It was time for another long weekend with the Scenic Walkers, a friendly group of people interested in a wide range of tramping. We have been many times to Tongariro National Park, but mainly to do multi-day walks or on skiing expeditions. This time the focus was more on shorter walks, jet boating and general relaxation. As it takes only 4 hours to get to Ohakune from Wainuiomata, we decided to take our time to get there. Mid-morning start, hot drink stops and lunch stop all contributed to our arrival at the Hobbit Motorlodge just in time to meet with the other walkers: some old faces, from previous trips, a few new ones. An interesting bunch of people.
Day 01
We had plenty of time before dinner to explore the lower parts of Mt Ruapehu. A short walk to Waitonga Falls
was a good option for a warm-up before the following day's long walk on the Old Coach Road. The 39
meters Waitonga Falls is Tongariro National Park's highest waterfall. The track leading to the
waterfall starts from the car park situated around 10 kms up the mountain road. It leads through beech and
kaikawaka forests, and around Rotokawa pools. Just,as it is stated in the DOC brochure, from the boardwalk
surrounding the pools, we had fantastic views of Mount Ruapehu and the neighbouring countryside. Further on
the boardwalk is replaced by a series of descending steps leading to the bottom of the falls. After a short
break for a photo session it was time to face the uphill phase of the walk. We all know that if you walk
down, for sure you will have to walk up.
Further, 6 kms up the Ruapehu Mountain Road, a very short walk offers beautiful views of Mangawhero Falls.
It is a 28 meters waterfall that can be appreciated from the viewing platform.
Day 02
To get from Ohakune to Horopito, we used the SLR - Vertigo Adventure Centre. As pre-arranged we were picked up from their shop and taken to Matapuna Rd. Before we set out on our walk a German girl, the bus driver, who sounded like a local, gave us a short introduction to the track history and current safety rules. The walking track is graded as easy, mainly flat but quite busy and special attention needs to be paid to cyclists riding in both directions of the track. For the first three to four kilometers we walked surrounded by native grasses and flax to reach the Taonui Viaduct, built in 1908 and used till 1987. The viaduct proved to be a great photo spot. After another five or six kilometers of walking through the beautiful native bush we stopped at the Hapuawhenua Viaduct. The viaduct is a big attraction for walkers and bikers. We walked across it to a small picnic area where we had our lunch break. After lunch, we explored the closed railway tunnel before continuing the journey. Interestingly enough, parts of the track between the Hapuawhenua Viaduct and Marshalls Road carpark are still laid with cobblestones. The last five kilometers leading to Ohakune Railway Station run along Marshalls Road and Old Station Road. Once we reached Ohakune we were ready for well-deserved drinks and an evening meal.
Day 03
We drove in the morning from Ohakune to Pipiriki to meet our jet boat driver. A 45 minute boat ride took us up the Whanganui River to Mangapurua Landing. Somehow, in Raetihi I managed to run a stop sign and almost collided with an oncoming car. Luckily the other driver was awake. The ride ran through deep gorges that looked mystical, an almost Jurassic atmosphere. From the landing, we walked for an hour, along a well-established path that used to be a road, to the famous Bridge to Nowhere. During a picnic lunch, provided by our guide, we listen to interesting tales of the historic Mangapurua Valley and its pioneering people. Life was tough in those days. During the return walk to the landing, we enjoyed the views of the river and native bush. On the way back to Pipiriki we came across a few groups of canoeists paddling happily down the river. At this point, we were sold on the idea of coming back to the river and doing a multi-day paddling trip. All we had to do to fulfill the plan was to be more careful in Raetihi.