Central North Island

Central North Island and “King Country"

The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand.
From Lake Taupo, it snakes it’s way 425 km’s northwest to the Tasman Sea.

























My father and brother, Beni, drove up to Hamilton to celebrate

the New Year with us. Doing a long distance hike with family close by is a

welcomed benefit. In this picture, (at the trail head on Jan 1, 2013), there are 3 generations of Paroli’s.

Rolling hills and farm land of “King Country”

Also, some rugged areas with steep climbs...  

and challenging bush to get through.

D.O.C. huts (Dept of Conservation) are found in many areas of the country;

and are a welcome site for the weary hiker, especially when the weather is

nasty outside.

Having lunch on a farmers lawn, under the watchful eye

of our new found friend.

On the back roads, heading towards Tongariro National Park.

Looking east towards Lake Taupo from Togariro National Park.
Lake Taupo is actually a crater, and known as the largest fresh water lake in the southern hemisphere. Scientists predict it was created by the largest volcanic eruption ever to have occurred in the world. The lake is 46 km’s long, and hosts some of the best trout fishing in New Zealand.

Tongariro National Park has 3 active volcanoes.  This picture shows Mt. Ruapahu.

It is an the largest active volcano in New Zealand, and last erupted on September 25, 2007.

Looking at Mt. Ngauruhoe in center and Mt. Tongariro to the left

(flatter looking mountain).

New Zealand sits on “The rim of fire”, and has many fault lines running throughout the country.

Deep valleys and gorges covered with native bush and vibrant rivers and streams.

Question:  New Zealand has approximately the same square miles of land as which

                State in the USA? 

In upcoming blogs, I will summarize the first 1,000 km’s, (600 miles), of our hike through the country, and will highlight the “Gear” that we carry in our back packs (which has gone through some transformation).

Also, I will share 2 short stories of incredible coincidences that we will never forget.