S03E08 | Introduction to the Tongariro Northern Circuit // Tips for Hiking New Zealand Great Walks

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

It's been SUCH a long time coming (for which I apologise) but HERE IT IS! The next video in the New Zealand Great Walks series, an introduction to the Tongariro Northern Circuit! The full video series of my 3 day hike of the Tongariro Northern Circuit to begin next week!!! :D :)

[@waynowski]

really well presented video..

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

@@waynowski Thank you so much!

[@ruingakakano6169]

I have recently discovered your channel and am loving it! Thanks for making these videos. I’m very much a beginner and am learning a lot from you. Ngā mihi nui.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

This channel is dedicated to helping beginners and amateurs like me, so I'm glad you've found it!

[@goldenscales]

Love what you did with your hair! Great new look!

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@rs889]

Very informative great video

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Glad you found it helpful! Thank you :D

[@binman5233]

Wonderful comprehensive vid. Thank you.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thanks!! Nice to see you back here... It's been a while! 😊

[@tsi4service]

Hey Michelle, thank you for your videos, informative and entertaining but more importantly inspirational. I’m coming to do this walk at the end of March 24. I’m going anti clockwise for this one. Will comment again after I’ve completed it. I’m a solo walker at the moment as my daughter is only 9 so getting ready to open her horizons to these walks when she’s capable of doing them. I’ve used your videos as inspiration for Raven so show what can be achieved. Kia Ora from Bathurst Australia 🇦🇺

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Hey! Thank you so much for touching base and letting me know your plans. I'd love to hear how you get on. I'm in the process of updating all my Tongariro content to now mention the new booking system which DOC recently implemented (make sure to check the DOC website for more information about that). I'm glad you're trying to educate Raven at a young age about the beauty of the outdoors. With a great mentor like that, I'm sure she'll be an adventurer in no time!

[@emmabulmer32]

Looks like an amazing place to explore stunning volcano. Your incredibly lucky living in a country with such amazing trails. Loving your hair too. ❤️

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thanks and thanks Emma! It is a bit nerve wracking though, as Mt Ruapehu in particular goes through heating cycles and you're never quite sure how close you might be to an eruption (we're currently in another heating cycle now, as this article mentions:www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/300355731/weekend-tremors-a-sign-mt-ruapehus-crater-lake-is-heating-up). The last major eruption was in 1995, so we're probably due for another!

[@emmabulmer32]

@@LongWhiteGypsy well I take my hat off to you doing that trail with that fear/knowledge in the back of your mind. I think knowing it’s in a heating cycle and could go any time would keep me far far away like in my little home in Australia far away 😂. Well done keep facing these scary things. Respect to you x

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

@@emmabulmer32 Haha I'm staying WELL away at the moment, these videos are from my trip back at Easter time, so there was no heating at that time! But thanks for your confidence in my lack of fear lol!!

[@Nora_meow99]

Cool circuit! 😍💖

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Yes it certainly is... love this track, could do it multiple times every year :)

[@heatherwickham6516]

Great video Michelle love the graphics you have used. 👍

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Why thank you Heather, glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful! The graphics always take the longest, but they're well worth it!

[@parisrose8173]

For what it's worth (my opinion, that is), you've actually got quite good at presenting. The image change was distracting at first, but you handled the "Volcanic Hazards" segment really well, like a pro... that was a bunch of words. Big ones. Thanks again Gypsy. Oh and as for the content, well that held up for it's self. I'm a hella jealous. HESR.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

You're very welcome Paris, glad you have found it helpful information anyway! Thanks again (as always) for your kind comments... and sorry for the wee delay in responding! Hope you're keeping safe and well.

[@rosalind1048]

Brilliant!

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thanks Rosalind. Are you planning on hiking this track in the future??

[@rosalind1048]

@@LongWhiteGypsy Yes, considering taking my son next year. Appreciated such a comprehensive video, especially when planning to take a 12 yr old along. He's just had his first overnight at the Pinnacles in Coromandel and I'm also doing Tongiriro Crossing again and Milford track later this year. Your videos are a great help.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

@@rosalind1048 This is AWESOME Rosalind, how did he like the Pinnacles? Mum and I overnighted at Pinnacles Hut about a month ago, and felt like we went through the rinse cycle a few times on the way down... it was POURING!

[@MrHonification]

Great video cheerz

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

You're welcome! Are you heading out on this track this summer?

[@whenindoubtgohiking8074]

This is getting me amped up to do one last multiday hike before i go back to the States.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

All I'd say is make sure you choose well!

