Tongariro Area

Heading inland, we traversed the Desert Road near the great volcanoes at the center of the North Island.  Not truly a desert, this area gets its name from the sparse vegetation and rocky outcrops.  The products of a million years of alternating lava, ash, and water erosion, the landscape is different indeed.

Despite the overcast conditions, the great bulk of the volcanic cones created a nice clear patch downwind.  The standing clouds were an interesting site.  We parked for a bit to charge our batteries and enjoy the sun.

You can see the clouds dammed up behind the mountain.







We hope to do the Tongariro Alpine crossing in a month or so.  The winter conditions make it a bit of a task, though.  The track will pass to the right of this peak on the saddle between the two volcanoes.




We also visited the Tree Trunk Gorge in the area. So named because, way back when, a windy storm knocked down a bunch of trees.






East of the ranges, we passed through the carrot capital of NZ.  They are very serious about their root vegetables here.




We drove up the mountain hoping to clear the cloud cover.  We were foiled; not tall enough!



About half way up the mountain was a nice waterfall.  Here you can see the alternating layers of liquid lava and heavy ash.  Cracks in the lava sheet eventually became rivers like this one.  Who knows when the next eruption will come? (Probably not long by geologic standards, but really long by human ones).