It rained a lot overnight. When I wake up in the morning, I look out the window and am relieved to find that although it is cloudy, it is not raining. We're staying at a very small village in a national park, and there isn't a lot to do that isn't outdoors.
JQ and I both had difficulties with the wifi last night. It was difficult to log on, then it worked for a while, although it would sporadically drop connections. I did note that the signal seemed to improve later at night as everyone else went to bed. This hotel seems popular with the backpacker set, so maybe it's just the heavy usage?
Since we’re not checking out today, we are at leisure to move as fast or as slow as we like. At the front desk last night, they told us breakfast was from 6:00-9:30, but we stay in and eat the food we brought with us. Since this hotel room does not have a microwave, our food needs to be of the non-cookable variety. As we wander out to explore at about 10:45 a.m., JQ wonders if the breakfast was included with our room rental? She asks at the front desk. $18 for a continental breakfast. No thank you!
When we checked in last night, the desk clerk gave us a map, and circled a few of the shorter hikes, so today we are navigating by map and not GPS. We start by heading into Whakapapa Village. Drive down highway 47, then turn down highway 48. So easy even we can't screw it up!
At the village, we stop at the tourist center. They have a big, beautiful Maori carving just inside the front door, which we stop to admire. Beyond is the requisite gift shop. Considering the weather last night and the clouds this morning, JQ tries on a few rain coats, but decides to hope for the best and does not purchase. I buy myself a new hat – it isn’t a broad-brimmed Tilley, but it will have to do for now.
JQ told me there was a chateau in the park (but she accidentally called it Chateau Frontenac instead of Chateau Tongariro, so I snickered at her). Anyway, Chateau Tongariro is a very beautiful building on the outside. We are going to have to stick our heads in there and look around at some point.
But for now, JQ drives up Mt. Ruapehu, as far as the road would permit, which is about 1/3 of the way up the mountain, by my eyeball-estimation (JQ is currently crawling down the road and methodically measuring it with a ruler, as she does not like my non-precise estimations). We park right next to a “don’t fall off the cliff” sign. I think you’ll understand that in any language.
It is very rocky here, with many lodges perched among the rocks, which looks faintly ridiculous this time of year, but must look lovely when the snow covers the mountainside.
It’s like a ghost-ski town up here (no, Nedeene, that does not mean it is a Ukrainian ghost, but rather that it is a ghost town for skiers.) This area appears mostly deserted, with ski lifts not operational, sled conveyor belts sitting idle among the rocks, and 90% of the things closed up and awaiting winter. The most obvious exception is the café, which will be commandeering almost all of the tourist traffic up here.
But, to start out with, JQ and I head up the hiking trail towards Meads Wall. It is listed as a mere 15 minute journey. I have my eye on the 1.5 hour hike, but know JQ won’t care for that one. This mountain has the look of a volcanic area, in that it is mostly rocky and barren. The boulders, big and small, have coloured lichen growing on them, and there is water seeping down some rock faces and trickling over the ground.
You follow the trail uphill, to a terrace that is bounded by large, monumental rocks, and beyond that is open air, looking a long way down to a valley below that has a small stream trickling through it. Wind and cloud are sweeping through, and constantly misting up my camera lens. I have one hand on my hat, or I will lose it.
It is rocky and barren and looks familiar. This place just looks like Mordor, and in fact I later learn that some of the scenes were shot here. One does not simply walk into Morder... which is why we drove! 😆
JQ creeps away from the edge and leans on a giant rock wall. The drop is making her dizzy. This surprises me, as I had no idea she was afraid of heights. I have always described myself as somewhat afraid of heights, but while I’m wary of getting too close to the edge, I find the view spectacular. I’ve always kind of understood the appeal of mountain climbing – I do hate having to haul my carcass uphill (especially since I've spent my whole life as a flatlander), but the wind and the sky and the views are exhilarating.
