Mt Ruapehu and the Lower Tama Lake
On day 2 we picked up another tramper – Monika from Munich – and stomped our way through the moonscape of the eastern side of the park, eventually passing through Oturere Hut and on to Waihohonu Hut.
On the way the views of Ruapehu were impressive, to say the least, and when we reached our destination, we dropped our packs and wandered off to the Ohinepango Springs, where gallons of water pours out of the rock every second, creating a pretty little river in the wilderness.
The girls swam, but in a typical show of male cowardice I stayed on dry land, seeing as my hand had gone numb with cold when I'd filled up my water bottles from the spring.
And that night the silhouette of Ruapehu beside a clear sunset was a real sight to behold...
