230.-232. Day 03.05. - 05.05. Wellington / Mt. Taranaki / Forgotten Highway

Friday 03.05.

Waking up in Wellington, we took the Cable Car, an iconic landmark of the city. Right after, we walked through the Botanic Gardens on our way back.

Among other things, we saw a firefighting competition of youth fire brigades at the 'Te Papa Tongarewa' museum.

After about 2 hours of driving, we arrived at a remote corner of the North Island, the Pinnacles, the 'Path of the Dead', a scene from the 3rd part of 'The Lord of the Rings'.

Afterwards, we drove a few kilometers to the north, passing through Palmerston North, a large town in the middle of the island.

We stopped at a free campsite behind the town and spent a cozy evening.

Saturday 04.05.

After another 200km in the morning, we arrived at Mt. Taranaki, the most impressive mountain I have ever seen.

2518m high, and at the foot of the mountain, you are at an altitude of 30m above sea level!!
Wow, truly impressive.

There, we did a nice round track and met some hikers who were almost at the summit. However, there was a big ice block in their way, so they had to turn back.

We camped directly at the mountain for the night.

Sunday 05.05.

In the morning, we went on a 1-hour walk on the mountain.

After finishing the first mountain, we headed towards our actual destination, Tongariro National Park.

On Highway 43, also known as 'Forgotten Highway', we traveled 230km along the so-called 'highway'. An adventurous route, indeed.

This is what they call a 'highway'.

A gravel road through a nature reserve, 28km long.

Arriving at the camp in Whakapapa Village, we cooked shrimp and delicious vegetables together as a strength for the upcoming 4-day hike.