13/2/2012

The Department of Conservation in Whakapapa Village has a very good visitor centre, with a little museum on site and gives a lot of information about the various walks in the area. I asked the woman behind the counter what sort of walks I could do. I’m not a big hiker and just wanted to do short walks and she told me about the Ridge Track and the Nature Walk that could be done in one day. Now she didn’t mention what sort of walk the Ridge Track was and I forgot to ask but she did say that the Ridge Track could be done in an hour’s return.

So after having something small to eat, I headed off up the Ridge Track at 2.15pm. The weather had dried up and it was considerably brighter and warmer when the sun was out, which was happening more frequently. The walk was a fairly steep climb, first taking you through forest bush, then once out of the cover of the forest, you are unexpectedly taken into open grasslands. On the left hand side, I could see this mountain with a big hole at its top and that was Mt. Ngauruhoe which is 2287 metres high. Right behind it was Mt. Ruapehu, its peak smothered in cloud. This is the highest mountain in the park and also in the North Island.

When I got three quarters of the way up the track, there was a hexagonal shaped wooden table there and at this point I turned around I was rewarded with glorious views of Tongariro valley. Mt. Tongariro was there in front of me, like a sleeping giant in the bright sunshine. The dark rain clouds had lifted and the valley was there in all its splendour spread out before me. My heart soared. I was in seventh heaven! This was New Zealand scenery at its best. I was surrounded by tussocks and scrub bushes such as inaka, with its bluebell shaped flowers and mountain daisies. There was a hill above me though, which I couldn’t see over and at the top of this hill was the end of the track.

I decided after a short while to brave it and try to get up to the top of the hill. Even though this part was a bit more difficult to climb, after about ten minutes I got to the top and was so happy that I pushed myself to do it. I mean I was standing on the top of a hill, on the side of a mountain! I had never done that before. The three hundred and sixty degree view was fabulous. I could have died happily here too. At the top of the hill you could see rolling hills which had patterns on them, like when someone shaves designs in their hair. To the right you could see the road meandering its way up the mountain. God I loved it.

I must have stayed up there for about two hours. I enjoyed it so much and at about 4pm, decided to head back down the track. Just before I started my descent, there was a couple walking up the track. They were French, from the Champagne region. We were talking for a while and then they continued further up the mountain. I was so glad that I did that walk. The weather turned out great and I couldn’t have asked for better views compared to this morning, where you could hardly see past your nose with the rain and mist.

I phoned the hostel and asked them to pick me up, which they did and that cost me 20 NZD. At this time of the evening, 7.30pm, it was the safest way of getting back.