Saturday, April 24th – The day to conquer the Tongariro Crossing.
Well, the hike was awesome. All 19.4 km of it! The steep parts were definitely a challenge, and breaks were a must. But the views? - spectacular!
The first part of the hike had us walking along rocky, volcanic stone, past a creak, and by one waterfall. Then, at the second hut, we all took a break and gazed up at the steep climb we were all about to conquer. The climb was mostly stairs which made it much easier (but, there were people RUNNING up the mountain – they must have been completely insane...) Once we got up higher, we were in the clouds! So, the views were obstructed sometimes, but only for short spurts until the clouds cleared. It was kind of cool actually. I was hot going up, but once we reached the first plateau and took a break to wait for the others, I had to put a jacket on cause of the wind and cooler altitude. The girl leading the pack had apparently been doing this particular hike since she was 6 months old! She said her uncle was a volcanologist so he would come up to the mountain to take samples and her parents would come along and bring her with. Cool, eh?
I realized that Mt. Ngauruhoe, which was the first mountain we could see, was the famous mountain they used in Lord of the Rings – Mt. Doom! Good ol' LTR :-)
Then, we walked through this barren, empty part of the crossing called the South Crater, but it was still cool because there were clouds sweeping across the top and at the very base of the land. Then, up another steep climb where you could see for miles and miles. This climb was a bit trickier because of the loose gravel and volcanic rock that slid under your feet. Once we reached the top of the second majorly steep climb (and thankfully, there were only two steep climbs...) we were practically going to be blown off the side of the mountain! It was so windy!! And, we all agreed that it kind of looked like the moon at the very top (or, at least what we imagined the top of the moon would look like). Jen and I climbed to the next highest peak since we wouldn't have enough time to hike all the way to the summit of Mt. Tongariro (which is actually not part of the Tongariro Crossing, just a side trip) and had a stunning view of the bluish/green lakes between the mountains. But, the higher we got, the windier it was so we went back down to find the group and eat our lunch.
Jen and I got to talking and I found out that she is a Health Promoter as well! How cool is that!? It was so fun talking to someone else who knows what Health Promotion is!
On our way to meet everyone else, we passed the Red Crater which looks exactly like it sounds – a MASSIVE red crater! Really cool looking – kind of like how I would imagine hell to look...dark, red, and ominous. We had to practically slide down the next part to reach the Emerald Lakes where our group was waiting. The terrain was soft and sandy and easy to lose your footing on.
When we reach the group we pulled out the celebratory mini bottle of bubbly and each took a sip to celebrate our climb to the top of the mountain!! Woohoo!!
Being near the Emerald Lakes you could smell the sulphur. Stinky!! But it was so beautiful that it was definitely worth the smell. The Blue Lake was next after passing through the Central Crater which was more of the same barren desert look. Still super windy and cold too! I was glad to have my jacket, hat, and mittens with me!
* Side Note – if you ever plan to do this trip, by all means, do not wear blue jeans, jean shorts, or flip flops. There is unprepared tramping, but there is also just stupid tramping. And yes, we did see people wearing all of the above on the hike. They are almost crazier than the ones running up the mountain... *
The tramp was downhill from there. Beautiful views of Lake Taupo as well. The trail became zigzaggy on the way down which we were convinced was completely unnecessary and was only done to prolong the amount of time it took to get to the next hut (aka. toilet!!). We passed by Hot Springs which were unfortunately on private land so we couldn't take advantage of a good hot soak. It also started misting, but not too terribly – just enough for us to enjoy a lovely rainbow. We really had gotten lucky with the weather. Some days, they close the Crossing completely because of wind, rain, or snow. Otherwise, you just have to face whatever elements come your way. And we got the good elements!
The final part of the track was through bush. I felt my legs on auto-pilot towards the end. But, I was feeling really good for the most part and had so enjoyed the hike and the ladies that I had done the hike with! It was the perfect group and the perfect pace. A great day of tramping!!
We were all tuckered out waiting at the carpark for our shuttle to pick us up. I used the most fowl toilet I have ever used in my life – seriously, it was AWFUL. Took pictures in front of the Tongariro Crossing sign and then hopped the bus and dozed the whole way back to the hostel.
