The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is a 19.4 km (12 mile) tramping track located in Tongariro National Park on the North Island of New Zealand. The park has 3 active volcanoes: Tongariro, Ngauruhoe (aka “Mount Doom” in the ‘LOTR’ films), and Ruapehu; the park is also where you’ll find the famous Emerald and Blue Lakes. The vibrant hues of the lakes are the result of past volcanic activity and have formed inside craters from a mix of mineral deposits and melted ice and snow.
We were jolted awake by the buzzing of our cellphone alarm at 4:50am, the morning of November 23rd, 2019. It was the first time I had seen anything other than the backs of my eyelids at such an early hour since I left my nursing career to travel full-time, but knowing the experience we were about to have, I pushed through the pain.
After a few much needed cups of coffee, we said goodbye to our campsite and made our way to the Mangagepōpō Road(end) parking lot. From there, we began the 19.4 km trek around 6:30am. It was suggested to us by a friendly Kiwi to get an early start in order to beat the heat that would set in later in the day, and also to beat the crowds (unfortunately, like most well-known attractions in New Zealand, tourists flock in impressive numbers, and mostly with one common goal: hoping to get the best Instagram-worthy photo).
We made sure to layer up for the drastic temperature change we knew we would experience throughout the hike. In the end this was a good decision given the 40 degree temperature difference from the start of our hike to the end.
Like many other hiking trails we had been on since arriving in New Zealand, the Alpine Crossing has many man-made paths throughout, as a way to keep hikers on one path and to preserve the natural beauty of the land.
The many different types of terrain you get to experience on one hike is pretty epic; from feeling like you’re on a bush walk in South Africa, to what could very well be the surface of Mars, followed by snow cover, and finally a lush green forest with flowing streams and waterfalls. It really is a must see if you ever find yourself in New Zealand!
…so awesome and beautiful!
Ed and I had an amazing (slightly exhausting) experience hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. If hiking is something you enjoy, then we would definitely recommend the hike to anyone who finds themselves in New Zealand. We would also suggest that you are in good physical condition and you do your own research on the best time of year to complete the hike. The Alpine Crossing is known to be the best one-day trek in New Zealand and is regarded as among the top ten single-day treks in the world. For more information on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, click here.
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