Following the yellow brick road to the castle ? Today had a definite Wizard of Oz vibe about it. An ominous castle-like mountain ahead in the distance. Our destination with it’s spiky battlements, it’s name: The Pinnacles. Slowly, slowly in the heat we wound our way up and up, along the whinedy wiggling yellow stoney road. It seemed to go ooon forever! We pushed through the dense hot wall of heat, our faces and clothes saturated with sweat, one foot in front of the other… On further and further, no shade to catch our breath in.
That’s where we’re trying to get today, a hut just below that spiky summit in the distance. Bloody hell, it’s already afternoon and it still looks miles away.. Best get a move on!
We met up with my Mum & Dad over Christmas and explored Rotorua and the Tongariro National Park. Lots of spectacular volcanic terrain and our first sight of snow up on top of Mt Ruapehu.
A bit of a walk this arvo up Rainbow Mountain to stretch the legs. The volcanic rocks come in burgundy, orange, purple, yellow, grey, green, white and black. Hence the name I guess ;) Sweet view from the top too.
Not an amazingly interesting walk, but I had read about a nice hot spring nearby called Kerosene Creek, sadly the trail down to it was closed.. Due to leg melting chemicals, who knows?