My sister, Susie, arrived in Queenstown last week so instead of blogging in the evenings I've been spending time with her - it's been great!




So far her time here has gone way too fast and we have been having some fun adventures during our road trip together (along with Sean) around the South Island.  It's always really cool having someone visit because they notice different things and bring a fresh perspective to being in New Zealand.  Also, it's a great excuse to do the touristy things that we have been wanting to do and have been saving up to do.  Thanks for visiting Sue! (And to my sister and anyone else reading . . . have you thought about visiting us in Brazil - you should!)

The most beautiful part of the Tongariro Crossing was seeing the Emerald Lakes.  They are known for being bright blue and green colors because of all of the mineral deposits due to the thermal activity.  Normally, you can see a few different lakes which look quite dramatic against the dark volcanic landscape, but because it was winter, some were frozen over and we only got a clear look at one of them.



We found a good spot for lunch right next to the lake and couldn't stop looking at its color.  It was really exposed during that part of the hike though and we all got really cold from the constant wind.  I think all of us put on about every layer we had just to keep warm and it wasn't long before we all wanted to keep moving. 




We crossed a large and flat section of snow before gaining elevation a bit only to drop down again and head to the other car park.  This involved walking through more harsh landscape where we could see remnants of the most recent blast from the volcano.  There was no lava involved, but thermal energy blew a hole in the side of the volcano and sprayed rocks everywhere.  A couple of rocks even landed on one of the DOC huts where campers stay on the side of the trail.  Fortunately, no one was there at the time and there were no injuries.



While we walked past the hut, there were some DOC workers checking on it and they opened it up for us and let us peek in at the damage.  I was amazed at the size of the rocks that had blown all the way from the mountain and landed on the hut.  While we were walking, there were signs everywhere to walk quickly through this particular stretch of the crossing as it was still a very active and unpredictable area.



And walk quickly we did.  Tired, hungry and thirsty, we all stepped up the pace and made haste for the car all the time looking back at the awesome views of the volcanoes we had left behind. Although it was pretty exhausting and a bit precarious at times, I can definitely understand why many classify this as New Zealand's best day hike and why others consider it one of the most dramatic treks in the world.  It will be hard to beat.

We reconnected with hostel friends Sam and Amy at the top of the main climb and then headed off across the snow together. Since the day was clear and sunny we had awesome panoramic views of the volcanos around us. It was pretty hot even up so high which made it difficult to walk through the snow. Instead of being frozen solid, it turned into mush and in some spots we sunk up past our knees.

After another big climb we stopped for snacks and pictures. The previous volcanic activity had left sediment layers of amazing colors all around that looked dramatic against the snow. The area is still very much active and sometimes while we were hiking we could feel the warm breezes from the hot spots spouting out hot air. There was also a strong aroma of rotten eggs from all the geothermal activity.

So far the hike had been awesome and I couldn't wait to get to the most scenic part of the day - the Emerald Lakes (more to come tomorrow).

 

Besides really wanting to do the canoe trip, one of the top things that I hoped to do while on the North Island was hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing which is frequently rated one of the best day trips in the world. Unfortunately, since the crossing is so high and exposed, it's prone to harsh weather conditions that can often prove fatal for trekkers. All over the lodge there were newspaper clippings of past hikers who had died because of a lack of proper equipment, bad planning or extreme weather. In addition, 70% of the time the crossing is stuck in the clouds and you can't see anything making the exhausting long day not worth anything.

To make matters even more interesting, we had arrived right on the cusp of the change of seasons from winter to spring. The days before our arrival it was mandatory to go with a guide, crampons and ice axe (and also some hefty prices). In good and warmer weather anyone with enough water, warm clothes and proper shoes can attempt the hike. Sean and I really didn't want to have to pay the high prices for a guide but we also didn't want to be risky and stupid or miss out on a chance to do the crossing. So we waited for a day and hoped that we would get lucky and that the weather would improve and that conditions would not require a guide.

Amazingly, we got lucky and on our second day of waiting the DOC opened up the first day of the spring season of doing the crossing when you didn't need to go with a guide. We were also fortunate that a couple of the canoe guides wanted to do the trip as well. I was happy about this because they had done it before and knew what we were in for and also because it meant that we could drive ourselves; we left one car at the end of the hike and all drove back together in another to the start.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is so famous because it's so dramatic. One minute you're walking along volcanic desert and then suddenly you're in snow practically atop a volcano. It's a rush for the senses but definitely requires some preparation in terms of clothing, food and liquids. To start the hike at around 8am we all got up around 5:30 am and after some last minute packing and breakfast we took off toward the trail head.

