The Tongariro crossing is classed as the best day walk in New Zealand so some of us spent 6.5 hours walking 17km of it. Mt Tongariro is a dormant volcano which no longer has its conical shape. The crossing walk takes you along the crater rim with some spectacular views across the plains and Lake Taupo. It was steep in some sections with some freezing winds but it was worth it. The path takes you up the side of neighbouring volcano Mt Ngauruhoe which is now more commonly known as Mt Doom thanks to Lord of the Rings which was shot here and with the surrounding plains being Mordor. Mt Ngauruhoe is actually a vent off the magma chamber under Mt Tongariro and had erupted in the last 30 years leaving some lava flows to look at. After a tiring day it was great to get back to a very nice hostel which was more like a wing off a hotel. I treated myself to some proper food in the bar and upgraded to a 4 bed shared loft which was 4 twin beds over 2 levels with an en suite. A fantastic stay and hopefully somewhere I can pop back to on my way back to Auckland. Sadly the national park was also the place to say goodbye to some of my newly found friends who have been great company over the past few days but I hope I'll catch them somewhere else on the bus route. Next stop is Wellington for a few nights of rest.
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