Day 68 - Turangi to Wangarui (via Tongariro National Park)

Apart from the day not starting too well (I was stung twice on the leg yesterday by an identified pesky insect and didn't feel my best early on), it's been a beautiful day of volcanoes (1x steam rising and 2x snow-topped), ski-fields, vivid green crushed velvety hillsides - all simply bloody gorgeous.

We started out of Turangi towards the river

and a volcano seeping steam

And behind the steamer (aka Mount Tongariro - 1,978m/6,490 ft) was Tongariro National Park (established in 1887, as the first national park in NZ; it's a dual World Heritage area, recognising the park's important Maori cultural and spiritual associations as well as its outstanding volcanic features)....

guest-starring Mount Ruapehu (with a crater lake apparently and a ski resort - last erupted 25 September 2007 and due for another any time soon...)

and the youngster, Mount Ngauruhoe (first erupted about 2,500 years ago).

And then on, via sheep-studded (baaa) hillsides and deliciously cooling rivers

to Wangarui, with its elegant viewing tower

yes, that is Duncan at the top...

looking down at me, waving back