Tongariro Crossing and Northern Circuit

To start our Christmas holiday in 2019, Mark and I booked in our second Great Walk. With 10 ‘awe-inspiring landscapes on premier walking tracks’ across the country, the North Circuit is only one of 3 Great Walks on the North Island.

After doing the Taranaki Falls Track twice before, I knew this would be a varied 4 days of hiking.

This Great Walk should only be attempted during October to April due to weather conditions. It is not recommended for children under 10 as it is considered challenging terrain with open, exposed and uneven track surfaces.

The weather can change suddenly, especially during the Tongariro Alpine Crossing part of the walk. This section is known as New Zealand’s best day walk and I had never done it before.

Although this is a loop we went the ‘typical’ direction clockwise. Starting from Whakapapa Village it took us about 3 hours to get to Mangatepopo Hut. Since it is just over a 4 hour drive from Auckland we started a bit late and arrived right at sunset.

The weather was fine during the first half day of hiking 8.5 kms. Going through a landscape carved by ancient lava flows and steam beds it was a bit muddy with recent rain. Mount Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings) was always in the distance and we camped by it at Mangatepopo Hut.

The first night was unbearably cold and the sound of howling wind kept us up. This was the perfect example of how quickly the weather can change.

This hut is the closest to the carpark for day hikers along the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It was nice to be able to beat the first busses of walkers since we were already on the track.

The second day is the longest in terms of distance at almost 13 kms. It is also the most strenuous with a lot of climbing up hills and down large rocks and tiny pebbles. Having to lug around everything you need for 3 nights with the thought that you are walking around an active volcano is a lot to carry.

We took a short break at Soda Springs before climbing what seemed like endless stairs up Mangatepopo Saddle. Onward is the flat but windy South Crater with a toilet and ample signs about monitoring the weather.

Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro are now off limits to climbers as local Iwi (tribe members) want the land to regrow. That said we did see some naughty people climbing Mt Ngauruhoe and it ruined our view of the landscape.

The climb up the Red Crater was the most difficult part of the entire hike, especially with my large bag on my back.

We got lucky with the weather, however the way down is almost as hard as the way up. Instead of large hard rock, the way down to Emerald Lakes is soft, sandy pebbles. I envisioned myself tumbling down several times.

While the Crossing continues North to the Blue Lakes, we took a right East to Oturere Hut. This was another steep climb down large rocks. To me this was very scenic once we were on flat ground due to the large stream. All up this was about an 8 hour day.

Our second night in the tent was not as cold nor windy, however the sand flies got to us. The third day on the trail was was one of the easiest with only about 7.5 km over pretty flat ground. Taking us just over 3 hours, this was the day I truly felt I was in Middle Earth.

With sandy gravel that had a desert feel for most of the way, I was excited when we saw the final bush which crossed Waihohonu Steam to our next campground.

This track is a World Heritage site and you can see why.

One final climb and we set up camp for the night. Since we had more time here than the other spots I swung in my hammock and we walked to a nearby spring.

After filling up our water bottles we took the plunge after not showering in almost 3 days.

There is no other way than jumping in and man is it cold. It takes the breath out of you and I’m surprised I was able to swim back to the side.

The fourth and final day was 14.3km but only took us about 3.5 hours instead of 5. It was dry conditions with a lot of boardwalks.

We booked it back and skipped the Tama Lakes because we wanted to get to our accommodation at The Chateau Tongariro. You could also finish this loop with Taranaki Falls but since I had done it previously I was fine to skip it after 3 full days in the wild.

Before our room was ready we got lunch and some beers from the cafe.

Once our room was ready we showered, took a short nap and got ready for dinner in the Ruapehu Room.

After an amazing 4 course meal we grabbed another drink and watched the sun set over Mount Doom.

That evening we decided to check out the Sauna & Pool in the basement.

When you stay at the Chateau you feel as though you are stepping back in time.

It is both classic and timeless however the customer service could be improved.

Overall the hike pushed me out of my comfort zone but was a great challenge. It is really nice about a day in when you are really surrounded by rugged nature.

After visiting the Chateau in the height of summer we came back early winter and had a similar experience. It is a nice place to stay on the exterior, however service on all fronts needs to be improved.

TIP: Do all your prep before booking and completing a Great Walk in NZ. Read about them all and choose which is best for you and in what season.

What is the longest hike you have done?