The shower at the hostel was amazing. Everything was amazing. Dinner was bean burritos with loads of veggies and avacado and cheese and wedges to boot! Then an evening of mint dark chocolate, wine, and Cranium. It was so much fun! And then the movie “Weekend at Bernie's” before bedtime. What a fantastic day.
Saturday, April 24
Friday, April 23
An Escape at Solscape
Solscape, the hostel that I am wwoofing at, just has this awesome chill vibe going on all over the place – as does the whole town of Raglan. It's beautiful, to say the least. The mountains, harbor, ocean, and beaches are just breath taking. But the laidback atmosphere of Solscape and Raglan just make it one of those places where you can find yourself wanting to stick around for longer than you originally planned to. I'm so happy that I decided to stay for longer. And, even though it's a surfing town, I feel like there is still so much to do to be out and active on the water and around the area. Kayaking, biking, walks on the beach...it's everywhere. And this is something that I definitely value in a place where I want to live. Natural beauty, relaxed environment, and not too touristy. Actually, I think that I came to Raglan at the perfect time. Still great weather, but during the change over of the seasons so there are way less people around. Which is totally my style.
I decided to take Andre's kayak out on the harbor again. This time I went the other direction and went straight into the sun. But, that's where the Pancake Rocks were so I wanted to check those out! It was a bit rougher on the water than the other day, but it was still great being out on the water. I really enjoy kayaking – it's so peaceful and calming to me. I biked back up toward Solscape and hit the lookout spot right at sunset. Perfect timing! So, I chilled out and enjoyed the beautiful sky and sea.
Andre invited me and four friends to go wake boarding behind his boat one day! Katie (another Wisconsinite that I met in NZ) and I went tubing first off and just had a blast! I thought my arms were going to fall off...haha. Andre was brutal! But it was so much fun. And neither of us fell off! Woohoo! the boys (Chris and Karl) went next – Lubos played the paparazzi and used his gynormous camera to take photos. So, Katie and I hung out on the beach with the two other CS (couchsurfing) Chillian girls that were staying with Andre.
It was a perfect day outside too. Just slightly cloudy be lots of sun. I went in the boat to take pictures of Lubos wakeboarding. He was great at it! Plus, it was way fun for me to try out his sweet camera :-) The lens on that thing!! So awesome.
I tried wake boarding after the other boys went and was able to get up most of the time, but had a hard time staying up – the footstraps on Lubos' kite board were too big so my feet didn't feel very secure. But, it was way fun nonetheless! Boy, are my arms going to be sore tomorrow.... We all got to watch the sunset before we packed ourselves into the Lubos' van. The sunsets here are just incredible. I don't think I could ever get sick of them.
The weather changed over a bit later that week. I was sleeping in my tent and felt a drop of water on my face. Turns out, my tent isn't exactly rain proof...bummer! So, I spent a half hour locating all the roof leaks (five...) and placing a piece of already partly damp clothing underneath each. Then, I figured it would be a good idea to bring my electronic stuff into the station house, just in case the rain was relentless and soaked my tent. So, I threw on my blue poncho and ducked into the SH. I sprawled out on the SH sofa in my sleeping bag listening to music on my iPod. Needless to say, it was a comfy spot (and DRY!) but with people coming in and out after about 6 am to make breakfast, it wasn't exactly the most quiet spot to be snoozing...
I finally got to try out surfing!! A fellow friend and wwoofer, Karl, agreed to give me a surf lesson so all I had to do was rent a board and a wet suit. Surfing was really fun – although, I was terrible! Haha, but just my first day...things can only go uphill from here right? ;-) I could barely keep my balance on the board to just paddle. But, when Katie showed up at the beach later, she informed me that I probably picked one of the worst days to try out surfing for the first time because the waves were so messy. So, at least it was supposed to be hard and it wasn't all just me!
