Tuesday we headed for the bottom of the south Island. We went through Invercargill, down to Bluff. Bluff is the southernmost town on the south Island. It is also where state Highway 1 begins in the south. State highway 1 goes north from Bluff to run the entire length of New Zealand (of course with a break in between).
From Bluff, about half of us took the hour long ferry ride over to Stewart Island, the southernmost of the main Island's of New Zealand. Stewart island is tiny in comparison to the two main islands, and 85% of its landmass is National park. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to enter the National park; so we spent our time in Oban, Stewart Island's only town. A few of us decided to go in together and rent a car so we could drive Stewart Island's whopping 29 kilometers of roads. The roads only provided access to Oban and the immediate harbors adjacent to it. They do not go into the interior of the island at all.
Our expedition of discovery of Oban and the surrounding bays yielded the following results; there is not much going on on Stewart Island. It also rained most of the time we were there. I must say though, it was pretty neat being on an island that is so far south; closer by far to Antarctica than to Texas, and realize that the vast majority of human civilization has never been as far south as I was at the moment. The weather was mild, I wore a hoodie to keep warm, but it was by no means frigid. It also stayed light outside tall nearly 10:00 PM. This is due to the Island being on the western end of the time zone, and being so far south (this end of the planet is tilted more toward the sun right now, hince it is summer time).
HUGH'S TRIVIA FACT OF THE DAY. Stewart Island lies in the midst of some of the most pristine open ocean in the world. Therefore the rain that they receive is incredibly clean. As a result all of the water used for drinking, washing, flushing toilets etc. on the island comes entirely from collected rainwater. From the time we boarded the ferry, we were asked to please conserve water during our stay. Pretty cool.
The next morning, we took the ferry back to Bluff, got on the buss and headed for Dunedin. We made a few stops along the way. We stopped at a beach that is actually the southernmost point of the south Island of New Zealand (I can now say that I have been to both ends of the main part of New Zealand). While there we were standing on the beach, and noticed a head popping up out of the water. The next thing we knew, a really big sea lion came out of the water and hobbled up the beach right in front of us and stopped, seemingly posing for photographs. It sat there for a while, chasing back the occasional person, seemingly simply for sport, and then rolled around in the sand. It was pretty cool. Just about 50 yards away laying in the dune grass, was a male. He was huge. We all took pictures and cautiously kept our distance.
We continued on, stopping at a penguin preserve, but saw no penguins. Finally we made it into Dunedin. The bus driver was kind enough to drop me at the airport, after a few hours I caught a flight back to Auckland. I have been here for the past few nights regaining my sanity, and enjoying sleeping in a room that I am not sharing with 5 or 6 other people.
Tomorrow morning I leave to go to Sydney! I am super excited about this. Don't get me wrong, New Zealand has been amazing, but I have wanted to go to Australia since I was a child. Aussie here I come.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Fjordland... Isn't that a type of car?
Saturday we left Franz Josef, headed for Makarora. We made a few stops along the way, saw some cool stuff, but all in all it was an uneventful day. We stayed the night at the Makarora Wilderness retreat, in the middle of NO WHERE. Which brings us to...
TRIVIA TIME WITH HUGH: The population of New Zealand equals only about 4 million. Of those, 1.5 million live in Auckland. Which leaves 2.5 million for the rest of the country. Though the south island is larger than the north, the vast majority of it is wilderness. Three million in total live on the north island, leaving only 1 million people who live on the south island. Around 300,000 of those live in New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch. Which leaves only 700,000 people scattered over quite a large island. Most of those left live in other urban centers like Queenstown, Nelson, Duneden and so forth. Hince, large portions of the south island lay as unsettled wilderness.
It was on this leg of the trip that I was properly introduced to Sandflies. These are horrible, horrible creatures. The best way to describe them is; mosquitoes on steroids, and lots of them. This area is largely Sub-tropical rain forrest, which is a haven for the Sandfly, so we all got to know sand flies quite well.
We left Makarora headed for Queenstown. There was lots to see and do along the way. The drive was beautiful, once again, largely across wilderness. We stopped and saw several waterfalls, some beautiful rivers, and crossed the Haast Pass. This pass traverses the mountains that run along the length of the west coast. Once over the pass we were inland and well on our way to Queenstown.
