Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

The willow is too close to the house.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Infrastructure week. at last.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

You are here: Home / Photo Blogging / On The Road / On The Road – Paul in St. Augustine – Tongariro Crossing 1 of 2

On The Road – Paul in St. Augustine – Tongariro Crossing 1 of 2

by | 7 Comments

This post is in: ,

On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.

From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.

Submit Your Photos

Paul in St. Augustine

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is one of the best day treks in New Zealand, and it’s considered one of the top 10 day treks on the planet. It’s a one way 12 mile trip, beginning at an elevation of 3700 feet above sea level. The summit of the trek is at 6200 feet, and the trek ends at 2500 feet. Tongariro National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Area, and in 1993 became the first in the world to receive a cultural World Heritage designation from that organization.

On The Road - Paul in St. Augustine - Tongariro Crossing 1 of 2 6

Ketatahi Carpark is the destination. Hiking time is seven to eight hours.

On The Road - Paul in St. Augustine - Tongariro Crossing 1 of 2 2

The trail began with a slow increase in elevation.

On The Road - Paul in St. Augustine - Tongariro Crossing 1 of 2 3

As the ascent began, the trail became narrower.

On The Road - Paul in St. Augustine - Tongariro Crossing 1 of 2 4

The Devil’s Staircase is the most difficult part of the ascent, climbing about 700 feet in slightly less than a mile.

On The Road - Paul in St. Augustine - Tongariro Crossing 1 of 2 5

As you twist and turn your way up the Staircase, the scenery–and the weather–change dramatically.

On The Road - Paul in St. Augustine - Tongariro Crossing 1 of 2 1

The next part of the trek is through the South Crater of Mt. Tongariro. A nice respite from the previous hour’s worth of climbing, with also a glimpse of the climb ahead.

On The Road - Paul in St. Augustine - Tongariro Crossing 1 of 2

At the time of this trip, mid November is the middle of spring, so the weather changes rapidly.

Reader Interactions

7Comments

  1. 1.

    annamal

    My grandmother celebrated her 80th birthday by walking Tongariro with the family, it was amazing.

  3. 3.

    stinger

    Fascinating! I love the “restfulness” of the South Crater portion (and the implication that there are other craters). Also, way to go, annamal’s grandmother!

    Looking forward to the follow-up set of photos, Paul!

  4. 4.

    JanieM

    Wow, that’s an amazing landscape. I like the way you’ve given us a sense of how it changes as you go on. Agree with stinger about annamal’s grandmother!

  5. 5.

    dnfree

    We were on a tour when we went to New Zealand in 2017, but it was a beautiful two weeks of varied and gorgeous scenery.  But we felt mild temblors while we were there and saw the damage in Christchurch. Thanks for sharing this hike.

  6. 6.

    way2blue

    So South Island?  The landscape is sparser than I would have imagined—reminds me of the Scottish Highlands.  Thanks for sharing.

Comments are closed.