Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
should keep you busy for a couple of hours on a rainy day. The
Walks in and around
Tongariro National Park
brochure provides a helpful overview of 30 walks and tramps in
the park ($3).
Getting There & Around
BUS
Tongariro National Park is well serviced by shuttle operators, which service Whakapapa
Village, National Park Village, Ohakune, Taupo and Turangi, as well as popular trail-
heads. In summer, tramping trips are their focus, but in winter most offer ski-field
shuttles. Book your bus in advance to avoid unexpected strandings.
Many shuttle-bus operators are offshoots or affiliates of accommodation providers so
ask about transport when you book your stay. Otherwise, try Taupo-based
Tongariro Expedi-
tions
(
0272
021 588 734,
0800 762 612;
www.roam.net.nz
)
.
TOP OF CHAPTER
National Park Village
POP 200
This small sprawl of a town lies at the junction of SH4 and SH47 at 825m above sea level,
15km from the hub of Whakapapa Village. In ski season the township is packed, but in
summer it's sleepy despite being a handy base for activities in and around the park.
As you'll discover, it's railway country around here. About 20km south on SH4 at
Horo-
pito
is a monument to the Last Spike, the spike that marked the completion of the Main
Trunk Railway Line between Auckland and Wellington in 1908 (although Horopito is bet-
ter known for Smash Palace, NZ's most famous car graveyard). Five kilometres north
from National Park, at
Raurimu
, is evidence of the engineering masterpiece that is the 'spir-
al'. Trainspotters will marvel, while non-trainspotters will probably wonder what the hell
they're looking at it (there's not much to see).
Activities
There's little to do in the village itself, its major enticement being its proximity to
national-park tramps, mountain-bike trails (
Click here
)
, canoe trips on the Whanganui