A bit further down the road, we stopped at a sign on the side of the road marking the 45th parallel. This is the latitudinal line that marks the 45 degree, or half way point between the equator and the south pole. Upon crossing this marker, we were closer to the south pole than the equator; truly, and without question, "down under."
We continued on, stopping for those who wished to bungy jump do so. I was happy to watch and take pictures, but did not partake. We finally arrived in Queenstown. We were there for 2 nights. I used the time to do some much needed laundry, and relax.
This morning we left Queenstown, passing the the "Remarkables" mountain range that is visible from the city. This range was used in the Lord of the Rings, it is easy to see why. They are truly amazingly beautiful, and just looking at them seems to somehow transport you into the story.
Our main stop today was the Milford Sound in the Fjordland National Park. The entire region was carved out by glaciers and is absolutely stunningly beautiful. Mountains appear out of a flat valley, and shoot straight up, some over 1000 meters. It is a very surreal place. When taking in the views, one feels like they are on another planet. We drove through the park, through a tunnel that cut directly through a mountain and then traveled on to Milford Sound. Once there, we got onto a boat and took a cruise around the sound. It was stunning. Once again mountains shot straight up out of the water to unbelievable heights, many with amazing waterfalls plummeting down the sides of the mountains into the water below. It is unbelievable that places like this exist. The whole experience was simply indescribable. An unbelievable amount of beauty permeates the place, and one cannot help but be in awe of the entire experience in the park.
TRIVIA TIME WITH HUGH: The Fjordland National Park is New Zealand's largest park. In Fact, the park covers 1/5th or 20% of the landmass of New Zealand. The area is also a World Heritage Site, a designation given through the United Nations, which recognizes an area's unique qualities and preciousness to humanity.
We moved along from there and are staying the night in Tuatapere. Tomorrow we travel to Invercargill, the southern-most city of the south island. For those who may have seen the movie "The Fastest Indian," the main character of the film is from Invercargill. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. It is a great film.
From Invercargill, some of us (including myself) will take the ferry to New Zealand's third major island, Stewart Island (a relatively small island just south of Invercargill). We will spend the night there. I will likely not post from there, as the island is very primitive (no electricity except what is provided by private generators). I am very excited about this stay. The stars are supposed to be amazing if the weather is clear. Not to mention that when standing on the south shore, nothing stands between you and Antarctica. Sounds pretty cool to me.
The following day, we travel to Duneden. From there I fly back to Auckland, ending my tour of New Zealand.
TRIVIA TIME WITH HUGH: The population of New Zealand equals only about 4 million. Of those, 1.5 million live in Auckland. Which leaves 2.5 million for the rest of the country. Though the south island is larger than the north, the vast majority of it is wilderness. Three million in total live on the north island, leaving only 1 million people who live on the south island. Around 300,000 of those live in New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch. Which leaves only 700,000 people scattered over quite a large island. Most of those left live in other urban centers like Queenstown, Nelson, Duneden and so forth. Hince, large portions of the south island lay as unsettled wilderness.
It was on this leg of the trip that I was properly introduced to Sandflies. These are horrible, horrible creatures. The best way to describe them is; mosquitoes on steroids, and lots of them. This area is largely Sub-tropical rain forrest, which is a haven for the Sandfly, so we all got to know sand flies quite well.
We left Makarora headed for Queenstown. There was lots to see and do along the way. The drive was beautiful, once again, largely across wilderness. We stopped and saw several waterfalls, some beautiful rivers, and crossed the Haast Pass. This pass traverses the mountains that run along the length of the west coast. Once over the pass we were inland and well on our way to Queenstown.
A bit further down the road, we stopped at a sign on the side of the road marking the 45th parallel. This is the latitudinal line that marks the 45 degree, or half way point between the equator and the south pole. Upon crossing this marker, we were closer to the south pole than the equator; truly, and without question, "down under."
We continued on, stopping for those who wished to bungy jump do so. I was happy to watch and take pictures, but did not partake. We finally arrived in Queenstown. We were there for 2 nights. I used the time to do some much needed laundry, and relax.
This morning we left Queenstown, passing the the "Remarkables" mountain range that is visible from the city. This range was used in the Lord of the Rings, it is easy to see why. They are truly amazingly beautiful, and just looking at them seems to somehow transport you into the story.
