To Tongariro

Auckland was surprisingly quiet and empty for being a big city. We took the bus in the early morning from the SkyCity bus terminal, destination National Park. Not a national park, but a small town near a national park called National Park. From here we want to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing which is supposed to be one of the best day hikes in the world. The town isn't big but has a small shop that sells groceries, souvenirs and basic outdoor gear. It was good enough to provide us with all ingredients for a nice pizza dinner. The atmosphere in the lodge we're staying in is like a mountain hut from the 90s or so. They have a ping pong table, a nice kitchen, hot tubs and we even got upgraded to a private room with en suite bathroom. Not bad after so many nights in our tent. Good to know we can stay here 3 nights.Read more