Sny si treba plniť, alebo naša „1800-ka“

Náš projekt LifeReset je presne o nich, o snoch, o nových výzvach. Cesta k ich plneniu však nie je vôbec jednoduchá. Krásnym príkladom neľahkého boja za šťastím je náš výstup na vrchol Červeného krátera v Národnom parku Tongariro. Vystihuje všetky etapy, emócie, ktoré nás sprevádzajú od momentu, kedy sme sa rozhodli zmeniť náš život.

11 hodín, 19,5km s troj a dvojročnými synmi. Nič nie je nemožné.

Tento cieľ sa zdal byť príliš ďaleký…

Sedeli sme v stane na Awhifarme a špekulovali sme, ako zdolať druhý najstarší národný park na svete a prvý na Novom Zélande Tongariro. Bol to náš druhý týždeň na Novom Zélande. Medzi dobrovoľníkmi sme si celkom obľúbili mladého Nemca Lennyho, s ktorým sme tajne rátali ako s eventuálnym nosičom. Počasie však bolo príšerné. Takmer každý deň lialo, a preto vysokohorská turistika nebola za týchto podmienok možná ani pre jednotlivcov, nie to ešte pre rodinu. Odchádzali sme sklamaní, no s malou nádejou. Možno sa nám podarí aspoň na chvíľu vstúpiť do národného parku na našej spiatočnej ceste. Bol by hriech neskúsiť to, keď sme Tongariro mali rovno pod nosom. Awhifarma je od jeho brány vzdialená len 30 km. Ako skúsení turisti, na moje prekvapenie, stále s dobrou kondičkou, sme si verili. Ak niekoho ešte nahovoríme, tak to dáme. To sme si ešte neuvedomovali, aký náročný je Tongariro crossing, najkrajšia jednodňová turistika Nového Zélandu a podľa autora Veľkého sprievodcu National Geographic Nový Zéland Petra Turnera je to najkrajšia jednodňová turistika na celom svete.

Tongariro Crossing je najkrajšia jednodňová turistika na celom svete.

Osudové stretnutie

Náš návrat na Awhifarmu bol úžasný. Stáli obyvatelia farmy ako Beth, jej rodičia Joe a Brain, či Kórejčan Jusan, ktorý na nej wwoofuje viac ako dva mesiace, nás prijali s otvorenou náručou. Stretli sme sa tam nová zostava dobrovoľníkov – štyria Francúzi, Novozélanďan a POZOR! Slovák! Peter, ktorý prišiel na Awhifarmu potom, ako si prečítal náš web. Vraj keď sa rozhodoval, ako si vyvetrať hlavu po náročných dvoch rokoch, dostal asi dvadsať správ od známych s odkazom na náš blog. WAW! Ani vo sne by nám nenapadlo, že na Novom Zélande stretneme človeka, ktorý sa skutočne inšpiruje a vyberie sa rovnakým smerom. Blog vznikol z prozaického dôvodu, dať podnet k činnom ľuďom, ktorí to chcú a potrebujú. Podeliť sa so starosťami, ktoré má priveľa rodín, ale aj radosťami, ktoré môžu zažiť všetci tí, ktorí niečo preto spravia. Nie preto, aby sme sa stali „celebritami“, ako to jeden náš kamarát zle pochopil. Netušili sme o sebe a náhodne, alebo osudovo, sme sa s Petrom stretli na mieste, kde to celé pre nás a teraz aj pre neho začalo, na Awhifarme.

Francúzsky tím pri výrobe tehál, s ktorými sme o zábavu mali neustále postarané.

