New Zealand: North Island ~ 2060 km 2010/11/28

While crossing on a ferry to Wellington on North Island I finally saw some fiords, through which ferry was leaving South Island. Once ferry was in the more open area wind got too strong to remain on deck and I spent the remainder inside. Wellington was smaller than I imagined it to be as a capital of New Zealand. I’ve done some strolling around the CBD and then hiked up the Mt Victoria to have a better view of the surroundings. Leaving the city was in a way a headache, since the only road to be taken was a motorway, so I had to try hitchhiking from a bus stop on the edge of the city. Took some time, but I succeeded. Got to Paraparaumu that day. Next one I hitchhiked through to Upper Hutt. But that took a long time, since the road I chose was going through the mountain and was had very little traffic, not to mention that very narrow with just one lane. Anyway I managed to reach Upper Hutt by the evening. That town was the first one I managed to find a free wireless at the library and a very fast one at that, so I ended up staying there for a few days :] On the last one, while I was in the library, a nun came up and gave me 20$ saying she was backpacking a lot in her younger days and knows what’s it like :] Next stop was a Masterton, where I did some busking, but nothing much else. Same goes for North Palmerston.

After that I hitched a ride to Wanganui, and a driver Glen invited me to stay at his place that day, which happened to be Guy Fawkes day, when people in former commonwealth countries are celebrating the occasion, when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the parlament building, by putting up a firework display. That one we went to see late in the evening from the Durie Hill. Next day Glen guided me a bit around Wanganui: the same Durie Hill with it’s famous old elevator, the only one of a kind in the southern hemisphere (quite a shaky and fun ride by the way), Durie Hill Tower with a spiral staircase and an awesome view from the top, Art Gallery, Glass works Exhibition at Information Centre and the process of making various glass sculptures at the Chronicle Glass Studio. We also went to this Virginia Lake, where heaps of birds where roaming around and took a short hike around. Later as we said goodbyes I went for a bit to a library and then went out of the town. Passed that Virginia Lake again and discovered Winter Gardens, so took a look at them as well.

Another one stop was in Hawera town. Did some decent busking there and spent a few days before going to Dawson Falls on the Mt Taranaki. This was a third volcano that I climbed on this trip. I arrived to Dawson Falls in the evening and only hiked up to Stratford Plateau, where I camped for the night. Didn’t put the outer layer of the tent at first and just stargazed till late, saw at least a dozen of shooting stars too :] At about 9 in the morning I went on with the climbing. Took me an hour or so to get to the hiking track leading to the summit. Overall it wasn’t very physically demanding climb or anything. But it was my first time climbing a snowy mountain and I didn’t have the equipment for that too. For the most part it was very easy and safe, but the last bit was the most difficult. First because of the pebbles section and then the snowy one – no stable grownd beneath, so that was one risky endeavour. Still I clawed my way to the top. Literally so, since I was thrusting my hands into the snow as well not to let myself slip. Unluckilly the day was cloudy, so I couldn’t see any surroundings from the summit. Still, being above the clouds was nice as always. While getting down I slided from the summit into the crater valley, then it was a slow and careful descent on snow and pebbles, which was even more susceptible to sliping. As I got down to the road on North Egmont side I walked for several km and then got a lift from one of the New Plymouth residents – Justin, who later invited me over to stay for the night :]

I spent a day in New Plymouth and on the other one hitchhiked to Whakapapa village at Tongariro National Park. It took me 10 shortish rides to get there though and the last one was with a Latvian family :] Having some spare daylight time I decided to get on with hiking Tongariro Crossing track. Got as far as Mangatepopo Hut and camped there. Next day I was doing the crossing itself and when I reached South Crater, turned for the Mt Ngauruhoe summit. That was another volcano again. There were dozens of other people doing the crossing and summit climbs too. Somewhat irritating, since there were even some traffic problems on the track because of that, not to mention rolling stones, unloosened by other climbers from up the Ngauruhoe. Getting down from Ngauruhoe was much easier than any other volcano I’ve been to. Part of the way down I just slided on snow :] After that came spectacular Red Crater and Emerald Lakes, finishing up across Blue Lake in yet another crater and a long descent from all the volcanic massive down to the road. Which by the way had no decent traffic at all, only tourist busses picking up the climbers. So after doing 20-something km walk I was doing even more walking to the nearest town. Although I eventually lucked out and got a lift almost to Taupo town. Got treated to an ice-cream too x] Tired legs aside, my face was burning yet again, even all the day it was a pretty cloudy weather and the only times I was under sun exposure were the summits of some volcanoes, but that was more than enough to get a sun burn this time around :[ A day in Taupo and another in Napier, nothing impressive, nothing after all that hiking in the mountains anyway. A few days spent in Gisborne before hitchhiking along the east coast to Te Araroa.

On the way I stopped by the Tolaga Bay to see the historic wharf, which is the longest concrete one in the southern hemisphere. I also did a Cook’s Cove tramp there. Getting further to Te Araroa was difficult, since this part of the island was low on population and there was little traffic. I still managed to get there. But my last ride was unforgetable. Pickup car stopped for me and since there was no place to sit inside I was offered a ride on the back completely covered with large board on which a TV was fastened, so I had 1 meter of space to the very end of the car and having my arms stretched out to the sides I was barely able to hold on to the edges of the board with my fingertips. If it was anywhere else but New Zealand I probably would pass on this ride, but with roads being in decent condition I didn’t think twice. Ride was going through the hills, so road was very winding. Speed limit was 100 km/h and on every corner I was literally holding onto my life with my fingers not to slide off the car. It was only 24 km ride, but it lasted far longer for me. Anyway, after a while I even started to enjoy this, thinking of it as the best atraction I ever had (and this with me having experience of working at roller coaster park 4 years ago in California). In the end when I got off, my fingers were totally numb. I said thanks for the fun ride and all excited went to search for a place to camp. Next day I went to Whakatane turning back west along the northern coast. Spent a few days there and started my finishing part of hitchhiking in New Zealand heading to Auckland, from where I will be leaving to Los Angeles.

I’ve updated my page about this trip, since my plans for travel changed quite a while ago.

Photo: click