- Links/Files
- Download a pdf of the Geographx map (pdf, 14 MB)
Hauhungatahi and Te Tatau Pounamu Wilderness Areas, Tongariro National Park
WHEN NEW ZEALAND'S first national park was established at Tongariro in the late 19th century, access was long and difficult, and facilities practically non-existent. That didn’t stop a small trickle of intrepid tourists from visiting the famed volcanoes. By the early 20th century, with the number of visitors steadily growing, two public huts were built at Ketetahi and Waihohonu in 1903-04. In 1908, the Main Trunk Railway Line, gave rail access to Tongariro, and in the ensuing decades, development in the park shifted to the western side with the opening of the Chateau Tongariro in 1929. Ski field development gathered pace and during the 1960s and 1970s, the Department of Lands and Survey built several huts, and established the well-known tracks in use today. Now, with up to 2000 people walking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing on any one day in summer, and thousands more plying Ruapehu’s slopes in winter, the solitude-seeking tramper might sensibly stay well away. However, many trampers will be surprised to learn the park has two wilderness areas. Both were established in the 1960s, when it was recognised that over-development was an issue facing Tongariro National Park. While they are small and lack a surrounding buffer zone (ideally the boundary would be 1-2 days walk in), they were the best the park could accommodate. Both areas offer experienced trampers the chance to go off-track to escape the crowds. [caption id="attachment_23950" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]