Days 38-43 | km 1033- 1152 | 42nd Traverse & the Tongariro Crossing

I have a NeoAir sleeping pad, fantastic when I fall asleep but the seam has a teeny tiny hole in so 212am on the dot I wake because it’s deflated and then continue to wake every hour thereafter until I can be bothered to re-inflate it. Poor sleep is getting to me, my lack of ability in having any decision making powers was evident the morning after arriving to Taumarunui. I couldn’t figure out what I should do. (Also a clear sign of ‘overtraining’, which fits too with my recent wishes of being a happy recluse!) Do I skip the next 26km gravel road section between Taumarunui and Owhango because my feet are still reeling from their thrashing the day before? Or do I suck it up sunshine and smash out those km’s? Lots of TA hikers skip road sections because of time restrictions and boredom etc. So why do I struggle with contemplating the thought? Taking a day off clearly didn’t factor into my options, I couldn’t see the hedge for the trees obviously!- that saying I’m sure isn’t quite right but I’ll blame the head blanket. Rather than laying in my tent with a suffocated voice of reason I knew I had things to do, so I figured if I can’t make a decision now I’ll do what I gotta do and then see if my coffee grinds speak to me from the bottom of my cup…or tea leaves or something like that. A quick trip to the post office, one long black and 3 free biscuits from the visitor centre and I had a plan! I’d booked a DOC (Department Of Conservation) hut on the Northern Circuit of Tongariro and now that I had my excuse to skip the next road section, I had to get up that Volcano before the bad weather moved in. Just had the 42nd Traverse in between… and I was in no mood for ‘smashing’ that out. .

I mentioned in a picture post that I had a heart pounding ‘oh shit’ moment, followed by multiple ‘oh shits’ to make one gigantic long shitty heart pounding moment…I shall elaborate. The 42nd Traverse is a gravel 4x4 old multiple use trail through the Tongariro Forest, enjoyed by cyclists, quad bikers and off road motorbikes. I’d managed to squeeze my tent into a tiny off shoot of the trail that had fantastic views down the valley below - I’m absolutely at peace with wild camping when I know I’m totally alone and no one knows where I am. My peace however was broken by a quad biker tearing up the track at dusk, who also happened to look right in my direction as he passed…

The gremlins in my head caused my red alert siren to flash. As the Quad biker continued up the track the quads noise diminished. I became aware I’d been tensing my muscles and started to relax, returning back to chilling in my pants in my sleeping bag….then the sound of the quad started getting louder again…my first ‘oh shit’ moment. The shot of adrenaline kicked me into action, I grabbed my shorts and pulled them on; there was no way I was tackling a mugging in my underpants. I felt like a hamster in a wheel when it stops suddenly, listening, heart pounding… yep it was definitely getting louder. No stopping this time, I grabbed my knife and jumped out of the tent into the bushes all the while thinking I’m getting one over you Mr. quad biker, I’m not going to be a sitting duck! I stopped motionless again, my hamster ears prickling to every slight sound. Then I laughed, a hysterical laugh that I sense must have echoed round the valley…exactly as the quad bike had as it took a switch back, it wasn’t getting closer at all, the switch back had made it sound as though it was! I hate that those gremlins made me react like I did but hey, travelling solo I’m not taking chances!

I woke at dawn to the most amazing chorus of birdsong. Later that day whilst crossing the Mangatepopo stream I met two Whio (blue ducks) riding the rapids - they are more rare than kiwis! A welcome treat the morning after the night before.

In need of clean clothes, internet to check the weather report and a restful night (!) I opted to camp in Tongariro holiday park. Seeing as the weather report looked like this….

Heading on up. Lake Taupo in the far distance just below the cloud level

I did not want to be up that volcano still on Monday and most definitely not on Tuesday. I cancelled my hut booking and opted for an up and over the following day. Absolutely one of my highlights so far. It was A-mazing!