Náš týždeň na Awhifarme

Dobre nám padlo mať po dlhých dvoch mesiacoch Slováka v partii. Skvele sme si celá skupina rozumeli a práca nám pri dobrej nálade rýchlo ubehla. Tento raz sme vyrábali tehly na ekodom. Dopoludnia boli preto o tímovej práci pri ich výrobe, tiež o zaujímavých rozhovoroch a smiechu. Práca končila zaznením gongu, ktorý signalizoval obed. Popoludní sme sa celá partia vybrali napríklad zaskákať si do kryštálovo čistej rieky. Po večeri sme všetci ostali v stane a bavili sa pri hudbe. Tentoraz nebola o hudobníkov núdza, mali sme dvoch gitaristov, jednu huslistku a jedného „gajdistu“! Každý dobrovoľník bol niečím výnimočný, napríklad Francúz Julien bol profesionálny stromolezec. Pri tejto zohratej zostave ľudí sme si spomenuli na náš takmer zabudnutý sen.

Skvelá zostava – Jusan, Novozélanďan Toni, francúzska Marin, Peter, Francúzi Julien, Julien II, Jefry a naše dve malé deti v prepravke s vodou. Práve sme si dávali „morning tea“.

Tongariro Crossing

V nedeľný večer sme opäť zostali po večeri debatovať a Francúzi Julien a Jefry nám povedali, že plánujú vybehnúť do Národného parku Tongariro. Pýtali sa, kto ide s nimi. Väčšina prikývla hlavou, že je to dobrý nápad. Janči zažartoval, že pôjdeme, len ak nám pomôžu nosiť deti a oni odpovedali-v pohode. Ha! A bolo! Slovo dalo slovo a o dva dni sme ráno stáli na parkovisku Mangatepopo pred Tongariro. Priznám sa, že som deň pred tým mala veľké pochybnosti a obavy. Maorka Lísa, ktorá tiež býva na Awhifarme, ma povzbudila – určite to zvládnete a určite to stojí za to. Na vrchole sa budete cítiť ako v nebi. S chlapcami sme sa teda dohodli, že my ich odvezieme našim a Petrovým autom a oni nám pomôžu nosiť deti. Na začiatku parku sme nechali Petrove auto a našim sedemmiestnym sme sa všetci deviati odviezli na štart. Dvaja ľudia sedeli vpredu, v strede ďalší piati a vzadu naše deti, ktoré kričali – „auto party! My máme auto party!“ Milujem ich! Vidno, že sú celí po svojich spoločenských rodičoch.

Hora Ngauruhoe (2287m nad morom) s červeným vrcholom.

Vzrušenie stúpalo s nami

Cez okno sme videli vysokú horu Ngauruhoe (2287m nad morom) a vzrušenie zo začínajúceho dobrodružstva stúpalo. Na parkovisku sme sa vyzbrojili na dlhú túru. Podstatné bolo poriadne sa nakrémovať opaľovacím krémom, lebo slnko na Novom Zélande je veľmi silné, pre tenku vrstvu ozónovej vrstvy. Spečie vás tu za pol hodinu! Veľmi dôležitá je aj pokrývka hlavy. Každý si nasadil čiapku, klobúk a naši francúzski priatelia marocké turbany. Aj napriek tomu, že v ten deň bolo jasno a teplo, silný vietor nám našu turistiku miestami riadne znepríjemnil. Deti zo začiatku šťastne pobehovali okolo nás. Cítili naše nadšenie…

Na vysokohorskú turistiku sme sa museli dobre vyzbrojiť. Na NZ je najmä nebezpečné slnko.

Vysokohorskí nosiči

Dohoda bola, že všetci sa budeme striedať s nosením detí. No bezdetní členovia našej francúzskoslovenskej výpravy chceli vybehnúť aj na vrchol hory Ngauruhoe, čo sme si my dovoliť nemohli. Mali sme príliš ťažký náklad, dve pätnásťkilové deti. Navyše sme s deťmi boli veľmi pomalí. Ostatní to teda využili, odpojili sa. Rýchlejším tempom napredovali až na vrchol. V jeho úpätí sme sa mali stretnúť a ďalej pokračovať spolu trasou cez Červený kráter k smaragdovým jazierkam. K stretávaciemu bodu sme mali ešte hodinu a pol cesty do prudkého kopca. Priznám sa, že som silno zvažovala, či sa neotočíme. Janči bol však odhodlaný ako nikdy. Dokonca až natoľko, že prvý úsek pred stúpaním nosil obe deti on. Vysokohorskí nosiči by mu za tento výkon dali medailu.:)

Prvé kilometre nosil Janči na chrbte dve pätnásť kilové deti.

