Mt Ruapehu, Taormina Sicily, Rotorua thermal wonder |Stroke Rehab
A visit to Mt Ruapehu was inviting, what about Waitomo Caves (glow-worm) or Orakei Korako as well on the way down from Auckland? A devil's playground of sintering mud pools, geysers, hot springs, Orakei Korako is a mix of champagne-hued colours like in a 'muddy acrylic pour' geothermal park.
Though not in the King Country it was just next door in the geothermal wonderland that is NZ. It really sounded interesting...
With the COVID-19 lockdowns, borders closed and no international visitors, our tourist industry suffered.
Out of lockdown in NZ later, we had more freedoms but with the borders still closed, NZ as a country, had to innovate. Cue a bouncy TV commercial with the snappy tagline ‘Do something new, New Zealand’ to spur locals to get out and enjoy the country and help support the economic recovery.
I'd been to Whakapapa/Mt Ruapehu for skiing long ago; I couldn't even do a 'snowplough' then but could definitely get on/off a gondola. Could I get-on/get-off the gondola now? After my AVM brain haemorrhage/stroke, I was wheelchair-bound. After many years, when I re-learnt to walk again, now there was a delayed reaction: 'clonus' (and footdrop, sensation loss, etc) as a result of stroke.
Clonus is a neurological condition; involuntary (uncontrollable) muscle jerking, every time I took a step. It was very challenging effort to overcome the condition; over the years even though I still have clonus, the muscle-spasms are slightly less severe. SEE: Re-learning to Walk.
When 'something' new was involved with my 'walk/gait' - the opportunity in Italy to test this out, presented itself in Sicily around 2015: going-up via cable car – sounded like fun. From the seafront-town to Taormina station via the Mazzaro Cable car, ...interesting and challenging. Taormina is a picturesque hilltop town, close to the active, spectacular volcano Mt Etna (!), resplendent in all its glory and famous for Teatro Antico di Taormina, a ruined, ancient theatre still used today for concerts, operatic theatre, which we would visit.
At the bottom station of Taormina Mazzaro Cablecar at that time, I could barely get-on, with my lagging-behind, right-leg,... I somehow made it in the end. The Cable car was a 6-person gondola/chairlift so perhaps that made the difference – ie. It slowed-down enough for the 6-persons [or me!] to get on, before it sped up again. Taormina is a stunningly beautiful town, we also visited Mt Etna, Mt Stromboli, Mt Vesuvius during our holidays there - we'll have to visit Italy again soon. SEE: Italian Volcanic Wonders.
On another occasion in Queenstown, South Island, on Coronet Peak some years ago, skiing had stopped for the year the previous week, but the gondola was still operated for a sightseeing visit. I tried... and tried again, but the gondola-timing was quicker, and I found no matter what I did with the 'clonus' I experienced, I just couldn’t manage to get on, until the attendant stopped the gondola. Thinking back to the experience, it was a gondola (2 or 4-person only), therefore, the turnaround was faster, the 'track' was off-the-ground and a tighter-space to do any manoeuvering. SEE: Visit spectacular Queenstown.
I had already visited Waitomo Caves which was thrilling when I was at university in Auckland; Orakei Korako: perhaps another time; as both attractions involved boats - the timetable could be a challenge as we had other places to be, and only a day to do them.
Earlier on this year we visited Rotorua: what had we hoped to see - mudpools and steam - cool! Rotorua is acclaimed for its geothermal activity, Maori culture, bubbling mud pools awesome geysers, and more.
As winter is on its heels, after a glorious summer in NZ, Rotorua with its bubbling hot springs, thermal pursuits, skiing and snowboarding down the road, numerous outdoor adventures had its drawcard. SEE: Visit Rotorua-2-Thermal-explorer
We'd visited Rotorua quite a few times previously, but didn't have a chance to stop by Kuirau Park before. Boiling thermal pools, lot of mud, especially plopping mudpools, steam vents and, oh.. it's a free attraction? I also hoped to test my walking, without the legbrace.
Parked on a side-street, then walked a bit cautiously, towards a lot of steam on a lake; and yes I had half-boots with no discernible brace.
Back to the subject, the piece-de-resistance was surely a visit to Mt Ruapehu; famous for its winter skiing and summer activities. The UNESCO dual-World-Heritage Tongariro National Park, Whanganui National Park close by, it is one of New Zealand’s important outdoor destinations. Three majestic, active volcanoes: Mt Ruapehu, Mt Tongariro, and Mt Ngauruhoe, one sees the wonder of them from a long way away. On the Central Plateau of NZ’s North Island, it is a strikingly dramatic and awe-inspiring volcanic wonderland
Whakapapa and Tūroa, two ski areas of repute, are maintained on Mt. Ruapehu, (There are spectacular places to ski in and around Queenstown, Wanaka, etc. in the South Island.) Added to the mix, Chateau Tongariro: set on the lower slopes of Mt Ruapehu, it is an olde-worlde hotel-establishment with magnificent views, a resort complex of historic significance.
Chateau Tongariro hotel, ski-lodges, even a budget-conscious campground in the area give excellent coverage in terms of holiday accommodation for hiking, trekking, cycling, etc. Whakapapa is open in summer for sightseeing on NZ's longest gondola - gondola to end all gondolas,... the Skyway Waka! … Waka is the Maori word for canoe {see: wiki}
Sky Waka: on Mt Ruapehu, was recently built in 2019 and still looks brand new in 2021: I couldn't wait to try it. NZ's most unparalleled experience, it took passengers way above the clouds. Seating up to 10 persons per cabin – great. Perhaps I could get into this gondola without too much difficulty? We didn't have to halt it to get on; even though the helpful, friendly attendants were on hand to stop the gondola should anything untoward had arisen.
With a gentle bump, we were off. ...hang on tick: is that what we used to ski on, each year? Up and down the mountain slope you see acres of red brown and black volcanic scoria. Quite different to Europe where soft grass, tree-lined runs and alpine meadows turn into a winter-wonderland that we skied on, when we lived in London.
The top gondola station of the Sky Waka is called the Knoll Ridge Chalet, beyond the clouds. A bright, trendy yet functional restaurant-complex that is akin to alpine ski-chalets the world over, perched strikingly on New Zealand’s largest active volcano, overlooking the impressive Tongariro National Park.
Mt Ruapehu is one of the more active volcanoes within the Taupo Volcanic Zone, NZ. In the late summer in NZ in April, seeing snow-cannons without the snow is quite surreal, come winter, it is a pristine winter paradise. The advantage is having two skifields in the North Island of NZ, and Mt. Ruapehu is driveable for a day of skiing, rather than having to fly there.
Welcome to skiing/snowboarding in North Island NZ! Beginner slopes called Happy Valley, Rock Garden to intrepid-sounding names like Broken Leg Gully, Screamer or McKenzie's Mistake, Whakapapa's extensive ski-area challenges all abilities. Coupled with avant-garde Turoa, NZ's longest vertical drop and highest chairlift, skiing (and snowboarding) enthusiasts on Mt Ruapehu are definitely spoilt for choice.
