Tongariro Not Crossed
On a cloudless sun shining day I pulled into the Tongariro National Park with no intention of going anywhere near the Tongariro Crossing. I was actually looking for The Old Coach Road but I came across the signage for the crossing and figured “why not?”
As you have seen from the title I did not cross the crossing. I walked an hour in and absolutely loved it. The terrain was pretty boring, lots of rocks and grass, not too much to see. But the beautiful blue skies, the magnificent mountains and vast openness made you feel like you were part of something mighty. With every step and every kick of a rock my mind wandered to where-ever it likes to wander to but there was a sense of calm over everything. A sense that everything would work out okay.
There’s nothing wrong in my life, but it’s always nice to get that feeling.
Before leaving on the walk I met someone who stopped me for a chat and asked how far I was going in. I told them not that far, I was just there to stretch my legs. He replied “Then what’s the point?” I sighed and said “I don’t know.”
But now I do know. This quick walk gave me a taste of something great, something so mighty I couldn’t even begin to think about what lay ahead of me. It’s made me want to come back and do the walk properly. So I will.
I also came across a rock that looked like a gremlin. Win-win.
