Sunday, 27.11.2016: Tongariro National Park

The continuous rain that started yesterday evening continues today. It is also windy and cold. Today we had planned to do the day hike 'Tongariro Alpine Crossing', as it is considered one of the most beautiful hikes in New Zealand and worldwide. It passes by volcanic craters, beautiful lakes, mountains, and rainforest. But the weather is ruining our plans, so we have to come up with an alternative. We decide to do a Tongariro River Rafting Tour. But that won't happen either. Unexpectedly, the following happens on the way there:

Thick, black smoke suddenly rises from the hood of our rental car. We immediately stop and flee from the car, which is now on fire. We think to ourselves 'Good thing we have our cell phones with us'. But just like in a movie, we have no reception, as we are in the middle of the national park where there is nothing else around. Panic sets in. Now we have to wait, wait, and umm, yeah... wait, to see if maybe a carrier pigeon can come by and get help or if a rideable (German for riding) animal gets lost and finds us. As fans of the TV show 'Alarm for Cobra 11', we know that cars on fire can explode. So we keep a safe distance and make a bet on whether it will go boom or not. It's now a matter of life or death. I hope the car explodes. Maybe the light beam is enough to draw attention to us. I already see our tragic story being announced as a MEGA, MEGA blockbuster on Pro7 after our death. We have no choice but to walk along the road in pouring rain. Thank god we won't die of thirst at least! I look up into the sky several times to see if a yellow angel might fly by. But that doesn't happen either. In my pants pocket, I find a note that says 'Carglass repairs, Carglass replaces' and I have to smile briefly. I think to myself, 'Hopefully insured by Allianz'. It's generally very important: never lose your sense of humor. But then we get really lucky. A ranger approaches us in a car, carrying a radio and alerts the fire department. After the extinguishing process, our car is unrecognizable:

And they lived happily ever after... I wake up in my bed. It was all just a dream :)

True background: When we drove to our hostel in the Tongariro National Park late in the evening in the dark, we saw the burnt-out car on the side of the road with a queasy feeling. We took a picture of it today. Of course, our car is still intact :)

Now back to the truth. On the way to 'White Water Rafting' in Taupo, we have breakfast at the stylish-nostalgic Cadillac Café. The food is extremely delicious. Here is a picture from Tripadvisor:

The rafting begins at 2 p.m. After being professionally equipped with a wetsuit, shoes, and a helmet, the rafts are put into the water after a 30-minute drive. (Unfortunately, there are no pictures of that, only videos). We have a head-on collision with a rock wall and get stuck between 2 large rocks once. That was very funny. In the meantime, the sun even comes out. It was the best thing we could do in the lousy weather.

On the way home, we stop at a supermarket near our backpackers to be able to have dinner. Unfortunately, we are 3 minutes too late, the store is closed. We drive to the backpackers, change clothes, and arrive in the neighboring town of Ohakune, about 20 minutes away, at around 9:30 pm. There we want to dine in a nice restaurant, but it is already closed too. The search for food in the town continues. There is still light in a pizzeria. We ask, 'Is it still open?' The answer is: 'Of course... No!' Everything else is closed too. We drive back home and settle for a few slices of toast.