Bol to môj boj

Zastavili sme pred strmými serpentínami. Janči si do turistického nosiča naložil Maroška. Ja som si do babyšatky uviazala Jakuba. Prvé kroky boli spočiatku v pohode. So zvyšujúcim sa stúpaním, bol každý nový krok malý boj. Pre Jančiho to nebolo tak náročné, ako pre mňa. Darmo, nemám ani päťdesiat kíl a Jakubová váha je takmer tretina tej mojej. Čísla nepustia. Jediné šťastie bolo, že obaja chlapci už na začiatku prudkého stúpania zaspali. Nemuseli sme sa viac sústrediť na nich, na to čo nám hovoria. Nastalo nádherné ticho. Žiadne požiadavky –prosím si piť, cukrík, chcem cikať…Len ticho, vďaka ktorému som sa neotočila, ale pokračovala v ceste ďalej. Po necelej hodine nosenia spiaceho Jakuba som robila prestávky každých desať metrov. Sústredila som sa len na kráčanie. Srdce mi búšilo ako zvon a moje telo zalievala striedavo horúčava a chlad z nepríjemného vetra.

Nekonečná a ťažká cesta…presne vystihuje tú, na ktorú sme sa pred polrokom vydali. Ešte, že cieľ jasne vidíme…

„Tongarijská atrakcia“

Ľudia, ktorí nás míňali sa na nás usmievali, divili sa, dokonca si nás fotili. Boli sme „tongarijská atrakcia.“ S obdivom a rešpektom sa k nám prihovárali. Moja otázka bola vždy rovnaká – koľko nám ešte zostáva do konca? Až kým nám milá pani, ktorá si nás tiež odfotila, odpovedala – už len pár minút. Vyšli sme hore a zvalili sa na suchú trávu a sopečný prach. Chlapci už nespali. Veselo pobehovali okolo nás, kým my sme predychávali. Moje telo v závetrí, na slnku, v teplom piesku rozkladala silná únava. Našťastie sme mali hodinu k dobru, kým naši priatelia zlezú z Ngauruhoe dole. Dali sme si obed – špagety v konzerve, ovocie, čokoládu a oddýchli sme si. Keď dorazili, bez prestávky pokračovali už s nami ďalej.

Deti v pohode prežijú aj veľmi náročné trasy. Dôležité ale je, aby boli rodičia v pohode.

Púšť, vyhasnuté krátery a Smaragdové jazierka

Čakala nás ešte druhá polovica prudkého stúpania. Našťastie sme už mali pomoc. Deti ochotne a pokojne sedeli v nosičoch. Bez protestov, bez plaču, sledovali krajinu a počúvali naše rozhovory. Atmosféra bola úžasná a vďaka tomu sme nevnímali únavu. Dych nám vyrážali nádherné scenérie mesačnej krajiny- plošiny Južný kráter, ktorú nazývajú aj vysokohorskou púšťou. Napravo sme mali Ngauruhoe a naľavo horu Tongariro (1967m). Vyšli sme na hrebeň Južného krátera a pred očami sa nám naskytol nádherný obraz Červeného krátera. Červeno –čierny masív s nekonečným výhľadom v nás vzbudzoval veľký rešpekt. Všetci sme zostali v nemom úžase.

Červený kráter. Ako veľmi som si vydýchla, keď sme pri ďalšom kráčaní mali pomoc.

