There is so much to do in the Tongariro National Park, really.
One of the toughest things for us during our time spent in New Zealand hasn’t been knowing what to do or where to go, it hasn’t been getting jobs or accommodation, or even financing all of the amazing things we’ve done. No, believe it or not, one of the most difficult things we’ve been faced with is all the times we’ve had to choose between what to do because there just isn’t enough time to do everything we want.
Tongariro was a classic illustration of this. We were there for a month, granted working much of that time but still with plenty of opportunity, and in this month we accomplished maybe half of what we wanted to do. We’ll stress that again, HALF. There are so many walks/tracks whatever you want to call them, sights, interesting locations, great viewpoints, wildlife habitats and so on in the area that we simply didn’t have time to see them all and so, once again we had to make choices whenever we planned a day out.
Our advice to you is to be prepared to potentially have to make the same choices if you visit Tongariro National Park. One particular highlight of the park is the Tongariro Northern Circuit, a 43 km loop that show’s off some of the fascinating landscapes and features of the area, and gives you the chance to get up close with the volcanoes that shaped the land many years ago. It also hosts amazing views of sulphur lakes and glacier valleys, and takes roughly 3-4 days to complete. Like we said, there was a lot of things we didn’t get chance to do during our stay and unfortunately this was one of them. We did however manage to collectively see more than half of the Northern Circuit overall, spreading the experience out over a few visits.
Today we are going to talk about the Tama Lakes track, which runs 8 km around part of the circuit, and starts in Whakapapa Village at the end of Ngauruhoe Terrace. It’s an intermediate track that contains a few steep climbs and takes around 5-6 hours to complete. We started after lunch, somewhere around 2 pm which gave us just enough time to complete the hike (stopping a few times on the way) watch the sunset and miss our dinner. Oops.
Before we start: we think that it may be worth considering doing the Tama Lakes track together with the Taranaki Falls track, and here’s why: The first part of the track is technically the upper track to Taranaki Falls... or if you have done that walk before, and you started and returned via the lower track as opposed to doing the full loop, this walk is an opportunity to catch up with the bit you missed. In this first section for example you wouldn’t have seen the ‘Edge of Lava Flow’ which is a nice stop but nothing too significant.
Now, if you are familiar with how hills work then it won’t come as a surprise to you that the ‘upper’ track involves some ‘up-hill’ action; the track isn’t too steep at this stage yet but becomes more difficult as you progress towards the lakes. Walking up what used to be a horse track, you’ll make your way out of the red tussock and into alpine shrubs, and then pass the edge-of-lava-flow before making it to the top of the falls. It’s technically possible to climb around the rocks to the edge of the waterfall, but it’s a 20 m drop and the rocks are not well supported, and could potentially give way beneath you. It would be a very bad idea to take such a risk just to get a photo... but guess what Liam did anyway?
This area is probably the first point that you’ll stop and add some noticeable time to your journey, but that’s because there’s plenty of beauty to take in so don’t worry, there’s no need to rush - just return to the signpost and head right when you are ready to resume the walk. The signpost will inform you that there are still two hours ahead of you but, in reality it’s more like an hour and a half.
This is where the track starts to become steeper so prepare for a fair bit of elevation gain and lots of false summits ahead. About ten minutes before the Lower Tama Lake you’ll leave the main track and level-off before then reaching the lake itself. This is the time to get your breath back before ascending to the Upper Lake, where the track becomes considerably more steep.
The Tama Lakes sit in three of the craters on the Tama Saddle, which in turn sits between Mt Ruapehu and Mt Ngauruhoe. On a clear day, there are amazing views of the two. We didn’t have perfect weather on the day we went but still the views were spectacular.
Back to learning the pronunciation of Ngauruhoe!!! I have decided to concentrate on the less aggressive and easier kiwi pronunciation rather than the proper Maori. So far I don't even remember the correct spelling - S.
If you’re like us you will probably try to find a way down to the lake - there are no tracks but it would be easy enough to descend via the steep gullies. However, It would also be ridiculously hard to get out again, so this is probably not something you’d want to do. In fact, due to the weather and lack of phone-coverage even Liam didn’t try this.
I’d just like to point out that I didn’t try it because I’m a sensible adult and I make careful assessments before doing anything. Also I wanted to be back for dinner... - L.
We reached the lower lake around 90 minutes after leaving the falls and made the decision to continue forward to the Upper Tama Lake. The path ahead was a steep climb but we had already gotten this far, so why turn back now with only half an hour left to go? Besides, if we changed our minds there would be nothing stopping us from turning back... we’d just have to live with ourselves being quitters.
Calling Sabina a quitter literally works every time, but you know what? This time I didn’t have to say anything - L.
We made it to the top of the ridge in good time, coached on by the approaching rain clouds that were quietly motivating us to get a move on. It was looking like the weather was leaving the nearby Mt Ruapehu and making a course directly for us, so knowing how quickly the conditions can change in New Zealand we picked up the pace even more. If the clouds had caught up with us they would swallow up all visibility and leave us in a very bad position - that is, stuck at the top of the ridge with steep drops all around... we weren’t really too keen on letting that happen. Thankfully, the clouds didn’t quite make it to us and rather changed direction to rain on somebody else instead, guess we managed to escape the elements for another day.
The way back is naturally, mostly downhill so even whilst being cautious of the loose ground we made the return journey in approximately 2 hours, and this also included a 15 minute stop to watch the sunset and to realise that once again, we didn’t bring our torches. Something to be mindful of is that despite being in one of the most touristic parts of the North Island, the Tama Lake Track isn’t always in the best condition. This is most likely due to the unforgiving weather tendencies and the volcanic, alpine terrain. The two of these together create a recipe for a maintenance nightmare.
Be ready to cross some shallow streams if the bridges are damaged and take extra caution in or after harsh weather. Some parts of the track can be slippery and/or muddy, so good footwear is essential. Make sure to also take wind-proof clothing as the Tama Saddle acts like a funnel to the prevailing westerly current; even if the weather is calm at the start of the track, the gusts at the upper ridge can sometimes be nasty.
More importantly and certainly more fun, be ready to see how unique and remarkable the Tongariro landscape is. This track really expresses the park’s natural beauty in such an exciting way, and gives insight into it’s many wonders that are just waiting to be explored by people like us. Whether you do the lakes and the falls track together or separately, be ready to have to make some choices because once you see what’s hiding out in the tussock, you’ll discover that whether you spend a day in the park, a week, or even a month, it won’t be long enough.
Up Next: Things get wet in Ruapehu...
More photos in our GALLERY
