The frustration of not being able to get to the famous lakes we saw yesterday played with us all night so, as we woke up feeling good and with the weather fine, we decided to give the walk another go - this time starting from the other end.
With the walk being a bit of an impromptu decision we got to the start car park quite late to find it packed with cars all along the access road but fortunately our little red wreck is so tiny we were able to squeeze it in a small gap right opposite the start of the trail head. With our late start and the majority of walkers starting from the other end we had the trail to ourselves and climbed steadily for the first mile through the bush, which provided shade from the bright sunshine.
The start point from this end is much lower, which means only one thing - more climbing, and as we left cover of the trees we could see the path snaking ahead of us up the mountainside. We ambled steadily onwards and upwards passing the odd person coming the other way - they must have started very early. At midday we arrived at an old hut and found it mobbed by folks on their way down, all commenting on the bad weather and warming themselves in the bright sunshine. We wondered what lay ahead for us.
Following a lazy lunch we set off on the last leg to reach the lakes. The track zig zagged back and forth across the mountainside working its way up to a coll, which we hoped was the one we'd seen from the other side yesterday. It was now peak time for walkers coming the other way and, as the track narrowed, we frequently had to stop to pass them but we made steady progress.
By now the wind was getting stronger so we added layers to keep us warm. After frequent stops to admire the views behind and avoid the walkers ahead we reached the coll and stepped in to the full force of the biting, cold wind. A short climb later and we rounded a corner to be greeted by the beautiful blue lake glistening in the sun and sitting in a crater ringed by yellow walls. A short drop towards the shore got us out of the wind and we sat and awhile watching the swirling wind patterns on the surface and marvelling at the 'blueness' of the water. Definitely worth the hike.
Reluctantly we regained the ridge and battled against the fierce wind until we dropped down into another large crater. A short walk around the corner and we arrived a the Emerald lakes and the end of journey. These lakes are surrounded by steam vents and are fed by waters rich in minerals that give rise to the colour. Once again we hid from the wind and fed ourselves before setting off on our return.
By now it was late afternoon and, once again, the day trekkers had all marched through leaving us to enjoy the walk home virtually by ourselves. We got back to the car park to find the last shuttle bus waiting for the final stragglers to return. The driver was on his mobile phone and discussing the helicopter recovery of a family and a lad with an injured ankle so it seemed the weather and the mountains had claimed some victims. Mind you, we had seen some woefully under-equipped walkers.
On our return we chatted to our hosts and they remarked that we'd effectively completed the Tongariro crossing twice, once in each direction, in two consecutive days. Not bad for a couple of old 'uns.
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| One of the many flights of stairs through the trees at the start of the trail |
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| Where to run to though!? Lahar is hot mudflow with volcanic debris... |
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| Lunch at the hut |
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| The beutiful Blue Lake |
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| One of the Emerald lakes. |
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| Another Emerald Lake |
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| Our Turangi hosts Matt and Jess in front of their Christmas tree |
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