I Travel And Stuff

I said my goodbyes to the friends I made at National Park and jumped on a bus to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The bus ride took about 8 hours but I didn’t mind too much. The views from the window seat made the trip enjoyable.

I met this elderly woman on the bus and we chatted for quite some time. She was a retired teacher and she helped me understand more about the political and social culture of the country. I learned a lot from her.

She gave me her email address and offered me a room if I ever returned to Wellington. The people in New Zealand are so friendly. This is the only place I have visited where a two-hour conversation results in being offered free accommodation. Imagine striking up a conversation with someone on the New York subway and being offered a place to stay. That would never happen!

My flight to Queenstown left in the early morning and I decided to sleep in the airport in order to save some money. The sleeping bag I purchased functioned quite well as a pillow but I’ll be grateful to get back to sleeping in a normal bed this week. Between the trek and the airport, I haven’t had many nights in a proper bed lately.

The flight into Queenstown was very cool. The plane has to fly in the valleys between the mountains and as we were landing we got so close to the cliffs. Thankfully I got a window seat (in the emergency exit row to boot) and I got to see everything there was to see.

I’ve only been in Queenstown for a few hours but the scenery is remarkable. It honestly doesn’t look real. It looks like you are looking at a green screen in the distance. I had some time to kill before I could check into the hostel so I hung out around the lake and relaxed. It’s a magnificent place to meditate.

I woke up earlier than I expected which has been a common theme since I arrived in New Zealand. A group of four from France set off before the sunrise. Their plan was to hike from the Waihohonu Hut all the way back to Whakapapa Village. A total distance of 30 KM. It’s definitely doable but it seems like the ultimate challenge. I hope they finished without any issues.

Surprisingly my muscles were not sore at all. I was tired but my muscles were ready to go the additional 15 KM back to the village. I set off around 8 AM with the intention of getting back to the village by lunchtime.

Thankfully the track was mostly flat. It was a welcome reprieve. The views of both mountains were fantastic as I was walking in the valley between them. There were times when I was all alone. It felt like I was the only person on Earth, a feeling you don’t experience back at home. The walk was quite meditative.

About halfway through I started encountering more people. The last part of this trail is a day hike to Taranaki Falls, a small waterfall in the valley. I had some lunch by the waterfall and rested up for a bit before finishing off the last leg.

As I got over the last hill I could see the village in the distance, no more than a thirty-minute walk away. It was one of those moments that you laugh to yourself because you are so relieved. I was proud of myself. I can’t remember being more proud of myself in recent memory.

This was a challenge of both body and mind. I rallied myself and finished off the track with a smile. Had I made other choices I would be sitting behind a desk reviewing tax extensions at that moment. A feeling of triumph permeated through me. I felt as if I was directing my life in the direction I wanted it to go. There is no better feeling.

When I got back to Whakapapa village I hitched a ride to the hostel. Thankfully someone picked me up quite quickly. I didn’t feel like walking another 3 hours back!

Today I will jump on a bus and head to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. I will only stay overnight. My flight to Queenstown, a small city in the South Island, leaves in the morning tomorrow.

The mountains in the park play a big part in the mythology of the Maori people, the indigenous people of New Zealand. The story goes that Mount Tongariro and Mount Taranaki battled for the love of Mount Pihanga, the only female mountain in the area. Tongariro eventually won and Taranaki left with his tail in between his legs. Taranaki now stands along the western coast, far from Tongariro and Pihanga.

To learn more about the Maori legend click here.

We started very early on Day 2 and got going just as the sun was rising. The second day took us through the alpine crossing. We had to climb up the mountain and back down the other side to get to the next hut. This trail is also offered as a day hike and there were a lot more people on the trail than the day before.

The terrain changed drastically as we approached the ascent. What was once grassland turned into a barren wasteland. The volcanic activity in the area has continually suppressed the plantlife and only grass and some shrubs are able to grow.

The climb was not easy! It wasn’t only a matter of the elevation gain, which was roughly 500 meters. The trail itself was not stable. A lot of loose rocks and sand which made getting a proper footing difficult at times. We had to take it slowly to ensure we didn’t hurt ourselves. Carrying a pack with three days worth of equipment doesn’t help the cause either.

But boy, were the views worth it. It is a bit odd that such a wasteland could be beautiful but it absolutely was. At times I felt like I was on Mars. It was hard to figure out where to look as we approached the Red Crater and the Emerald Lakes.

The lakes are almost green in color, due to the minerals found in the water. It reminded me of Iceland because the whole area smelt of rotten eggs. Oddly enough I found the smell quite pleasing. By the time we reached the top, we had been trekking for close to five hours and we stopped by a larger lake nearby for lunch, promptly called Blue Lake.

