Tongariro
Hearing that it would be several days before we could
look forward to completing the Crossing, we cursed the weather once again
and settled instead for a three hour hike from the Park headquarters to Taranaki
Falls and a dinner at the Skotel Restaurant. The hike was pleasant, the views
really quite good, and the falls, while not lofty, were a worthwhile destination
considering the time and circumstances.
We made up our minds to leave first thing in the morning
and head north, at least north of Auckland as a first step toward reaching
the Northland area and the Bay of Islands. We trusted that by going north
we would reach warmer, fairer weather.
Below is the view of Mt. Raupehu as we left the next
morning.
