Blighmy, what a spectacular day this was, without doubt the best scenery we’ve seen! We doing it in the normal direction (less climbing that way) from the Mangatepopo roadend to Ketetahi roadend.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Soda Springs
More smelly water. Looks pretty cool though surrounded by rocky desert. This place would be an ideal spot to disguise a stray fart… That’s all I’m saying.
Christmas Day – Taranaki Falls
No prawns on the barbie for us this Christmas. It’s not even sunny this morning! A very chilly start to our walk today but we did get to have a gander at this lovely waterfall.
We’re booked into a Chateau over Christmas near here! Well almost the Chateau, actually one of the cheaper chalets round the back, but we’re still aloud to use the facilities in the big old grand 1920’s building. Other the restaurant that is.. only Nicky and my mother have the right clothes to pass their strict dinning dress code. Dads shirt sleeves weren’t long enough, my dress shirt was altogether missing and no one had shoes..Waterfalls Galore
There’s some dramatic scenery along the Whanganui River. The river has carved out deep deep cliff like channels that feel like something out of Jason and the Argonauts, or Lord of the Rings. Some of the waterfalls over time carve giant tunnels/channels off to the sides. Amazing to look at. Especially after all this rain!
Yeah most of the side streams enter the Whanganui via beautiful little waterfalls such as this. Evidence I suppose that the river can get A LOT higher than this when it’s REALLY flooding. Quite a few look like they would make great water slides, Josh was going to stop us at one that’s good for sliding, but that stream was still flooding way too much to make it doable.It’s not all horror, look at the lovely waterfall ;)
Didn’t look. Too busy trying not to die!
There were many beautiful waterfalls, deep gorges and glorious pools along this section, but whipping the budgie smugglers out of the pack for a quick swim was the last thing on our mind!Travers Falls
On the way up into the steep valley we spot a sign for a waterfall on the Travers River. A two minute diversion and well worth it! :D Cookie absolutely loved it. A chance to play with his ND filter and get some sweet shots of the crashing water pummeling down the gully. The blue water looked so tempting to have a dip in, but if you got caught under that torrent you’d be pâté pretty quick!
“Do you wanna check out this waterfall Nicky?”“Dunno, how far is it?”
“2 min”
“Oh OK then..”
In the afternoon detours have to be pretty short for us to be bothered, we get lazyier as the day draws on!
Slime & Steam
There was a bit of slime. But mostly decorative more than anything. Some person with foresight had brought up a sieve and a bucket for scooping out any floaters which might decide to invade your personal sploshing area. And even a length of plastic tube had been fashioned to allow you to direct the desired amount of warm vs red hot water around yourself. But NOT, as I’d first thought for washing your hair. Not unless you fancy a dose of fatal amoebic meningitis. ( Apparently, said the mud covered sign by the edge – Hoping that was mud. Either that or some ‘amoebic residue’ left by a previous bather in dirty protest. )
I followed the slime and steam up the hillside to find the source, it’s not very far, although neither impressive or particularly picturesque.The Two Waterfalls
This is what I was looking at while trying to eat my emergency noodle energy. And for once, i was struggling to eat ’em. I’m not great with heights and although we’ve been up a few mountains now, and climbed a few steep passes, this one is the ultimate challenge. Pretty much a straight up climb, up a cliff face that comes with a full page of warnings. Not to do it in bad weather; It’s lethal in the rain; Wind is a no no; You gotta be ultra experienced; etc etc. Basically DOC try to put the frighteners on you well before you get there. And for good reason I can see now!
I actually thought it didn’t look anywhere near as bad as I was expecting. Just look at that huge waterfall on the right, be glad we’re not going up that!Straight Up This Cliff Yeh?
The first bit looks easy, just up that grass slope. The next bit across and over the rock band looks the most difficult, then it’s up a gully (out of shot) and back across that obvious ledge near the top. Piece of cake!
No problem! ….erm….WHAT???!?
Jesus, I think he’s serious [ Gulp ]
Route up Waterfall Face:
