My Favourite Walk
Counter clockwise on the
Tongariro Northern Circuit By Daniel Haddock
D
oes any country have a better tramping system than Aotearoa’s Great Walks? Kiwis were encouraged to book huts in July 2020 to make up for the lack of tourists in a Covid-ridden, quarantined world. Having walked the Tongariro Crossing two years ago in December, a different experience beckoned and I decided to go the opposite direction and complete the 45 km circuit. There were the extra-added attractions of huts and wardens, water,
solar-powered lighting, gas cookers, toilets, and mattresses on the bunks. So when the bookings opened, I grabbed a night at Waihohonu, Oturere, and Mangatepopo huts. Hut places were filling up quickly on the Great Walk website so even though I was going solo, I knew there would be plenty of company. Living in Hawkes Bay, it was easier to spend the night in Whakapapa and the Skotel was most obliging in all aspects. The trail began right below the complex and it gave me the op-
portunity to walk a few kilometres without a pack in preparation for the next morning. There is an unbelievable aura around this volcanic plateau which never ceases to amaze! After all it is one of only 39 dual UNESCO World Heritage areas, i.e. Cultural and Natural/Environmental. My tale focuses on the first two and a half days and the ascent of the Red Crater from the Oturere Valley as many people are very familiar with the trail once it intersects the Crossing.
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30 Walking New Zealand, issue no 278 - 2021
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