Australia's Canada Strikes Again (Or, That Time I Went On an Epic Trip to New Zealand)
I’m a nerd. So,when it was time to return to New Zealand for another Epic Trails shoot,I felt as happy as a hobbit drinking half pints at the Green Dragon.
For my firstadventure, I headed to Mt. Hikurangi near Gisborne—a beautiful mountain thatjust so happens to be the first place on earth to greet the new day’s sun. Locatedon the eastern edge of New Zealand, this special place is also the NorthIsland’s highest non-volcanic mountain. A difficult hike to the top of Mt.Hikurangi would put us high enough in the atmosphere to watch the sun risebefore anyone else.
We met Monty Manuelof Maunga Hikurangi at the beginning of the Te Ara ki Hikurangi track. Monty is a barrel-chested man who lookslike he could have a career playing for the All Blacks. He welcomed me with atraditional mihi (greeting) and karakia (blessing) before we setoff on the trail.
The trail beginsat Pakihiroa Station, a large-scale sheep farm nestled deep in the RaukumaraRanges, and gradually winds uphill. Following the trail, we hiked through lushgreen meadows full of grazing sheep, high above the river we crossed whereMonty and I had first met, and ever closer to the hut that would be our refugefor a short night.
The weather waschanging rapidly as we approached our base camp for the night. Luckily, the badweather held off just long enough for us to visit a beautiful display of whakairo(Maori carvings) that stood tall in a clearing. Nine carvings, eachrepresenting different aspects of the Maori mythology, stood around Maui, thedemi-god.
Monty and Ientered the circle through the eastern gate. This was a place that felt ancientand sacred. These carvings stand tall, some at least twenty feet in height.They are all extremely impressive, carved with rich detail and care. Here,Monty shared with me stories from the Ngati Porou people. It was an honor toexperience this place with Monty as a guide—and a friend.
The storm that hadbeen so kindly holding off while we hiked finally caught up to us. We were hitwith hail, snow, rain and strong winds. It forced us to flee the sacred circleand head up the mountain and to the hut for shelter. The hut was rustic, but itprovided a warm place to wait out the storm and get a few hours of sleep beforewaking up at 2 a.m. to make the summit.
The storm passedas we slept. At 2 a.m., the alarm went off and we began our slow march upHikurangi in the dark and cold, navigating through native forests and tussockfields. At around 5 am we reached the last bit of vertical—a steep scree slopethat was now covered in several inches of snow. The summit of Hikurangi wastall enough to scrape the snow out of the clouds before it rained on the restof New Zealand. We arrived at the summit just as the horizon began to glow.There, Monty and I awaited the daybreak. As the sun broke over the horizon,Monty welcomed the new day with a karakia, a traditional Maori blessing.Monty was blessing the day for the rest of the world who would be experiencing thesunrise after us.
Before leaving Gisborne, we had to make astop at one of New Zealand’s original amusement parks. This one, however, wasmade by nature.
The Rere rockslide is a perfect 60-meter rock slope in a canyon. The cascading water and a thin film of algae make for one hell of a slip and slide. I just so happened to arrive at the rockslide at the same time as a school group. I quickly found myself defending my honor against 50 school children, racing them all down the rockslide. I was more than happy to have the day’s lesson be all about humility (for them, not for me), for they were constantly embarrassed in each-and-every race down the slide.
From Gisborne, wetraveled to the west side of the North Island, to New Plymouth. Here, Mt.Taranaki is the ancient ancestor who presides over the land. A beautiful,volcanic cone with amazing symmetry, Taranaki stands tall above the rest ofsurrounding flat land.
Taranaki reacheshigh into the sky, and snow covers much of the mountain. I met up with DaveBolger, an alpine mountain guide with Top Guides, to hike the Pouakai Crossing. The Crossing is one of the classic hiking routes inthe North Island and is part of the Pouakai Circuit, a popular track thatcircumnavigates the mountain high upon its shoulders.
The sun wasshining brilliantly on Mt. Taranaki the day we arrived. But Dave, familiar withthis mountain, was wary of what was in store for us. The weather looked to beturning. Sure enough, that night, the wind began to howl with terrificferocity. Clouds and rain moved in and were due to settle upon the mountain forthe foreseeable future.
Nonetheless, the following morning, we set off to hike the Pouakai Crossing. We had high hopes as we began our hike through the Goblin Forest—sunlight was peeking through the native bush as we walked up the immaculately constructed boardwalks towards the Pouakai Hut. We were looking forward to taking a short detour off the track to visit the famous Pouakai Tarns, where on a fine day you can see Taranaki reflected in the water. However, extreme wind and rainy conditions greeted us on our ascent up the mountain and, as we approached the hut, we knew this a visit to the Tarns wouldn’t be possible. At times, the wind was so intense that it was a challenge just to remain on our feet! But we endured, hiking through the fog and the rain. Even with the lack of visibility, being on the mountain was special. It’s an incredible place even when you can only see a few feet around you. I can’t imagine how incredible it is under bluebird skies.
Photo: Lukasz Larsson Warzecha
We stayed on themountain for three days, hiking to “viewpoints” and trying to see if we’d getlucky with a break in the clouds. But sadly, luck was not on our side. Themountain remained hidden from us. I guess I’ll just have to return and takeanother crack at seeing this formidable mountain in all its glory.
We retreated fromthe mountain and headed into New Plymouth to explore. The same weather systemthat hampered our efforts on Mt. Taranaki was also interfering with thetypically world-class surf conditions along the Taranaki coast. Seeing as how Iam not a world-class surfer that didn’t stop me from getting in the water (withsome help from local pro, Daisy Day). Despite strong winds and unfavorableswell, the sun was shining, and I was smiling, as I stood up in the small wavesfor the first time.
With shining sunand peaks hiding, it only made sense to head over to the local brewpub, ShiningPeak Brewing, for a post-surf pint and round of cornhole. The guys at ShiningPeak have created an amazing atmosphere and it was the perfect way to wrap upan incredible second trip to New Zealand. I am already daydreaming about athird.