Povzbudení krásnym výhľadom sme rýchlo napredovali hore, na jeho vrchol. Každým stúpaním vietor silnel. Na vrchole -1820m nad morom – bol vietor tak silný, že nám šľahal tváre a bol pre mňa problém udržať fotoaparát v rovine. Tešili sme sa z dosiahnutia prvého cieľa Tongariro Crossing, no radosť trvala len krátko. Vietor bol príliš silný. Deti začali plakať. Rýchlo sme spravili fotku našej výpravy a pustili sa dole svahom, k trom smaragdovým jazierkam.

Naša slovensko-francúzska výprava na vrchole Červeného krátera 1820 metrov nad morom.

Cítila som sa ako najhoršia matka

Smaragdové jazierka sú nádherným prírodným úkazom zahaleným do oblakov pary, z ktorého sa šíri siričitý zápach. Tešila som sa na to, ako ich uvidím na vlastné oči, ako si túto krásu vychutnám. Vietor bol tak nepríjemný, že sme rýchlo postupovali k ním dole, míňali ich a utekali pred vetrom do vyprahnutého Centrálneho krátera. Deti plakali. Bolo to veľmi nepríjemné. Mala som strašné výčitky. Vo vnútri som si hovorila, ako trpia, kvôli našim šialeným nápadom. Cítila som sa ako najhoršia matka. Francúzi Julien a Jefry si všimli môj stres. Keď som im povedala, čo cítim, začali sa smiať. Vraj preháňam- „deti si poplakali desať minúť, neutrpeli žiadnu ujmu a nikdy si nespomenú, že tu plakali. Naopak len ich to zocelí a o dvadsať rokov budú ukazovať fotografie priateľom, kde sa vďaka svojim rodičom dostali.“ Napriek ich povzbudeniu moje negatívne emócie ešte chvíľu pretrvávali. No napokon mali pravdu.

Prežívala som hrozné výčitky a hľa, ako to vyzeralo po desiatich minútach už v Centrálnom kráteri!
Desať minútový plač prešiel. Deti sme vybrali z nosičov a tie opäť s úsmevom bežali popri nás. Pri veľkom Modrom jazere sme si spravili hodinovú prestávku. Vybalili sme uvarené zemiaky v šupke, vajíčka na tvrdo a tehlu syru. To bola hostina! Po nej sme si dali ešte čokoládu, aby sme doplnili energiu a pripravili sa na druhú polovicu túry.

Zaslúžená prestávka po ôsmych hodinách šliapania.

Nekonečná cesta

Keďže sme najdôležitejšie krásy Tongariro Crossing už videli, druhá časť trasy bola nekonečná. Z vysokého krátera sme sa museli serpentínovým klesaním dostať dole do lesa. Výhľad z kopcov na krajinu pri jazere Taupo bol nádherný. Po pravej strane sme videli stúpajúci dym z horúcich prameňov Ketetahi. Deti v tichosti sedeli v nosičoch a my sme prekonávali jednu serpentínu za druhou. Trasa bola vytvorená z dreveného chodníka, alebo bola spevnená drevenými lávkami. V porovnaní s našimi tatranskými chodníkmi bola táto vysokohorská turistika omnoho bezpečnejšia. Naši francúzski kamaráti, ktorí pred Tongariro Crossing už absolvovali turistiku na Novom Zélande, tvrdili, že turistické chodníky sú tu tvorené práve z drevených lávok a schodov. Nemuseli sme sa teda obávať, že sa šmykneme na nespevnenej ceste dole prudkým zrazom, ako to niekedy hrozí v našich Tatrách.

Turistické chodníky sú postavené z dreva. Prevýšenia zdolávate zvyčajne po rovnako drevených schodoch. Viac fotiek v galérii.

