The Tongariro Circuit ~ New Zealand (Aotearoa)

Our first of the New Zealand Great Walks: the Tongariro Circuit. I did the day hike 10 years ago with Mark, but we were basically in a cloud the entire day and couldn’t see a thing. I’ve been really looking forward to actually seeing the mountains and features!

This circuit is a 4-day hike. We had hut space reserved for the three nights. New Zealand has an extensive system of huts all over the islands. Over 950 of them!

Day one started with… clouds and drizzle. But the forecast was for clearing the next day. I was oh-so-hopeful! So the photos from the first day became a study in raindrops…