Our main stop today was the Milford Sound in the Fjordland National Park. The entire region was carved out by glaciers and is absolutely stunningly beautiful. Mountains appear out of a flat valley, and shoot straight up, some over 1000 meters. It is a very surreal place. When taking in the views, one feels like they are on another planet. We drove through the park, through a tunnel that cut directly through a mountain and then traveled on to Milford Sound. Once there, we got onto a boat and took a cruise around the sound. It was stunning. Once again mountains shot straight up out of the water to unbelievable heights, many with amazing waterfalls plummeting down the sides of the mountains into the water below. It is unbelievable that places like this exist. The whole experience was simply indescribable. An unbelievable amount of beauty permeates the place, and one cannot help but be in awe of the entire experience in the park.
TRIVIA TIME WITH HUGH: The Fjordland National Park is New Zealand's largest park. In Fact, the park covers 1/5th or 20% of the landmass of New Zealand. The area is also a World Heritage Site, a designation given through the United Nations, which recognizes an area's unique qualities and preciousness to humanity.
We moved along from there and are staying the night in Tuatapere. Tomorrow we travel to Invercargill, the southern-most city of the south island. For those who may have seen the movie "The Fastest Indian," the main character of the film is from Invercargill. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. It is a great film.
From Invercargill, some of us (including myself) will take the ferry to New Zealand's third major island, Stewart Island (a relatively small island just south of Invercargill). We will spend the night there. I will likely not post from there, as the island is very primitive (no electricity except what is provided by private generators). I am very excited about this stay. The stars are supposed to be amazing if the weather is clear. Not to mention that when standing on the south shore, nothing stands between you and Antarctica. Sounds pretty cool to me.
The following day, we travel to Duneden. From there I fly back to Auckland, ending my tour of New Zealand.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Franz Josef Glacier
After we left Barrytown, we headed on down to Franz Josef. Franz Josef is the gateway to the Franz Josef glacier. It is a small town, that exists pretty much entirely to give tourists a place to stay, and provide a base to leave from and return to on the various glacial activities available.
Myself and a few others on my bus chose to do a full day hike on the glacier today. It was an 8 hour hike total, with about 6 hours actually spent on the ice. The experience was beyond anything that I can describe. I sit here so exhausted from the experience, but so glad that I did it.
Just a bit of info: The glacier, if I remember correctly, is around 12 kilometers long, an average of 400-500 meters wide, and an average of 300 meters thick. It is quite a chunk of ice. It is a bit of an oddity as it is only 300 meters above sea level at its lowest point and is surrounded by rain forest (not the tropical variety). The entire glacier and area is labeled as a "world heritage site." It was named Franz Josef in 1865 by a German explorer, who give the glacier the same name as the then emperor of Austria. The Maori have a wonderful story for how the glacier came to be. Which bring us to...
MAORI STORY TIME WITH HUGH: The Maori name for the glacier is Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere ('The tears of Hinehukatere'), arising from a local legend: Hinehukatere loved climbing in the mountains and persuaded her lover, Tawe, to climb with her. Tawe was a less experienced climber than Hinehukatere but loved to accompany her until an avalanche swept Tawe from the peaks to his death. Hinehukatere was broken hearted and her many tears flowed down the mountain and froze to form the glacier. (source Wikipedia).
We started the day getting out to the glacier (which was no walk in the park in itself), and then splitting up into groups. Each group had a trained guide that leads hikes on the glacier every day. Our guide's name was Bazzel, and he did a fantastic job. There were 5 groups, that varied in degree of difficulty (1 being the most difficult). I was in group 2, which essentially did the exact same thing as group one, so it was really cool. As the groups go out in their various directions, the guide leads the way, as a path finder. He carried a pic with him, and when we came to areas that may need some work on the path to get the group over he would chip away at the ice, clearing the trail, or carving stairs, whatever the situation required.
Just getting onto the ice is a monumental task in itself. On the way in, we walked through the rain forest, and through a riverbed. All along the trail we walked past sign after sign, even crossing a fence; all warning of the impending danger that awaited us. The most immediate danger comes from the terminal face (front edge) of the glacier itself, as the glacier is in constant movement, and huge chunks of ice break off with no warning. Just last week there were a couple of Australian guys who died at the terminal face of the Fox glacier, not too far from here. They simply ignored the warning signs, walked up to the glacier, and were crushed by falling ice. Luckily though, our approach didn't take us to the terminal face, but to the side. Just before we reached the glacier we stopped and put on our capons (metal spikes that strap to your boots so you can walk on the ice), and away we went. Once we were on the glacier, the fun began.
