The Taupo Times

The Taupo Times

From Tauranga to Taupo.
I spent just two days in Tauranga. Generic NZ town. Was possibly misinformed or misheard the information lady, who I'm sure told me it was a fifteen minute walk to the campsite... An hour later I arrived at the place. The chap there was very nice at the silver birch holiday park, his park may be a tad run down looking but he gave me some good camping advice and despite the fact I was concerned I might die from how much stuff I'd just carried for an hour, I stood there chatting to him with my huge backpack still on for a good twenty minutes. His name was Alan, like the slug from my story. Went back into tauranga in the afternoon and did a spot of camping shopping. But really there's nothing special about the place. The next day I explored mount maunganui which is just up the road and on the beach and there's a big hill you can walk up and around, which naturally I did and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I then walked along the beach for about three or four kms and decided to come off in search for sun cream. I was naturally already burnt at this point, even though I'd been using my scarf as a shawl. After a spot more shopping I made my way back, walking instead of via the bus. I ended up walking along a dual carriageway with no pedestrian paths for most of the journey, I must have walked a good 25kms that day. I went and soaked in the hot pool at my hostel for a bit and got an early night. I needed to wake up at 5 am to pack up camp and walk the hour long journey to the bus stop. Even though I'd done nothing but complain about it before, I knew I could do it now and I knew to expect an hour long journey. It was all good.

Weather forecast on arrival. Rain.

Look about town.
Taupo is not a big town yet there is a fair amount available to do. On arrival however the town is as stark as the other NZ towns although a touch more bustling with people. It's the start of tourist season. After a bit of a hassle in attempting to find available accommodation and doing the usual of walking around the place with excessive amounts of luggage I thankfully found a hostel with a room which had just been cancelled. The yha hostels seem to be of a good calibre so I was quite pleased with my choice, although it wasn't so much a choice as the first thing I found. One good thing was the room although small was warm, and after camping in tauranga I felt like I needed some cosiness. The owners also have a chocolate colored Labrador. Very friendly and luckily for me in need of a good petting, I spoke to him over the counter, as you do, and his tail just started bashing the floor. So cute. On my first day, I had a look about town, despite the rain. It's quite generic on ground level, but there's bungees and speed boats and cayaking if you're into all that. Personally I prefer a good old fashioned walk. There's a little museum for those interested about history and who want to keep out of the rain and its connected to an art gallery of local artists, which was quite enjoyable too. I spend the rest of the afternoon in a cafe, one of the two in town to have wifi access. Then recharged at the hostel watching tv and chatting with a few of the other guests.

On Sunday I decided to go to church for the first time in ages. There's a fair few of these not particularly denominated churches if that makes sense. They're just for all Christians, which I suppose you could say about most Christian churches. Anyway, I went there because they looked like the sort to have good music. The keyboard lady came up and chatted to me before the service and everyone was just very friendly and chatty. The music was the cool music I heard at the Anglican Church back in Palmerston North, so I was happy to have gone to this service. We were all invited to coffee after mass, naturally I left at this point, old habits die hard, also I had plans with some non vegan cakes at the French cafe... I'm travelling again, and need to experience the culture of the places I visit, in taupo, that's clearly the French cafe... Sat down with my pain au chocolat, failing miserably not to eat it all before my coffee arrived, so then I had to order an almond croissant to have with that, and then, I'd started drawing and needed a chocolate eclair to finish the picture, the waitress said I was allowed. I like that cafe, maybe I'll go back today before I leave. The cafe owner I don't think liked me though, I was quite scruffy that day, baggy trousers, lumberjack shirt on, trainers. And the cafe is a very delicate affair with doilies and lace and pretty curtains with French designs and ornate little chairs.
I felt really good after my spiffing morning and returned to the hostel to see if maybe I should book doing the tongariro crossing and another night. The lady at the desk was immensely helpful and suggested I do the crossing the next day as the weather was supposed to be good and that way I could leave as planned on Tuesday. Very sensible lady. The buses to the national park are ridiculously priced. $55-59 return or one way... So I figured it works out cheaper not to stay a night there but just stay at Taupo and return for a good nights sleep. Awesome. The kind lady also helped me to decide whether to head to wellington or to napier. the napier ticket was on offer and at just $9 i couldn't resist.
Went out for a nice long walk after that, by a beautiful river, I forget its name but it should be called turquoise delight or something like that. Then to some massive waterfalls, the huka falls, pretty cool, you probably wouldn't want to go swimming there, it's a touch choppy. I walked a bit further after that to visit a bee centre, always good for a laugh. They had lots of information about bees, even a day in the life of a bee, which as it was a worker bee, I pointed out it should have a girls name not a boys name. ( another disgusting result of the patriarchal society in which we live?) I considered going to this moon place, I think the land looks like the moon or something, but as it was Sunday considered it might not be open and it had started to rain. So I headed back to my river walk, glad that I took all those pictures on the way as it didn't look quite so beautiful in the rain. By e time I reached the natural hot pools at the start of the journey the rain had stopped and the weather was fine so I stopped to bathe myself with some other travelers who clearly hadn't done the massive walk but had just stopped to have a nice hot bath. I was bored in no time, cos there were no bubbles and I didn't bring a book with me and there wasn't really enough room to swim about unless I went into the main river which was decidedly cooler. So I walked back to the hostel. Saw someone do a bungy and decided if I ever came back to Taupo maybe I'd do one cos it's quite a small bungy here and into that lovely blue green water it's almost inviting...