After taking a rest we moved on. The other side of the mountain was even more like a desert. It really felt like we were walking through Mordor. It took us about another 2 hours to reach the Uterere Hut. Sarah and Shelley were staying there but I had to go to the next hut which was about another 3 hours away. I rested up for a bit, said my goodbyes, and moved along.

At this point, I was exhausted and was excited to get to the lodge. The track was flatter but like the first day very up and down. The landscape changed until I was finally at a forest with a small stream running through it.

After resting at the stream I had one more large ascent, the hut being in the valley on the other side. At this point, I had wished they had blown a tunnel through the hill because it was a bit of a struggle for me. But I took my time and persevered. I walked for about 11 hours and I slept like a baby that night.

I took the bus from Auckland to the center of the North Island to Tongariro National Park on Saturday. The trip down was quite scenic and the bus was fairly comfortable. It seems not having a car here won’t be much of an issue.

I stayed one night at the hostel and I had a great time meeting the people there. I met this one group that was taking a weekend trip from Auckland. Three of them were from Spain and the other girl from Argentina. I have been teaching everyone I meet wild card gin (thanks Luke!) and everyone seems to really enjoy it. This group was no exception.

The next day these two girls at the hostel gave me a ride to the start of the trail. The check-in process was not as intense as I was expecting it to be. I assumed the ranger was going to ensure I had all the necessary equipment for the trek but all he did was give me a map and point me in the right direction.

The trail I walked on the first day was not difficult. About 10 KM long and little to no elevation gain. It was quite rugged and the trail had a tendency to go up and down. So even though there was no net elevation gain I was going uphill some of the time.

It took me three hours to get to the first cabin – the Mangatepopo Hut. A small little lodge with about twenty bunk beds. The cots were solid but not at all comfortable and a sleeping bag was required. I met a few people that were traveling alone as well and we decided to hike the trail together the next day. We played wild card gin that evening of course.

The hut was facing west and there were no hills to obstruct our view of the sunset. It was a nice way to wind down before taking on a challenging day.

I did end up going to the light-show down at the bay last night. It wasn’t anything super special. Just a 10-minute display on the main bridge in town. I did meet this family from New Zealand and they couldn’t stop giving me suggestions and tips. So far Kiwis are as nice and friendly as everyone says.

I called it quits early last night because I wanted to get an early start today. I walked down to the ferry and took the boat across the bay to this small town called Devonport. There’s this tall hill there called Mt. Victoria that I climbed. It didn’t take very long at all and it afforded some dramatic views of the city and the bay.

I plopped myself down and read for a little while. I’ve been reading this book on the history of New Zealand. I will try to read books about the countries that I visit as I meander around. Knowing the history of the people really helps to enhance the experience.

While there I met another couple from the United States. This time from Coral Springs which is very close to where my parents live. They were telling me that Queen was performing in the city tonight. It would be pretty cool to go but I think I will have to pass. The tickets are quite pricey and I want to save my energy.

I leave tomorrow for Tongariro which is a National Park in the center of the north island. The hike will take 3 days and I probably will not have access to the internet during that time.

Auckland really reminds me of Seattle. The similarities are quite staggering actually. I am only here for two days but I can already tell that I wish I had another day or two.

I arrived last night but I didn’t get in until 11 PM local time. And I guess I thought it would be a good idea to sleep at the airport because I didn’t book a hostel for the night. It actually turned out to be a not-so-terrible decision. I have to save money where I can I guess.

No jet lag either. It worked out extremely well because by the time I landed it was time to sleep in Hawaii also. It’s just in New Zealand an additional day had passed. Crossing the International Date Line will do that.

When I woke up I chatted with a couple from Oregon and they suggested that I look into car transfers. When a rental car or camper van company needs to move their assets from one location to another they will let people drive them for very cheap. But usually, you have to travel a route that is not popular with tourists. I will look into it but it seems unlikely that it will work for me.

I had some time to kill before officially checking into the hostel. So I dropped my bag off and hopped onto one of the street scooters they have here. Similar to the Lime or Bird scooters you see out on the west coast. It’s fairly cheap but they are terrible going up hills. And Auckland happens to be fairly hilly.

I drove it down to the harbor and walked around for a bit. It’s a really nice area and everyone was out and about. Today is Waitangi Day which is the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. The treaty was an agreement of cooperation between the European colonizers and the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand.

I am reading a book about the history of New Zealand and knew all about this. I just didn’t realize that it was the day that I arrived. They are having a few events in the evening here so I will probably head to one of them sometime after dinner.