The first part of the hike was flat and offered awesome views of the volcanoes we were going to walk around. The second part was the toughest - heaps of steep stairs that never seemed to end. But the effort was worth it because once we reached the snow it really started to feel like an alpine crossing and I began to see what all the fuss was about (more to come tomorrow).

 

While we waited for the Department of Conservation to give the O.K. on hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing without a guide, we decided to spend the day at Lake Taupo.

I would say Taupo is the Queenstown of the North Island. There is a beautiful lake, plenty of water and adventure sports, amazing volcanic scenery and lots of tourists. Sean and I decided to visit Huka Falls and then hike to a dam about two hours away. We had heard that the dam opened a few times a day and that you could see water rush from one side to the other filling an empty riverbed. Picture your average sand and water table in geology class and that was what we were going to witness full-size and in real time. As you can imagine, we could barely contain ourselves. So we packed up some sammies and drove the two hours from Raurimu in the National Park to Lake Taupo.

Huka falls was beautiful mostly because of the color of the water and the enormity of the amount of water that rushed over the rocks every second. The hike was less scenic but it felt good to be out and stretching our legs after days in a canoe.

We made it to the dam with plenty of time to spare and joined the other eager observers who were more prepared than us and had brought containers of cold beverages along with them in order to watch the 'action' unfold. We heard loud warning bells five minutes, two minutes and then again as the dam opened to let the water force its way through. I thought the thrill of the water rushing through the riverbed would be instantaneous but it actually took quite awhile for the quantity of water to build and make its way through to where we were watching. I think the anticipation was the best part of the whole thing and I was sad when it was over as it meant we had four more hours of hiking and driving ahead of us. We did, of course, make lots of dam puns and jokes on the way home; it's inevitable.

 

Sometimes we sleep in hostels or guesthouses and other times it's home stays or sleazy cabins at holiday parks. Some nights we pitch our tent and other nights we are lucky enough to have friends to stay with. But most of the time we sleep in the back of our car. It's a very classy situation.

Surprisingly, the station wagon offers a pretty good sleep at unbeatable value. We are lucky that when we fold the seats down we can both stretch out completely (me comfortably, Sean just barely). At campsites and holiday parks I found that I preferred to sleep in the car which I wasn't expecting. This was because it was warmer, quieter and safer from animals (the possums, mice and rats have gotten a little too friendly with campers). I also liked sleeping in the back of the wagon because it was fast to set up and take down (we both didn't even have to get out of the car if we didn't want to) and it was a nice option to have if it was pouring down rain (which it did often). The only things that were challenging about sleeping in the car were that the windows let in all of the light and that it got hot really quickly in the morning.

I never really thought I would be one to enjoy sleeping in the back of a station wagon but I do. The freedom of having a car that also converted into a bed was awesome and something I'm going to miss. Too bad we can't sleep in the back of my little Honda very easily in the States.

 

Day three and our last day of the Whanganui canoe trip was reputed to be the most difficult day of canoeing yet because of three different sets of rapids to get through before reaching our landing point called Pipiriki. Before we left, we studied the map and tried to heed the suggestions for not tipping over which mainly included staying low, paddling hard and hanging on. In the event that we did tip, we were supposed to swim with the canoe and under no circumstances try and stand up as your foot can get caught and you can break an ankle. I really didn't want to tip over not because I was concerned with getting wet or swimming but because with the river so high, most of the sandy banks were gone leaving sheer rock walls and cliffs - not an easy place to try and swim to and get back in the canoe.

Turns out we didn't have to be worried about our last day - it was the easiest day of them all. This was because the level of the river was so high that it rose way above all of the rocks that created the rapids. We sailed right on through all of the trouble spots without even noticing. Our biggest challenge of the day was trying not to miss the landing where we were supposed to get out. The river was moving so fast that it was all we could do to paddle over to the side at a specific point. We were happy that we made it and it was a big relief not to have tipped over in such high waters.

On our way back, since it was a clear day, we had incredible views of the North Island's volcanoes. Our guide pointed them out and explained the route of the Tongariro Crossing, New Zealand's most famous day hike and the adventure that we hoped to tackle the next day. Although the canoe trip was fun, it was great to be back on dry land and we looked forward to using our feet and not our paddles to get around tomorrow.