The experience was amazing. We passed through a few caves through the ice, and traversed several deep crevasses. Many of the narrower ones , our guide would simply carve out steps on either side and we would traverse these huge cracks in the ice by straddling them and making our way along the crevasse. It was in those places that the ice was the bluest. It was a deep blue, almost the color of the sky. We travel up, down, around, and all over the lower portion of the glacier. The upper portions are not safe, because there is a point far up where the glacier plunges from high on the mountain, to the glacial valley below. In these ares, the ice towers high above, and can collapse at any time. So, we stayed on the lower portion of the glacier. The experience was one that I will never forget.
The glacial valley has been carved between two mountains, leaving a shear face of several hundred meters on the sides of the mountains to either side, with a nearly vertical plunge from the top. This made for magnificent views from the glacier where waterfalls would plunge from the top of the mountains, perhaps hitting a couple of outcroppings on the way down, and finally plunging into the glacier, or the valley floor. Some were large and quite breathtaking, others were small, and looked like strands of thread hanging down the side of the mountains. There was one in particular that was gorgeous, and we could see it from practically everywhere on the glacier. I bet I took 50 pictures of it throughout the day.
It's worth mentioning now that glaciers are not just huge blocks of smooth ice. In fact, from the time that I left the parking lot in the morning, until the time I got back in the evening, I literally don't think my foot was on a level surface the entire day. Not only is the surface underfoot tough, but the greater topography of the glacier is very turbulent, with peaks and valleys, ups and downs; the glacier is really like a river of solid ice. Imagine watching water going through a whitewater rapid, and then slowing that water way down, but having all the same movement and turbulence. Now freeze that water, increase it to a massive scale, and that is sort of what it was like... once again on a massive scale.
The whole day was beyond words. I am still trying to take in the massiveness (is that even a word?), and wonder of it all. The beauty is simply un-believable, and the experience is one that I will never forget.
Myself and a few others on my bus chose to do a full day hike on the glacier today. It was an 8 hour hike total, with about 6 hours actually spent on the ice. The experience was beyond anything that I can describe. I sit here so exhausted from the experience, but so glad that I did it.
Just a bit of info: The glacier, if I remember correctly, is around 12 kilometers long, an average of 400-500 meters wide, and an average of 300 meters thick. It is quite a chunk of ice. It is a bit of an oddity as it is only 300 meters above sea level at its lowest point and is surrounded by rain forest (not the tropical variety). The entire glacier and area is labeled as a "world heritage site." It was named Franz Josef in 1865 by a German explorer, who give the glacier the same name as the then emperor of Austria. The Maori have a wonderful story for how the glacier came to be. Which bring us to...
MAORI STORY TIME WITH HUGH: The Maori name for the glacier is Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere ('The tears of Hinehukatere'), arising from a local legend: Hinehukatere loved climbing in the mountains and persuaded her lover, Tawe, to climb with her. Tawe was a less experienced climber than Hinehukatere but loved to accompany her until an avalanche swept Tawe from the peaks to his death. Hinehukatere was broken hearted and her many tears flowed down the mountain and froze to form the glacier. (source Wikipedia).
We started the day getting out to the glacier (which was no walk in the park in itself), and then splitting up into groups. Each group had a trained guide that leads hikes on the glacier every day. Our guide's name was Bazzel, and he did a fantastic job. There were 5 groups, that varied in degree of difficulty (1 being the most difficult). I was in group 2, which essentially did the exact same thing as group one, so it was really cool. As the groups go out in their various directions, the guide leads the way, as a path finder. He carried a pic with him, and when we came to areas that may need some work on the path to get the group over he would chip away at the ice, clearing the trail, or carving stairs, whatever the situation required.
Just getting onto the ice is a monumental task in itself. On the way in, we walked through the rain forest, and through a riverbed. All along the trail we walked past sign after sign, even crossing a fence; all warning of the impending danger that awaited us. The most immediate danger comes from the terminal face (front edge) of the glacier itself, as the glacier is in constant movement, and huge chunks of ice break off with no warning. Just last week there were a couple of Australian guys who died at the terminal face of the Fox glacier, not too far from here. They simply ignored the warning signs, walked up to the glacier, and were crushed by falling ice. Luckily though, our approach didn't take us to the terminal face, but to the side. Just before we reached the glacier we stopped and put on our capons (metal spikes that strap to your boots so you can walk on the ice), and away we went. Once we were on the glacier, the fun began.