Down to the café, where JQ orders expensive mountain coffee. When I rejoin her, she is happy once again. For her, coffee is exhilarating. 😋
All rejuvenated, we drive down the mountain, back to the Whakapapa townsite. We stop in at a local shop labelled "Maori Art", because JQ has been wanting to buy some for a while. For someone who claims to not like people, JQ sure likes to engage them in conversation. The artists are currently working on carving a large log, and JQ is full of questions about how it is done, how long it will take, and everything you can think of. She will claim it is the researcher in her, but I think she secretly likes people.
On the wall in their shop, I spy a poster of Mt Ruapehu's volcanic eruption in 1995. Whoa! I hope that volcano isn't due for another eruption while we're here. Crossing fingers now. There's also a stuffed Kiwi, which is likely to be the only one we will see. They are nocturnal, and very endangered. They're flightless birds, so very vulnerable to the introduced predators that came along with people, including cats and dogs. 😢
JQ eventually purchases an art print of a New Zealand bird called a "fantail" (which we actually saw on our hikes on Tiritiri Matangi island).
With her art purchase completed, it is time to indulge our curiosity about the Chateau Tongariro! We walked in and (with the disclaimer that I was just curious) I asked how much it cost to stay here. Not as much as you think, said the lovely well-coiffed woman at the front desk, as she handed me a price list. Oh, it isn’t too terrible – expensive, but not astronomical. It’s more expensive than our hotel, but it’s also on the doorstep of Mt Ruapehu. Sometimes, the location is worth the extra price. But not today – we already have a hotel, filled with cheap people like us.
We hover around for a while to de-class the joint, wandering around and looking at how the fancy people live, taking pictures of them and their quaint ways (why? Because we enjoy being tacky tourists). JQ notices that they serve High Tea in their restaurant, and she is interested in attending until she learns the price is $32 per person. What do you get for that? “A selection of delicious finger sandwiches, scones and sweet treats, accompanied by your choice of espresso coffee or our range of gourmet fresh teas.” I decide to chop up a sandwich and a chocolate bar from the gas station and pretend that it is High Tea.
Okay, enough of that. Back to the Qashqai-mobile! We drive to Tawhai Falls (Gollum's pool, to LOTR fans). JQ decides that her coffee has given her the strength to do this 15 minute hike, which is our second trail of the day.
Once there, JQ re-enacts the scene, singing Gollum's fish song as she waves a fish around, and does a little Gollum dance. Yes, I know, I should have filmed it for you. But look at the pictures below, and use your imagination to fill in the blanks. I am sure you will do it justice. And when she gets home, you can always ask her to do a repeat performance.
I think that was the high point of JQ's hiking adventure. She didn't feel like doing the Silica Falls trail, as it was listed at over an hour, and also declined to do the Wakapapanui Trail, which was listed as 1.5 hours for 3.5 km return.
As we stopped at The Mounds, which was labelled as a 20-minute return hike, JQ looked at me. Because I can read her mind, and I understand that look of “don’t yell at me”, of course I yelled something like "you lazy dinglebar, surely you can walk for a mere 20 minutes?!?" "But I’m tired," replies Our Lady of Perpetual Somnolence, "I want a nap." "OMG, you’re such a terrible hiker!" With those words of encouragement, JQ gets out of the car and sullenly tramps the 10-minute round trip hike.
JQ does not want me to describe her as a “terrible” hiker. Nor does she like the words awful, atrocious, or craptacular. She will accept that she is a “poor” hiker. I’m struggling to describe the level of poverty without sugar-coating it.
I mean, let's be fair: it’s not that JQ is the worst hiker in the world. I believe there was probably some 80-year-old man who once fell and broke both his legs while hiking, and he then had to drag himself along until someone found him. I truly believe that JQ will absolutely cover more distance than that poor, injured old man.
And she has other talents. She is very good at sleeping in, and lounging, chillaxing and relaxing. I believe it’s generally accepted that she has some level of research skills. But the idea that we were ever going to get her across the Alpine Crossing? I think that’s a bridge too far, my friends. Unlike Sam, I am not willing to carry Frodo up Mt. Doom.
