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Tongariro to New Plymouth, New Zealand

Day 10: We stayed in Tongariro and did a couple of short walks the next day. This is Tom at Taranaki Falls.

Day 10: Views of Mt Ruapehu during the Taranaki Falls walk

Day 10: We drove to Whakapapa Ski Village and scrambled around on some of the rocks

Day 10: Tom on a very impressive rock shelf at Whakapapa

Day 10: Coffee from Chateau Tongariro with views of Mt Ngauruhoe

Day 10: Silica Rapids Circuit

Day 10: Umbrella fern

Day 10: The Silica Rapids

Day 10: Mt Ngauruhoe from the Silica Rapids track

Day 11: The weather forecast was poor so we deliberately made this day a travel day. We drove to New Plymouth via the Forgotten World Highway. It rained most of the way and the only stop we had was in The Republic of Whangamamona. That evening we visit the Festival of Lights at Pukerua Park.

Day 11: Festival of Lights, Pukerua Park

Day 11: Festival of Lights, Pukerua Park

Day 11: Festival of Lights, Pukerua Park

Day 12: The forecast said it was going to clear about lunchtime, but that didn't fill us with much confidence when we woke to cloud and rain. We eventually drove up to the North Egmont Visitor Centre on the hope the forecasters would be right. We set off in cloud but it wasn't long before blue skies took over. Mt Taranaki was tucked behind the clouds for a bit longer.

Day 12: Tom at our lunch spot

Day 12: The cloud is almost gone

Day 12: Tom approaching the top of Henry Peak with great views of Mt Taranaki

Day 12: Descending from Henry Peak. The track had been maintained with a large amount of boardwalk - in many places hundreds of stairs.

Day 12: On the way to Pouakai Hut

Day 12: Mt Taranaki

Day 12: Tom at Pouakai Hut. We had a very pleasant evening with the other people staying at the hut. One of the guys staying there had carried up 12kg of camera equipment and was out till midnight taking photos with starlight reflections in the tarns.

Day 13: It is a only a short walk from Pouakai Hut to Holly Hut so we did a sidetrip to the Pouakai Trig. The track was in much worse shape - erosion much??

Day 13: Tom and Mt Taranaki from Pouakai Trig

Day 13: Descending back to the main track. There were quite a few sections of the track like this.

Day 13: Tom looking over Ahukawakawa swamp (the track we came down is evident on the ridge in the middle of the photo)

Day 13: Enjoying the sun outside Holly Hut. We had really good weather for most of the trip.

Day 13: In the afternoon we visited Bells Falls which are a 35 minute walk from Holly Hut.

Day 14: We walked out from Holly Hut back to North Egmont Visitor Centre. It had rained most of the night and much of the walk out, there was very low visibility. I didn't take any photos! We then drove to Wellington and spent the rest of the time with my parents.