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Photography becomes compulsive here.
kiwi Says: Well you find you just can't help yourself, every direction you look, you want to take photos. Don't let the uneducated or boring people convince you to stop taking photos. Take more!!! Especially if you have good weather or even interesting clouds. Inclement weather or...
Take jewellery off before you set out.
kiwi Says: Apart from not wanting to lose precious jewellery, it's a good idea to take it off before you set out on this adventure to walk the Tongariro Crossing.For me and a few others I spoke to up there, we discovered that our fingers became quite swollen at different stages....
Weather can change in a matter of minutes.
kiwi Says: Please realise that as with most mountains, here in the Tongariro National Park, and especially on the Tongariro Crossing, the weather is fully capable of changing from one extreme to the other, in a matter of minutes.Here in this photo you can see the lovely blue sky on the...
Dig your heels in on the scree slopes.
kiwi Says: When you find yourself on a scree slope as you do once or twice on the Tongariro Crossing, one way to keep better stability is to remember to walk normally but make sure you put your heels down first and slightly dig them in. Gravity will provide speed and you find you move...
You are not alone in the wilderness!
kiwi Says: Normally you would expect to be walking alone or at least with few other people in the mountains. However this is such a well known and publicised walk, that the day we were there, there had to be 1000 people on the trek. So although it's possible to be almost alone up...
There are some Must Take items!
kiwi Says: Good rucksack that sits comfortably on your back. A shoulder slung bag will soon annoy you very much. A front bag is best for your camera, so it is easily accessible. Something warm, something very Waterproof and Windproof, Sturdy and comfortable walking shoes or boots with...
kiwi Says: You will need to give yourself probably a two night stopover in this region to do this walk. To get an early start, you need to spend the night nearby and it's a big and long day, so you probably need to stay the second night as well, to help rest and savour your achievement...
Side trip up another mountain.
kiwi Says: If you are of a very high fitness level, and you have begun the day early enough, you can divert to the summit of Mt Ngauruhoe (2287m)once at the South Crater. This is estimated to be a 3 hr return trip to this point. However, not only is this path steep and requiring high...
kiwi Says: With plenty of time and energy you can make a side trip to the summit of Mt Tongariro. This mountain is a cluster of many volcano craters, and you are essentially walking on it the whole time. But you can visit the summit (1967m) from the main path. From the rim of the South...
We are headed to those mountains.
kiwi Says: Driving along the waterfront of Lake Taupo, we get a magnificent view of where we are headed. Here you can see (with some small patches of snow) on the left, Mt Ruapehu. In the very centre, the conical shape volcano is Mt Ngauruhoe, and to the right of that, next door is the...
Extremely Cold Wind You Need Protection.
kiwi Says: Even on a really clear sunny day as we had, on the Tongariro Crossing, you cannot escape the bitterly cold and strong wind at the top of the Pass. I was standing on the rim of the South Crater.If you are from Virtual Tourist, or not, this in my humble opinion is one of the...
kiwi Says: Lunch on Mt Tongariro is certainly a Must Do activity!! However you have a bit of effort to get here, as you will realise. A quite long walk. But when you get to Emerald Lakes its a really nice spot to stop and have lunch. However just be aware you still have a long walk...
kiwi Says: Apart from not wanting people to stray from the boardwalk to protect the fauna, nor do we want people toileting any old where on the mountain. There are not many, but 2 or 3 toilets can be found on the mountain. Bio degradable toilets, so please respect this and don't throw...
kiwi Says: You must cross the South Crater to continue on your way up to the next level of the walk. But it's quite an eerie feeling once you realise you are literally standing on the plug of a volcano. This really was like being on the surface of the moon. The clear dark skies, oh...
kiwi Says: These beautiful green stunning small lakes, known as the Emerald Lakes, fill old explosion craters.The colours in the photo are exactly as we saw them and I was really pleased how the colours reproduced.
kiwi Says: Pay particular attention to the Red Crater. You view it from the high and steep scree climb after the South Crater.The colours are amazing, showing obvious reasons for it's name. This crater is in fact still active and can be seen steaming on occasions. The colours and...
Viewpoint where you can see Taranaki.
kiwi Says: From our viewpoint at the top of the climb at the top of the Mangatepopo Valley on the edge of the South Crater, you can look towards the West directly at Mt Taranaki. You can see it in the photo, if you look carefully.
kiwi Says: Being up above the clouds at sunrise was a really special moment for me. Especially as I was able to walk up here, and not have to endure technical climbing skills. Those fluffy white clouds with the suns rays warming them just a little. It's not often in my life anyway,...
kiwi Says: Early morning up the Mangatepopo Valley, out first part of the trek was dark but still awesome. Always remember to keep to the path, especially here. Recently they have constructed this boardwalk to protect the fragile existence of the alpine plants. Well it's much easier...
This view shows all 3 central plateau Mountains.
kiwi Says: This great little viewing spot gave us a better chance to see where we would be trekking the next day. In the photo you see Mt Tongariro on the left and the conical shape of Mt Ngauruhoe. Mt Ruapehu is right of the photo, but not in the photo.To find this view, take Hwy 47...
Plan a National Park vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and National Park locals
To get this view of Mount Tongariro, we deviated slightly down a tiny road off the highway. Let me share with you that spot! Head South from Taupo, and at...
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ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE We drove for 3 hours to get to this destination, from where I live. The day before the trek, we were blessed with the most amazingly clear and blue sky views. Here you......
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