NORTHERN CIRCUIT

When Ollie and Hamish announced they were coming for 10 days I was faced with a challenge that would expose them to landscapes outside of the realms of Tasmania…

A volcano seemed like a good match. After a few days of caving, scuba diving and surfing in northland we packed our bags and set off on the northern circuit. I knew full well they could easily manage it in a day, but a Ngauruhoe sunrise is not something that should be missed. Naturally the rugby ball was taken and I endured half a day of being compared to grimley off Lord of the Rings, though this was quickly forgotten after Ollie letting off a fart that can only be compared to an earthquake.

Needless to say, the strong sulfur smell that greeted us the next day was promptly blamed on him. Despite the Tongariro Crossing being a hugely popular hike, it was slightly less so in the middle of winter. There may be a lot of people but there is no arguing its beauty especially with the bluebird weather that we were lucky to be graced with. An epic couple of days.