January 14, 2006 - page 2

The plan for today was going to be the Tongariro Crossing, an eight-hour hike that takes us through the Tongariro volcanic complex, a site of multiple volcanoes, craters, and Emerald and Blue Lakes. However, due to the weather we have to put that off for the next two days; something about strong winds blowing us off crater walls or clouds blocking all visibility and causing us to become lost.  Instead, we set off with our PB&J on a five-hour hike towards the Tama Lakes.  Along the way, we came to Taranaki Falls where a few of us went for a brisk dip. The pool at the bottom of the falls got a meter or two deep, and was a chilly 16ºC!  After a bit of time in the water,
I actually began to feel comfortable, so comfortable in fact that I began to feel sleepy. It was then that I thought it best to exit the cold water and sit in the sun for a bit, and after doing so, I felt very relieved and rejuvenated.  When we finally reached the Upper and Lower Tama Lakes, we were hoping to go for a swim, but were told not to swim as the water’s pH level was pretty acidic.  However a few girls missed the memo and waded out into the waters.  Remember Two-Face from Batman? You should have seen the girl’s legs! They were all melted and… no, really. They were fine with only a tingle and numbing sensation covering their legs.

Overall, the past few days have been some of the most beautiful days.  We have seen many of the volcanoes we will visit on the crossing as well as the snow covered Ruapehu, North Island’s tallest peak.  After the preview of the Tongariro Park area, many of us are beginning to look forward to the trek we will be taking in a few days.