Silica Rapids, Tongariro National Park

Silica Rapids***

The weather forecast seems good for tomorrow! So we finally book a return shuttle bus to get to the start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing for $35 pp at Tongariro Holiday Park because the Mangatepopo carpark is closed to public. Also, we can only walk part of the track as there are recent eruptions from Te Maari and the track from Emerald Lakes to Ketetahi carpark remains closed. But the track to Red Crater, which is considered the most beautiful part is still open. Pray hard for tomorrow :)

Meanwhile, we went to the Silica Rapids walk which is a 2.5 hr return walk, starting near the Whakapapa Village Visitor Center. Nice and easy walk, with views of cloudy Mount Ruapehu along the way.

The creamy colour is caused when high speed water becomes more turbulent that it loses carbon dioxide and created ideal conditions for alumino-silicate to be deposited.

We stayed at the nearby Mangahuia DOC camp, $6 pp. The sites are all full when we get there at 6pm, so had to park at the tent sites carpark :p Very popular campsite.. Else there is the caravan park just at Whakapapa village..