The experience was amazing. We passed through a few caves through the ice, and traversed several deep crevasses. Many of the narrower ones , our guide would simply carve out steps on either side and we would traverse these huge cracks in the ice by straddling them and making our way along the crevasse. It was in those places that the ice was the bluest. It was a deep blue, almost the color of the sky. We travel up, down, around, and all over the lower portion of the glacier. The upper portions are not safe, because there is a point far up where the glacier plunges from high on the mountain, to the glacial valley below. In these ares, the ice towers high above, and can collapse at any time. So, we stayed on the lower portion of the glacier. The experience was one that I will never forget.
The glacial valley has been carved between two mountains, leaving a shear face of several hundred meters on the sides of the mountains to either side, with a nearly vertical plunge from the top. This made for magnificent views from the glacier where waterfalls would plunge from the top of the mountains, perhaps hitting a couple of outcroppings on the way down, and finally plunging into the glacier, or the valley floor. Some were large and quite breathtaking, others were small, and looked like strands of thread hanging down the side of the mountains. There was one in particular that was gorgeous, and we could see it from practically everywhere on the glacier. I bet I took 50 pictures of it throughout the day.
It's worth mentioning now that glaciers are not just huge blocks of smooth ice. In fact, from the time that I left the parking lot in the morning, until the time I got back in the evening, I literally don't think my foot was on a level surface the entire day. Not only is the surface underfoot tough, but the greater topography of the glacier is very turbulent, with peaks and valleys, ups and downs; the glacier is really like a river of solid ice. Imagine watching water going through a whitewater rapid, and then slowing that water way down, but having all the same movement and turbulence. Now freeze that water, increase it to a massive scale, and that is sort of what it was like... once again on a massive scale.
The whole day was beyond words. I am still trying to take in the massiveness (is that even a word?), and wonder of it all. The beauty is simply un-believable, and the experience is one that I will never forget.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Onward
Yesterday we made the crossing on the ferry from Wellington to the south island. The crossing took about 3 hours and was relatively uneventful. After arriving, we got off and hopped on a new bus and headed out. We made a few stops along throughout the day for pictures, groceries etc. We arrived last night in the Abel Tasman National Park. The park is named so because it was the place where Abel Tasman (A Dutch explorer), first anchored off the shore of New Zealand and tried to make contact with the locals. Which brings us to...
HISTORY TIME WITH HUGH: When Abel Tasman first discovered the south island of New Zealand, he anchored just off the shore and sounded a horn from his ship, as was a European Maritime custom to greet people on shore and in other ships. The signal is intended to show that you mean no harm. What Tasman did not know was that the sounding of a horn meant there was a battle coming to the Maori listening ashore. He sent out a greeting party who were subsequently slaughtered on the beach. Abel Tasman left New Zealand, never having set foot ashore. Imagine, had he simply not blown the horn, New Zealand Might well have been a Dutch colony instead of British. Funny how history works like that, eh?
Most people spend two nights in the Abel Tasman because of its native beauty, but I am more interested in the southern end of the south island, so I continued on today. We drove down the west coast, stopping for photos, to see a New Zealand Furry Seal colony, and to see the pancake rocks and blowholes. Tonight we are staying in Barrytown, a tiny village on the west cost. Tomorrow we continue on to Franz Joseph. There we'll do a glacier hike.
HISTORY TIME WITH HUGH: When Abel Tasman first discovered the south island of New Zealand, he anchored just off the shore and sounded a horn from his ship, as was a European Maritime custom to greet people on shore and in other ships. The signal is intended to show that you mean no harm. What Tasman did not know was that the sounding of a horn meant there was a battle coming to the Maori listening ashore. He sent out a greeting party who were subsequently slaughtered on the beach. Abel Tasman left New Zealand, never having set foot ashore. Imagine, had he simply not blown the horn, New Zealand Might well have been a Dutch colony instead of British. Funny how history works like that, eh?