Strašidelné zvuky

Práve táto posledná etapa mi pripomenula vysilenie z tej prvej, keď som nosila Jakuba. Nemala konca kraja. Keď sme si už všetci mysleli, že sme v cieli, objavil sa pred nami hustý les s vysokým papradím, palmami, bystrinou, ktorú striedali horúce pramene. Zvuky vtákov, ktoré sa šírili lesom boli chvíľami až strašidelné. Maroško kráčal po vlastných, kým Jakuba niesol Jefry. Náš dvojročný syn sa v lese bál. Opakoval, že ide za nami diviak a že sa bojí. Bola som šťastím bez seba, keď sme zbadali parkovisko Ketetahi. Tu naša vysokohorská turistika po jedenástich hodinách a viac ako devätnástich kilometroch skončila. Kým moje zničené telo padlo do trávy, Jakub a Maroš sa ešte pol hodinu naháňali a skákali z pódia do trávy. Bolo pol deviatej večer, slnko zapadalo a my sme si unavení a šťastní vychutnávali náš sen.

Mapa trasy Tongariro Crossing pre lepšiu orientáciu.That is what our project LifeReset is about – about dreams and new challenges. But the way to their fulfilment is not easy at all. A beautiful example of the hard fight for luck is our rise to the top of the Red Crater in the Tongariro National Park. It gives a true picture of all stages, emotions accompanying us from the moment when we decided to change our life.

11 hours, 19.5 km with three and two years old sons. Nothing is impossible 

This target seemed to be too far…

We were sitting in a tent on Awhifarm and discussing how to get across the second oldest national park in the world and the first in New Zealand, Tongariro. It was our second week in New Zealand. Among the volunteers, we have friended with a young German Lenny – we secretly considered him as a potential carrier. But the weather was awful. It was raining almost every day, so the alpine tourism was not possible for individuals, not speaking about a family. We have left disappointed but with a small hope. Maybe we will manage to enter the national park, at least for a moment, on our trip back.  It would be a sin not to try it when Tongariro was under our nose. Awhifarm is only 30 km from its gate. As experienced tourists, surprisingly still in good condition, we believed in ourselves. If we find somebody else, we will manage it. That time we did not realise how difficult is the Tongariro Crossing, the most beautiful one-day tourism of New Zealand, and according to the author of National Geographic Traveler: New Zealand, this is the most beautiful one-day tourism in the world.

Tongariro Crossing is the most beautiful one-day tourism in the world.

Crucial meeting

Our return to Awhifarm was amazing. The permanent farm inhabitants like Beth, her parents Joe and Brian, or the Korean Jusan who had been wwoofing here for more than two months welcomed us with open arms. A new crew of volunteers has met there – four Frenchmen, one New Zealander and ATTENTION! Slovak! Peter who has come to Awhifarm after reading our website. When he was deciding how to clean his head after two demanding years, he received about twenty messages from his friends referring to our blog. WOW! We wouldn’t dream that in New Zealand we would meet a person who was really inspired by us and who would go to the same direction. The blog was created from a prosaic reason to motivate people who want it and need it. To share troubles that are common for many families, but also joys that can be experienced by everyone who makes something for it. Not to become “celebrities” as it was misunderstood by a friend of us. We didn’t have any idea about each other, and we met Peter at the place where it started for us and now also for him, on Awhifarm.

Great Frenchmen Julien, Julien II, Jefry, Marlin – we had fun with them all the time.

Our week on Awhifarm

It was great to have a Slovak in the team after two long months. We, the whole team, went perfectly together and the work was done very soon in good mood. This time we manufactured bricks for an organic house. Therefore, mornings were about team work at their manufacturing, but also about interesting discussions and laugh. The work was finished by a gong signalling lunch. In the afternoon, the whole team went for example to jump to the crystal clear river. After dinner, all of us stayed in the tent and had fun while listening to the music. There was no shortage of musicians here this time; two played the guitar, one the violin and one the bagpipe! Each volunteer was somehow unique, for example the Frenchman Julien was a professional treeclimber. In this well-tuned group of people we recalled our almost forgotten dream.

A great group – Jusan, New Zealander Toni, French Marin, Peter, Frenchmen Julien, Julien II, Jefry and our two little children in a water container J We are having the morning tea.