 

Day two of our Whanganui River canoe trip dawned clear and sunny and the hut warden said that water levels had dropped a bit during the night. After a breakfast of oatmeal and coffee we were out on the water again and enjoying the nice weather and just being outside.

Both of us felt a lot more confident in the canoe in the crazy currents and swirls of the river and we only had a couple of close calls in the morning. In addition, since the sun was out and the temperature was warm we wouldn't have minded getting wet . . . too much.

We had one stop to make during our paddle today and that was a short hiking trip to the "Bridge to Nowhere." Unfortunately, we weren't quite sure where to pull off the river for this stop and ended up overshooting the landing by quite a bit. In normal river conditions this wouldn't be too much of a problem but moving back upstream when the river was high and fast was almost impossible and we were near giving up. We finally had to get over to shore, get out of the canoe and wade and struggle to reach the landing point. Going just 200 meters in the rushing water took the better part of an hour.

The hike to the Bridge to Nowhere takes about an hour each way through forests, over streams and along different rivers. The bridge is aptly named because it doesn't lead anywhere at all. It was built because the area was forecasted to be growing due to increased mining and logging. But since a town never really developed and everybody moved away, the beautiful bridge was built for nothing. It is a nice excuse to get on land and a fun side trip for all of the river-trippers however and Sean and I enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs.

After lunch, we continued our paddling until we reached the second camp site which was held on Maori land now leased by the Department of Conservation. We were the only people there and the hut warden said that because of the floods he hadn't seen people in days. He invited us to stay in the hut instead of camping so he could have some company. I was pretty excited about this since there had been a lot of reports of river rats and possums pestering tent campers. We readily agreed and after making dinner settled down to a nice chat with the old time Kiwi conservation worker. He had a lot to say, most of which we couldn't understand because of his thick, back woods accent. He was also very hard of hearing so the dinner conversation was pretty one sided; it was an experience.

Our GPS spot tracker - we had to send an "All OK" message each night to the canoe company

He advised us to get to bed early and to get up early as the most challenging part of the river was yet to come on our final day. We set up our sleeping bags in the hut and enjoyed a possum-free night of sleep worrying about the rapids we had yet to get through tomorrow.

The Maori meeting house

The DOC hut that we stayed in

 

One of the things that was on my list of things to do was a three-day canoe trip on the Whanganui River. The canoe trip is the only one of New Zealand's "Great Walks" which is not an actual hike but rather a canoe or kayak trip. It's a unique trip because while you are out on the river you are out in the middle of nowhere and don't see any other signs of civilization. It took us two hours to get to the place where we put the canoe in and two hours to drive back to our hostel three days later after we finished our trip. The only way to reach help while on the river is by jet boat or helicopter communicating with some kind of satellite phone.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to do the trip the exact days we wanted to due to the weather. It down poured for two days straight and the river was too high to safely navigate. We had to wait an additional day for the levels to drop until the canoe company, Wades Landing, would let us give it a go. The night before we left they gave us six waterproof barrels, campsite reservations for our two nights spent on the river and a map pointing out some of the more intimidating rapids. Considering that the last time Sean and I went canoeing we failed miserably and had a huge tip over, the bar wasn't set all that high.

The condition of the river made me feel a little nervous. The level was just under that of the allowable height and the guide who dropped us off warned us about extremely strong currents, fast speeds of the river, floating debris and and plenty of whitewater. He showed us how to get down on our knees low in the canoe if we ever felt like we were going to tip. He also showed us how to tie in all of the barrels so in the event of a spill we wouldn't lose anything. As we strapped on our life jackets we were close to calling the whole thing off as we saw the brown rushing mass that was the river coming off two days of flooded conditions. It wasn't ideal - usually the river is a beautiful green color and is a mild and relaxing journey. But since this was going to be our only chance to do the trip we decided to go for it.

About five minutes in, we hit our first patch of white water and quickly realized that canoes are in no way made for rough waters. We had a near tip over and a big reality check. Other low points in the day included a rainstorm, heavy winds and scary whirlpools that easily sucked our canoe in. We had several moments of "Why are we doing this again?"

We made it to our campsite plenty early because of the strong current and miraculously hadn't tipped though there were several close calls. Sean and I are by no means experienced canoeists. Fortunately, the weather cleared up and the sun was shining once again as we set up camp and made dinner. We hoped that during the night the water levels would continue to go down to yield and more relaxing ride the following day.