Tongariro Alpine Crossing - the best one-day trek in New Zealand

April 2018, after graduating from North Shore International Academy (NSIA), I decided to take some time off to unwind before relocating to another city for my chef career. So I asked my flatmate to join me on a three-day trip to Taupo - Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

Why did we choose this one?

How do you feel when you hear your friends talking about their journey cross volcanic alpine landscape? And the volcano is still ACTIVE? And Mount Ngauruhoe is Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings where the ring was destroyed in the fire.
Thrilling yet exciting, right?

Time of the year

It was early April - in the middle of autumn in New Zealand. To me, it was the perfect time to do this trek because it was not either too hot as summer or too cold as winter, just later summer, cool and fresh. Winter weather (from June to October) is extreme with ice and snow, avalanche risk, and temperature may drop to sub-zero. It's best to equip with special gears and have a guide or choose another track. The weather in New Zealand is unpredictable for sure, but we were lucky enough to get a nice, sunny trip.

Means of transport

In a three-day journey, the first day was for traveling from Auckland to Taupo by bus. If you don't have a car and need to travel around New Zealand, public transportation like the bus sucks, seriously. It took roughly 5 hours from Auckland central to Taupo central (while it usually takes only more than 3 hours driving).
We spent the first night in Taupo in a backpacker that is on top of a nightclub. Yes, you read it, and we did not know when booking the room. We went to bed early to prepare for a long and challenging day out when the sun rises.

We woke up early at 5:30 am in order not to miss the shuttle which took us from Taupo to the start point. Private cars are not permitted to park there, many people chose shuttle, like us.

About the trek - source

Name: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Location: the Tongariro National Park - New Zealand's oldest National Park
Length: 19.4km one way
Starting point: 1120 m
Highest point: Red Crater, 1886 m
Duration: 7 - 8 hours in good weather

Map of the trek

The first stage: Mangatepopo road end - Soda Springs

The shuttle dropped us off at Mangatepopo road end where everyone started. The first 4km of the track is fairly flat, well boarded, and does not require much climbing. On the way, we saw small shrubs, moss, and rocks.
The weather that day was also very pleasant, cloudy in the morning, sunny in the afternoon. Young people had plenty of time and energy to enjoy and take selfies. At the end of the first section, there is a warning sign for those who intend to return because the next stage is quite difficult.

The second stage: Soda Springs - Red Crater - Emerald lake

Right after Soda Springs, the section is so steep (no doubt it is called Devil's staircase) that I climbed a few steps and had to stop to catch my breath. Fortunately, the weather was cool and we were not too tired.

Many people in their 50s, 60s ( I guess) were climbing steadily and pretty calm. There was an old man that climbed step by step, very slowly but continuously. In the end, he reached destination soon after young mates. Especially, there are a few young men in shorts and tank tops running up, my eyes were shining brightly. I just admire how young and strong they are.

As soon as we reached Red Crater - the highest point, suddenly we entered the cloud. The temperature dropped. The wind was raging. It was freeeeezing. Our noses kept running. My fingers were red and slightly swollen. I quickly zipped my jacket but it took a few minutes since my fingers became clumsy and useless.
Behind Red Crater it is Mount Ngauruhoe which is Mount Doom in the famous film The Lord of the Rings. It is an active volcano but you don't need to worry about eruption risk since it has been in stand-by mode for decades.

When searching for information about the trek, it was advised to bring warm clothes, gloves sturdy foot ware...etc. We didn't well prepare because we reckoned it should not have been that cold in autumn. Well, now I know advice is there for reasons 😌.

My friend looked like a pineapple 😆

My mate and I planned to go to the mountain to take cool pictures (to post on Facebook). But in such circumstances, there was no need to look cool anymore. It was best to be safe and warm. We sat down, rested, and ate prepared food to regain strength and relieve pain, then continued. Damn! Food was as cold as it was in the fridge.

After passing the Rangipo Desert, we continued until we had to cling to the metal chain attached to the cliff to pass. If it rains, it will be slippery.

My friend walked like a crab.

Finally, we saw Emerald Lakes (one big and two smaller ones) the turquoise water lakes with steam vents above and terrible sulfurous odor. You can imagine the smell of rotten boiled egg. Here people walked with caution, as loose scoria may cause losing footing and sliding. As a result, hikers raised a cloud of dust on the way down to the lakes.

However, we still managed to take a few selfies. It was absolutely stunning.

The third stage: Blue lake - Old Ketetahi Shelter site - Car park

We spent a short time enjoying the view then continued to the big Blue lake. This lake is much larger than Emerald lakes and the water is blue. It's kind of weird as there are two different kinds of lakes on the volcanic alp, they are close to each other but one is turquoise while the other one is blue.

Terrain shelves down from Blue Lake to the end of the trek. This section was gentle and friendly to me. Vegetation is plentiful and multiform with high bushes, trees, and flowers. The track is picturesque as if we were walking on a gorgeous golden afternoon in Chinese historical dramas.

Heading down to Ketetahi hut, which has toilet facilities, we took another rest and had sips of warm water from the thermal bottle, enjoying stunning views of the central plateau. It was quite cold as the sun was getting down quickly.

For the last kilometers, we crossed the forest, the stream was murmuring, the birds were chirping jubilantly. We waited for others at the Ketetahi car park where there was a shuttle ready to take us back to town.

Eventually, we completed the 19.4km track in 8 hours. It was challenging, yet rewarding in any aspect! Highly recommended!

Back to town, we cheered our successful trip at the nightclub downstairs. That night we slept like a log until next morning no matter how loud the music was. Haha...😁
We spent our last day exploring Taupo and returned to Auckland by bus in the afternoon.

Thanks for reading till the end! 😊
Photos taken by me and my mate
Designed by Canva