Tongariro Crossing

After Sunday dinner we stayed discussing and the French Julien and Jefry told us they planned to climb up the Tongariro national park. They asked who would go with them. Most of the guys nodded that it was a good idea. Janči kidded that we would go only if they would help us carrying the children and they replied – no problem. Ha! And that was it! One word led to another and two days later in the morning we were standing at the parking lot Nangatepopo in front of Tongariro. I have to admit that the day before I was full of concerns and doubts. Maori Lisa also living on Awhifarm encouraged me – you will manage it and it is definitely worth it. On the top, you will feel like in heaven. So we agreed with the guys that we would drop them off in our and Peter’s cars and they would help us carrying our kids. We stopped the Peter’s car at the beginning of the park and all nine of us used our seven-seater to get to the start. Two were sitting in front, other five in the middle and at the rear our children yelling – “car party! We have a car party!” I love them! It’s clear they are like their sociable parents.

Ngauruhoe mountain (2287 m above sea level) with a red top.

Excitement was rising with us

We could see the high mountain of Ngauruhoe (2287 m above sea level) and excitement from the starting adventure was rising. At the parking lot, we got prepared for a long tour. It was necessary to use a sun cream thoroughly because sun in New Zealand is very strong due to a thinner ozone layer. You can get burnt in a half an hour! Also a headgear is very important. Everybody put on a cap or a hat and our French friends used Moroccan turbans. And even though it was sunny and hot on that day, strong wind made our tour very unpleasant at some places. Children were running around us happily from the beginning. They felt the enthusiasm…

We had to equip properly for the alpine tourism. Especially sun is dangerous in NZ…

Sherpas

There was an agreement that all of us will share at carrying the kids. However, the children-less members of our French-Slovak tour wanted to climb up also to the top of the Ngauruhou mountain, what we could not dare. We had a two heavy load – two fifteen kilograms heavy children. Furthermore, we were too slow with the kids. So the others used the situation and went on their own. They rushed to the top. We had to meet under the hill and then to continue together through the Red Crater to the emerald lakes. It was one and a half hour up a steep hill to get to the meeting point. I admit that I strongly considered turning back. But Janči was determined as never. He was determined so much that he was carrying both kids in the first part before the rise. Sherpas should give him a medal for this effort.

Janči was carrying two 15 kg heavy children on his back in the first kilometres.

It was a fight

We stopped in front of steep serpentines. Janči put Maroško into the baby carrier. I fastened Jakub into the baby scarf. The first steps at the beginning were OK. With the increasing rise, each step became a little fight. It was not so difficult for Janči like for me. I am not even fifty kilograms heavy and Jakub’s weight is almost one third of mine. The numbers are clear. We were lucky that both kids fell asleep at the very beginning of the steep rise. We didn’t need to focus on what they said. It was a beautiful silence. No requirements – give me a drink please, a candy, I need to pee… Only silence and thanks to that I didn’t return but continued in our way up. After an hour of carrying of sleeping Jakub, I had breaks every ten meters. I was focused only on walking. My heart was beating like a bell and my feelings were changing between being hot and cold because of the wind.

Never-ending and hard way… this just reflects the way we decided for a half year ago. Fortunately, we can see the target clearly…

“Tongariro attraction”

People going around us were smiling, wondering, and even taking pictures of us. We were a “Tongariro attraction”. They addresses us with admiration and respect. My first question was always same – how far is it to the end? Until one nice lady, who took a picture of us too, replied – only few minutes to go. We climbed up and fell to the dry grass and volcano dust. The boys were not sleeping any more. They were running around us while we were catching breath. My body in the lee, on the sun, in the hot sand was decomposed by strong fatigue. Fortunately, we had one hour until our friends come down from Nguaruhoe. We ate lunch – canned spaghetti, fruits, chocolate and relaxed. When they arrived, they continued with us without any break.

Children can withstand also very demanding routes without troubles. But it is important that the parents are without troubles.

