Tongariro Northern Circuit

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Tongariro Northern Circuit

The Tongariro Northern Circuit is usually done in 3 nights, but can be done in two. It makes a loop around a beautiful, symmetrical volcano, Mt. Ngauruhoe, crossing Mt. Tongariro, another volcano, along the way. The track begins and ends at the foot of Mt. Ruapehu, a volcano that became world famous when it erupted in September. In fact, some people have been scared away from the area because of this, though the locals insist that the hype abroad was a bit excessive, that none of the car-sized boulders being spewed out really got very far, and that people were still skiing on the mountain while it erupted.

The entire track passes through a landscape dominated by volcanoes. Almost nothing grows here, except some shrubs and grasses, and even those are absent much of the time. Parts of the track look like they are on the moon, except that the moon doesn't get as much rain as here. I encountered quite a bit of rain, in fact, though I am told that this is not typical.

Doing the walk in 3 nights has the advantage that it leaves you with more energy to climb Mt. Ngauruhoe, assuming the weather permits. This is a very steep climb on loose volcanic rock, and it is not particularly easy. but the view on the top could be very rewarding. I didn't see much of it, because it was cloudy, but the crater alone is worth the trip. It is a kind of double crater, and the inner one is still a bit active, with plenty of smelly steam coming out of the hot ground. Visitors are warned not to enter the crater, because they could be overcome by the gasses, but some do anyway.

The part of the walk crossing Mt. Tongariro is a popular day-hike, known as the Tongariro Crossing. This walk is far more popular than the circuit, in fact, though it would be somewhat difficult to do this and climb Mt. Ngauruhoe both in one day. Some do, I'm sure. Near the top of the crossing, the track passes the beautiful red and black Red Crater, which is still active. The ground is warm to the touch here. On the other side, down a steep, soft volcanic slope (which would not be pleasant to carry a pack up), you come to an amazing scene, with the Emerald lakes below, the Blue lake beyond, and steam coming up all around the Emerald lakes. During a rain, it is really steamy, and looks rather hellish, in a beautiful sort of way.

On the other side of the crossing, on the slopes of Mt. Tongariro, is Ketetahi Hut, next to a popular hot spring. Technically, Ketetahi Spring is on a small patch of private land, and there are plenty of signs pointing this out, but practically everyone ignores them and takes a dip anyway. A few foolish people also walk upstream to the boiling source of the spring, risking falling through the unstable ground and being severely burned.

After the crossing, the track goes back across Mt. Tongariro, a very wide mountain with several moon-like craters, and down another side, then out into the volcanic desert, circling back around. There are a couple of huts along the way. One is near a very beautiful blue high-volume spring. It looks very inviting, but the water is freezing. The track then passes between Mt. Ngauruhoe and Mt. Ruapehu back to the start. Along the way are a couple of nice crater lakes, and a waterfall. I never actually saw all of Mt. Ruapehu, except for a few minutes before dusk one night, because it was always in the clouds. Otherwise, I probably would have considered climbing it. It is supposed to be quite interesting since the eruption.

There is a DOC web page on the Tongariro Northern Circuit.

Each small picture is linked to a larger version with a caption.


Mt. Ngauruhoe	Ngauruhoe Crater	Red Crater	Emerald Lakes


Mt. Tongariro and Ngauruhoe	Ketetahi Hot Spring	Upper Tama Lake

Up: Tramping in New Zealand Previous: Abel Tasman Coastal Track

Journal: January 8 - 11