• Roadtrip / Wätter ussitze

    19. december 2025, New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Leider het s Wätter im Tongariro Nationalpark grad umgschlage womer in Taumarunui acho si. Eigentlich wär dr viertägig "around the mountain trail" plant gsi, aber wäge schnee, wind und näbel hei alli drvo abgrote. Au mit chürzere toure hämer bitz päch gha (usbuechti hütte und nid fahrendi shuttles).

    Spontan hämer denn gluegt wome idr nöchi chönt es auto miete und i welere richtig s wätter besser isch. Mir si denn uf Taupo autogstöpplet und dört s auto go abhole und richtig oste losgfahre. As uf dr linke site fahre hämer eus scho bitz müese gwöhne! Aber es isch erstuunlich guet und schnäll gange.

    Die ersti nacht hämer im auto ufeme freedom camping adr küste usserhalb no napier übernachtet. Eigentlich hätme dört nume mitem camper dörfte übernachte. Es het eus aber öper gseit, dass d security öpe am 9i chunt. Wäge däm hämer denn zum znacht e chlises fährtli gmacht und si denn öpe am halb 10i widr zrug gsi.

    Hawkes Bay isch e wii region und me cha super go wineries psueche und die verschidene wii probiere. Mir si denn am nöchste tag ines hotel und hei denn dört idr nöchi chöne d 'te mata' und d 'black barn' winery go psueche.

    Truurigerwis hani mini tolle wanderstöck im räge am timber trail ändi ligge lo. Jetz miteme auto usgrüstet hämer d hoffnig gha dasmerse widr finge. Dr dritti tag isch denn e tag mit vill autofahre gsi und leider ohni glück bezüglech de stöck 😔. Drfür hämer zobe e unterkunft mit whirpool gfunge und hei eus entschide am nöchste tag e falschirmsprung in Taupo z mache!

    Miteme knappe programm simer denn uf Taupo gfahre und hei s auto rächzitig abgä. Schlag uf schlag ischs gange, und 'Taupo Tandem Skydiving' het eus bi dr Jugi abgholt. Vo 15'000 feet (ca. 4.5 km) simer usem flugzüg gumpt, hei öpe 1 min freie fall gha bevor denn dr fallschirm ufgange isch. Vor 16 johr bini genau am gliche ort s erste mol go skydive. Jetz bini bitz weniger nervös gsi und ha dr frei fall tatsächlich mitbecho und ha d ussicht ufe Tongariro Nationalpark und ufe riisig Lake Taupo chöne gniesse. Aber drfür hani realisiert wie schnäll me gheit und bi froh gsi het dr jumpmaster alles im griff gha!

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    Unfortunately, the weather in Tongariro National Park changed just as we arrived in Taumarunui. We had originally planned to do the four-day Around the Mountain Track, but because of snow, strong winds, and fog, everyone advised against it. Even shorter hikes didn’t work out for us — huts were fully booked and shuttles weren’t running.

    So we made a spontaneous decision to look for a place nearby where we could rent a car and head toward better weather. We hitchhiked to Taupō, picked up a car there, and set off toward the east. Driving on the left took a bit of getting used to at first — but it was surprisingly quick and easy to adapt.

    Our first night was spent sleeping in the car at a freedom camping spot along the coast just outside Napier. Technically, only campervans are allowed to stay there overnight. But someone told us that security usually shows up around 9 p.m., so we went for a short drive for dinner and only returned around 9:30.

    Hawke’s Bay is a wine region, and it’s perfect for visiting wineries and tasting different wines. The next day, we checked into a hotel and from there were able to visit Te Mata Estate and Black Barn Winery nearby.

    Sadly, I had left my beloved trekking poles behind in the rain at the end of the Timber Trail. Now that we had a car, we were hopeful we might be able to track them down. The third day turned into a long day of driving — unfortunately without any luck finding the poles 😔. As a consolation, we found accommodation with a hot tub that evening and decided to go skydiving in Taupō the next day!

    With a tight schedule, we drove back to Taupō and returned the car just in time. Everything happened quickly after that — Taupō Tandem Skydiving picked us up at the hostel. From 15,000 feet (about 4.5 km), we jumped out of the plane and had around one minute of free fall before the parachute opened. Sixteen years ago, I did my very first skydive in this exact same place. This time, I was a bit less nervous and actually managed to fully experience the free fall and enjoy the view over Tongariro National Park and the vast Lake Taupō. That said, I also realized just how fast you fall — and I was very glad the jumpmaster had everything under control!
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