Tongariro Alpine Crossing – How To

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

By Krysia Nowak 

It’s an iconic hike, you’ve seen it all over Instagram, and maybe you plan on hitting it this Easter: here’s how to get the most out of it, and what not to do. 

So, you want to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing? Here’s how it could go: 

Getting the most out of Tongariro Alpine Crossing 

You see your weather window a couple of days out, and book your spot on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (it’s free!). You receive a helpful email with extra safety information. You choose to book a shuttle as well, so you don’t have to worry about transport on the day. 

Knowing it can be quite a challenging hike in an alpine environment you prepare carefully. Your trusty tramping boots are by the door ready to go, along with sunscreen and a hat. You’ve got layers of warm and windproof clothing and extra layers in your bag. Lots of water and plenty of food to keep you going. You’ve tucked a personal first aid kit in there too – you don’t want the embarrassment of calling for a rescue because you got a blister! 

On the day, you wake up super early and jump on the shuttle. Your driver is friendly and gives you advice about the weather conditions for today. Looks like it’s going to be stunning, but you’re prepared just in case. 

At Mangatepopo Road end you are greeted by Te Ririo, the beautiful carved pou that watches over all who attempt the Crossing. Friendly Manaaki Rangers check you’re all prepared for your trip and you appreciate their warm send-off. 

_{Manaaki Rangers provide helpful information at the start of the track. | Pou Te Ririō. 
: DOC}

You start the track. You take lots of photos and use the toilets when they’re available. When a tissue drops out of your pocket you quickly pick it up – this place is too special to mess up. 

You’re glad of your clothes preparation when a chilly breeze comes up, and the extra food helps keep up morale during the hard trek. 

You’re careful not to enter the lakes, which are considered tapu, and at the same time you feel privileged to be able to experience a landscape which has such importance to Māori. 

You finish the day exhausted, but safe, and feeling very accomplished. Can’t wait to put this on Insta! 

Here’s how NOT to do it 

Here’s how to ensure you and those around you have a terrible time on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. 

You don’t book your visit, so you miss all the useful information you’d receive in the booking confirmation email. 

You’ve seen the Tongariro Alpine Crossing on Instagram and it looks like anyone can do it, so you’re not too worried. You throw on some clothes, jandals, and chuck 500ml of water in your bag. You wander up the roadside to the start of the track, dodging transport shuttles on the narrow road. 

You rock up with your bike and your dog. People at the start of the track tell you it’s against the rules, but you know better, so you ignore them. 

Sometimes you have to ride off the track to go around some walkers, and your dog is mostly off-track keeping out of everyone’s way. It’s only tiny alpine plants anyway,  the erosion isn’t too bad, and what’s the big deal if your dog goes for a swim in the sacred Emerald Lakes? 

Halfway through the walk you pull your drone from your bag to get some footage. The high-pitched whine echoes across the quiet of the Dual World Heritage National Park. 

You poop on the side of the track. You run out of water. You get cold. You call for help and are helicoptered out. 

But really…. 

OK, this is an extreme example, but it draws from actual things people have done on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.  

We’ve had people riding their bikes. We’ve had people taking ‘emotional support’ dogs. We’ve had drones destroying the peace. We’ve had people in jandals, with no extra water, no preparation. People have gone off-track, causing erosion and damaging slow-growing alpine plants. We’ve seen people being rescued for stupid reasons, costing thousands of dollars and hours of stress for rescuers and community. Just in the last fortnight we’ve had to provide assistance to tourists who were off-track, attempting to summit Ngauruhoe despite its sacred nature and the safety risks of doing so. 

Don’t be that person. 

Top tips 

Here are my top tips to get the most out of the Crossing without being ‘that person’: 

1. Go to the DOC website – find out if the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is the right experience for you (and what you can and can’t do there). 

2. While you’re there, book in – you’ll get a neat little email with useful info. 

3. Book transport if you can – it’s a safe and hassle-free way to do the track 

4. Prepare! Be prepared for changing weather and a challenging hike. Think hiking boots, warm clothing, 2-3 litres of water, extra food, and a first aid kit. 

5. Be flexible. If the weather is bad, why not try a safer alternative? There are plenty of other great tracks in the Tongariro area. 

6. Be respectful of the land and the people around you. 

If you’re attempting the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, be prepared, so you, and those around you, can have the best experience naturing in this beautiful area.  

Krysia Nowak is DOC’s Central North Island Communication Advisor, based just around the corner from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. She provides communication support to the team responsible for managing the Crossing, helping them to keep the people, and the land, safe. 

Learn more about the Tongariro Alpine Crossing on the DOC website.

MIL OSI