More Activities About Pukawa - Summer 2015/16

This summer saw us engaged in several minor activities about Pukawa - cycling, walking, swimming and some more slothful things - such as reading and eating. With Warren, Kristin, Tasman and Hannah we did the Tongariro Crossing from Mangatepopo.

Parahebe on Tongariro

I did the return by going over Tongariro and back down the ridge and track to the Mangatepopo car park and was able to help with the logistics - as did Kristin who came up from Ketetahi. I was astounded by the number of people - the lineup at the four toilets and the 1.2 km of cars (nose to tail) stretching from the full Mangatepopo car park back towards the main road. They now talk about 2000 people doing the crossing in one day! They were all so nice and friendly - I was amazed, as I often stood to one side to let the faster ones through, how so many of them would say, "Thank you, sir". Respect for the elderly still exists!

Granddad and Co.

Kristin and Warren and Family

With Granny Smith

Catherine and I climbed Urchin and Tihia and I did some biking with Warren and the grandchildren along the Tongariro River trails - all excuses for a glass of wine at the end of the day. And on Xmas Eve David and I checked and re-luring the DoC200 traps along the Waihaha and Mangatu rivers.

David in the Mangatu

Intrepid Mountain Bikers

Tihia Again - At Night

In an rash moment recently I decided to climb Tihia at night.  Without much forethought I grabbed a pack, torch and an old sleeping bag, plus a bottle of water and a couple of muesli bars - and took off. Luckily I stopped at a garage and purchased a few spare batteries.  There was no moon and after entering the bush I realized just how black the night was.  To make things worse my headlamp batteries soon weakened and gave up.  Finally I had to change the batteries - easier said than done. Once the headlamp was off everything was in pitch black.  The old batteries were extracted by feel, the orientation of the parallel batteries determined by feel and the whole thing put together by feel. No light - damn! More groping in the dark (a male thing) revealed that there were not two but three batteries.  Luckily I'd remembered the polar orientation for the batteries in the headlamp.  Finally there was light and I was off again.  While all this was going on I could see faint glow-worms in the distance and at one stage an animal (from the noise, it must have been a deer) crashed by in the bush.

Changing Headlight Batteries in the Bush on a Moonless Night

Finally, I stepped clear from the bush and could see the lights of Turangi below and Taupo in the distance.  About half an hour later I stepped onto the summit in a cool breeze.  I found a spot to sleep and crawled into the sleeping bag.  The night was long and cold and mist enveloped the summit. It cleared to reveal a brilliant clear night with meteors streaking now and then.  I watched the night pass with the rotation of the Magellanic clouds and the Southern Cross pointers. When dawn arrived I saw how cold it was by the frost-heave on the bare patches.  The early light lit up the volcanic activity over on Te Maari craters on Tongariro. Back to Pukawa for breakfast.

Sunrise from Tihia

From Tihia: Lower Te Maari Crater - Volcanic Activity Beyond