I still remember our family vacation in 2019 when we took a long flight to New Zealand for a 3-week adventure. There, we hiked the Tongariro Alpine Crossing together. It was an intense hike, but look at that view!
Honestly, I was scared about the hike at first since a few weeks before our visit, someone actually died in Mt Tongariro’s Red Crater Plus, I was unsure if I’ll survive the infamous ‘Devil’s Staircase’ since we all knew I wasn’t as athletically fit as everyone else. Though, we wanted to do this hike as a family and I couldn’t disappoint my family, so I mustered up the courage to go through with it.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is a 19.4 km hike. Most people start early in the morning so they can finish in the daylight. We woke up at 7 am, walked from where we were staying to the bus stop, then started our journey at 8 am.
It took us 9 hours, but it was worth it in every aspect. After all, this hike was coined the ‘best single day hike in New Zealand’
We climbed through volcanic terrain, old lava fields, and every step of the ‘Devil’s Staircase’ (that was killer for me). There were emerald-coloured lakes, smoke and fog, and lots of mud. It was cold, then windy, then it warmed up with the sun coming out, before we got rained on heavily towards the end of the trek.
When we saw the 19 k marker, we knew we could almost go home. A memorable part of our trip to New Zealand – not sure if I’m up for another one of these intense hikes, but I’ll love to visit New Zealand again in the future. If you ever have a chance to visit New Zealand, definitely visit Tongariro National Park to get a taste of the beauty I witnessed.
Check out my full Instagram post here. Remember: “Always challenge yourself to be stronger and bolder. You cannot reach your greatest potential without pushing yourself to be better.”