Sure Travel Journey Vol 4.3 Winter 2018 | Page 33

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© FUXA/SHUTTERSTOCK
Left: The journey is the destination - especially when you’re cruising in a campervan.
Above: The Emerald Lakes. Below: Traditional Maori mask.
is hunker down, our eyes welling with
wind-whipped tears, and carry on slowly
up the narrow spine of rock and scree.
It’s worth the slog once we reach the top
and the Emerald Lakes come into view
below us, their turquoise, mineral-rich
waters contrasting sharply with the
barren landscape that surrounds them. I
survive the rest of the 20km trek with my
glue-shoes intact and by late afternoon
we’re back at our campervan at the
Whakapapa Motor Home, resting our
tootsies and sipping on chardonnay.
© ADWO/ADOBESTOCK
“
PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT IF THEY CLIMB
UP AND DROP THEIR
WEDDING RING IN THE
CRATER IT WILL CHANGE
THEIR LUCK. I’VE
DROPPED FIVE RINGS
IN THERE AND IT HASN’T
WORKED FOR ME
“
Rings volcano isn’t part of the crossing,
but many Hobbit-Botherers (as diehard
fans are known in these parts) have
insisted on scrambling up the sheer slopes
of Mount Ngauruhoe (its real name),
invariably getting themselves in trouble and
forcing local authorities to declare it out
of bounds.
“Some people believe that if they climb
up and drop their wedding ring in the
crater it will change their luck,” Terry had
quipped earlier. “I’ve dropped five rings
in there and it hasn’t worked for me, so
please don’t go up there.”
Instead we skirt the infamous
volcano and climb up the aptly named
Devil’s Staircase, then cross a barren
plateau before ascending the ridge to
the Red Crater.
The wind catches us as soon as we
clear the plateau. Its violence is surprising,
threatening to pluck us off the ridge with
every freezing step. The only thing to do
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
Like most of New Zealand, what makes
the Tongariro Alpine Crossing so appealing
is its accessibility. There are few places
in the world where you would be able
to experience this kind of adventure so
readily, and the entire island – both North
and South – is geared towards tourism,
especially outdoors. Campervans rule
the road and everything from vintage VW
kombis to state-of-the-art behemoths are
the preferred modes of transport. This is
all complemented by an excellent network
of campsites and motor homes that dot
even the most remote regions, making
the entire country a choose-your-own-
adventure of natural delights.
From Tongariro we assess our options:
head south to the wine-rich region of
Napier or east to Gisborne, where the
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 33