Most people spend two nights in the Abel Tasman because of its native beauty, but I am more interested in the southern end of the south island, so I continued on today. We drove down the west coast, stopping for photos, to see a New Zealand Furry Seal colony, and to see the pancake rocks and blowholes. Tonight we are staying in Barrytown, a tiny village on the west cost. Tomorrow we continue on to Franz Joseph. There we'll do a glacier hike.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Windy Welli
This morning we left the Tongariro National park, and headed for Wellington. We had a few stops along the way, it was a good drive.
We arrived in Wellington, and got checked into our hostel, and I went out. I only have one night here, and really had a lot that I wanted to see. I visited Te Papa, the national museum of New Zealand, and walked down and saw the capitol grounds. At that point I was a bit lost, so I called a friend from here that I met earlier on my tour (we were on the same bus for a while). She came and found me and we hopped on the cable car downtown. The cable car was cool, not just because I have never ridden one, but because you can get on it downtown and it will pull you up the hill and in 5 minutes time you can be walking in the botanical gardens, which are amazing. We went and watched a band warming up in the park, but had to leave before they actually played because I needed to get back. We walked around the city a bit more, she showed me all of the essentials that one must see in Wellington, and now I'm back at the hostel. It really is a very cool city.I had an awesome time, although I am still extremely sore from the Tongariro crossing, so I sort-of waddled throughout the city.
Wellington is a very windy city. That tid bit one doesn't fit anywhere else, and isn't enough information to earn a "Hugh's trivia fact of the day" title. So there it is.
For those of you interested in the Lord of the Rings update, there were many scenes throughout the movies filmed here in Wellington and surrounding areas. Many of the city parks were utilized, as well as the side of Mt. Victoria that overlooks the city. I am also staying directly across the street from the theater where the trilogy saw its world premiere. I may see about going over and catching a move later this evening.
We arrived in Wellington, and got checked into our hostel, and I went out. I only have one night here, and really had a lot that I wanted to see. I visited Te Papa, the national museum of New Zealand, and walked down and saw the capitol grounds. At that point I was a bit lost, so I called a friend from here that I met earlier on my tour (we were on the same bus for a while). She came and found me and we hopped on the cable car downtown. The cable car was cool, not just because I have never ridden one, but because you can get on it downtown and it will pull you up the hill and in 5 minutes time you can be walking in the botanical gardens, which are amazing. We went and watched a band warming up in the park, but had to leave before they actually played because I needed to get back. We walked around the city a bit more, she showed me all of the essentials that one must see in Wellington, and now I'm back at the hostel. It really is a very cool city.I had an awesome time, although I am still extremely sore from the Tongariro crossing, so I sort-of waddled throughout the city.
Wellington is a very windy city. That tid bit one doesn't fit anywhere else, and isn't enough information to earn a "Hugh's trivia fact of the day" title. So there it is.
For those of you interested in the Lord of the Rings update, there were many scenes throughout the movies filmed here in Wellington and surrounding areas. Many of the city parks were utilized, as well as the side of Mt. Victoria that overlooks the city. I am also staying directly across the street from the theater where the trilogy saw its world premiere. I may see about going over and catching a move later this evening.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Into the heart of Mordor
Today was an amazing day. Myself and several others on my tour did the Tongariro Alpine Crossing; a 19.4 kilometer (just over 12 miles) trek through the Tongariro National Park. This may not seem that ominous or noteworthy, until you realize that Tongariro National park is home to five mountains, including Mt. Ngauruhoe, otherwise known as Mt. Doom from the Lord of the Rings.
Our day started early, and we drove out to the park. We got any gear we needed, hiking boots, a rainproof coat (just in case), and so on; and drove to the starting area. We were dropped off there at around 8:45, and our seven hour epic began. Now, this is not a loop, it's a track through the park. There is no turning back, once you have started you must make the trek. We walked for close to an hour through a valley between two mountains, making the occasional assent, but nothing very eventful. The scenery was beautiful.
After about an hour we came to what is called "the Devil's Stairs," which are very aptly named I can assure you. This was about 45 minutes to an hour worth of hiking up a mountain pass between Mt. Ngauruhoe (Mt. Doom), and Mt. Tongariro. This was not an easy leg of the trek. Let's just say, no one in our group has any need to do a stair-master workout tonight!