Tongariro crossing trauma

Woke up nice and early excited to go on another long walk. Everyone had said it was a 'must-do' in NZ. Plus mother and father did it so it would be easy enough... There had been a spattering of snow on the mountains but it looked like just a dusting. No problemo for me in my trusty running shoes, everyone I had seen to had said trainers were fine. So when the lady said there were shoes for hire I figured I'd be alright in trainers, plus I only had little cotton socks on, not my hardcore walking socks, as bizarrely they give me blisters when I wear me with my trainers on long walks...

Anyway, first bit easy. Bit cloudy and dull. Interesting rust colored vegetation. Little wildlife about. Mount doom clearly in view, all snowy topped. the side tracks were out of bounds for our bus load as we'd been on the late bus (6:30am) and it got quite snowy near the top. First toilet stop on the track, long drop toilets, bit smelly, but do the job. Then there were a few steps going up and some walking uphill, still easy, starting to get a bit of frost around the place. Then, there was likea good two inches of snow about and some of the track was a bit slippy. I was beginning to wonder if maybe my footwear might be an issue. I could cope ok with the long flat snowy parts and my feet weren't even cold or wet or anything, but it was the uphills, with no handrails and only small volcanic rocks that just crumble in your hand to grip hold of. And if I slipped, only people to fall into and the odd volcanic boulder. There's some pretty steep parts as well, and crazy man made snow steps which are all slippy and like just a big boulder to hold onto and a sheer drop next to the steps. Literally thought I would probably die at several points going up this big hill. The worst bit is when you do lose balance, I'd fall forward and just couldn't get a grip to be able to stand up again. So, there were these two German boys who chatted to me for a bit and said I should try and stay warm, my trousers are always low slung so I was exposing my lower back on the snowy mountain side, and I just said that to be honest I was more focused on staying alive and getting up the mountain. I followed the larger of the two in his footprints and that somehow made it easier. I also didn't look around, because I'd just lose balance because of the angle we were walking up at. I said thank you when we reached the top of that bit, we were just a short walk from the highest point, I told him I couldn't do it without him, I don't think he really knew I'd been following him up the mountain. The last bit was a little scary still, as it was still uphill, but I figured, downhill would be just over this peak and then it would be easy. I love going downhills. Turns out though, downhills in snow which are like the hypotenuse do an isosceles triangle are proper scary too... There was some crazy lady in a green jacket who had walking sticks just sort of ran down the slope and she showed me how to sort of side step down. I just did it very slowly. I think it was her husband who was overtaking me and lent me one of his sticks, which made a world of difference. Some other dude had also said about digging your heels in to make little steps and sort of stops you from falling. I got a few pictures of these beautiful emerald green lakes, but by this point I was severely traumatized and just wanted to reach the end in one piece. One of the Germans saw me a bit later after we finished the worst of the downhill part and was like "how did you get down in your shoes?" I told him about the stick man. I got a phot with stick man, I should have asked for his name and address to send him a thank you letter but he didn't seem to speak much English. I told him he was like my guardian angel and he laughed, which is of course the polite thing to do when you don't understand someone... Why is that? Anyway, I got the impression his whole group had been watching me struggle down the hill. I think maybe people didn't take my trials seriously because my red bear hat looked so happy... I'm sure stick man and his wife were laughing at me in a sort of friendly way... I am of course very grateful for their help. So many nice people in the world lets not forget. Chatted to an American guy for the last three or so hours of the trip. He hadn't brought any water or food... Insane, what a crazy pair we made. I shared my food and water with him, and he took the photo of me with stick man. Once it was dry and forested I got back into the swing of things and we overtook loads of people. We finished the walk in six hours five minutes. In time to catch the early bus, we had to wait an hour so chatted on the grass some more and then missed it! So then we had to wait another hour for the next one, we sat on the bus this time... Just in case. It was a day of almost non stop chatting except for the scary walking parts. I chatted non stop to this Canadian dude on the morning bus, then like five hours with the American dude, then my roommates when I returned. I just wanted to write this blog and wash and sleep when I got back, but there was a new room mate at the hostel and then we chatted for about three hours in the evening. Where do I get the energy? Probably all those cakes... Which reminds me, I'm going to treat myself to some French cakes and fine coffee, I've even dressed smarter today so the French lady won't mind having me there... I'm wearing a dress and everything, maybe I'll put make up on etc.