On the sixth we started the Tongiraro Northern Circuit which is pretty much a long hike around Mt. Doom (its actual name is Ngarahoe or something, but Mt. Doom is easier to say). We started at around noon because we had needed to drive from the holiday park we stayed at. The whole morning it had been really nice and sunny, but right when we started to walk it got all rainy and stormy! To make things worse, the trail was eroded away and the rainwater ran through it like a stream. By the time we finished the 4 hour hike to the hut, we were all soaked through. I guess the scenery must have been cool, but I wouldn’t know because between watching where I put my feet and the dense fog, all I could see was grass and a few volcanic rocks. The hut was smaller than the ones on the Routeburn, but it had the same amount of beds (messed up, that). There was a nice gas heater which was good to dry our drenched clothes on. Everything got wet, and I mean everything. All the stuff in the bags got wet, including my sleeping bag and all of my clothes. No one else’s sleeping bag got nailed, though so I guess it’s just my luck and the fact that daddy kept falling in puddles!
The next day was the same. It was supposed to be clear in the morning and raining in the afternoon, but it did the exact opposite. We left early because we thought the weather would get worse (it was already rainy) in the afternoon. We hiked up, into a crater, out of the crater again, and then around the rim of the crater, then we passed some emerald coloured lakes. They were called the Emerald Lakes and the red crater we hiked around was called Red Crater. The people who named these things are really creative, huh? Then we got to hike another hour to the hut. The entire time the rain was pouring and the wind was blowing. The top of Red Crater is supposed to have the best view in NZ, but we couldn’t see it because of the fog. When we got to the hut there were a bunch of day hikers bundled around the heater and dripping all over the floor. The huts were smaller than the Routeburn so there was barely any space inside. We had to wait for like 10 min before they left and we could warm up and dry off! It started to clear up a few minutes after we got to the hut (or course, our luck sucks) and the rest of the day was sunny and clear. I hung up my sleeping bag outside to dry because it got wet again. The views from the hut were great! Unfortunately for you, daddy got the camera wet so there aren’t any pictures! The pictures I have are from Google Images, that’s why we aren’t in them.
On Thursday it was finally sunny! We wanted to put off our arrival at the next hut so we didn’t end up sitting inside for half the day, so we went back up to the top of Red Crater so we could actually see the views that we had missed the other day. It was really cool! It was amazing that we had hiked right through it and had no idea it was there. Then we walked back down and kept going on the walk to the hut. We walked off the volcanoes and onto a desert which we walked through until we hit the hut. Now, this hut was brand spanking new! It was like 3 times the size of the other two and there were two big windows in the front. There were two separate bunkrooms (we took over one for ourselves) and plenty of tables for everyone. The tables were really cool because there were pictures and maps with information and stuff on them, which is nice when there is nothing much to do! We went swimming (more like wading, dunking, and running the heck out of the water), but it was a bit cold so we just rinsed off and went back to get dry. We played cards for the rest of the evening, only stopping for a dinner of super spicy curry and soup. The next (and last) day we hiked the 4 1/2 hours back to the parking lot and hopped right in the car to go to Hot Water Beach (after using the bathroom—it flushed and it had toilet paper!!).
During the trip we met a bunch of people from all over the place. There was a family from Quebec, Canada (so they spoke French) who were on a six month vacation. The dad was in construction and they even had the same soup we had! So much in common! There was a family from Germany who were biking NZ with two toddlers about Everett and Georgia’s age. No, I don’t know what they were thinking. Zander learned a new card game from a few Israeli guys and mommy scared the crap out of a really nice lady from Iceland. There was also another lady from Canada and even a girl from San Diego! We could sit down and there would be conversations going on in like five different languages at once. We got to know everyone pretty well because we were stuck in tiny huts with them huddling around a heater with nothing to do but play cards, talk, and try to catch the water from all of our dripping clothes and sleeping bags. 
Mia-- you sound like you are just having a blast! All of what you describe is what I didn't learn until I was in my 20s-- which is when I traveled around. I loved your descriptions of life in the huts. It is amazing what you can see and what you can learn from others on the road. And to sit in places and hear so much conversation that you can't understand still amazes me. But, I especially liked your story of the hitchhiker and how interesting that turned out to be.
ReplyDeleteAnd as usual, you've written it all wonderfully. Love you and am very, very happy that your adventures are translating so well to you. bippy