We reached a leg finally where the track leveled out and we could stop for an extended break. At this same spot, was the junction for the trail that lead to the summit of "Mt. Doom." From the beginning of the trek, "Mt. Doom" had been visible to us for the entire time (I bet I took 50 pictures of it). It really does look quite vexing, even in real life. We elected not to try for the summit, because at this point we still had around four hours to go, as pickup was at 4:30 sharp, and the trek to the summit was a 3 hour return from that point. There were, however, some guys in our group that ran the first part of the track (I can't even comprehend that) to have a chance to make the summit (three of them made it). Another reason for not taking the summit was that the summit was still around 1000 meters above where we were after climbing the Devil's staircase.
After the devil's staircase, the clouds rolled in. We went up another pass, climbing higher to a high plateau. The feeling was bizarre. Since we were in the clouds, we couldn't see very far, there was no vegetation at all, and the area was littered with all sorts of stones and rocks. It felt like we were on another planet! But it was flat and level, so we welcomed it after the rapid assent we had made.
We came then to another climbing section. After we had been on that for around 30 or 40 minutes, we stopped for lunch. Since we were still in the clouds and couldn't see, we thought that our assent was complete, and the rest was downhill. It even looked that way on our map... It wasn't. We ascended for another 30 minutes or so, passing red crater (usually a highlight, and big photo-op on the trek, but we couldn't see it because of the clouds.) and climbed a bit more to the Emerald lakes; which we could just make out through the clouds.
From this point, the trek was downhill. We passed between Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Te Maari, past a crater lake, called blue lake (that we couldn't see due to the clouds); and then continuing on. We eventually came down out of the clouds, stopping at a DOC (Dept. of conservation) hut to rest and refill water bottles, and then continuing on the rest of the way to our pickup point.
The scenery was absolutely stunning, and though the trek was among one of the most physically challenging things I have ever done, and the clouds shrouded much of the scenery of the upper parts of the track from view; I still wouldn't trade it for anything. It truly was an awesome experience.
There was a quote that ran through my head all day, through the times that the going was easy and the scenery was extraordinary; to the times that the going was not so easy, and wondered why I had even considered doing this in the first place. Sir. Edmund Hillary, a Kiwi (New Zealander), and the first man (along with his Tibetan guide) to climb to the summit of Mt. Everest coined the simple, yet profound phrase:
- “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
Our day started early, and we drove out to the park. We got any gear we needed, hiking boots, a rainproof coat (just in case), and so on; and drove to the starting area. We were dropped off there at around 8:45, and our seven hour epic began. Now, this is not a loop, it's a track through the park. There is no turning back, once you have started you must make the trek. We walked for close to an hour through a valley between two mountains, making the occasional assent, but nothing very eventful. The scenery was beautiful.
After about an hour we came to what is called "the Devil's Stairs," which are very aptly named I can assure you. This was about 45 minutes to an hour worth of hiking up a mountain pass between Mt. Ngauruhoe (Mt. Doom), and Mt. Tongariro. This was not an easy leg of the trek. Let's just say, no one in our group has any need to do a stair-master workout tonight!
We reached a leg finally where the track leveled out and we could stop for an extended break. At this same spot, was the junction for the trail that lead to the summit of "Mt. Doom." From the beginning of the trek, "Mt. Doom" had been visible to us for the entire time (I bet I took 50 pictures of it). It really does look quite vexing, even in real life. We elected not to try for the summit, because at this point we still had around four hours to go, as pickup was at 4:30 sharp, and the trek to the summit was a 3 hour return from that point. There were, however, some guys in our group that ran the first part of the track (I can't even comprehend that) to have a chance to make the summit (three of them made it). Another reason for not taking the summit was that the summit was still around 1000 meters above where we were after climbing the Devil's staircase.
After the devil's staircase, the clouds rolled in. We went up another pass, climbing higher to a high plateau. The feeling was bizarre. Since we were in the clouds, we couldn't see very far, there was no vegetation at all, and the area was littered with all sorts of stones and rocks. It felt like we were on another planet! But it was flat and level, so we welcomed it after the rapid assent we had made.
We came then to another climbing section. After we had been on that for around 30 or 40 minutes, we stopped for lunch. Since we were still in the clouds and couldn't see, we thought that our assent was complete, and the rest was downhill. It even looked that way on our map... It wasn't. We ascended for another 30 minutes or so, passing red crater (usually a highlight, and big photo-op on the trek, but we couldn't see it because of the clouds.) and climbed a bit more to the Emerald lakes; which we could just make out through the clouds.
