I was hoping for a white Christmas,…

But instead I got a nasty sunburn. It is definitely no fun to go outside without any sunscreen on. Never do that! You will regret it! Only 10 minutes later you will be bright pink and sore. And that hurts terribly!
After the Tongariro Crossing I was absolutely exhausted. However, I could not go to bed directly- first I had to find my pyjamas – That was the only thing I had left in the backpackers. Come on- who’s going to steal my pyjamas?!! Finally, I found them in the washing machine of the backpackers. I relaxed in the hot spa pool as compensation. Nice- but a little bit dangerous when you are extremely tired.
Anyway, the next day, on the 24th of December I headed towards Taupo. On my way over there I had a look at a few touristy spots.

Tawhai Falls

A ‘castle’ at the bottom of Mount Ruapehu (nothing compared to the European castles, but…) If I had not seen Mt Ruapehu the day before I would not have believed that there is such a humongous mountain in the background.

Lake Taupo

My car :-)

Huka Falls

Craters of the Moon

In the afternoon I met Jeremy again in Taupo. I spent Christmas together with his large family.

The Freak – a cousin

The storyteller – Granddad!

A little rascal – a cousin!

Jeremy’s sister and a cousin

One of Jeremy’s brothers – Thanks for staying at your place!

His girlfriend and a cousin

Leroy – he personifies everything Great Britain is about. Queen Elizabeth’s Darling – he used to work in Buckingham Palace.

Leroy’s flatmate from Alaska – in the same situation as me – homeless at Christmas ;-)

Cool Man – Jeremy’s Dad!

Always in a good mood – Jeremy’s Mom!

Instead of celebrating Christmas Eve at home, we went out dancing and shared drinking customaries. The next morning the distribution of presents took place. And again we had Eggs Benedict und lots of Ham and Bacon. Later in the day we met up with a few other families and had a spontaneous lawn ball competition. Actually I forgot who the winner in the end was, but it was lots of fun.

Jeremy in action!

Lawn Ball needs lots of concentration!

Here I am – One of the Maori family!

It’s amazing what you can do with one hand at a time:-P

Leroy in action!

Actually this freak was dead good in playing lawn balls.

Special moves – with special effects

A top lawn ball professional

Yeap... you have to kick this ball over there!!

Ohjeee…..

Tongariro Crossing

The next day I got up early to catch the bus shuttle to the Tongariro Crossing. On my way over there I could see the summit of Mt Ruapehu. Minutes later the peak was covered by clouds. Nevertheless the view of Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro was breathtaking.
When I managed the first steep part of the walk I met a German. After a small talk we realised that we had more than just the same backpack in common, we were both walking alone… so we decided to join each other for the rest of the Crossing. Actually that was a very good idea, because I was a little bit worried about my knee. Nearly one year ago, I got terrible problems with my knee. Now, I am not able to run anymore, although running was and is my great passion. I hope, one day I will be in shape again for a marathon. I still hope to find a competent doctor, when I am back in Germany. My gosh!!! I am only 21 years old! So in case, somebody who can recommend a qualified doctor reads this, tell me!!!! I will be more than grateful!
Most of the walk I managed without any pain, but the last two hours I had to wear my uncomfortable and mostly useless bandage. I could not really enjoy it. I can tell you… I learnt to love climbing uphill more than walking or running downhill, because I know I won’t have any problems with my knee on the way to the top.
Nevertheless the view of the mountains and all the other natural wonders more than compensate for the pain associated with it.
Just to give you a gist of what this Great Walk is like, here a few sentences out of my tourist guide:
“Reputedly the best one-day walk in New Zealand. The walk traverses spectacular volcanic geography, from an active crater to steaming vents. And the views ain’t bad either. It covers the most spectacular features of the Tongariro Northern Circuit between the Mangatepopo and Ketetahi Huts…The track passes through vegetation zones ranging from alpine scrub and tussock, to places of higher altitude where there is no vegetation at all, to the lush podocarp forest as you descend from Ketetahi Hut towards the end of the track.” (Lonely Planet – New Zealand; p. 315-316)

Additionally I did a side trip from the main track to the summit of Mt Tongariro. From there we had a stunning view of Mt Ngaurahue. But as soon as we got back onto the main track a cloud came quickly and the summit of Mt Tongariro was gone. We can be so happy, that we had been there in the right time.

This walk is definitely a special one. You obtain the impression being on another planet. Marvellous! And it is definitely worth a journey for all Lord of the Ring fans.
Hope, you guys enjoy the pics!!!

One of my favourites!