Tag Archive for: Ruapehu

Waihohonu Hut, Tongariro National Park

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Waihohonu Hut, Tongariro National Park, North Island, New Zealand

The (new) Waihohonu Hut is located at the only junction of four tracks southeast of Ngauruhoe — leading to Desert Road, Ruapehu, Whakapapa, and Oturere Hut. Waihohonu Hut is situated on one of the first tourist routes in this region, which began with the construction of the Old Waihohonu Hut in 1901. A small stream runs below the hut, which I loved using as a bathtub during my multi-day stays as a hut warden. I particularly enjoy remembering the many hikers and their evening accounts of their experiences during their stay in the park and the impressions it left on them.

Tongariro Visitor Centre, Whakapapa

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At the Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre, Whakapapa, North Island, New Zealand

The core of Tongariro National Park was established in 1887 through a gift, making it the first national park in New Zealand and the fourth in the world. This far-sighted move was formally recognised a few years ago when it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, both as a culturally significant monument and a unique area of natural beauty. Today, the Department of Conservation successfully continues the tradition of preserving nature and culture. At the visitor centre in Whakapapa, visitors can find out everything they need to know about the park. Above all, up-to-date and practical information about weather, climate, trails, and huts is essential for anyone staying in the park.

Tongariro – Useful Tips and Maori Place Names

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Chapter 7: General Information

Silver Fern, New Zealand emblem, Tongariro National Park, North Island, New Zealand

Thanks to its central location and good transport links, situated halfway between Auckland and Wellington, the park is easy to reach. The main north-south roads run along the park’s borders: Highways 1 and 4, as well as the main railway line. Read more

The Sleeping Giant or the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

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Chapter 5: Ruapehu

Ruapehu at sunrise from Waihohonu Hut, Tongariro National Park, North Island, New ZealandThe imposing Ruapehu presents itself as peaceful and alluring. Proud of its strength and size, it cloaks itself in the pristine white of the snow, lulls our ears with the gentle gurgling and splashing of streams, and enchants us with its soft glow in the evening sun. And people flock to it, climbing its rock faces, in winter skiing and snowboarding down its snow-covered slopes, and hiking through forests, scree fields, and even over glaciers right up to its peaks. Yet, it is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Not only do the steep slopes have their dangers, with several mountaineers having fallen, or a bad weather front creating life-threatening conditions within minutes; lahars, avalanches of rock, water, and ice, have killed the most people to date. Read more

Maori and Their Myths

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Chapter 3: A Story Full of Love and Passion

Snow-covered Ngauruhoe seen from near the Old Waihohonu Hut, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Volcanoes and their fiery forces have always been regarded with respect and fear by many peoples. They are part of a living universe, whose incomprehensible, superhuman powers were sought to be appeased with offerings, or a tapu, a prohibition, demanded appropriate respect. Thus, for a long time, people travelled in awe along the mountains, without ever casting a glance at the sacred peaks. There, the supernatural rulers – Te Roro, Taka and Taunapiki – reign; a disregard for their tapu brought with it the danger of death or a terrible curse. Read more