Tongariro crossing (Mordor)

The Tongariro crossing was great, excellent weather mostly and lots to see.  The walk is supposed to be one of the best one day walks in the world or New Zealand or somewhere.  I liked it!  It crosses through the middle of what was Mordor in the films and you walk past the bottom of mount doom (with the option to climb it - didn't have enough time so I thought).  I got dropped at the start of the track about 7.30 in the morning, before the sun had even come up over the mountain.  You walk up the valley then up a really steep hill covered in black volcanic rocks (pretty hard going) then up onto a huge flat crater that looks like a moonscape. The next bit up to Red crater was quite steep again and there were clouds covering the top and a lot of wind.  Didn't get to go to the summit of mount Tongariro as planned because I couldn't see the path... Guess there wouldn't have been much of a view anyway. Coming down the other side of the crater was like sliding down a big sand dune then there were bright blue lakes towards the bottom.  It smelled pretty bad, sulphur pools I think. After another flat crater and a bit more hill you get round the mountain and there are great views of a couple of lakes, one of them lake Taupo I think. As you go down from here you go through areas with moss and stuff growing, then small plants then long pricky grasses then into rainforest.  Lots of variety, the rainforest at the end is so different from the moonscape craters with nothing at all growing.  Anyway enough rambling...  At the end I had a few hours to wait for the bus so I had a lie down on the grass, lovely.

Today I came to Taupo, have been for a walk along the lake which is lovely and cold.  Theres a great view of Mount Tongariro and the Mount Doom one.  Am now going to rest my legs..