Tongariro Crossing

On our second day, we were up at 5 am after sleeping for about 12 hours the night before adjusting to the time change. Our goal was to hike (tramp) the Tongariro Crossing about an hour south of Taupo. Since it's a crossing (one way), we needed to line up transportation back to our car. The front desk was unable to reach the tour company, so we drove to the park with hopes of figuring it out on the other end. We were in a hurry because transportation was leaving for the crossing promptly at 7:30 am which meant there was no time to stop and get supplies like food or water, but somehow there was time for a quick stop to get coffee?!?! Once we got there, there was a van waiting but the driver said he was completely booked. Luckily a couple didn't show and we were able to take their spot. 

The first hour of the hike wasn't too steep. It was a gradual incline with volcanic rock around a nice stream with a few water falls. Then it started to get a bit more serious. The incline increased and the weather started to sprinkle. Once we reached the top, the weather cleared and the views were absolutely amazing. We could see the steam and smell the sulfur from the volcanic activity. Also at the top were these crazy emerald blue lakes. The hike took about 7 hours. Parts of it were exhilerating other parts definitely felt like self inflicted torture, but the entire trek was well worth it. Needless to say, we were exhausted, thirsty, and hungry.

After the hike, we started our drive to Wellington which took about 3 hours. We stopped at a cafe along the way and had a well deserved meal.