Anyway, we drive back to the hotel, and I kick JQ out of the car, flinging the hotel key in her face. She is very happy. Off I go, motoring back to do some hikes.
I park at the Whakapapanui trail head, and set off on my own. Perhaps this is the start of a great adventure! The trail starts out in a meadow, but soon moves into the trees. For a while, I am hiking alone, and then, what should happen but I coincidentally happen to run into Viggo Mortensen, Karl Urban, Elijah Wood, and Andy Serkis – why, it’s a good chunk of the cast of LOTR! They are on a hiking trip. I explain about my friend who would rather nap. Why, then, she is no friend of Middle Earth, they declare. We briefly consider throwing her into Mt Doom, but that sounds like too much work, and besides, Viggo has a dinner date – he doesn’t have time. Then we part ways. Too bad JQ missed such a great opportunity. I didn’t mention it to her later, because I don’t want to make her sad, and I’m sure she doesn’t read this blog, so she'll never know. 😉
Anyway, back on track. Whakapapanui Walk is listed as a 3.5km walk at 1.5 hours. It starts out in the trees, which is nice, because the sun is out now and the day has warmed up considerably. The shade suits me. Trees. Trees, and moss, and more trees, and little burbling brooks running through the trail now and again.
For the longest time, I run into no one at all - it is like I am the only one hiking out here. And then eventually I do pass by a few other people. Nice and quiet!
Eventually, I reach a sign pointing me to the Golden Rapids. Sadly for me, there is not real gold (I could afford to stay here, and also this hiking trail would be a lot busier), but the rocks and boulders just beneath the surface of the water have a golden colour to them. It's due to being in a volcanic area, and the amount of iron in the sediment of the river.
Now that I've reached the end of this trail, there's a trail junction. I can either go back, or follow the sign for the Silica Rapids, listed as 1 hour away. I decide to continue on. This trail slowly winds its way uphill, and leads both through sunny meadows and bogs, and through shady tree-lined paths. It crosses a river, and then goes slowly up and up, until finally I've reached my destination. So much clear water flowing!
You know what I regret? That JQ isn't with me? No. I regret forgetting my water bottle in the car, which is now about 3 hours away. So much water here, but I'll either fall in and drown if I try to get it, or I'll ingest some killer spore that will colonize my internal organs. Too bad for me. Suck it up, buttercup, you can drink water when you get back.
Anyway, I look at my watch and calculate time and distance. It's already pushing 5:30. And these trails intersect each other, but they aren't loops. This should be interesting. I will say that hiking downhill is faster, although without my trekking poles, I am not breaking speed records. It is beautiful out here, though, and I'm glad I have my inferior not-Tilley hat with me, because: sun.
When I get back to the junction in the forest, instead of heading back down Whakapapanui trail, I decide to exit out in Whakapapa Village, because I don’t want to chance walking through the forest as it gets darker. You know that if I turn my ankle, JQ ain't gonna save me. She'll just put on a sweater and have another cup of coffee (if she's even awake).
Anyway, it's a quick walk to Whakapapa Village, and I can follow the road back to my car. Not as picturesque a hike, perhaps, but no turned ankles. And - bonus! - a free water fountain for grubby hikers. Score!
I head down through the village, and see a mama bunny rabbit, and her three little babies out eating some grass. Baby bunnies are so darn cute!
Walking down the road is definitely not as nice as a hiking trail, as cars keep coming by, but I have to admit, I still get some pretty gorgeous scenery.
However, by the time I reach my car, I am getting kinda tired of walking. My Garmin says I did 12 km on those hikes. 😎 I am not the world's greatest hiker, but I am also not the crappiest hiker in the room. (Naming no names.)
It's nice to have motorized wheels again! I drive back to the town of National Park (which seems like a location descriptor, not a proper name, but whatever works for you). Luck out and get a rock star parking spot right by the door. This will be handy for loading up luggage tomorrow.