[@weka6533]

Great video thanks. For the foreigners when the borders reopen, NZ sun is some of the harshest you will find in the world. You will burn faster and deeper here blistering, more than you have ever encountered before. Sunscreen spf 80+ is a must, as too is sun protection. Aussies, that goes for you too. I’m hoping to do the crossing in November for the first time. Currently training for it. Northern circuit I’m sure will be quickly on the the next to do list. Lol.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thanks for drawing people's attention to the sun here in NZ. Being an immigrant myself (although a 20+ year kiwi) it's one of those things that was a real shock to us when we first moved here, coming from the comparatively less strong sunshine region of the northern hemisphere. I've had very bad burns on two or three occassions to large parts of my body, which have almost resulted in hospitalisation because of the area covered, so it's not something to be trifled with! Good luck with the Crossing!! Should be a great time of year to attempt it, although the weather may still be a little unsettled and chilly up there at that time. And i'm sure you'll be hooked and booking your Northern Circuit trip soon after!

[@giacomofontana8857]

Hi Michelle, thank you so much for the great video. I plan to solo hike this trail and a section of Around the Mountain in a few weeks, and I am looking to rent a Personal Location Beacon. Do you have any advice on where I can find one in Auckland or National Park? Thanks!!!

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Yes absolutely, I believe you can hire PLBs from the DOC Visitor Centre at Whakapapa village. Otherwise, check out your local bivouac or macpac store in Auckland, they usually hire them too! If you're still stuck, check out locatorbeaconz.co.nz or the mountain safety council PLB hire page for more ideas. I'd recommend ringing ahead first to check availability. Good luck, and have a safe trip!

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Oh also, if you're using a shuttle bus to get to the trailhead, they may hire beacons to their walkers as well, so ask them and find out!

[@DorisHikingAdventures]

YAY!! Thank you for this video :D :D PS: I love your puffy jacket ( I have the same one 😂😂❤)

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

You're very welcome Dori! Glad to see you back here, loving your recent videos also!! Hope lockdown isn't too bad for you (I think you're in a lockdown-affected area?!)

[@CarolinaAcuna-v8u]

Hey! Thanks for such an informative video! I tried to access your gear list, but the web seems to be suspended. Is there any chance I can access that list somehow? Thanks again :)

[@EagleEyeNZ]

Good informative video, thanks Michelle. How are you making the Google Earth flyover with route? Got to be in fast to book hut accommodation for sure.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thank you very much! Glad you like it :) I use a programme called Google Earth Studio to make the flyovers... it's the part of making these videos that takes the longest! Yes you have to be in fast, although if you're hiking any time outside of the busiest 2-4 weeks of the summer season (over Christmas and New Year) bookings are MUCH easier to get.

[@EagleEyeNZ]

@@LongWhiteGypsy Thank yu for reply and info :-)

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

@@EagleEyeNZ You're welcome :)

[@CarlosWilkie]

Hey hows ya anxiety this week? Love the hair color and style Hows tilly doing too?

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thanks Carlos! All very well here. Tilly is fab and keeping us all on our toes!!

[@robertdean1579]

It sounds like eruptions there tend to be phreatic. Is there typically much warning of a pending eruption? A lot of the volcanoes in the USA tend to give quite a bit of warning before erupting.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

At one point in my life I used to know a fair bit about the underlying geology of this region, but it was all high school volcanology so I'm unsure of the exact science behind it. What I can tell you is that the volcanoes of this region tend to be primarily andesite and rhyolite. The andesitic volcanoes (such as Ruapehu and Tongariro) are generally above sea level and don't contain a lot of water (except what might be present in a crater lake) so they are violent but typically less so. The rhyolitic volcanoes are slightly different, because typically they have formed craters which are now filled with water Lake Taupo is the largest example of this, with a substantial body of water now filling the hole left by the Oruanui eruption about 26,000 years ago. If the Taupo volcano were to erupt now, it would likely be incredibly violent due to the presence of so much water. As for warning, it really varies depending on the particular volcano. Obviously most volcanoes will have some sort of seismic indicator as the movement of magma underneath the surface disturbs the crust and creates a series of small earthquakes. Also, if there is a crater lake, such as on Mt Ruapehu, often an increase in volcanic activity can be precursed by rising temperature of the lake water, so this is something that is actively monitored on Ruapehu. But most of the time eruptions occur with little or no warning, such as the recent 2012 eruption from the Te Maari crater on Mt Tongariro which shot rocks as far as 2 kilometres into the air. Thankfully, no one was injured. Also, the recent 2019 eruption on White Island was unforeseen by GNS and other monitors. So really, as with most natural disasters, there is no real way to predict when an eruption is likely to happen.