From this point, the trek was downhill. We passed between Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Te Maari, past a crater lake, called blue lake (that we couldn't see due to the clouds); and then continuing on. We eventually came down out of the clouds, stopping at a DOC (Dept. of conservation) hut to rest and refill water bottles, and then continuing on the rest of the way to our pickup point.
The scenery was absolutely stunning, and though the trek was among one of the most physically challenging things I have ever done, and the clouds shrouded much of the scenery of the upper parts of the track from view; I still wouldn't trade it for anything. It truly was an awesome experience.
There was a quote that ran through my head all day, through the times that the going was easy and the scenery was extraordinary; to the times that the going was not so easy, and wondered why I had even considered doing this in the first place. Sir. Edmund Hillary, a Kiwi (New Zealander), and the first man (along with his Tibetan guide) to climb to the summit of Mt. Everest coined the simple, yet profound phrase:
- “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
Friday, January 9, 2009
On the road again.
Yesterday we traveled from Gisborne to Rotorua. We made stops along the way for photos and a swim stop at a river. It was great. We were in this beautiful gorge in the middle of nowhere. Finally we stopped to put our feet into a thermal pool for a while. We stayed in Rotorua last night and all had fish and chips together. Our guide for the east cape, Jason, labeled all of the places that we had stopped while on out east cape tour. It was great that he did that, my map is starting to fill up.
I failed to mention before, but Rotorua is a very geologically active area with a host of geysers, hot springs, boiling mud pools, and thermal pools. The smell of sulfur hangs in the air everywhere you go. It is a gorgeous area with a great deal of history, first with the Maori and later with British settlers.
Today I hopped back on the main stray bus, and tonight we are in Taupo. Along the way we stopped at the boiling mud pools, just outside of Rotorua. That was really a sight to see.
Further along we stopped at the massive Huka Falls. The water begins crystal clear and turns to a deep blue as the water gets rough going through the gorge, and then finally tumbles over the edge in massive proportions. I can't exactly recall, because I don't have my camera (I took a picture of the sign with the information), but I believe the volume of water is around 650 cubic liters per second. If you don't speak metric, just know... that is a lot of water.
Tonight I am in Taupo. If you look at a map of new Zealand, there is a big lake right in the middle of the north island, that is Lake Taupo. The lake is the giant crater of a giant volcano that erupted sometime around 100 AD.
Tomorrow we head for Tongariro National Park. If the weather is favorable, we will make the Tongarario Alpine Crossing. This is a hike through the park that is around 18.5 kilometers, and takes 8 hours. It passes by, and if you have enough time you may take the track to the summit of, Mt. Ngauruhoe. You may know this mountain as the ominous and vexing "Mt. Doom" from "The Lord of the Rings."
HUGH'S QUOTE OF THE DAY: “People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.” Sir Edmund Hillary.
I failed to mention before, but Rotorua is a very geologically active area with a host of geysers, hot springs, boiling mud pools, and thermal pools. The smell of sulfur hangs in the air everywhere you go. It is a gorgeous area with a great deal of history, first with the Maori and later with British settlers.
Today I hopped back on the main stray bus, and tonight we are in Taupo. Along the way we stopped at the boiling mud pools, just outside of Rotorua. That was really a sight to see.
Further along we stopped at the massive Huka Falls. The water begins crystal clear and turns to a deep blue as the water gets rough going through the gorge, and then finally tumbles over the edge in massive proportions. I can't exactly recall, because I don't have my camera (I took a picture of the sign with the information), but I believe the volume of water is around 650 cubic liters per second. If you don't speak metric, just know... that is a lot of water.
Tonight I am in Taupo. If you look at a map of new Zealand, there is a big lake right in the middle of the north island, that is Lake Taupo. The lake is the giant crater of a giant volcano that erupted sometime around 100 AD.
Tomorrow we head for Tongariro National Park. If the weather is favorable, we will make the Tongarario Alpine Crossing. This is a hike through the park that is around 18.5 kilometers, and takes 8 hours. It passes by, and if you have enough time you may take the track to the summit of, Mt. Ngauruhoe. You may know this mountain as the ominous and vexing "Mt. Doom" from "The Lord of the Rings."
HUGH'S QUOTE OF THE DAY: “People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.” Sir Edmund Hillary.
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