TA Day 88

TA Day 88: Sunday 16 March 2025

Mangatepopo Car Park - Access Road No 3

(Tongariro Crossing)

Early breakfast today before the sunset. Then we drove to the end of Tongariro Crossing, to Ketetahi Car Park, where we waited for the shuttle we had booked the day before to pick us up. The shuttle left just after 8 am, and in the bus we received some information - but nothing that we didn't already know.

We got dropped off at Mangatepopo Car Park and a long line of people started the hike. Some with a Snickers in hand, a plastic bag or a Fjällräven Kånken backpack and jeans. Others with boots and big backpacks.

We felt like we didn't fit in with all the tourists, but tried to enjoy the trail anyway, despite the constant queue at first.

The trail was easy, and we felt like we were just floating forward. Boardwalks and flat. But the terrain around us was really cool! All the volcanic features everywhere we looked, this was nothing like anything we had seen or experienced before.

We geocached our way upwards, then stopped "up", on the saddle between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. Here we had a short little fika and photo break. But once a cloud was coming towards us, we got going again.

We passed a plateu, then ascended even more, and went up to the Red Crater.

The crater had an interesting shape, as you can see below...

And Elisabeth, Kim's mum, who normally avoids having to speak English as much as she possibly can, suddenly blurted out, in a loud voice in the middle of the crowds:

"Looks like... Ööö vad heter det? Clitoris!"

The looks from the people around was priceless 😂

After the Red Crater, we descended to the Emerald Lakes. Here we stopped for a lunch break (only afterwards did we find out that it may not be appropriate to eat in front of the lakes. We knew that you're not allowed to touch the water or the waterways, or stand on the summit, as the lakes and summits are tapu, sacred).

Lukas and Patrik even happened to eat some of the volcano, because some food got dropped on the ground and the gravel stuck to the food.

After passing all the lakes it was now time to go down towards the parking. We weren't even halfway yet and the path/road kept winding back and forth, back and forth, like the Te Araroa trail usually wouldn't do. All of it was nice and gradual and the path was easy to walk, almost like a sidewalk a city. We geocached all the way down to pass the time. When we finally reached the SH46, it was time for our group to split. Elisabeth and Patrik went right to the car, while we walked left. We were not too excited about the upcoming 13 km of road walk. But we put on a podcast and pushed on towards Tongariro Holiday Park.

Once there, we took a well-needed toilet break but also of course, a beer and chips break.There were time dor two beers and some chips.

Then we kept going. For about one more hour we walked, through the sunset and until it got dark. Then, our personal drivers picked us up from the trail, and drove us back to the accommodation for tonight.

There they had already prepared tonight's dinner which was just lovely!

Today's:

Distance: 33.58 km

Ascent: 1029 m

Descent: 1399 m

Tent nights: 46/88

Weather: Sunny all day, with some clouds in the afternoon