We played around in the waves for about 2 hours. It was just fun being out in the water and paddle around a bit! I didn't realize how tired I was until the very end. My legs and arms were just like jello! And then we had to make the climb from the beach back up to Solscape...20 minutes uphill. Not exactly something to look forward to after 2 hours of surfing! But, phew, we made it. :-)
One of the evenings at Solscape was filled with loads of people chopping, cutting, and dicing vegetables and whatever else in the kitchen for...drum roll... PIZZA!! And not just any pizza, but clay oven pizza. MmmMM! I was in charge of chopping the garlic, peppers, and whatever else was needed. It was really fun with all the hustle and bustle in the kitchen. There were three different groups who all decided to do pizza night on the same night. So, we just ended up doing one BIG communal pizza night! There were so many pizzas too! Holy wow!! And it was amazing!! Veggies and chewy thin crust. Sooo good. I was stuffed to the brim! And Chris even made a PB and Nutella pizza too for dessert :-9 What a great end to the deliciousness that was...pizza night!
After two full weeks of wwoofing at Solscape, it was time for me to move on. I was invited to join a group of 9 other kiwi women and hike the famous Tongariro Crossing on Saturday, April 24th! This tramp is 19.4 km long and typically takes people 7-8 hours to complete. But it's rated as one of top day hikes in the entire world! Definitely a must-do during my time in New Zealand.
I decided to take Andre's kayak out on the harbor again. This time I went the other direction and went straight into the sun. But, that's where the Pancake Rocks were so I wanted to check those out! It was a bit rougher on the water than the other day, but it was still great being out on the water. I really enjoy kayaking – it's so peaceful and calming to me. I biked back up toward Solscape and hit the lookout spot right at sunset. Perfect timing! So, I chilled out and enjoyed the beautiful sky and sea.
Andre invited me and four friends to go wake boarding behind his boat one day! Katie (another Wisconsinite that I met in NZ) and I went tubing first off and just had a blast! I thought my arms were going to fall off...haha. Andre was brutal! But it was so much fun. And neither of us fell off! Woohoo! the boys (Chris and Karl) went next – Lubos played the paparazzi and used his gynormous camera to take photos. So, Katie and I hung out on the beach with the two other CS (couchsurfing) Chillian girls that were staying with Andre.
It was a perfect day outside too. Just slightly cloudy be lots of sun. I went in the boat to take pictures of Lubos wakeboarding. He was great at it! Plus, it was way fun for me to try out his sweet camera :-) The lens on that thing!! So awesome.
I tried wake boarding after the other boys went and was able to get up most of the time, but had a hard time staying up – the footstraps on Lubos' kite board were too big so my feet didn't feel very secure. But, it was way fun nonetheless! Boy, are my arms going to be sore tomorrow.... We all got to watch the sunset before we packed ourselves into the Lubos' van. The sunsets here are just incredible. I don't think I could ever get sick of them.
The weather changed over a bit later that week. I was sleeping in my tent and felt a drop of water on my face. Turns out, my tent isn't exactly rain proof...bummer! So, I spent a half hour locating all the roof leaks (five...) and placing a piece of already partly damp clothing underneath each. Then, I figured it would be a good idea to bring my electronic stuff into the station house, just in case the rain was relentless and soaked my tent. So, I threw on my blue poncho and ducked into the SH. I sprawled out on the SH sofa in my sleeping bag listening to music on my iPod. Needless to say, it was a comfy spot (and DRY!) but with people coming in and out after about 6 am to make breakfast, it wasn't exactly the most quiet spot to be snoozing...
I finally got to try out surfing!! A fellow friend and wwoofer, Karl, agreed to give me a surf lesson so all I had to do was rent a board and a wet suit. Surfing was really fun – although, I was terrible! Haha, but just my first day...things can only go uphill from here right? ;-) I could barely keep my balance on the board to just paddle. But, when Katie showed up at the beach later, she informed me that I probably picked one of the worst days to try out surfing for the first time because the waves were so messy. So, at least it was supposed to be hard and it wasn't all just me!
