An Alien Landscape

Our second in the Tongariro National Park, and we decide to take the gondola up Ruapehu. The clouds are fairly persistent so its snow-topped peak slips in and out of view, but to be honest, the idea of photographing its jagged misty rock faces is far more attractive than seeing it in full sunshine. 

Clearly, all the infrastructure is geared up to the winter ski season, but whilst alpine landscapes can look beautifully green and pastoral in summer greens, chocolate box chalets as pretty now as in the winter, Ruapehu’s slopes consist of volcanic rock, harshly brown and grey without the snow: the whole scene looking like a cross between an industrial wasteland and a Martian landscape. Yet despite the apparent barrenness of rocks, as we drive up to the gondola station, we see miniature gardens of moss and grasses and flowers somehow surviving in this inauspicious setting. 

We stay up at the top for quite some time - deciding to have lunch at the very reasonably priced restaurant. There are walks that can be attempted from here, but the volcanic landscape makes it just too challenging for me - it being a case of scrambling rather than  walking. G does, however, manage the first (tiny) stage of the summit walk! Meanwhile, I amuse myself watching the clouds swirling around the rugged peaks, revealing tantalising glimpses of the mountain. 

Once back down in the park, we have yet two more walks to complete: Silicon Rapids and Gollum’s Pool. The latter walk is just a short one, largely down several sets of steps to view what may have been the scene used in The Hobbit - opinions seem to differ - but having completed the first longer trek, I’m now so tired that I can hardly put one foot in front of another, and I’m certainly not up to scrambling over rocks to get the best view of the waterfall and pool. 

I think I may well have pushed myself too hard over the last few days! 


Today’s main is the view looking up towards Ruapehu’s summit from the top gondola station as the clouds briefly clear (though I was tempted to use the shot of the gondola Itself), with other views in extras, including G standing at the top of the first part of the summit walk with the volcanic warning notice below!