Road Trip Week 1
- Liam Craig
- Feb 9, 2020
- 3 min read
This is a different blog format that I’m going to try out. I’m doing so many interesting things but not a lot of things that deserve a thousand words all on their own. Please let me know if this format is interesting or just boring. I’m having so much fun on the road already!
Day 0- Left Wellington at 10am after dropping into the café one last time. I helped make a few coffees for morning rush and grabbed one for myself. Drove north along the Kapiti Coast and went for a walk along Paraparaumu beach. Got some groceries and headed into Tararua forest park.
Day 1- Hiked up through the forest and into the clouds, met an Italian backpacker on the trail. Took a bath in the river and had tea with a lovely older couple camping near me.
Day 2- Picked some blackberries along the riverbank and washed my face as the fog lifted off the surrounding mountains. Packed up and drove north to Whanganui (Wong-ga-noo-ee). Stopped into a cafe to have a coffee and charge my computer, noted their cocktail happy hour. Went to watch some glass artists at New Zealand Glassworks. Very interesting and free. Enjoyed some good Indian food and a few cocktails while I was in town. Settled in for the night at a free campsite by the river.
Day 3- Woke up and wandered to a cafe for a coffee and a bite to eat. Planned to drive up the Whanganui river road but found it blocked off. Took the highway and arrived at Tongariro park sooner than expected. Killed some time hiking into the Mangawhero falls, a two hour round trip with beautiful views of mount Ruapehu. Settled into quite a dusty campsite near the Tongariro river with some very… confident possums.
Day 4- Woke up early for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. I'll devote a whole blog post to this hike, it's supposedly one of the most beautiful in New Zealand and I’m inclined to agree. The first half of the trek is dominated by Mount Ngauruhoe, with hostile volcanic landscapes in every direction. It took just under five hours to finish the crossing, then I drove down to Ohakune to resupply. Drove to the free campsite in the Ruatiti Domain and pitched my tent by the river.
Day 5-Relaxing and reorganizing were the orders of business, staying in the Ruatiti domain planning my next moves. No cell service, but who needs it when you have a river to swim in, a hammock in the shade, and a book to read.
Day 6- Said goodbye to some Canadian friends I'd made at camp that night. Made my way up to Mt. Ruapehu. The tallest mountain on the northern island, Ruapehu is a massive ski destination in winter and a rocky wasteland in the summer. There is no marked trail up the mountain, but it's traversable with very little actual climbing. I picked bad lines a few times and had to backtrack; but overall, it's very doable. Drove north and camped in a forest west of Lake Taupo.
Day 7- Only realized after a bit of driving that it was a public holiday. Still managed to find a cafe that was open to get a coffee and charge up the electronics. Enjoyed stopping in a recreation park to cook lunch. Drove up to Matamata and stayed at a farm that lets people camp in their field. The campsite has a great view of the surrounding farms, flushing toilets, potable water, free cold shower, power outlets; all for $8! It can't be beat. happened to have some whisky and shared some with a really nice Kiwi/ Scotsman I met in camp. He was staying there while working at the Hobbiton set, which is just down the road.
Day 8- Did a few smaller hikes. Wairere falls, the highest waterfall on the north island; and then the blue springs, a river with an incredible ecosystem where the water runs crystal clear. Drove through Hamilton and camped about an hour before Auckland.
Day 9- Did a fairly short hike in the Hunua range, this group of mountains serves as the primary water supply for a large portion of Auckland. Took my time driving into the city and checked into the hostel. The hostel... well... it has free parking. A weekend in the city awaits me before more wilderness adventures.
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