We played around in the waves for about 2 hours. It was just fun being out in the water and paddle around a bit! I didn't realize how tired I was until the very end. My legs and arms were just like jello! And then we had to make the climb from the beach back up to Solscape...20 minutes uphill. Not exactly something to look forward to after 2 hours of surfing! But, phew, we made it. :-)
One of the evenings at Solscape was filled with loads of people chopping, cutting, and dicing vegetables and whatever else in the kitchen for...drum roll... PIZZA!! And not just any pizza, but clay oven pizza. MmmMM! I was in charge of chopping the garlic, peppers, and whatever else was needed. It was really fun with all the hustle and bustle in the kitchen. There were three different groups who all decided to do pizza night on the same night. So, we just ended up doing one BIG communal pizza night! There were so many pizzas too! Holy wow!! And it was amazing!! Veggies and chewy thin crust. Sooo good. I was stuffed to the brim! And Chris even made a PB and Nutella pizza too for dessert :-9 What a great end to the deliciousness that was...pizza night!
After two full weeks of wwoofing at Solscape, it was time for me to move on. I was invited to join a group of 9 other kiwi women and hike the famous Tongariro Crossing on Saturday, April 24th! This tramp is 19.4 km long and typically takes people 7-8 hours to complete. But it's rated as one of top day hikes in the entire world! Definitely a must-do during my time in New Zealand.
Thursday, April 8
Cruising the Coromandel on Easter Weekend
I arrived in Raglan last Wednesday where I met my couchsurfing host, Andre. For those of you who have never heard of “Couchsurfing,” it's something that I was introduced to several years ago and is a budget travelers dream!! Couchsurfing is an online network where people create profiles of themselves and advertise their “couch” or whichever sleeping surface (air mattress, bed, floor mat, hammock... ;-) ) they have available. So, when I decided to come to Raglan, I typed “Raglan” in the search box and Andre's profile amongst other Raglaners pop up. After checking out people's profiles (and viewing their references – just one of the “safety” mechanisms that CS has created), you can message them and let them know the dates that you are looking to “surf their couch.” If they are available and willing to host you, they write back and Tada! you have a free place to stay and a chance to meet a local in the area. I totally recommend Couchsurfing – and you don't even need to be a traveler to do it! Lots of people go on an just enjoy hosting other travelers – if you don't get the opportunity to travel much, it's a great way to bring other cultures to you. I give Couchsurfing two huge thumbs UP! Check it out at “www.couchsurfing.org”
Andre took myself and another couchsurfer, Stephanie from France, to the Te Toto Gorge on the outskirts of Raglan. There was a gorgeous lookout over the ocean with a stunning view of the Raglan Harbor. The gorge was really beautiful with incredibly steep cliffs, black rocky beaches and lots of greenery. So pretty!!
We drove back down to the beach – more black sand but since the sun was beginning to set, it wasn't scorching on the feet! So, I ditched my sandals at the stairs and walked barefoot – one of the many things on my “What makes me happy” list :-)
We walked along the beach for quite a while. With the sun setting it got quite a bit cooler. but we watched a few jetskis playing in the water and dipped our toes in the tide pools of the beach. There were tide pools everywhere! There were even the cliché bongo drummers on the beach to serenade us :-)
When we got back to the car, the sky was starting to turn this brilliant pinkish/orange color. So, we zoomed back to the lookout over the beach and enjoyed the setting of the firey orange ball. How peacefully stunning.
The next day, Andre invited me to go on a road trip with him to the Coromandel Peninsula for the Easter weekend. I hadn't thought I would be able to make it to the east coast/Bay of Plenty area while I was in the North Island, so I was stoked that he was willing to let me tag along! We drove to Thames on Friday and I met Andre's mum, brother, brother's girlfriend, sister and niece. Andre's mum had the idea to go to the Square Kauri tree in Tapu which was about 40 minutes north of Thames. It was in the middle of this windy, gravel road and just had this small sign next to the trail entrance. It only took about 10 minutes to get to the tree, and it was actually square...well, as square as a tree can grow!
We went to the Saturday morning market in town. A mix between arts and crafts and farmers goods! I found my first souvenir – a really cool pair of earring that were carved out of wood – one earring was the shape of the North Island and the other earring was the South Island! They had my name written all over them :-)
Andre and I spent Easter Sunday in Tauranga with a group of his close friends. Andre went on a morning mission and picked up fresh hot crossed buns for breakfast (which are a huge thing in NZ!). Then, the whole lot of us went to the National Jazz Festival in downtown Tauranga and spent the afternoon listening to sweet jazz music by the river. It was a lovely Sunday, but I missed doing the tradition “Easter things” that I would have done at home – coloring eggs and easter eggs hunts. I even missed going to the Easter Saturday mass and singing all the beautiful Easter songs at church. It just didn't feel like Easter without family and easter eggs. But, we all enjoyed the sunny, warm weather and lively music.
