Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Yes! we did it! We mastered New Zealand’s most beautiful day hike of about 19.4 km over the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

We started off with a great day around Lake Taupo. We visited the city and grabbed a bite for lunch before the brave ones amongst us dared to make a 47 meter bungy jump off a cliff high above one of the sections of the Waikato river. That night we made sure we were well rested, for we knew the next day was going to be a challenging one and that we were about to tick off another item on most of our bucket list’s. The night before we heard from the Ranger that this would be one of the last days where it would be possible to do the crossing before the conditions became too cold and windy and would require additional snow and ice equipment. We rose at 6 am to a beautiful day, there was not a cloud in the sky and it was relatively warm for this late in the year – perfect conditions for it! After a hearty breakfast to give us energy for the day, and were transported to the base of the mountain to begin our climb. By the end of the day, everyone had made it, a little tired and sore, but everyone had smiling faces and a real sense of accomplishment! Thankfully, back at the accommodation we were able to eat and relax our tired muscles in the hot pool. Been there, Done that!