Jamie and I had hiked The Tongariro Crossing maybe 4 years ago in Winter. Due to an avalanche warning we were unable to do the entire crossing, plus everything was beautifully white, so my experience this time round was totally different. The colours of the volcanic rocks - reds, oranges, yellows and the Emerald lakes glistening bright blue and green blew me away…quite literally…

Wind speeds were predicted as 30-40km/h but I think Tuesday came early. In order to take photos of the red crater I’d pinned myself against a rock - I wasn’t taking any chances with wind gusts! I asked someone looking very guide like with radios and fancy expedition kit what they thought the wind speed was - 75km/h! I felt like Bambi walking down the loose ashy face with my poles. After I descended the crossing and made it to Whakapapa Village (which took forever as I felt I couldn’t take my eyes off Ngauruhoe) The DOC visitor centre confirmed the wind speed was gusting 75km/h and also that at 6am it had been 106km/h! Glad I didn’t hang around to see what weather the next few days brought.

‘Legend of Tongariro

According to Māori belief, mountains were once gods and warriors of great strength.
Tongariro was one of seven mountains that stood next to each other around Lake Taupo - New Zealand’s largest lake, and source of the Waikato river and spectacular Huka Falls.
In the legend, all the mountains were male except for Pihanga. She was a stunning beauty, and the other mountains were deeply in love with her.
One night, the mountains decided to fight for the right to win Pihanga. The warrior mountains fought fiercely with violent eruptions, smoke, fire and hot rocks that burned the sky for days. The land trembled and quaked under the force of their anger.
When the fighting ceased, mighty Tongariro was the victor. Having won Pihanga’s devotion and the right to stand next to her, Tongariro became supreme leader of the land.
The defeated warrior mountains were given the night to move away from the couple. At the dawn of the new day, they would be eternally fixed to the place where they rested.
Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu moved off to a respectable distance, just to the south of Tongariro.
Putauaki and Tauhara headed to the east. As dawn broke, Putauaki settled at the northern end of the Kaingaroa plain, near Rotorua, and remained there as a mountain sacred to people of the Ngāti Awa tribe.
Tauhara, stricken with grief, could not bear to move far from Pihanga. He stayed on the shores of Lake Taupo, perpetually looking back across the lake to
Taranaki, consumed by anger, gouged a great trail in the earth as he moved west to a place where he now stands overlooking the ocean below. The trail he left behind was filled with tears cried for Pihanga, and became the great Whanganui River.’

Https://media.newzealand.com/en/story-ideas/new-zealands-sacred-mountains/

The following morning the rain had already set in by the time I left Whakapapa. The Silica rapids Track was eerily beautiful in the foggy rain mist. I ran past rusty waterfalls…

And ‘Slippery’ Gully’s …

The trail then split to head back north toward National Park Village. A mossy sign read ‘You are now entering Hauhungatahi Wilderness Of Tongariro National Park, because of the Wilderness status there are no marked tracks to follow in this region’ - ‘oh great’ I thought as I entered a boggy trail into a cloud of rain and fog…

By the time I’d made it to the road leading into National Park Village I’d fallen over multiple times, each time landing staring up at the grey clouds above and giggling in my mud bath. I’d ripped the butt of my waterproof trousers, head butted a fallen down tree and was covered in glorious mud. Man was I happy to be be staying in a hostel that night!

The Ostrich! The Ostrich I call an Emu! I found her along the 26km road section I’d opted to skip from Taumarunui to Owhango a few days prior. I had a nagging feeling that I had to go back and join the dots, so with time ticking to return home to Hubby and family visiting for Christmas I didn’t have time to venture into the next forest. Ultimately the only exit out of the Eura forest is via the Whanganui river journey in a canoe. So that will just have to wait till I return early Jan, and I potentially recruit a few canoe buddies to do it with me!

Even though the weather looked shocking, I’m a stubborn woman, I was running that missed section come rain or hail! Waking at dawn, I sipped my coffee and looked out to what was going to be a very grey day. I was out on the roadside at 7am ready to thumb a lift….although generally you need cars to hitch a lift! Slightly premature with my enthusiasm I ventured back into the hostel to sit out the first of the days rain storms. Next attempt I’m immediately a winner, even getting a little history tour too on route to Owhango. After racing the Ostrich, the adjudicating bull confirmed my first place and I was promptly gifted an extremely soggy last 5km into Taumarunui.

No matter how boring you perceive a leg of the trail may be there’s always something that occurs which makes you so glad you did it anyway…. I’ll now tick the ‘Racing an Ostrich’ off my bucket list.

Blue Lake on the left. Feeling lucky to have just missed the incoming storm.

Days 38-43 | km 1033- 1152 | 42nd Traverse & the Tongariro Crossing

— Go GALLANTLY —