And All the Way Down Again

Our brain is a curious thing. We think of all sorts of things as we walk along and even break into song at times but on the return journey our perspective is always completely different. A sense of elation and relief is tempered by discovering the many marvels we bypassed while focusing on that uphill climb, tricky section of track or active volcano. Fortunately, we were able to take our time and sing many more songs from our extensive repertoire, unlike the poor souls who had a deadline in the shape of a bus to catch at the bottom. California is a very long way from Tongariro but it still seemed appropriate to sing ‘California Dreaming’ as we cooled ourselves and ate our mini muffins by the stream at Soda Springs and sang I went for a walk….. 

 On a Sunny Day

Imagine our delight in finally reaching the carpark (and toilets!) to find our driver from Walking Legends awaiting us with drinks and a most welcome picnic! Quite a crowd of envious onlookers as we tucked into our feast. Back in Whakapapa village we headed for the closest stream and a chance to soak our feet in the comfort of its crystal clear waters. Bliss, but rather cold.

Perhaps a rest and another tune or two before dinner. Any requests?