Taupō's Monday Walkers head to the upper Ngā Puna a Tama or Springs of Tama.
Taupō's Monday Walkers head to the upper Ngā Puna a Tama or Springs of Tama.
We seem to have been travelling in all directions the past few weeks, but this Rāhina it was mainly upwards.
Our aim was to reach the upper Ngā Puna a Tama or Springs of Tama.
Packs were heavy with extra clothing, precautionary for alpine conditions; however, mellow weather meant it languished in our packs or was slung around our waists and the extra provisions simply added to waistlines.
We left the Chateau in Tongariro National Park following the upper section of the Taranaki Falls Track and crossing the Wairere Stream near the junction down to the falls.
This is a lovely, well-maintained section of track through beech forest. From here the track is poled, gravelled and bordered by open shrubland.
Red tussock, alpine herbs, small hebes, the foliage of mountain daisies and delicate flowering, yellow-centred eyebrights were all surviving and thriving despite the apparent lack of nourishing soil.
Taupō's Monday Walkers head to the upper Ngā Puna a Tama or Springs of Tama.
The brilliant yellow, dewy-looking mountain buttercups, or ranunculus, were a sunny surprise. Their seeds are dispersed by wind and their germination seemed miraculous. Fluffy bundles of white, possibly vegetable sheep from the raoulia plant family, looked like their namesakes sheltering in a rocky paddock.
Rocks coated with reddish-brown lichen added a further splash of colour. This track does undulate and there are several streams to cross.
Some of the ups and downs are staircased and the streambeds were so shallow that there were no wet feet.
We took the fork to Tama Lakes where the trail branched off to the Waihohonu Hut. These lakes occupy some of the six explosion craters that were formed 10,000 years ago.
No surface outlet is apparent, but it is thought these steep-sided lakes feed into springs that form the source of Waihohunu Stream.
Clouds that obscured Mt Ngāuruhoe played changing patterns on the blue-green colour of the water and a few birds from the nearby black-backed gull colony settled on its surface.
Some of the ups and downs are staircased and the streambeds were so shallow that there were no wet feet.
It was tempting to relax and enjoy the view, but we had a loftier goal – 1440m above sea level is the horseshoe-shaped upper lake.
The route up to it is unformed and the surface rocky in sections and loose scree in others.
The Tama Saddle acts as a funnel for the prevailing westerly winds so the ridges can be subject to strong and noisy crosswinds.
Fortunately, the wind stayed away and we could admire its amazing blue-and-green colours and look down on the lower lake.
We all, well most of us, managed to balance our way down the slope with reasonable poise and without injury.
On the return walk we were treated to a flyby from a pair of gulls and the gentler fluttering of a high-flying red admiral butterfly.
Instead of continuing along the upper Taranaki Track, we climbed down the staircase to the base of the falls.
Water from the Wairere Stream gushed over an eroded section of an ancient lava flow down a 20m cliff into a pool below.
This was a busy spot, with the view of the falls, easy walking and the mild afternoon sun attracting visitors from all over the world.
The loop back to the Chateau passes over the Lower Cascade Falls, along the riverbank, through beech forest and up way, way too many stairs, although perhaps this impression simply reflects the 19km of walking that preceded it.
Next week we are hanging up our boots and celebrating Labour Day. If you would like to join us on a Monday, or for more information, please email walkersmondaytaupo@gmail.com
