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Photo by Peter Blank

Tongariro Crossed!

UHC Admin —

Level 2 Geography students took on the challenge of the Tongariro Crossing and made it! Student Miya Abbott-Tutaki tells us what happened.

Level 2 Geography students went on a trip to Tongariro National Park, to do some field research for their 2.5 research assessment, and to complete the Tongariro Crossing. 

We were tasked with finding information on the vegetation at the Tongariro Volcanic Centre, and the geographic factors that would have impacted our vegetation findings.

We went to 10 different sites around the TVC to conduct our research, each place being different from the last, and many having spectacular views, particularly of the volcanoes. 

We went to the Whakapapa Visitors Centre, and the location of the Tangiwai Disaster as well, to learn more about the area that we were visiting, the history of it, and why it was so unique. This was an interesting part of the trip, and we learnt lots about the natural environment, and we learnt a lot from our findings that we got from our investigation.

The part of the trip everyone was looking forward to the most, was the Tongariro Crossing. It is considered one of New Zealand’s greatest walks, and is around 19.4km long. 

Everyone went at their own pace, some trying to speed ahead and complete the walk as fast as they could, while others strolled along with their friends, taking in the unique environment and beautiful scenery that the Crossing had to offer. 

It was a long walk, and some parts were definitely challenging, but the sights made it all worthwhile. It was a hike like no other, and the weather conditions were perfect for that day, making it a very enjoyable walk.

I think I can speak on behalf of all the students and teachers involved, and say that we all had a great time, and really enjoyed all that the TVC had to offer. Although it was a trip to aid us in our assessment, it was also a lot of fun, and we were constantly surrounded by beautiful and varying natural environments that you can’t see just anywhere. 

Thank you to all the staff members involved, who made this trip possible, and a great experience for all.