A winter's morning in the heart of New Zealand's North Island. A trip I had been longing for after not travelling for over a year.
After waking up for our sunrise alarm to trek the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, our van felt colder than usual. As we stepped out onto the icey floor, we were struck with needle like winds coming from every direction. We quickly hopped back into the warmth of the van to find a danger alert for the trek. 'DO NOT COMPLETE THIS HIKE' it read.
I wanted to hike this crossing since I first started researching the wonders of New Zealand, but as this was my last day in the North Island, I knew I had to quickly think of a plan B.
As we drove aimlessly to find a place to ...