This very good day's hike is in the Tongariro National Park, North Island, New Zealand and is regarded as one of the best 10 hiking trails in the world as compiled by the online travel adviser Cheapflights.website. The choice of trails in such a list will always be the subject of much discussion and argument but few would disagree with this one being included - at least not in New Zealand as on the day I did it quite recently there were hundreds on the route and more were arriving by the coachload.
It's a 20km route with about 1100m of ascent and passes over a saddle between two volcanoes, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. It's a one way trek and expected to take 7 - 9 hours so you have to arrange transport for your pick up at the end. The volcanoes are constantly rumbling and there is quite a lot of thermal activity.
This is the start of the walk with Ngauruhoe clearly visible in the distance.
All the trails I have walked on in New Zealand, The Milford, Routeburn, Abel Tasman and Keppler Tracks, are all controlled by the Department of Conservation and are all well maintained and waymarked. This is a good example.
A small waterfall, Soda Falls which could well be a thermal water outflow.
Ngauruhoe
Towards the first crater
The Crater Rim
The Red Crater
The Emerald Pools with the Blue Pool in the distance
Descending into the crater
The Emerald Pool
Looking back to the Red Crater, the highest point of the crossing
Blue Pool
Descending from the Blue Pool
Lake Rotoaira
The path zig zags down to the finish at Lake Rotoaira
This is the first photo of my ascent of Ben Lomond. I had met a friendly Australian at the start of the walk in Queenstown and we walked up the lovely One Mile Creek track together until we reached the SkyLine above Queenstown. I then continued on my own.
