Transport not included...
Categories: just-life
Date: 17 April 2012 13:46:24
Now that we had arrived on North Island the girls headed North by train to go to a spa and visit some cultural things... this left me a few days not to go to a spa and do cultural things. I instead flicked through my guide book and saw a place called, 'National Park'.
Alas, even though the train passed through NP it was fully booked so I was required to catch a coach there. It was upon arrival that I discovered something very important about NP... it is very small. Small enough that it is possible to walk around the village in under 20minutes. By which I mean around the outside, not just around the centre...
But a nice spot of lunch at the railway station cafe meant that I was about to say hello to the J&P when their train pulled in. And to be vaguely confused how I was unable to buy a ticket for a half-empty train...
Now I realise by now I've normally thrown a photograph in, so here's the wooden kiwi that was outside the hostel with the VOLCANO Mount Ruapehu in the background...
For some reason, living in the UK you just sort of forget that there are places where being able to see snow covered active volcanoes from your kitchen window is perfectly acceptable...
With these snow covered volcanoes there are two main activities that happen... skiing (which I can't do) a hiking, and there is what is deemed to be the New Zealand's best one day hike... the Tongariro Crossing. In the summer months I may well have been tempted, at 20km long it isn't an easy hike, over the first 10km you ascend a height of 1km, and over the next 10km you loose that height. But this being early Spring and there being snow on the ground I decided to be sensible and not to do it. Though so you know, these are the other two volcanoes (Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe), and the hike starts on the far side of the left hand peak (Mount Tongariro), comes around the back, over the col between them and then down towards us... if you want you can make a slight detour and visit the top of Mount Ngauruhoe (the right hand peak) if you wish...
Now, I understand your general confusion at my suggestion that I was going to be sensible, do not worry. To make up for that I did a little used hike out to the Tupapakurua Falls, taking care not to take a map or compass, nor to tell anyone that I was going... it is by far and away the best way to make a hike more exciting*... more of an exploration!!
As waterfalls go, Tupapakurua Falls probably aren't going to win any prizes, but it is a nice two hour hike through natural forest... nice apart from after long, steep descent there is a sign at the bottom telling you that you will have to go back up the steep descent... and that it's a vertical climb of 115m... but if you've already gotten to the bottom you may as well carry on to see the falls themselves. but to save you the trouble...
Oh, and if you were wondering about the title to the post... well, National Park is small. There are two bars, three places to eat, a shop and a garage/shop. If you go there by bus I would highly suggest that you plan to go there and don't do it on a whim. If only because you might find yourself stuck in the village with little to do. A useful laundry stop though. And if you do go, and you stay at the HI you may very well find this outside your room....
Yes... I am standing in my bedroom door and that is a climbing hall...
* - though H&S does mean that I have to advise at all times to take a map, compass and to let people know where you plan to go. I can get away with such things because I know what I'm doing and don't get lost. And am foolish.