On Sunday the 28th of March 39 students and 9 adults departed for the Tongariro Tramp. Here are two recounts of the trip from Amy Thomson of Room 20 and Charlie Moore Room 15.

Amy Thomson Room 20

The vans halted at the entrance of Avondale College Taurewa Camp. We were there. In total the 40 students going on Tongariro Trip two were at the final destination, after the 5 hours of boring driving the excitement was just beginning. Everyone was assigned their cabins and told where to go and soon enough we were ready to get going. Supper that night was hamburgers, we got to choose our own fillings and sauces and we were even allowed seconds! 8:30 was the time for lights out and everyone at the camp was fast asleep.

Monday we were awoken with a bang of music and a flurry of rush. The sun was creeping up on the horizon as everyone got ready to have breakfast. Don't get too excited about breakfast, it was the same every single day, cereal and bread, splendid! We had a run down about how to dress for hiking in the morning, thermals, shorts, t-shirt, rain jacket, overpants and a fleece in your bag. The weather was insanely bad but we were all ready to give the crossing a go. On the car ride to the start of the track, the people in my car were talking about how we all wanted it to snow on the top and we could build snowmen and have snow fights, but soon enough we were at the start of the track.

Trudging up the start of the track the ascent was just starting, we soon reached Mangatepopo hut which would be our thankful landmark on the way back down. We had a short rest but then kept on going to the Soda Springs. At that point in time, we thought that as far as we would make it would be the Soda Springs, but we were soon proved wrong. We had a good stop at Soda Springs then decided that we wanted to try and go up the Devil's Staircase, we wanted to make it to the top but we weren’t really sure. We trudged up the mountain and made it ¾ of the way up but sadly had to turn around. We were soaked by the rain and we were all desperate for a hot shower when we got back. Everyone ran for the showers when we got back and luckily I was one of the first.

Everyone went to bed very early on that second night but that's when the idea of ding dong ditch came up. It started with a couple of girls in cabin one that wanted a bit of fun at night time. It spread around the girls cabins and some of them decided to do it on Tuesday night. It was all planned out, some people were going to go and knock on the boys doors and run away. That was all until the teachers found out about it.

On Tuesday we went for a 2 hr walk in the morning around Lake Rotohuna and went back to rest in the afternoon. In the afternoon most of us played games and cards that we had brought down with us. I played a game of Uno with my friends until it was time for milos. Mr Prisk went out to buy us marshmallows and whipped cream but he never came back for a while so we had to just have normal Milo.

Wednesday morning we went to the Trout Centre and Mr Prisk seemed to be really excited about it but not many of the kids were until they got there. The trout were incredibly big and their teeth shone underwater, they were vicious. We did a 20 min walk around the outside of the trout centre and then drove the short drive to the hot pools. The hot pools were natural so there was a short walk around the geysers and it was incredible how the steam rose up and the water was boiling. After the walk we all went in the hot pools and stayed there for about an hour and a bit until we had to go back to camp. Again the rush for the showers came and dinner was served and soon we were all asleep ready for the exciting day ahead of us.

Thursday was the white water rafting and mountain biking day. We went to the white water rafting place and got ready. We had to put on a fleece then the wetsuits then the blue vests then the shoes. We all went up in the vans and got the rafts ready for riding them. We all started and straight away we saw Whio (NZ’s Blue Duck), overall there were 23 pairs of them. Down the first rapid all the fun started and we whizzed past everyone. Part way through our instructor- Mad Dog- made us paddle extra hard but only to make us smash into the wall!! We smashed into the clay cliff and rebounded back. All too soon it was all over and it was time to go mountain biking.

The trees were towering around us as we glided on our bikes through the native bush of New Zealand. The birds were chirping and everyone was cycling and having fun. We stopped a couple times on the ride but it was over pretty fast. We all went back to camp and got ourselves ready for the next day and the long journey home. That night we actually got the Mr Prisk special Milo with whipped cream and marshmallows. It was delicious. The next day when we all woke up we got a tour around the camp from one of the parents then got in the vans and drove all the way back to Auckland.

Charlie Moore Room 15 

Day One: Here We Come!

We were off on an adventure, and we would travel far and wide. Here we come, Tongariro!

As we piled into the vans, loading our gear into the trailer and saying our farewells, I caught Neeko’s eye. He grinned. We knew this was going to be an adventure.

The trip was smooth at first, but grew bumpier, as the land surrounding us turned rugged and wild. We spent hours staring out the windows of the grey van, trying to guess which mountain was Tongariro, only to be left dumbfounded by a much larger one sitting to the side, shrouded in a thick fog. We knew the weather forecast was grim, but things seemed okay so far. It's not like it could get any worse by the time we reach the campsite!

Things became worse. Torrents of rain pounded the roof of the van, and my friend had just told the parent helpers that he wasn’t feeling so well, and I was sitting right next to him. Luckily, we arrived in the nick of time. I high-fived him as I swung myself out of the metal door, only to hear a loud groaning from behind me. As I slowly turned around, I saw the pile of vomit by my friend’s foot. But we had made it! Good times.

Day Two: The Crossing.

My friends and I trudged along through the wild, untouched land that was Tongariro. Strange shrubbery of all colours grew in outcroppings of stones amongst the mist, and odd rock formations dotted the winding path. Every step we took was a step closer to the imposing figure of Tongariro mountain. How we would cross it, I had no idea. We passed a cold mountain stream, and took a small break. Many of us tucked into our scroggin, for a renewed energy supply as we began the ascent. As we climbed higher, the air grew colder, and I decided to put on a few layers.