Desert, burnt out craters and emerald lakes

The second half of the steep rise was still in front of us. Fortunately, we had help this time. The kids were sitting in the carriers willingly and calmly. No protests, no tears, they were watching the landscape and listening to our discussion. The atmosphere was great and we did not perceive fatigue thanks to that. The beautiful sceneries of the moon land were breath-taking. The plateau of the Southern Crater is also called alpine desert. Ngaurahoe was on the right side and Tongariro mountain (1967 m) was on the left. We climbed up to the ridge of the Southern Crater and it opened a wonderful picture of the Red Crater for us. A red and black massif with endless view commanded respect. All of us stayed struck dumb.

Red Crater. How I relaxed when we had help for the next trekking.

Encouraged by the beautiful view, we followed up to the top. The higher, the stronger wind. At the top – 1820 m above the sea level – the wind was so strong that it was hitting us to the face and it was a problem for me to keep the camera straight. We were happy that we reached our first target Tongariro Crossing, but our joy didn’t last very long. The wind was too strong. The children started to cry. We quickly made a picture of our crew and headed down the hill toward three emerald lakes.

Our Slovak-French expedition at the top of the Red Crater 1820 meters above the sea level.

I felt like the worst mother

The emerald lakes are a wonderful natural phenomenon covered in clouds of steam diffusing sulphuric smell. I was looking forward to seeing it, how I will enjoy this beauty. The wind was so awkward that we headed down quickly, passed them and ran away from the wind to the parched Central Crater. The kids were crying. It was very awkward. I had terrible remorse. I told myself how they suffered because of our crazy ideas. I felt like the worst mother. Frenchmen Julien and Jefry noticed my stress. When I told them what I was feeling, they started to laugh. They said I was exaggerating – “the kids were crying for ten minutes, they haven’t suffered any injury and they will never remember they cried. On the contrary, this will just make them tougher and in twenty years they will show pictures to their friends where they got thanks to their parents.”Despite their uplift, my negative emotions remained. But finally they were right.

I had terrible remorse and see how it looked ten minutes later already in the Central Crater!

The ten minute cry was over. We took out the children from the carriers and they were running next to us and smiling.  At the big Blue Lake we had a one hour break. We packed out skin boiled potatoes, hard boiled eggs and cheese. What a feast! Afterwards, we had also some chocolate to refill energy and to get prepared for the second half of the tour.

Deserved break after eight hours of trekking.

Endless way

When we had already seen the most significant beauties of Tongariro Crossing, the second half was endless. From the high crater, we had to go through serpentine decline down to the forest. The view from the mountains to the countryside at Taupo lake was amazing. On the right side, we saw rising smoke from hot springs of Ketetahi. The children were quietly sitting in the carriers and we passed one serpentine after other. The route was made of a wooden walkway or reinforced with wooden footbridge. This alpine tourism was much safer in comparison with our High Tatras pathways. Our French friends, who trekked already in New Zealand before the Tongariro Crossing, said that the tourist pathways are mostly made from wooden footbridges and stairs. We didn’t need to worry about slipping down a steep slope on an unpaved way unlike in our Tatras.

The tourist pathways are built from wood. Also slopes are usually equipped with wooden stairs. More pictures in the gallery.

Ghostly noises

Just this last stage remained me about the exhaustion from the first stage when I was carrying Jakub. There was no end. When all of us thought we were already at the goal, a thick forest with high fern, palms, a stream and hot springs appeared in front of us. Noises of birds sounding in the forest were almost ghostly. Maroško was walking while Jakub was carried by Jefry. Our two-year old son was scared in the wood. He repeated that a wild boar is following us and that he is scared. I was really happy when we noticed the parking lot at Ketetahi. That was the end of the alpine tourism after eleven hours and more than nineteen kilometres. While my destroyed body fell to the grass, Jakub and Maroš played catch and jumped from the podium to the grass. It was half past eight, sun was setting and we were enjoying our dream – tired and happy.

Map of the Tongariro Crossing trek for a better orientation J