Five Foot Ronna

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