Good night from the side of a volcano
Up until today, the weather has been absolutely amazing and beautiful, both in Australia and here in New Zealand. Today (at least temporarily) our fortunes have turned. We arrived a few hours ago at the Tongariro National Park, in which three active volcanoes sit: Mounts Ruapehy, Ngaruhoe, and Tongariro. The Tongariro Crossing is a long day-hike that is largely considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world.
Just one bit of trouble -- the rain and winds today might as well have been from a hurricane. Forecasters consistently have used the words "gale force winds," and trust me, from the howling and blowing, none of us disagrees with the weather-powers-that-be. Torrential sheets of rain and extraordinarily powerful winds that make your clothes billow like one of those poor Weather Channel personalities on location at some beach where a tropical storm is most certainly bound. We couldn't go on any of the walking paths, so today we have just chilled... a slow pace, relaxing by the fire in a ski lodge.
And speaking of skiing... there is a hig likelihood that we will have snow here in the morning. Fun, fun. I can't believe it's over 90 in Atlanta!! :)
More later...
Chris
