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Heels 1965

Tongariro

Tongariro

Monday morning arrived to the tune of boots shaking the earth. These belonged to numbers of the Tararua Tramping Club. We were soon in hot pursuit, beating an individualistic way to the summit of tongariro. This spot is very difficult to find. We feel that an A.A. sign (with monogram) is needed here. Peter was not to be persuaded to show off his mountaineering skill by climbing the pinnacles in the south crater.

Tongariro shows lots of interesting volcanic activity, complete with smolls. We found the track at the red crater and followed it past the Emerald lakes to the Blue Lake. Here we caught up with the T. T. C. and had lunch. On the other side of the Blue Lake we were enveloped by dense clouds of steam. After an hour or so of trudging through this fog we arrived at the Keretahi hot springs. After a hot bath and a spruee-up we took too with the T. T. C. and walked out to the Rotoaira Road. Here the truck was waiting. The return trip enabled us to find out that Taihape's Central Cafe is not the best for a rapid meal but at least the Taihape Pub has beer. Late in the evening the party arrived back in Wellington.

Fantastically good weather made this trip very enjoyable to get the full benefit of the beauties of National Park, take a camera with you. The trip required only moderate fitness and no-one finished in a too exhausted state. We managed to achieve the climbing of one mountain a day, but there are plenty more for the fit.

P. B.

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Members of Party:

  • John Rhodes (leader) chief cook
  • Peter Turner on loan from Toronto University, Canada
  • Eddie Simpson
  • John Mosen chief advisory guide
  • Philip Burgess
  • Jan Hawkins
  • Roger Lavers
  • Lindsay Vaughan