On Monday, I drove for my first time in NZ! It was actually really simple but I kept hitting the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal cause they are switched on the NZ cars. But, it was fun to be behind the wheel again :-)
I drove myself to Mt. Maunganui (aka. “The Mount”) and made the hike up to the summit (only getting a bit turned around twice...). I climbed up the steep side of the mountain – like seriously steep!!! I couldn't get over the fact that there were people RUNNING up the damn mountain! Holy hell!! Ambitious buggers...I thought they were crazy – yet seriously jealous that they could do it without passing out...or dying. I spent a while on the summit, playing around with my camera timer and soaking in the beautiful view. I could see all of Mt. Maunganui and Tauranga. It was so big!! So many houses and water and mountains in the distance. Quite a lovely view.
We were back in Raglan by Monday night – and the first thing I had to do was...boil an egg!! I was determined to color an Easter egg – tis the season! Andre had markers and pulled out a NZ flag so I could copy it on my egg :-) It turned out really cool!! Just a day late is all...No bother, better late then never.
I went out in the drizzle of Raglan on Tuesday and walked all the way to Manu Bay. As I was crossing a bridge, I started talking with this Maori guy, Shannon. He and his mates were diving for mussels and oysters! He asked if I wanted to try one, and and I thought I might as well try it! So, he had his friend throw one up, cracked it open, and said, “Just slurp it...shhlup!” Ugh!! It looked pretty gross...and I kept trying to drain the saltwater off (apparently I was supposed to leave the “juice” - whoops!) Anyway, I slurped and ate the whole thing! It was really salty and, well...pretty disgusting. Haha, probably won't be eating raw oysters again any time soon.
I finally made my way up to Solscape Eco-Retreat (a hostel and camp ground in Raglan). They had an opening for a female worker to do cleaning for accommodation, so I start on Friday! I took a browse around the grounds - it was pretty cool! Their dorms are recycled old train cabs! And they have tipis and lots of tents around too, Sweet spot with an awesome view of the ocean. I am excited to be back in the hostel atmosphere. So, looks like I'll be hanging out in Raglan till the 23rd of April. Plenty of time to get some good tramping, swimming, surfing, and kayaking in!! Raglan is just an awesome place to be – I am definitely glad to be spending more time here.
Yesterday, I took out Andre's kayak and kayaked around the Raglan Harbor. It was so quiet and peaceful! The harbor is huge too – I kayaked around for about 3 hours and still only got to about 1/6 of the harbor. Andre's going to let me take out his kayak while I'm staying at Solscape too! So, I'll definitely be taking advantage of that.
Well, time for me to pack up my stuff and head over to Solscape. Goodbye internet and mattress – hello communal kitchen and tent living!! :-)
Andre took myself and another couchsurfer, Stephanie from France, to the Te Toto Gorge on the outskirts of Raglan. There was a gorgeous lookout over the ocean with a stunning view of the Raglan Harbor. The gorge was really beautiful with incredibly steep cliffs, black rocky beaches and lots of greenery. So pretty!!
We drove back down to the beach – more black sand but since the sun was beginning to set, it wasn't scorching on the feet! So, I ditched my sandals at the stairs and walked barefoot – one of the many things on my “What makes me happy” list :-)
We walked along the beach for quite a while. With the sun setting it got quite a bit cooler. but we watched a few jetskis playing in the water and dipped our toes in the tide pools of the beach. There were tide pools everywhere! There were even the cliché bongo drummers on the beach to serenade us :-)
When we got back to the car, the sky was starting to turn this brilliant pinkish/orange color. So, we zoomed back to the lookout over the beach and enjoyed the setting of the firey orange ball. How peacefully stunning.
