Hangin' out in Mordor

Dragging ourselves from Matt's comfy floor and all that Napier had to offer, it was back to the big countryside this country has to offer and off on the sulphur-smelling Thermal Highway. We mean to spend the last of our precious country time before Auckland checking out the volcanic wonders of the central plateau, so first stop on the road was Taupo. After denying ourselves the misery of all the 3 and 4-day "tramps" on offer in the South Island, I was determined to make sure we did at least one decent day walk, and the Tongoriro Crossing near Taupo was reputed to be the best in the country offering arduous clambering and spectacular views... Matt decided to join us but warned of the forecast of high wind, and so we decided to join up with one of the adventure companies which would set us off early, spare us transport nightmares at the end and give us time in the morning for a fat-boy fried breakfast. Unfortunately, this meant putting up with the usual tour operator hype at 0730, where it seems each activity in this country has to be sold as some "xtreme" near-death experience, but hey man why not? Totally rad and all that...Sweet, ey?! After 45 minutes of this at the hands of a monkey on a microphone, at least it ensured that all of us would get off the bus .
0810 the 3 of us struck off on the remarkably well-defined motorway track along with around 100 other "adventurous" types, and we all wondered what was in store. Soon, however, the first of many tests was thrown our way. As we passed the volcano used as LOTR "Mount Doom", we saw the Devil's Staircase in front of us; a 500m ascent of volcanic rock pathway into a cloudy abyss. Not sure which of us should be playing Gollum, the party struggled upwards on our quest for a precious lunch spot. From our sunny planning in hot Napier the whole endeavour looked folly as we were blown by 60kph winds from crest to saddle, climbing for over 2 hours and struggling on layer after layer as the wind and mist froze us...Finally arriving over the other side, we glimpsed wide forbidding craters and crystal clear pools before being able to descend into the comparative shelter on the other side of Mount Tongariro...truly Mordor!
By the time we stopped for our packed lunch, including ham and tomato sarnies made by yours truly, legs were aching and sadly underused muscles stiffening; not even the downhill offered respite as we winced past the last huts and through the lava fields and beech forests to the waiting buses below. After 6 hours of totally unnecessary activity, the ideal tonic awaited us in Taupo, though, as we put all that geothermal activity to good use; a hot springs spa before the deserved pie and a pint! Rach decided that she is glad to have done it, but since I now have to join her in an activity it looks like we're off to Prawn World tomorrow...help!