I peruse our food stores, but decide I want some ice cream for supper, so walk over to the corner shop. In the distance, for the first time, I can see the peak of Mt Nguaruhoe (aka Mt Doom). The clouds have lifted. There is a lovely sunset tonight.
Back to the hotel to struggle with the craptacular wifi. It's not that it's bad - it's that it's SO BAD. I thought it was crappy wifi yesterday, but now I realize that yesterday was a good day. Today, it is impossible. Gah! Hope the next place will be better when it comes to the Internet.
JQ and I both had difficulties with the wifi last night. It was difficult to log on, then it worked for a while, although it would sporadically drop connections. I did note that the signal seemed to improve later at night as everyone else went to bed. This hotel seems popular with the backpacker set, so maybe it's just the heavy usage?
Since we’re not checking out today, we are at leisure to move as fast or as slow as we like. At the front desk last night, they told us breakfast was from 6:00-9:30, but we stay in and eat the food we brought with us. Since this hotel room does not have a microwave, our food needs to be of the non-cookable variety. As we wander out to explore at about 10:45 a.m., JQ wonders if the breakfast was included with our room rental? She asks at the front desk. $18 for a continental breakfast. No thank you!
When we checked in last night, the desk clerk gave us a map, and circled a few of the shorter hikes, so today we are navigating by map and not GPS. We start by heading into Whakapapa Village. Drive down highway 47, then turn down highway 48. So easy even we can't screw it up!
At the village, we stop at the tourist center. They have a big, beautiful Maori carving just inside the front door, which we stop to admire. Beyond is the requisite gift shop. Considering the weather last night and the clouds this morning, JQ tries on a few rain coats, but decides to hope for the best and does not purchase. I buy myself a new hat – it isn’t a broad-brimmed Tilley, but it will have to do for now.
JQ told me there was a chateau in the park (but she accidentally called it Chateau Frontenac instead of Chateau Tongariro, so I snickered at her). Anyway, Chateau Tongariro is a very beautiful building on the outside. We are going to have to stick our heads in there and look around at some point.
 |
| Hiking! What's the worst that can happen? |
It is very rocky here, with many lodges perched among the rocks, which looks faintly ridiculous this time of year, but must look lovely when the snow covers the mountainside.
It’s like a ghost-ski town up here (no, Nedeene, that does not mean it is a Ukrainian ghost, but rather that it is a ghost town for skiers.) This area appears mostly deserted, with ski lifts not operational, sled conveyor belts sitting idle among the rocks, and 90% of the things closed up and awaiting winter. The most obvious exception is the café, which will be commandeering almost all of the tourist traffic up here.
But, to start out with, JQ and I head up the hiking trail towards Meads Wall. It is listed as a mere 15 minute journey. I have my eye on the 1.5 hour hike, but know JQ won’t care for that one. This mountain has the look of a volcanic area, in that it is mostly rocky and barren. The boulders, big and small, have coloured lichen growing on them, and there is water seeping down some rock faces and trickling over the ground.
You follow the trail uphill, to a terrace that is bounded by large, monumental rocks, and beyond that is open air, looking a long way down to a valley below that has a small stream trickling through it. Wind and cloud are sweeping through, and constantly misting up my camera lens. I have one hand on my hat, or I will lose it.
It is rocky and barren and looks familiar. This place just looks like Mordor, and in fact I later learn that some of the scenes were shot here. One does not simply walk into Morder... which is why we drove! 😆
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
|||||
 |
 |
JQ creeps away from the edge and leans on a giant rock wall. The drop is making her dizzy. This surprises me, as I had no idea she was afraid of heights. I have always described myself as somewhat afraid of heights, but while I’m wary of getting too close to the edge, I find the view spectacular. I’ve always kind of understood the appeal of mountain climbing – I do hate having to haul my carcass uphill (especially since I've spent my whole life as a flatlander), but the wind and the sky and the views are exhilarating.
