What rotten luck: we arrive at one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand and it’s shrouded in mist! The dramatic vista of snow-capped volcanoes is simply non-existent, the landscape smothered by a heavy, white silence.

We should have expected it, I know, embarking upon a campervan trip in winter. On with the anoraks it is. Now we’re here, we can still walk to Taranaki Falls – the backdrop just won’t be quite as impressive. Fortunately, the backdrop turns out to be impressive in its own way. The mist makes me think of Celtic fairy tales. It’s moody in a good way. As we stroll through it, the clouds let through a single beam of late afternoon sunlight, which gilds it briefly. But still no volcanoes.

The Taranaki Falls Walk is a two-hour loop track starting and ending in Whakapapa Village. Follow the road that branches off from the main road, behind the Chateau Tongariro. It’s one of the best – and easiest – walks in Tongariro National Park, perfect if you’d rather not commit a full day to the Tongariro Crossing. There are steep bits, but the views are worth it. Or, at least, they usually are.

The first half (or second, depending on which way you walk the loop) follows a stream through a forest. After that there’s a bit of a climb up to the falls. Presumably, when it’s not raining, it would be a lovely place to stop for sandwiches. The path continues to climb to the top of the falls. The view’s as blank and white as the pages of a new notebook. At least my partner looks rather cool standing at the edge of the cliff, silhouetted against the mist.

As we walk back towards Whakapapa Village, I feel like I’m in a nineties computer game in which the landscape hasn’t loaded properly. There’s nothing beyond the path, which could go on forever for all I know. It’s only an hour back to the village, but it feels much longer. We just have to keep walking and hope for the best.

Halfway back, the rain starts to bucket down. I have an umbrella in my pack, but my partner doesn’t (and the fact that he’s nearly a foot and a half taller than me prevents us effectively sharing.) The rain’s so dense it renders his glasses useless. Imagine that, being unable to see anything beyond path and even that’s a blur! I’ve never been so relieved to see a DOC sign as it materialises out of the mist. We’ve made it! The world is real!

The next morning, as we’re about to drive away from Tongariro National Park, the cloud lifts and the snow-capped volcanoes shine in all their glory. Bloody typical.

Join us next week as we move on to the Art Deco decadence of Napier!

Filed under: Nature, North Island, Tourist Experiences Tagged: New Zealand, Taranaki Falls, Tongariro National Park, tramping, walking tracks in Tongariro