An interesting scrap of information that passed through my head at that moment was the fact that some scenes from The Lord of the Rings had been filmed here. I could picture elves and dwarves running around and fighting dragons in a place like this. Before we knew it, we were at the foot of the Devil’s Staircase, and climbing the slopes and cliffs of the mountain itself. The walking was intense. Our legs ached, but we persevered and just when we thought we had made it, the mist cleared up slightly, and revealed that we had to walk twice as far to get to the tip. The fog was thicker up there. So much thicker…

It was only when we stopped for another break that we realised something crazy. We were so high up that we were no longer treading through mist, or fog, but rather, the clouds themselves! They weren’t as fluffy and white as they say they are in the movies, but it was still something I will never forget. The rain was heavy, and the hoarfrost was building up around our feet. I realised there were no more shrubs to be seen. We were too high up for that.

It was soon after that the adults made the call. We were turning back; the conditions were too dangerous. However the memories we had will be cherished for a long time to come.

Day Three: The Hot Pools.

Walking around Lake Rotopounamu(To kick off day three), was a fantastic change of scenery; from weird and mystical shrubs and foggy rocks at Tongariro to old and lush forests surrounding a pristine lake with sandy shores. It was a great walk all in all, and some of the trees there looked as though they had been standing in that same place for centuries. All that walking was making me hungry, so we headed off to the trout centre for a fun lesson in history.

Unfortunately for me, eating the trout was not allowed, but reading about them and the other local marine life was. There were huge and small specimens, and many different species to examine. We learnt many crazy facts including a story which explained that the trout weren’t actually originally from NZ, but after being introduced and killing off the other fish species, they were adopted under the protection of the Department Of Conservation and are now a huge tourism attraction for the local area.

Finally, to loosen our stiff bones we left for the hot pools, much to the gratitude of the many students that had come on the trip. The pools were run on the geothermal energy that came from the nearby springs, and we went on a tour around those as well. While that was all well and interesting, the hot pools were the real deal. The water was warm and refreshing, and it was really relaxing. It was possibly the first time of the trip that we slowed down and caught up with ourselves.

I spotted some of us having a swimming competition. The rules seemed simple enough: swim as many widths as you can without breathing. I decided to give it a try. As I waded over through the steaming water, I anticipated my next moves. It was my turn next. I dunked my head under, and pushed off the wall with my two feet. This was going to be a good one, I thought. Suddenly, my lungs were burning! “Too long, too long!”, I yelled in my head. I rose up out of the water, and a few people started clapping. Apparently I had the highest score so far. I pulled myself up out of the water, exhausted, but somehow refreshed and relaxed at the same time. I dried myself off, and prepared myself for the last big day. When back out of the changing rooms, everyone was high-fiving Allister. He had beaten my score.

Day Four: Bikes and Rapids.

It was the last day before the return journey, and everyone was buzzing with excitement. For some this was the only reason they had come on the trip, even if they had found that they actually also enjoyed the other activities along the way. Today, we were going whitewater rafting, and mountain biking.

The water whizzed past the edge of the raft, and we were heading straight for an outcropping of bush.

“Back paddle, back paddle!” yelled the instructor. Suddenly, “forward paddle!” It was too much to keep up with, and these were only level two rapids. We crashed into the bush, and bounced straight back into the water again, no harm done. All seemed normal, until we realised something was off. I stared at the bugs pooling up between our toes. “We must have knocked 'em out of the tree!” someone yelled. The crane flies were everywhere, and there was nothing we could do. We just had to accept that this was their land- and they did us no harm.

Suddenly we were flying down another rapid, and the bugs were flung out of the boat in a drunken frenzy. I could see the rocks passing us by, and could hear the other rafts trailing along somewhere behind us. “Right, we’re going down this one backwards!” the instructor shouted.

“Noooo!” some of us screamed, but it wasn’t too bad. I was getting the hang of it now, and was enjoying every rapid more than the last one. We entered calm water again, and I let out a long sigh of relief. Out of nowhere, our instructor made the craziest comment. “You can jump off for a bit if ya want!” He spoke. And so I did. I flung myself right over the edge, and immediately regretted it, and the jolt that went up my spine as my backside hit the water. It was so cold, that I would have been warmer sitting in the camp freezer for half an hour than I would have been if I was swimming in this river for five minutes. And that's what this was. I fully embraced it, however, and even let go of the boat and floated away for a little while. Certainly not as relaxing as the hot pools, but much more of an adventure.

The adventure was hardly over. “Alright then, so we’ll split you all into an experienced group, and a cruisy group, shall we?” said the female mountain biking instructor. “Stand over here if you are cruisy, and over here if not.” I stared as people arranged themselves into order. It was just me. Blindly, I stumbled into place in the advanced group, and spotted Neeko in the cruisy group. In the end, I wasn’t worried; I had no time to be worried because we were already biking as I thought this. To my surprise, I enjoyed the mountain biking very much. It was new, and different, and nothing like biking up and down the pipeline, and I was better than I thought I would be at it. Winding down the narrow paths was the best bit, because you never know what was coming around the corner, but whatever it was, it would be fun no matter what. In some ways that was a large theme of the trip. Last minute decisions were being made, surprise activities were booked, but no matter what it was, even if it might have been a little scary, if you tried it, there is a decent chance you’ll probably like it.

A huge thanks must be given to all the parents and teachers who came along to help out, as we have gained many lifelong memories from this magical trip, and we couldn’t have done it without you.