The next day, Andre invited me to go on a road trip with him to the Coromandel Peninsula for the Easter weekend. I hadn't thought I would be able to make it to the east coast/Bay of Plenty area while I was in the North Island, so I was stoked that he was willing to let me tag along! We drove to Thames on Friday and I met Andre's mum, brother, brother's girlfriend, sister and niece. Andre's mum had the idea to go to the Square Kauri tree in Tapu which was about 40 minutes north of Thames. It was in the middle of this windy, gravel road and just had this small sign next to the trail entrance. It only took about 10 minutes to get to the tree, and it was actually square...well, as square as a tree can grow!
We went to the Saturday morning market in town. A mix between arts and crafts and farmers goods! I found my first souvenir – a really cool pair of earring that were carved out of wood – one earring was the shape of the North Island and the other earring was the South Island! They had my name written all over them :-)
Andre and I spent Easter Sunday in Tauranga with a group of his close friends. Andre went on a morning mission and picked up fresh hot crossed buns for breakfast (which are a huge thing in NZ!). Then, the whole lot of us went to the National Jazz Festival in downtown Tauranga and spent the afternoon listening to sweet jazz music by the river. It was a lovely Sunday, but I missed doing the tradition “Easter things” that I would have done at home – coloring eggs and easter eggs hunts. I even missed going to the Easter Saturday mass and singing all the beautiful Easter songs at church. It just didn't feel like Easter without family and easter eggs. But, we all enjoyed the sunny, warm weather and lively music.
On Monday, I drove for my first time in NZ! It was actually really simple but I kept hitting the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal cause they are switched on the NZ cars. But, it was fun to be behind the wheel again :-)
I drove myself to Mt. Maunganui (aka. “The Mount”) and made the hike up to the summit (only getting a bit turned around twice...). I climbed up the steep side of the mountain – like seriously steep!!! I couldn't get over the fact that there were people RUNNING up the damn mountain! Holy hell!! Ambitious buggers...I thought they were crazy – yet seriously jealous that they could do it without passing out...or dying. I spent a while on the summit, playing around with my camera timer and soaking in the beautiful view. I could see all of Mt. Maunganui and Tauranga. It was so big!! So many houses and water and mountains in the distance. Quite a lovely view.
We were back in Raglan by Monday night – and the first thing I had to do was...boil an egg!! I was determined to color an Easter egg – tis the season! Andre had markers and pulled out a NZ flag so I could copy it on my egg :-) It turned out really cool!! Just a day late is all...No bother, better late then never.
I went out in the drizzle of Raglan on Tuesday and walked all the way to Manu Bay. As I was crossing a bridge, I started talking with this Maori guy, Shannon. He and his mates were diving for mussels and oysters! He asked if I wanted to try one, and and I thought I might as well try it! So, he had his friend throw one up, cracked it open, and said, “Just slurp it...shhlup!” Ugh!! It looked pretty gross...and I kept trying to drain the saltwater off (apparently I was supposed to leave the “juice” - whoops!) Anyway, I slurped and ate the whole thing! It was really salty and, well...pretty disgusting. Haha, probably won't be eating raw oysters again any time soon.
I finally made my way up to Solscape Eco-Retreat (a hostel and camp ground in Raglan). They had an opening for a female worker to do cleaning for accommodation, so I start on Friday! I took a browse around the grounds - it was pretty cool! Their dorms are recycled old train cabs! And they have tipis and lots of tents around too, Sweet spot with an awesome view of the ocean. I am excited to be back in the hostel atmosphere. So, looks like I'll be hanging out in Raglan till the 23rd of April. Plenty of time to get some good tramping, swimming, surfing, and kayaking in!! Raglan is just an awesome place to be – I am definitely glad to be spending more time here.
Yesterday, I took out Andre's kayak and kayaked around the Raglan Harbor. It was so quiet and peaceful! The harbor is huge too – I kayaked around for about 3 hours and still only got to about 1/6 of the harbor. Andre's going to let me take out his kayak while I'm staying at Solscape too! So, I'll definitely be taking advantage of that.
Well, time for me to pack up my stuff and head over to Solscape. Goodbye internet and mattress – hello communal kitchen and tent living!! :-)
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