[@robertdean1579]

@@LongWhiteGypsy Thank you for your in depth reply to my question.

[@clairepearson3811]

Do you have an opinion on a relatively fit person, but not very experienced hiker doing this late nov or early dec? I know there’s no guarantee on weather but don’t want to be unsafe. I am from Wellington so wind shouldn’t bother me too much lol

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Hey Claire! Sure, I have an opinion, because I'm planning on taking a less experienced hiker up there around that sort of time 😄 It will all really come down to the weather. I am booked in with my Mum to repeat this track in early December. We're supposed to be hiking anti-clockwise from Whakapapa Village and taking the full 4 days. Our plan is to just take it as it comes and see what the weather looks like on our weekend. For us, it's a little easier, because we live so close to the track, so it's easy to arrange alternative transport to another trailhead and re-jig our plans a little. Let's say the weather is less than ideal, this is how I see things playing out: I don't see much of an issue with us reaching Mangatepopo on the first day. The worst case scenario is that it will be too wet and we won't be able to cross some of the streams on this section. If not, we'll turn back to the village and get a lift round to Mangatepopo Hut which is only a short walk from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing carpark. So we can still have a night out. The next day, regardless of the forecast, we'll probably make our way up the Mangatepopo Valley anyway. We'll get in some hill/stair training on the Devil's Staircase (it's still relatively sheltered here, so as long as you're prepared with warm and waterproof clothes there's not too much risk) and follow it up to the rim of South Crater. This is where we'll make a decision as to whether or not we'll continue on. On a good day you should be able to see all the way across South Crater, and there should be very little wind. We will of course have checked with the hut warden before leaving the hut. If the wind speed is forecast at more than 50km/hr we probably won't be going much further than the other side of South Crater anyway, because the wind on the next section through to Emerald Lakes will be the worst and will be risky for Mum who's not that sure on her feet on rocky terrain. So we would turn around and walk back to the TAC carpark and get picked up by Dad. He would then shuttle us around to another trailhead. If we'd made it all the way up to South Crater before turning around, I'd get him to shuttle us either back home or back to Whakapapa Village to spend a night. However if we'd woken up on Day 2 and decided the weather was just going to be too bad to get over regardless, rather than wasting time going up to South Crater I'd seriously think about getting him to shuttle us around to either the Ketetahi end of the track, and we'd walk up from there to the Oturere track junction, or else I'd get a lift round to the Desert Road and re-enter the track at Waihohonu. This allows us to still potentially make it to Oturere Hut, but would depend a lot on weather and time, how quickly we could get to those trailheads because they are still 4-5 hour hikes to the hut. But if we could do this, then we'd be able to stick to our original schedule and effectively just 'skip' the TAC section which is the most exposed to weather. If this wasn't possible, then I'd head back to Whakapapa Village on the Mangatepopo Track, again stay a night at Whakapapa (forego my stay at Oturere Hut) and then the next day hike out to Waihohonu Hut from Whakapapa Village. This is about a 5-6 hour hike and although can be a bit tricky in inclement weather, if you have your wits about you and are making sure to follow the marked track and poles shouldn't present too much of an issue. Just remember to turn right at the Tama Lakes junction!! It will mean doing an out and back to Waihohonu and Hiking along the same section of track twice, but it's all good training and you get to experience a little bit more of the park. If you're able to arrange alternate transport, you can also hike straight out to the Desert Rd from Waihohonu Hut in about 1.5 - 2 hours, which means you can do a bit of exploring along the Oturere section of track in the morning if you really want to (highly recommend this!). Bit long winded, I know, but hopefully that helps you make some plans. And maybe we'll even see you out there! Best of luck xoxo

[@OutdoorsmanDave]

Well done Michelle, journalism career next? My last video on the crossing is an example of “when not to continue on the crossing” but hey, I’m an adventure channel! You look lovely btw.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Haha thanks Dave, thanks for the feedback. I had to cull a lot of information from this video, otherwise it was tracking towards nearly 45 mins long, so I will also have to make another video sometime covering these things. I'm committed to bringing awareness to the dangers of this particular park and environment, living so close, and seeing so many people perish every year. It's a constant effort, as you will know, but every little piece of info we put out there helps somehow!