Holiday 2: Tongariro (Mordor)

Today, we visited the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a stunning region in New Zealand's North Island. I had marked it on my to-do list because it served as the filming location for Mordor and Gollum's pool in *The Lord of the Rings*.

We underestimated how cold it would be, facing temperatures of 2 degrees Celsius and snow. Michael, in particular, was caught off guard, having only packed summer clothes and light walking shoes. Thankfully, the visitor center had some warm jackets for sale, which helped us prepare for the conditions.

During our hike, we noticed a lot of activity from fire departments, ambulances, and medics heading up the trail. We later learned that an elderly hiker had fallen ill just ahead of us. Given how underprepared we were and the biting cold, we decided to turn back early. Instead, we planned to purchase proper shoes and gloves to ensure we’d be ready for future adventures in this beautiful but challenging environment.Lue lisää