Lord of the Rings fans know it as Mt Doom – the volcano where the One Ring was created, and after extensive travels with Gollum and the Hobbits, the place of its destruction. The rest of us peeps know it as Mt Ngauruhoe, the aesthetically-pleasing volcanic cone of Tongariro National Park. To access Mt Ngauruhoe, … More One Explosive Hike!
Close to my home in NZ, is the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The Crossing is rated as one of the best hikes worldwide and at a mere 19.4km, it takes hikers/trampers through a spectacularly varied alpine landscape. The Department of Conservation (DOC) estimates the Crossing takes 7 to 9 hours to complete, and as it took me … More These (Hiking) Boots Were Made For Walking…
Lets be honest, gas is funny. We know this from the countless kids fart books that are now readily available. Gas equals hilarity, but unless the Gasser has eaten something really toxic, bystanders usually remain conscious. Enter Cameron’s Laughing Gas Pool. Once again, I am writing about Sulphur Point, on the southern end of Lake … More A Bath of Laughs
In a previous post regarding The Coffee Pot, I mention Sulphur Point. But where and what, pray tell, is Sulphur Point? No, it’s not the smelly beginnings of Hell. It is actually a small peninsula at the southern end of Lake Rotorua. After wandering through Government Gardens (a beautiful, free public garden), we accidentally found the … More Burn, Baby, Burn
At the southern point of Lake Rotorua is Sulphur Point, a place that is historically important for a number of notable springs and mud pools. One such pool is the Coffee Pot, with many people travelling to, and even camping by, its murky waters. The Coffee Pot was said to once be surrounded by manuka bushes; I can’t … More Coffee Cures All
After a strenuous day, week or month of adventuring, there is nothing quite like a relaxing spa to re-energise the soul and clean those dirty feet. So after mountain biking, ZORBing, kayaking, shweebing and swooping my way through Rotorua, I made a beeline for the Polynesian Spa. My adventure-rattled nerves deserved it! First, a history … More I’m Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot
New Zealanders seem to have a great talent for turning nothing (or cr@p) into something. Remember my post about Centennial Gardens in Napier having a previous life as a quarry? (Of course you remember!!! You probably read the post at least five times because it was so fabulously well-written.) Well once again, New Zealand surprised … More From Garbage to Garden
