Mount Doom

This was the walk that really decided me on coming to New Zealand in the first place so I set off determined to put all thoughts of upcoming complications out of my head.
The journey began with the trail winding its way between two mighty volcanoes, of which, this is the baby. Passing over lava flows, peculiar looking plants finding purchase, and then every now and again, a faint sound of burbling water would lead to unexpected clear mountain rivers. Couple of crater lakes, the blueness of which bewilders your vision.
Arrived for my lunch stop at one of the huts, this is built next to the first ever hiker hut in New Zealand, what a fantastic thing they started there. The new hut was luxury itself and I was a bit reluctant to push on to the next one but it didn’t seem that far.
Bit of up, bit of down through shady, cool sub alpine woods, chatted to the hut ranger who was doing some track maintenance by a stream. He made me fill up my, already quite full water bag, which made me consider the possibility that it might not be the easy 8km I was imagining. Climbing out of the woods it suddenly turned into a vast barren expanse, just dust and boulders as far as the eye could see. I had clearly arrived in the land of Mordor and the eye of Sauron was most definitely blazing down. Down into valleys filled with boulders then up to arid dust plains and the view of Mt Ngauruhoe, to give it its proper name, just got better and better. I began wondering if the sun might set, sitting perfectly atop the crater looking just like the eye of Sauron. It all depended on where this next hut was.
On the one hand, I was glad the hut appeared when it did, on the other, if it had been another km away, around the bend, it would have maybe worked. None the less it was an incredible sunset and just sitting there in that landscape was very special. The bewildering array of stars soon appeared stars and the temperature plummeted so it was time to get cosy around the fire and listen to the rangers hut talk. Very interesting and entertaining and was pleased to catch one. A cosy sleep quickly followed and I was very glad not to be camping out in the cold.