Will's Birthday and the Volcanoes

We spent Will's 30th birthday in Tongariro National Park.

We headed off early on the Friday (Anzac Day, so a public holiday) and had a leisurely drive down to National Park Village. Our hotel was a little on the basic side, so we headed out for a fantastic dinner at 'The Station'. I took this photo of Ruapehu from our bedroom window.



Saturday was an early start and a drive up through Whakapapa (the main ski resort - not by any European standard!)



Past the Chateau Tongariro and up to the Top 'O The Bruce road to the base of the ski lifts. We hired some warm and waterproof goodies and looked for our guide. There were lots of people milling about, waiting for the 'Summit for Ed' Sir Ed Hillary memorial walk. We didn't find our guide, so we joined the bigger group and headed for the summit. The weather started of ok and we took the chair lift and got a lovely view. As we headed up the ash and scoria, stopping for breaks as we went, there was lots of chatting and meeting all kinds of people. I was following one of the guides at one point who had an ice pick in the straps of his pack.


On close inspection this was signed by Sir Ed. I asked later what the significance of the pick was, and it turned out to be one of two that was given to the Sir Ed Outdoor Pursuits Centre by Sir Ed when it was created. The two picks have been carried up all the Summits for Ed by the guides. This Summit for Ed was particularly poignant as several teenagers who were canyoning with the Outdoor Pursuits Centre died the previous week in freak weather conditions.


As we climbed, the weather began to close in, but the decision was made that we could make the summit ascent in the freezing fog!

Here is the path along the ridge to the Dome Summit - the drop on either side wasn't visible, but it was extensive and straight into the crater lake (which would have made for a nice warm dip!)

The cairn was a welcome site - it was raining and freezing and we hung around at the shelter for just long enough to have a couple of readings from Sir Ed's book. The first was his memory of visiting Ruapehu as a teenager and skiing it for a week (not even glancing at the top). The second was from near the end of his book as a reflection on his life:

"If my life finishes tomorrow I would have little cause for complaint - I have gathered a few successes, a handful of honours and more love and laughter than I probably deserve."
"Yet I look at myself and feel a vast dissatisfaction - there was so much more I could have done. And this is what really counts - not just achieving things but the advantage you have taken of your opportunities and the opportunities you have created."
"I have had the world lie beneath my clumsy boots and saw the red sun slip over the horizon after the dark Antarctic winter. I have been given more than my share of excitement, beauty, laughter and friendship." Sir Ed

After this, there was a scamper to get to somewhere warmer and less rainy. We lost Emily for a little while in the fog but bumped into her again later on. Sadly, much of the friendliness on the way up was lost, and so were we (at least twice). There isn't much of a path to be found in the ash and rocks that Ruapehu has chucked out over time.

We finally found our way back to the cafe at the top of the ski lift and were rewarded with cheese scones and pints of hot tea!

This picture was taken on the way back down the chairlift.



I have no idea what this area will look like once there has been 12 feet of lovely snow, but I'll be back there soon enough for some zoom-zoom swish-swish.

Will and Emily stopped off on our way back to Auckland for some black water rafting. I wasn't feeling too good, so I took the gentle glow-worm tour instead.

On the Monday Emily and I had a quiet day and popped out to my favourite (so far) vineyard for lunch and enjoyed some late season sunshine and Em had a tasting or two!! Oh, and then there was the pudding! Date and ginger steamed sponge - Yum!


And that is a pretty good note on which to leave Emily's Big Kiwi Adventure (Episode 1).