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| Tongariro Alpine Crossing — April 2024 |
Tongariro Alpine Crossing was said to be New Zealand’s best one-day trek in the country, regarded as among the top ten single-day treks in the world. With the distance of 20.2 km (12 miles or 7-8 hours at a normal speed) hike, you’ll be able to see the steep climb and the unpredictability of the weather, though worth it in terms of dramatic scenery and cultural identity, landforms and its volcanic peaks.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing is located in the Central North part of the North Island at the National Park — one of New Zealand’s oldest national parks. Tongariro Alpine Crossing is not a circuit trail, it means your starting and ending are two different places.
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| They made some changes to the trail and now it's 20.2km walk |
How did I get to the National Park? - I drove from Auckland to Tongariro National Park for 4 hours. Initially, my plan was to take the bus. However, things didn't really go as planned because the bus takes 2 hours longer than driving. I didn’t find that option convenient, so I decided I'll just drive instead. That is my first longest solo drive too, so I was extremely proud of myself.
Where did I stay while I was at the National Park?
There was a place called Manowhenua Lodge that I found on Booking.com, my two nights and three days only cost me 70 NZD for accommodation and an additional 400 NZD for other groceries and souvenirs. The room was shared among 5 other hikers.
What did I get with my 35 NZD per night accommodation?
I got a decent size single mattress on a bunk bed—the most important. The only catch was that I had to climb up the bunk bed. We also have free access to the laundry (but I didn't do mine since I will only be there for just a couple of days), an access to a full-size kitchen, the lounge, a shared toilet and shower area. The place was nice, it's beautiful, clean and secured, each guest was issued their individual key codes for the door, and it's not allowed to be shared to anyone in the lodge.
Now that I am looking at the pictures, I realize I didn't really get the pictures for the things that I need to show you the most, like the bunk bed, kitchen, toilet, bathroom. Sorry, that's very Marie, to forget the most important part of everything. I swear, I remember I took a video of the room. (also me, no you did not).
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| This is me enjoying the view at the top of the bunk bed, well there's nothing much to see, just couple of beds and people hanging out. I really enjoyed this stay. |
What did I eat while I was at the National Park? - First food on my list was boiled sweet corn. My mother encouraged me to bring 6 boiled sweet corns that she prepared specially for this hike, she said if something goes wrong, whether on the road or on the hike, I'll survive because I will have plenty of food for days. I also have boiled eggs, canned foods, chips, biscuits, cooked rice, loaf bread, hotdogs, muesli bars and mixed nuts. I also went grocery shopping for some bacon (Oh, how I love bacon) and some spicy noodles. You're probably thinking that's a lot of food for just a couple of days, but let me tell you what, I would rather take all these foods than starve to death in an unknown town not knowing a single soul. Plus, I didn't get to eat all the food that I carried and I am Filipino, food is life!
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| Muesli bar — (get the healthy one folks) |
My First Solo Hike - The call time was 5:45 am and we are strictly instructed to be outside by 5:30 am because the shuttle bus will not wait for us. I woke up at 5 am, took a shower, ate breakfast, packed my bag and went outside to wait for the bus. While waiting, I was surprised to see another guest from the same room, her name is Chisato and she's from Japan. She's not really fluent in English but she's a lovely and friendly girl. We waited together and when the shuttle arrived, we sat next to each other. She taught me a few Japanese phrases and I taught her some Filipino words. When we arrived at the starting point of the hike, she asked to be left alone. I saw her do a bit of exercise and stretching while I was walking away to start my solo hike journey.
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| With Chisato-San |
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| At the starting point of the hike |
My first two hours on the hike was really difficult because I’m starting to feel the freezing cold weather, I was wearing a good amount of winter clothes but still, it felt like it's not making any difference or could be because I am not used to it. I did a lot of research before I proceed with this hike; I've watched a lot of YouTube and TikTok videos, read a lot of articles and visited the Department of Conservation website as many times as I can, but this cold is something that I didn't really expect. My nose was becoming really runny, and the sad part was when I was searching for my facial tissues, I cannot find one. I was so heartbroken when I realized I left them at the lodge. After a few more hours of walking, I've reached the first rest room, “Yey!” where other hikers are also waiting, giving away toilet paper for free, “Yey, again!” I was so relieved and felt very lucky.
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| Taken before the Blue Lake |
Walking over loose rocks and gravels, including going down a steep slope with no handrails is without a doubt, a big challenge. This is where I unconsciously started making friends who helped and held my hand while making my way down. Truly, there’s not enough words to describe kind people. God knows how much help I received that day. I’ve met this guy from Uruguay (“Uruguay, not a famous country, but it’s close to Argentina”, that is his exact words, not mine), his name is Fabricio and I also met his friend from France, his name is Hugo—they joined me for an hour and half of walk but since I couldn’t keep up with their speed even though I’ve noticed them slowing down for me, I told them that I will rest for some time and I will see them at the finish line. Kind strangers are the best part of all my hikes; I love them so much!
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| My first solo hike |
I'm so happy I get to write and document my story. I will add few more things (links, videos, pictures) in this story soon. Thank you for reading, till next time!
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