In New Zealand, a rainy-day Taranaki Falls 'walk'

It’s winter, and I miss hiking. I am wimping out on cold-weather treks more than ever. Could it be because of that body-temperature-regulation thing that plagues some people with Parkinson’s? Perhaps.

All I know is I get cold easier now, in spite of the extra clothing layers.

A beautiful tree next to a path in the foreset.

I had a solution. Hike in New Zealand. (See hike stats.)

So we did. The Unshakable Husband and I had planned and saved up for a vacation “down under” for more than a year. Summer in January. Who could resist?

A man sleeps on a plane while a woman lies in his lap wide awake.

The flying from Chicago to Auckland was brutal; I knew it would be and did my best to sleep.

Parkinson’s meds tip

Crossing multiple time zones messes with Parkinson’s medication schedules. It takes some planning ahead to keep taking your pills properly. I wrote a post with tips here.

Once we landed and rested up, we were set for some outdoor activities on the North Island.

Adventurers who visit New Zealand generally choose the South Island, to see its mountains, glaciers, fjords, and dramatic untouched landscapes. We chose the North because its variety of tourist attractions was wider. (Hobbiton is on the North Island, as is cave tubing.)

We met up with friends for a day of hiking in Tongariro National Park only to find that the trail of our choice, the popular Tongariro Alpine Crossing, was closed!

A woman stands by a sign for the trail and it's foggy in the background.

High winds with sideways rain
+ wet clothing
= being extremely uncomfortable.

I was out.

Parkinson’s hiking tip

About that body-feeling-colder thing, it’s called dysregulation of temperature. It is a lesser-known symptom of Parkinson’s disease that can lead to constriction of blood vessels and other problems.

We regrouped and found another walk (hike) within the huge park. It featured a 20-meter (65-foot) waterfall and kinder, gentler weather.

The Taranaki Falls Track (Trail) would have to suffice. It’s a loop that is 6 km (3.7 miles) long with mild elevation gain.

It turned out to be just right.

On this summer afternoon, there were lots of other hikers, some speaking languages other than English. The car park (parking lot) at the trailhead was filled, but there were other options for parking within a kilometer away.

The trail was crushed rock to start with, until we got to a dense forest and it turned to dirt. Make that mud. It had rained earlier so there were a few puddles to step around.

A woman sits on a rock next to a stream.

The trail is well maintained and signs show the way.

I started paying attention to the unique flora of New Zealand – ferns, flowers and other plants I’d never seen before.

Light green leaves are shown in a bunch.

At the halfway mark the trail took us up out of the woods to an open area, and the views were quite nice. We could see the falls in the distance. As a bonus, there were portable potties there, too. Bring your own paper.

The falls are seen from a distance and look small.

Taranaki Falls seemed farther away than it actually was.

A 60-foot falls is shown from the front perspective.

Once at the falls, we took photos and hung out for a while.

A woman arrived holding an empty, branded grocery bag and asked us to be in a picture with her. Apparently there was a summer challenge by the grocery store chain to take pictures from your travels and include the bag.

A male hiker is shown from the back taking a picture of the falls.

A woman raises her walking stick next to a waterfall.

Then it was back into the woods, where we encountered some up and down hills.

Two men in rain jackets walk up wooded stairs on a trail.

Staircases helped on the steeper parts.

The last stretch was through a desert-y moorland with bushes and tall grasses. It was striking, but that last stretch seemed pretty long. Guess I was running out of petrol (gas).

A hotel building is in the distance with a grassy area in the path.

Finally we saw the Chateau Tongariro, which is now abandoned, near where we parked and headed for our car.

Rain had held off for the entire hike. That is, until we were 100 meters (about an American football field) from our car. The skies suddenly opened up. Luckily we were rain-geared up!

At the time of our hike, a Midwest cold snap and Eastern snowstorms in the U.S. were making international news. That made me grateful to be where I was, if not the tiniest bit self-congratulatory for choosing a good week to be absent from it.

As if I could predict the weather. Ha!

Hike info

PD difficulty level (see chart): moderate
Distance: 6 km (3.7 mile) loop
Elevation gain: about 150 meters (500 feet)
Trailhead location: on the west side of the Tongariro National Park off State Highway 48 near Skotel Alpine Resort.
Bathrooms: at the trailhead and the loop’s halfway mark near a falls viewpoint
Costs: Parking and park entrance is free.
Road access to trailhead: Parking is up to a kilometer away from the trail start.

Insider tip: Most people take this trail going clockwise, but if you like to zag when others zig, go counterclockwise. You’ll find you can go down the staircases instead of up them.

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