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Tongariro CrossingThe Best Day Walk in New Zealand
The Tongariro Crossing has been on my list of to do's for a while.Back in 1973 I successfully climbed Kilimanjaro. Yet here I was worried about my ability to do this popular one day walk. Well, 33 years on, not to mention many extra kilos, and being rather unfit, it was probably a little foolish to even consider the Crossing. But…..a challenge is a challenge and I wasn’t going to let Brian, my husband, go on his own, leaving me the only member of the family not to have done it. We were staying in Turangi, and were happy to find you can go by bus from the Turangi Outdoor centre, for $35 return trip. We were also able to hire walker’s poles for $5.This turned out to be the best spent $5 in a long time, and is to be recommended. As you leave from Mangatepopo and finish at Ketetahi, or the reverse, public transport is your best option. There are several companies to choose from, and most have a choice of a 6.00am or 7.30am start, and 2-3 meeting times in the late afternoon. This allows for the different speeds of trampers. It can take anywhere from 5 to 9 hours to complete the Crossing, depending on fitness and whether you take some of the side trips.
The parks three sacred peaks – Ruapehu, Ngaurahoe and Tongariro were gifted to the nation in 1887 by Te Heuheu Takino IV, Chief of Ngati Tuwharetoa. He felt this would ensure they were looked after in their natural state for all time.
The weather can close in very quickly, going from near perfect to vision only a meter in front of your nose. Being prepared is important. I packed polyprops, wind and water proof jacket, gloves and hat to cater for the unknown. But on a lovely summer day, shorts and tank top would have made my walk a lot more comfortable, and a sunhat was essential. Setting off up the well developed path with a mob of others hard on our heels, Mount Ruapehu was resplendent with a good cover of snow to our right. It was difficult to really imagine just what the day ahead held in the way of challenges. Soda Springs was an hour away, according to the literature.
Arriving at Soda Springs, I was starting to wonder if I had been a little ambitious. Ahead I could see the steep, rocky climb up to the saddle, and the doubts were setting in. However, people are very encouraging, as I was to find. After a chat with a young woman with her mother and young daughter, who had done the track before, she suggested I should go on slowly and see how I felt. “You can still turn back if you find it is too much, but you want to at least feel you have tried,” she said.Deciding to pace myself, I pushed on.
Even if you are fit, the rocky climb is a challenge and most people slowed down, as they negotiated the difficult terrain, carefully finding a firm foothold as they moved up. It was while I was taking a breather and admiring the view from half way up, that I had a chat with the guide. “Just take regular sips of water and keep your mouth wet”, he was telling his charges. My walking pole was coming into its own, as I used it to help lever myself up some of the steeper parts.
It was a relief to reach the saddle and flatter ground. People were scattered over the barren flat area, sitting wherever they could find a comfortable spot, taking a well earned break and having a snack. There was no going back now.
Crossing the South Crater We headed off across the stark, barren South Crater, the flat walk making for a pleasant break. The plain was surrounded by mountains. For some, the challenge of a 3 hour side trip up to Ngaurahoe’s 2291 metre peak was part of their tramp.
Mt Ngaurahoe-Lord of the Rings country! The surroundings were surreal. Varying shades of red soil, with the results of volcanic activity displaying strange twisted masses in interesting shapes and colours a sculpture artist would be proud of. It made for some interesting scenery. It was somewhere here the Lord of the Rings was filmed. It was easy to visualize the movie scenes. 
Surreal Twisted Molten Lava We soon came to the next steep incline taking us up to the Red Crater, which is the highest point on the track at 1886metres.It was definitely a case of making haste slowly, ensuring the loose stones were not going to roll away from under you. Once on top the 360 degrees views were magnificent. This was our first sighting of the famous Emerald Lakes. These are a group of water filled explosion craters and are stunning in their vivid aquamarine colours. If you go for nothing else, this view is worth it! The sulpherous thermal activity that creates the beautiful colour, also of course creates the not so beautiful smell..................rotten eggs spring to mind. 
View of the Emerald Lakes We could see many hikers already sitting around the edges of the Lakes enjoying their lunch under a cloudless blue sky, so stomachs calling, we carefully negotiated our way down the steep, scree slope. The younger, fitter ones tended to run, slipping and sliding as they went, maintaining a fine balance. Others like the grandmother and grandchild I had spoken to earlier in the day, sat and slid down on their bottoms. Here, I was happy to have my walking stick to help me keep my balance. After a quick lunch we packed up, moving off across Central Crater. Brian was getting concerned that we would not reach the bus, in time if we didn’t maintain a better pace. I knew I had to just keep going at a regular pace.There are warnings that people with hip problems should not attempt the Tongariro Crossing.My hips were starting to complain! My fault for not ensuring I was fit for the walk. As we went around the North Crater we followed a well formed path, that eventually zig zagged back and forth across the hillside. The mountainside was now green with an alpine growth covering, taking us down to Ketetahi Springs which we could see in the distance. The plumes of fluffy white steam a clear marker for where we were heading.
North Crater The path was rocky, and the steps were to mark the type of terrain for the rest of the track. While some steps were in groups with gentle risers, others were more suitable for giant’s legs than my short stumps. In parts there were paths with plastic matting to relieve the pressure, and it would seem there are plans to improve the path, as there were intermittent loads of materials that had been dumped in preparation for building Somehow those springs were further away than they looked. On we went down, down, with aching joints letting you know you should have done a few more kilometers in preparation. Past the Springs, we finally reached Ketetahi Hut, where a fortunate few would stay the night. It was nice to have a break, resting on the large wooden deck with seating rails, built around the edges. Water could be refilled, and the first toilet since Soda Springs was a pleasant relief. Some people had been looking forward to this loo stop for hours!>br> 
Ketetahi Springs Carrying on, we expected the 2 hours on the sign to be achieved in about 1 ½ hours, having managed that ratio with the previous part of the track. I suggested Brian head off faster than I could go with my now very painful legs, to hold the bus if necessary. I plodded on, by now into our beautiful native bush and a cool shady cover. There were still many steps, and stairways. Every so often I would glimpse the blue of the sky and think – “the carpark must be nearby”. But no, around another corner and another set of stairs would appear. There were cleared areas with seats at the top of many longer stairways and a few of us crisscrossed, meeting up as we took a break, before tackling the next lot. You got to know some of the others and everyone made general enquiries as to how you were going, or encouraging small talk to those who were flagging.
I crossed a bridge by the now roaring river running beside me, convinced the carpark must be just through the trees. I must confess by now my endurance was well and truly being tested and my regular thoughts were “When will I ever get there?”
I finally reached the longed for car park, about an hour later. Carefully easing my self down onto the grass it was a huge satisfaction to know I had made it.17 kilometers and 9 hours later. No prizes for speed, but I had met the challenge.
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