Tongariro Nationalpark

Tramping tracks in Tongariro Nationalpark

This way you won't need to hitch back to your car after an arduous 7 hour walk, Please remember, New Zealand is an Island nation, the weather can change suddenly and drastically. Please listen to the advice of locals regarding track conditions. Make sure you carry both wet and cold weather gear even if walking on what appears to be a sunny day. Mistakes can be fatal! If a 7 hour alpine journey is not your cup of tea there are also a number of shorter walks including the volcanic fumaroles at Ketetahi, (the car park is located on highway 46), or a casual walk through the podocarp forests that adorn the shores of Lake Rotopounamu (on highway 47). Spectacular views can also be had from the Whakapapa Ski field car park off highway 47 on the western side of Mt Ruapehu. These are especially impressive around sunset when the brown alpine tussock grasslands turn shades of vibrant purples in the suns fading light. If you are planning a late afternoon around the mountain, rather than drive to Wellington, there's accommodation available in the townships of National Park and Ohakune. If you're happy just to stop and take photo's, then the trip to Wellington from Turangi is easily driveable in a day. If you're into things that go bang, you'll find the national army museum in Waiouru at the southern end of the desert road. You can get some magic views from here of the mountains on a clear day.

Taihape

Twenty minutes south of Waiouru is Taihape, the gumboot throwing capital of the world. Each year in October the town puts on a gumboot festival featuring throwing, racing and decorating. The festival came about in the mid 80's when many farming subsidies had been removed and this was an opportunity for local farmers to meet and discuss the issues they faced.

Did you know?

Tongariro National Park was gifted to the people of New Zealand by the great Ngati Tuwharetoa Chief Tukino Te Heuheu. The mountain tops of the great volcanos are of great spiritual significance to the Ngati Tuwharetoa. Fearing the mountains could be lost to his people, (many maori were selling large amount of land around NZ at that time), he entrusted them in to the care of the government for the use of all New Zealanders.