Another week down, life on the road is in full force now and what a life it is to be able to move around so freely with nothing but you, your car, and the beautiful serenity. With my last blog looking at the tour of Hobbiton, this week was also filled with more activities, starting with a hike in what was one of the most challenging experiences I have had to date.
What Hiking Karioi Summit Track is Like
Karioi Summit Track is located two hours west of Hobbiton in the coastal town of Raglan, New Zealand. The further up the track you go, the more amazing the views of the sea. The hike takes 5-7 hours, depending on your speed and fitness levels. I did it in about 5 hours. Due to the track nature, I would rate this hike highly difficult, where you should attempt it only if you are experienced in hiking, of a good fitness level and are appropriately equipped to tackle such a tough trail. It is also worth mentioning that in some areas of the track, it can be quite muddy, which makes it easier to slip and trip due to the steepness of some parts, so appropriate footwear is to be worn. Lastly, the chance of finding yourself lost on the trail is highly likely if you don’t stick to the path laid out by the signs. The signs you will find on the trail are mapped out well and of high quality, but I almost got lost here after a long journey, I will admit, so please stock up and read a little on the trail before attempting it.
(The Start of Karioi Summit Track)
The track starts with a flat path that slowly builds into a slight descent, going uphill. The first part is in an open field, so it can be very muddy, though it’s generally firm, with the only hard part going uphill at such an acute angle. It will continue for about 30 minutes until you hit the forest part, from then on, it is nothing but steep, sharp bends, lots of tree roots, rock face and mud.
(The Beautiful costal views of Raglan)
About 1 hr into the walk (estimated from my speed), you’ll come across a ladder that descends at a sharp angle, which ends you up on a narrow path, with either side being positioned on a mountain that makes up the landscape, making it quite suspect in feel once you touch down as its open and a long way down.
(The ladder)
You will continue down for another 30 minutes until you come to a chain that is attached to the side of the trees, which will require you to climb up this tree side with the chain for about 100 meters, until you reach the top and from there, it’s about 10 minutes until the lookout.
(The chain you use to climb up to the lookout)
From the lookout, the journey is just another 1-hour walk until you reach the summit, and there you will be treated with one of the nicest views for lunch you’ll have, with panoramic birds’ eyes of the ocean and surrounding mountain, it a sceptical to behold.
Once you reach the summit, the descent back down is better though it can be tiring on your body, making it easier to slip as you’re going downhill, so please take extra care. I will say I fell about two times while doing the track. This hike is in the top 3 I have done for sure.
Other Activities
The following day saw a day trip at Waitomo Glow Worms, where I did a double feature tour that allowed me to visit 2 different cave locations of glow worms. As it is within a heritage, we were asked not to take pictures while we did the tour. With it being quite dark in the caves, it proved quite challenging anyway. I will say it is worth doing, as you get a great history lesson on the caves themselves, how they surfaced from the sea, why they are called glow worms and how the glow worms survive and glow like they do, ending with a boat ride that shows ten’s of thousand’s of them, it is spectacular.
From there, I made my way down to Taupo for a quick trip, doing my first-ever bungee jump, watch here for more on that. On that trip, I also went to Huka Honey Hive and got some yummy New Zealand honey and coffee, eventually ending up in New Plymouth where more hikes and sightseeing were booked. Look forward to more on that in my next blog.
Another week completed, filled with fun activities and adventure, I am enjoying every second so far. Thanks for reading.
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