One of my closest friends from Toronto recently came to visit me in New Zealand. So I decided it was a good time to leave my job at the Pap Tav and venture around the country with him. Saying goodbye the Mount was bittersweet. I know I’m going to miss the people and the place I had called home over the last few months very much. But, I’m also really excited to see other parts of this country and have a travel companion as awesome as Carsten for the next little bit.
I drove to Auckland to pick up Carsten from the airport. We started the with a couple nights in New Zealand’s biggest city where we discovered some cool architecture, the fish market, and plenty of cafes (for Carsten’s coffee habit) as the Kiwis and Aussies make rival claims to have created (and mastered) the flat white. Auckland here is a bit like Toronto in Canada in that, if you live in Auckland/Toronto, it’s pretty much the centre of the universe and, if you don’t live in Auckland/Toronto, you don’t understand anyone that does. Since I don’t live in Auckland, the big city traffic frustrates me and everyone seems to be in a rush (things which I just accepted in Toronto).
After a couple nights in Auckland, we headed south and stopped in Raglan (the surfing at the black sand beach here rivals the Mount), Waitomo (for a black water rafting caving adventure), and National Park (to do the well-known Tongariro crossing).
Blackwater rafting was the one thing Carsten decided he wanted to do for sure on this trip. For those unfamiliar, blackwater “rafting” in NZ basically involves going in to a dark cave full of glowworms, sitting in an inner tube, and enjoying the ride along the river in the cave. Every now and then we would get out of the tubes to walk around the cave and we had to make a few “jumps” at parts where the river veered over some water falls.
Blackwater rafting was a cool experience. Unfortunately we didn’t manage to get a picture of one of the best parts: floating along while being mesmerised by the illumination of the glow worms in the darkest part of the cave.
The next day we went on what was, for me, one the definite highlights of our time on the North Island: the Tongariro Crossing. The hike is consistently rated one of the best one day treks anywhere in the world and was popularised as Morador in Lord of the Rings. At 19.4 kms (one way) walking through three active volcanoes, it isn’t necessarily an “easy” trek though. The terrain changes drastically several times through the hike, there are some steep ascents and descents, and there are multiple “no stoping” zones due to fear of volcanic activity. Not to mention, the climate can change significantly and there are no fresh water sources along the way. The sights are unquestionably worth the effort, with the Red Crater and the Emerald Lakes being highlights in particular. The winter is also supposed to be pretty magical, though with different challenges. Who’s in?
The Tongariro National Park itself is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is one of the first places to be recognised for both its natural and cultural importance, due to the significance of Tongariro in Maori culture. The increasing popularity of the hike, however, is causing issues for the local Maori population and environmental groups who are concerned with the impact of a growing number of visitors. I spoke to one local Maori woman about some of these issues before we started the hike and, even though her employment relied on a steady stream of visitors, she was clearly concerned about the human impact. It’s hard to say what the right balance is (between environmental/cultural preservation and public access) and I definitely do not envy the policymakers assigned with finding a workable solution. Enjoy some pretty pictures while you think about this grand dilemma.
After completing the trek, we continued south and spent a couple nights along the way to Wellington. This trip marks the first time Carsten has ever stayed in a hostel. Our first experience was pretty good: the dorm was only four beds, the bathroom was private, the property was a giant villa and it was pretty quiet with only a few of us using the kitchen. Carsten was amazed at how we could get all that for about $30 each per night. He was quickly falling in love with the idea of hostelling.
Then we got to our hostel, here, in Wellington. Different story. The 26+ bed dorm smells awful, I don’t think anyone has ever cleaned the space, the two shower stalls had mold all over the ceilings (which probably means people aren’t showering and adding to the stench), and the two sinks barely leaked out water to brush your teeth. And, because there is a big festival in town this weekend these beds were hard enough to find. I don’t think Carsten has slept much this weekend. I’m worried he may swear off hostels forever now.
Other than that, Wellington is a pleasant walkable city with some good restaurants and nice hilltop lookouts and we got great weather all weekend (which never happens to anyone in Wellington). It has been a nice way to end our adventures on the North Island- tomorrow we are catching a ferry to the south island, and our multi-day hike in Abel Tasman national park is just a couple days away.
Impermanent Establishments 