The night before had us ending a VERY long day at the Polynesian Spa. It was relaxing to dip into spa water that is a mixture of geothermal water from the geyser added with cold water. There were several pools to choose from. Just sitting the pool letting the super heated water take away all the knots and aches from traveling made it easy to fall asleep. After a quick breakfast at the hostel (pancakes and fresh fruit) we headed out to Tongariro National Park.
Driving along Highway 5 we say a lot of magpipes and myna birds along the side of the road along with an invasive shrub species named gurse. The shrub had some nice yellow blooms. Some fields had windbreakers along the edge while other fields were being replanted with saplings of the Lumbari Popular. The tree is used for pulp so after it is harvested the field is replanted and will take about 30 years before the field can be harvested again.
We stopped at Huka Falls Lookout to view the Rupahu volcano on its fault line. The southern end of the fault line is a very active region and heads about 50 miles off North Island. All volcanoes, Taranaki, Ngauruhoe, and Rupahu can be seen from the lookout and are considered active volcanoes.
Took a photo op on a volcanic plateau that gave a spectacular view of Mt. Ngauruhoe and Mt. Rupahu. Around the area was a lot of lichen (raindeer and fiberous forms). They are pioneer species because the colonize bare rock/soil or distrubed areas. Volcanic ash helps build up the soil in the area. Smaller plants would then be able to take root and succession continues.
We arrived at the Adventure Lodge and headed out to the national park. At the vistor's center, we caught a brief video on volcanoes and looked at the displays. Some interesting displays were the pyroclastic debris and steam clouds displays. There was also displays on species that call NZ home.
After the vistor's center we headed out to the ridge and took a hike. There was evidence of radial drianage patterns caused by snow melt. Alpine vegetation is composed of lichen, mosses, shrubs, and waxy-leaved plants. Erosion of the area is mainly due to composition and climate of the area. After several minutes looking over the ridge, we headed back to the lodge for a fabulous steak dinner and a recap of all that was seen/experienced so far.
The night before had us ending a VERY long day at the Polynesian Spa. It was relaxing to dip into spa water that is a mixture of geothermal water from the geyser added with cold water. There were several pools to choose from. Just sitting the pool letting the super heated water take away all the knots and aches from traveling made it easy to fall asleep. After a quick breakfast at the hostel (pancakes and fresh fruit) we headed out to Tongariro National Park.
Driving along Highway 5 we say a lot of magpipes and myna birds along the side of the road along with an invasive shrub species named gurse. The shrub had some nice yellow blooms. Some fields had windbreakers along the edge while other fields were being replanted with saplings of the Lumbari Popular. The tree is used for pulp so after it is harvested the field is replanted and will take about 30 years before the field can be harvested again.
We stopped at Huka Falls Lookout to view the Rupahu volcano on its fault line. The southern end of the fault line is a very active region and heads about 50 miles off North Island. All volcanoes, Taranaki, Ngauruhoe, and Rupahu can be seen from the lookout and are considered active volcanoes.
Took a photo op on a volcanic plateau that gave a spectacular view of Mt. Ngauruhoe and Mt. Rupahu. Around the area was a lot of lichen (raindeer and fiberous forms). They are pioneer species because the colonize bare rock/soil or distrubed areas. Volcanic ash helps build up the soil in the area. Smaller plants would then be able to take root and succession continues.
We arrived at the Adventure Lodge and headed out to the national park. At the vistor's center, we caught a brief video on volcanoes and looked at the displays. Some interesting displays were the pyroclastic debris and steam clouds displays. There was also displays on species that call NZ home. 
After the vistor's center we headed out to the ridge and took a hike. There was evidence of radial drianage patterns caused by snow melt. Alpine vegetation is composed of lichen, mosses, shrubs, and waxy-leaved plants. Erosion of the area is mainly due to composition and climate of the area. After several minutes looking over the ridge, we headed back to the lodge for a fabulous steak dinner and a recap of all that was seen/experienced so far.
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