Down to the café, where JQ orders expensive mountain coffee. When I rejoin her, she is happy once again. For her, coffee is exhilarating. 😋
All rejuvenated, we drive down the mountain, back to the Whakapapa townsite. We stop in at a local shop labelled "Maori Art", because JQ has been wanting to buy some for a while. For someone who claims to not like people, JQ sure likes to engage them in conversation. The artists are currently working on carving a large log, and JQ is full of questions about how it is done, how long it will take, and everything you can think of. She will claim it is the researcher in her, but I think she secretly likes people.
 |
 |
 |
 |
On the wall in their shop, I spy a poster of Mt Ruapehu's volcanic eruption in 1995. Whoa! I hope that volcano isn't due for another eruption while we're here. Crossing fingers now. There's also a stuffed Kiwi, which is likely to be the only one we will see. They are nocturnal, and very endangered. They're flightless birds, so very vulnerable to the introduced predators that came along with people, including cats and dogs. 😢
JQ eventually purchases an art print of a New Zealand bird called a "fantail" (which we actually saw on our hikes on Tiritiri Matangi island).
With her art purchase completed, it is time to indulge our curiosity about the Chateau Tongariro! We walked in and (with the disclaimer that I was just curious) I asked how much it cost to stay here. Not as much as you think, said the lovely well-coiffed woman at the front desk, as she handed me a price list. Oh, it isn’t too terrible – expensive, but not astronomical. It’s more expensive than our hotel, but it’s also on the doorstep of Mt Ruapehu. Sometimes, the location is worth the extra price. But not today – we already have a hotel, filled with cheap people like us.
|
|
We hover around for a while to de-class the joint, wandering around and looking at how the fancy people live, taking pictures of them and their quaint ways (why? Because we enjoy being tacky tourists). JQ notices that they serve High Tea in their restaurant, and she is interested in attending until she learns the price is $32 per person. What do you get for that? “A selection of delicious finger sandwiches, scones and sweet treats, accompanied by your choice of espresso coffee or our range of gourmet fresh teas.” I decide to chop up a sandwich and a chocolate bar from the gas station and pretend that it is High Tea.
Okay, enough of that. Back to the Qashqai-mobile! We drive to Tawhai Falls (Gollum's pool, to LOTR fans). JQ decides that her coffee has given her the strength to do this 15 minute hike, which is our second trail of the day.
Once there, JQ re-enacts the scene, singing Gollum's fish song as she waves a fish around, and does a little Gollum dance. Yes, I know, I should have filmed it for you. But look at the pictures below, and use your imagination to fill in the blanks. I am sure you will do it justice. And when she gets home, you can always ask her to do a repeat performance.
 |
 |
As we stopped at The Mounds, which was labelled as a 20-minute return hike, JQ looked at me. Because I can read her mind, and I understand that look of “don’t yell at me”, of course I yelled something like "you lazy dinglebar, surely you can walk for a mere 20 minutes?!?" "But I’m tired," replies Our Lady of Perpetual Somnolence, "I want a nap." "OMG, you’re such a terrible hiker!" With those words of encouragement, JQ gets out of the car and sullenly tramps the 10-minute round trip hike.
JQ does not want me to describe her as a “terrible” hiker. Nor does she like the words awful, atrocious, or craptacular. She will accept that she is a “poor” hiker. I’m struggling to describe the level of poverty without sugar-coating it.
I mean, let's be fair: it’s not that JQ is the worst hiker in the world. I believe there was probably some 80-year-old man who once fell and broke both his legs while hiking, and he then had to drag himself along until someone found him. I truly believe that JQ will absolutely cover more distance than that poor, injured old man.
And she has other talents. She is very good at sleeping in, and lounging, chillaxing and relaxing. I believe it’s generally accepted that she has some level of research skills. But the idea that we were ever going to get her across the Alpine Crossing? I think that’s a bridge too far, my friends. Unlike Sam, I am not willing to carry Frodo up Mt. Doom.
Anyway, we drive back to the hotel, and I kick JQ out of the car, flinging the hotel key in her face. She is very happy. Off I go, motoring back to do some hikes.
