New Zealand Adventure - Day 7

[Composed 1/12/2019]

At 5:45am, we stood ready to be picked up for our epic day of hiking. Sure, it was raining out, be we figured those would be passing showers. As we saw the van we'd scheduled for transportation to the start of the hike approach, we walked out to meet it. The driver turned us around and ushered us back to the dry overhang at the entrance of our hotel. This was our first clue that something wasn't right.

Over the next couple of minutes our driver laid out the following:

1. The rain we were experiencing now wasn't a passing shower, it was the this afternoon's rain arriving hours early.
2. As a result, this was not the day to hike the Alpine Crossing. We'd accomplish little more than hiking 12 miles in the fog, seeing nothing.
3. She would check back in, in an hour and if the weather was still crappy, she'd cancel all scheduled transportation for the day.
4. Eyeing me in my $1.00 plastic poncho, and Shira holding her umbrella, she added: and there's no way I'm taking you guys up there in a plastic poncho and an umbrella<.

It was like someone had knocked the wind out of me. For months we'd planning this hike, and just like that, it had been canceled.

The first three points I couldn't argue with; this was her backyard, ignoring her recommendations would almost certainly be a mistake. But the last point, that one left me baffled. Look, I get it: she must see people all the time who show up in jeans and flip-flops, thinking they can tackle a mountain traverse. But what was I supposed to do? Tell her I was an Eagle Scout? Should I have started ticking off backpacking trips we've done, a number of them in wretched weather? Should I have recounted mountains I've hiked in the past? Was I supposed to have a conversation with her about the fundamental challenge of rain gear: sure, you can bundle up, but that insures that you'll get drenched by sweat instead of by rain. Should I have explained that her thinking an umbrella was out of place in the backcountry was a sign that she was inexperienced, not the other way around? And what did I need to prove to this woman anyway? She was our transportation, not our guide or a ranger.

Ultimately, I said almost nothing. I took her at her word that this would be a dud of day, and we went back to our room to catch a couple hours of sleep and regroup. I'm still not sure what I should have said to her, though it is a conversation I've replayed countless times.

After a bit of sleep, we pulled out the trail map and decided on a new route: the 16km Whakapapaiti Valley trail. The trail was easy to find and follow. We passed through a forest and then entered the valley. Along the way, the overcast weather occasionally gave way to a bit of sunshine. Walking through the valley we encountered a massive bog, and I enjoyed grabbing snapshots of the quirky (to me) flora.

We reached the Whakapapaiti river,and due to the recent rain found it impassable. We had no choice but to backtrack miles to the closest trail junction. It was just that kind of day, nothing wanted to cooperate.

We finished our hike by passing next to Silica Rapids. This was a delightful section of trail, with wide open views and raging creeks.

After the rapids, we had a final road walk before we arrived back at our hotel. It had been 12+ miles of hiking, and while not the epic mountain traverse we were expecting, it was unique and beautiful in its own way.

New Zealand Adventure - Day 6

[Composed 1/11/2019]

So far we've experienced a number of New Zealand's natural treasures. From a volcanic island to a stunning cave, to just miles and miles of picturesque views. Today was a chance to explore yet another: a geothermic landscape.

We made our way to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland for the 10:15am blowing of the Lady Knox Geyser. When we purchased our tickets to the geyser, the lady at the counter asked if we'd ever seen Old Faithful. We have and told her so. She mentioned that some who have seen Old Faithful leave Lady Knox unimpressed. After having seen both, I can say that Lady Knox holds her own. Yes, they "seed her" to trigger an eruption, which I suppose is cheating. But on the plus side, you're able to sit quite a bit closer to Lady Knox. More than that, I enjoyed the explanation behind the discovery and operation of Lady Knox that the emcee takes you through.

From there we started our tour of Wai-O-Tapu, which like the geothermic fields of Yellowstone are quite the experience for your eyes, ears and nose. The gurgling mud, foul odors and strange palette of colors all make for a truly other worldly experience. Wai-O-Tapu lived up to its name as Thermal Wonderland and easily held its own as one of most amazing things we've seen this trip. Even Shira was was duly impressed.

After Wai-O-Tapu we got on the road and continued towards Tongariro National Park, where we would be spending the next two nights. On the way we stopped at Tokaanu Thermal Pools, which has the feel of a town pool and park. The park contains its own small geothermic walk. Unlike the massive scale of Wai-O-Tapu, this neighborhood version took us only 20 minutes to walk through. Yet, it was still a delight. There were small pots of gurgling mud, steaming pools and hints of sulfur in the air. It was the perfect bonus adventure to add to our road trip.

We pulled in to the Chateau at Tongariro National Park and my mouth was agape. Was that a friggin volcano cone overlooking our hotel? Everywhere I looked we saw amazing vistas and best of all, I knew we were going to be hiking among those very peaks the next day. Shira set her alarm for 5:00am, so we could be on the first shuttle to start the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Today had been filled with memorable sights, and tomorrow was shaping up to deliver more of the same.

All of the photos today were shot by Shira. Nice job, babe!

Google was kind enough to generate this collage for us. The pictures were taken 10½ years apart.