The Tongariro Crossing

Leaving Wellington we had a nice half empty and relaxed bus again. Our bus  driver (Nancy boy) had been on the job for 14 years and had huge reserves of cynicism and sarcasm to draw on.
"it's good for pissing in and nothing else" On a toilet stop in Levin.
"this place is just disturbing" Going through the pun infused town of Bulls.
"get ready for the highlight of your New Zealand trip" just before going past a sculpture of a giant wellington boot.
He was still filled with fun, wisdom and a love of Queen. We had a good sing along to bohemian rhapsody and princes of the universe. Plus there was an extensive discussion involving politics and religion.
Our destination was Turangi which was the closest stop to the Tongariro crossing. Our hostel owner Ian dropped us at the end of the track at 5am. The only way to avoid the crowds is to start before the crack of dawn at the other end of the walk. One does not simply walk into Tongariro national park. We started in moonlight and had sunrise on the way up. I see why Ian wished to spare us the crowds because when other people did eventually appear they were in huge numbers. It's understandable why the track is popular because there's so much to see. This active volcanic area has so many attractions I'll have to list them.
Steaming sulphurous volcanic vents.
The black desolate landscape of Mordor
"it's a bit of a female mountain"
Crater Lakes
Red rocks
An yellow/orange section that resembles Venus
Treacherous skree slopes
Mt Ngauruhoe/Mt Doom
Potential seismic activity
We hitch hiked back with an Australian family. The next day was my first day working for accommodation at the hostel and the Departure of Marielle. It was an emotional moment. She gave me the tent along with all the camping gear. I walked her to the bus stop and bade her farewell.
Working for accommodation mainly involves changing sheets and vacuum cleaning. It isn't much work and takes place between 10am to 11am. Filling the rest of the day is hard. I've done some reading, talking to backpackers and bread. I realised the main attraction in the area is the Tongariro river which is renowned for trout fishing and has some nice swimming spots.
The town of Turangi itself is probably the first town I've stayed in which isn't full of tourists. It has a large Maori population and a lot of barking dogs and horses dotted around. It has a suburban and faintly rural vibe.
So the reason I've stayed here a week is the owner has offered to let me run the place which is tempting as I don't get this kind of offer everywhere I go. The problem is that after finishing work I find hanging around the hostel too mundane and end up spending the day by the river. I plan to head to Palmerston North on Thursday to give living on a sheep farm a go. I'll find out how much money I'd get as manager of A-plus lodge to help me decide if I want to return after the sheep farm. If not I'll head back to Auckland as I'd originally planned.
Being here has provided me with good photo opportunities and the chance to get this blog up to date. I think the last time I've finished my blog in the present was in Motueka. I'll let you know how it all goes in the next edition.