I park at the Whakapapanui trail head, and set off on my own. Perhaps this is the start of a great adventure! The trail starts out in a meadow, but soon moves into the trees. For a while, I am hiking alone, and then, what should happen but I coincidentally happen to run into Viggo Mortensen, Karl Urban, Elijah Wood, and Andy Serkis – why, it’s a good chunk of the cast of LOTR! They are on a hiking trip. I explain about my friend who would rather nap. Why, then, she is no friend of Middle Earth, they declare. We briefly consider throwing her into Mt Doom, but that sounds like too much work, and besides, Viggo has a dinner date – he doesn’t have time. Then we part ways. Too bad JQ missed such a great opportunity. I didn’t mention it to her later, because I don’t want to make her sad, and I’m sure she doesn’t read this blog, so she'll never know. 😉
Anyway, back on track. Whakapapanui Walk is listed as a 3.5km walk at 1.5 hours. It starts out in the trees, which is nice, because the sun is out now and the day has warmed up considerably. The shade suits me. Trees. Trees, and moss, and more trees, and little burbling brooks running through the trail now and again.
For the longest time, I run into no one at all - it is like I am the only one hiking out here. And then eventually I do pass by a few other people. Nice and quiet!
 |
 |
||||
|
|
Eventually, I reach a sign pointing me to the Golden Rapids. Sadly for me, there is not real gold (I could afford to stay here, and also this hiking trail would be a lot busier), but the rocks and boulders just beneath the surface of the water have a golden colour to them. It's due to being in a volcanic area, and the amount of iron in the sediment of the river.
Now that I've reached the end of this trail, there's a trail junction. I can either go back, or follow the sign for the Silica Rapids, listed as 1 hour away. I decide to continue on. This trail slowly winds its way uphill, and leads both through sunny meadows and bogs, and through shady tree-lined paths. It crosses a river, and then goes slowly up and up, until finally I've reached my destination. So much clear water flowing!
|
|
You know what I regret? That JQ isn't with me? No. I regret forgetting my water bottle in the car, which is now about 3 hours away. So much water here, but I'll either fall in and drown if I try to get it, or I'll ingest some killer spore that will colonize my internal organs. Too bad for me. Suck it up, buttercup, you can drink water when you get back.
When I get back to the junction in the forest, instead of heading back down Whakapapanui trail, I decide to exit out in Whakapapa Village, because I don’t want to chance walking through the forest as it gets darker. You know that if I turn my ankle, JQ ain't gonna save me. She'll just put on a sweater and have another cup of coffee (if she's even awake).
Anyway, it's a quick walk to Whakapapa Village, and I can follow the road back to my car. Not as picturesque a hike, perhaps, but no turned ankles. And - bonus! - a free water fountain for grubby hikers. Score!
I head down through the village, and see a mama bunny rabbit, and her three little babies out eating some grass. Baby bunnies are so darn cute!
|
|
Walking down the road is definitely not as nice as a hiking trail, as cars keep coming by, but I have to admit, I still get some pretty gorgeous scenery.
 |
 |
It's nice to have motorized wheels again! I drive back to the town of National Park (which seems like a location descriptor, not a proper name, but whatever works for you). Luck out and get a rock star parking spot right by the door. This will be handy for loading up luggage tomorrow.
I peruse our food stores, but decide I want some ice cream for supper, so walk over to the corner shop. In the distance, for the first time, I can see the peak of Mt Nguaruhoe (aka Mt Doom). The clouds have lifted. There is a lovely sunset tonight.
 |
 |
Back to the hotel to struggle with the craptacular wifi. It's not that it's bad - it's that it's SO BAD. I thought it was crappy wifi yesterday, but now I realize that yesterday was a good day. Today, it is impossible. Gah! Hope the next place will be better when it comes to the Internet.
Otherwise known as a ghost-chuk?
ReplyDeleteAh yes, that must be it. Thank you, the proper name eluded me. (Taras Bulba!!!)
Delete