Tongariro Crossing - 25 Km 1 day

Tongariro Crossing

Wow…what a great day!!! Wake up t 7 a.m. Breakfast and at 8 a.m. we took the bus shuttle for Tongariro Crossing. 30 NZ$ Return.

It took about 20 minutes to get the entrance. At  8.30 a.m. we started our hike. We, yes, cause Ben, a nice guy from Auckland decided to join me for this hike. …and he is a good hiker too.

  

The beginning of the landscape looks like Etna Volcano but then it changes. It’s a very beautiful hike.

Most of the people go straight to the end but we also took one side hike to the summit. Without this extra hike it takes about 5 hours considering the multi photos time but anywhere we were much more fit then the average.

If you are not very good consider between 6 and 7 hours. With the extra hike to the summit it took 6 hours 30 minutes – 23.4 Km and 1060 mt ascent

We met a lot of nice people from all over the world during our hike. This was really nice :o) 

 The volcanic lakes are wonderful

 The color of the water is awsome

 Something that you'll never forget

 Pity we couldn't swim

 I loved it

 The trek was hard because it was very hot and dry and I didn't take enough water

 Make sure to bring at least 3 liters of water if the day is sunny !!

Tongariro National Park - First day

Today wake up at 7.20 a.m.  departure at 09.00 by bus.  

I walked 10 minutes from the hostel to the bus station with my 29 Kg backpacks

Ohakune (Bus) BUS  from Auckland but I decided to stop to National Park (a very small village closer to the entrance of the Tongariro– 09.00 a.m. – 15.00 – 36 NZ$  https://reservations.coachbookings.co.nz/

I got National Park at 3 p.m. and immediately I went for a hiking to a small waterfall. A very nice hike through the wood.

 All the roads looks desert. Almost nobody on the streets…you can play a football game in the middle :o)

National Park looks like a Ghost village but this is very nice to relax my mind :o)

The hostel I got is called Park. It’s nice but  bit overpriced. 40 NZ$ per night in a 4 room bedrooms without breakfast and towel!!!...Anyway I’ll stay just 2 days – PROBLEM: NO Hostel, till now, offerd free Wifi Internect connection. I have always had to pay

About the small Trek:

Total Km: 14.5 – Avg speed 4.3Km/h – Walked time 3 hours 325 min . Time Stopped 57 minutes Tot Ascent: 622 mt

Second Day at Auckland

Second day at Auckland

The day started well. Because the jet leg I woke up at 7 a.m. and then I went fitness to Albert Park. The day was beautiful and clear…not too hot (about 22 C°). Perfect for fitness. 

The parks in Auckland are so nice with thousands flowers 

Then I went to the Auckland Museum. Interesting and free entrance (anyway  you can make an offer) and I also watched the Maori Show (20 NZ$)

More pictures about Auckland Museum.

After that we ate a Kebab on the street and then…to the Beach at Devonport  by ferry (15 NZ$ return and 12 minutes the time to get there) – The ferry company is Fullers. Anyway close by there are several companies that offer some nice full day tours for about 30/40 NZ$

Tomorrow bus at 9 a.m. Tongariro National Park 

Some more pictures :

 At the Bus Office :o)

 At Devonport  :o)

Shark on the street :o)

Finally at AUCKLAND!

Wow…what a long travel. Rome – Dubai / Dubai-Kuala Lampur / Kuala Lampur – Melbourne / Melbourne – Auckland. Departure from Rome at 15.00 (Italian Time) on Jan. 12, 2011 Arrival to Auckland on Jan 14, 2011 at 13.45 Auckland Time.

Flight Company – Emirates

 It’s a good company to fly with. Seats are ok. Entertainment is good. A lot of movies in seeral languages. Funny things…you eat with some big forks and knives in METAL and we cannot bring any small scissors!!!!!... ;o)

I tried to change my “bio Watch” and sleep at a similar time of Auckland to better and faster adapt my ody to the  new time but I’ll see if it works cause the difference time is 12 hours forward.

Anyway. Emirates is 60/90 minutes late all the times. Well…finally I got Auckland. I went to the passport control and a police woman said that my passport was not “regular” cause it was “broken”…I said that I travelled anywhere with it an I have never had any problems but….she told me to wait on the corner….15 minutes later a policeman came and he told the same things…ok…the passport is in paper so if you use it a lot its normal that it’s no more new…anyway…I had to wait 15 more minutes…finally another policeman came and he told me that I could pass!!!... 

My "Broken" passport!!!!

I got the Bags claim and wow….my backpack was there waiting for me…oops…another policeman (bio control) wanted to check my tent to see if it was…”contamined”!!...20 more minutes…finally they gave me my tent back but I had to fit it inside the sac!

Good welcome I say :o)  Now it’s time to discover. I took the bus shuttle – “airbus Express – www.airbus.co.nz  There is a bus each 15 minutes 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It costs 16 NZ$ one way and 23 NZ$ Return. You get the center after 35 minutes drive. I stopped at the stop number 3 (city center) cause it’s close to the main bus station and 2 minutes walk away there is a Hostel (Base Hostel) not that great but ok for just 2 nights. 26 NZ$ per night only bed in a 4 beds room

...and then a nice walk in Auckland with a huge Pasta with Seafood! ;o)

The Adventure is going to start

Official Adventure Sponsor  

Giorgio's House sponsors the Adventure

        GIORGIO'S  HOUSE 

Everything is packed. The big backpack is 21 Kg  the small one (with all the electronic stuff) is 6 Kg

5 weeks next to the nature - Walking and walking and walking...I'll try to get all the information I can so if someday you deciide to make my same adventure, you'll be able to find most of the info here.

I hope I'll be able to update this blog all the time I'll have an nternet connection

Let's go to discover.

Packing!!!

Really hard to pack all the stuff! I am bringing the minimum with me but the Mountain Sleeping bag + the mountain boots take 3/4 of my whole backpack... a lot of space.
My 85 liters Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre is overfull!!!

I'll take another 25 liters backpack for all the electronic stuff. I don't like too much to travel with 2 backpacks but there is nothing else to do this time!

 

I'll have 2 sleeping backs. A small one for most of my travel for +12C° - 1C°  and the big one that I should use for the Ball Pass Crossing : Temperature Range +1C° - 20C° ... It's hard to think that I'll use the big one only once and it takes so much room inside my backpack but I'll need it on the glacier.

Another heavy adventure is going to start :o)

New Zealand Travel Itinerary - Itinerario di Viaggio

ITINERARIO Nuova Zelanda

GENNAIO/FEBBRAIO 2011 - January/February 2011:

AUKLAND and Around: (Discovery)

TONGARIRO Crossing (Trekking): 

ABEL Tasman (Trekking)

HEAPHY Track: (Trekking)

MOUNT COOK Solo Ball Pass Crossing ( Mountaineering)

ROUTEBURN Track:( Trekking)

MILFORD Track: (Trekking)

QUEENSTOWN: Discovery

AUCKLAND