In this post, I'll cover three highlights of our roadtrip from Tongariro National Park to Wellington, New Zealand.
More photos from this segment!:
https://plus.google.com/u/1/photos/103620108216329120374/albums/5994008905005164593
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
The most popular (and possibly best) day hike in New Zealand, the 19.4km Tongariro Alpine Crossing passes over the volcanic terrain of the multi-cratered active volcano Mt Tongariro. We started the hike with clear blue skies and were greeted with stunning views of Mt. Ngauruhoe, better known as Mt. Doom from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Mt. Ngauruhoe can be climbed as a side-trip, but that would make for a very long day.
If you do attempt this one-way hike, don't forget to arrange transportation from one end of the trail to the other!
Gannet Tour
We had so much fun visiting the gannet colonies at Cape Kidnappers despite the nonstop rain. Our tractor tour drove us four miles each way down the cape to the gannets, which reside at Hawkes Bay from August to April each year.
These little creatures migrate between the Cape and Eastern Australia, with a mortality rate of 70% to 80% during the journey.
Wellington, NZ
Wellington is beautiful on a calm, sunny day. Set on Wellington Harbor and surrounded by mountains, there are many places to go for a scenic walk.
Standing atop Mount Victoria, just minutes from Downtown, we caught a glimpse of this Quantas Airline plane descending into Wellington Airport through the fog. As we watched, the pilot actually decided to abort the landing, pulling up and circling around for another pass.
The vibrant Cuba Street in downtown Wellington offers numerous shops, restaurants, and bars.
As the capital of New Zealand, Wellington is also home to a number of museums and cultural institutions, including the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
More photos from this segment!:
https://plus.google.com/u/1/photos/103620108216329120374/albums/5994008905005164593
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
The most popular (and possibly best) day hike in New Zealand, the 19.4km Tongariro Alpine Crossing passes over the volcanic terrain of the multi-cratered active volcano Mt Tongariro. We started the hike with clear blue skies and were greeted with stunning views of Mt. Ngauruhoe, better known as Mt. Doom from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Mt. Ngauruhoe can be climbed as a side-trip, but that would make for a very long day.
As we hiked to over the peak of the alpine crossing, a cluster of emerald lakes appeared out of nowhere. At first, they were partly covered by fog, but as we started descending towards the lakes, the fog suddenly cleared in a matter of seconds revealing this gorgeous view.
Here is a shot looking back on Red Crater after the crossing.
If you do attempt this one-way hike, don't forget to arrange transportation from one end of the trail to the other!
Gannet Tour
We had so much fun visiting the gannet colonies at Cape Kidnappers despite the nonstop rain. Our tractor tour drove us four miles each way down the cape to the gannets, which reside at Hawkes Bay from August to April each year.
These little creatures migrate between the Cape and Eastern Australia, with a mortality rate of 70% to 80% during the journey.
Wellington, NZ
Wellington is beautiful on a calm, sunny day. Set on Wellington Harbor and surrounded by mountains, there are many places to go for a scenic walk.
Standing atop Mount Victoria, just minutes from Downtown, we caught a glimpse of this Quantas Airline plane descending into Wellington Airport through the fog. As we watched, the pilot actually decided to abort the landing, pulling up and circling around for another pass.
The vibrant Cuba Street in downtown Wellington offers numerous shops, restaurants, and bars.
As the capital of New Zealand, Wellington is also home to a number of museums and cultural institutions, including the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
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