Tongariro National Park

The Tongariro National Park is the 4th oldest national park in the world. In the center of the park are three active volcanoes: Tongariro (1968 m), Ngauruhoe (2291 m), and Ruapehu (2797 m). Mt Ngauruhoe was the filming location for the movie 'Lord of the Rings'.

There are countless hiking trails for every taste. On our first day, we chose a 2-hour loop to the Taranaki Falls.

The following day, Heide and I separated for the first time.

I had already planned to cross Mt Tongariro in Germany, and Heide wanted to hike to the Tama Lakes. This is approximately a 17 km hike and takes about 4.5 hours.

The Tongariro Crossing covers over a thousand meters of altitude over a length of 19.4 km and can be completed in one day. During the summer months, more than 700 tourists hike this trail daily, making the Tongariro Alpine Crossing one of New Zealand's most popular hiking trails.

It was a great challenge for me, especially because I had to endure all the weather caprices that can occur there. At times, the fog, wind, and cold were so strong that I was about to turn back. But as quickly as the fog had come, it suddenly disappeared, and I could continue my way and was rewarded with beautiful views.

The ascent to the 'Devil's Staircase' to the summit was already a great challenge, but the 6 km descent was really tough. The last 2 km were almost unbearable.

But I am super proud and happy that I didn't turn back.

Heide was waiting for me with a beer at our campsite.