TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK

Al was here: November 19, 2004.
Number of days advisable: ideally would be at least 3, but normally we will have see it in a single day.
My score: 4/5.

Tongariro is the oldest national park in New Zealand and one of the first in the world. Its eminently steep, rugged and rocky landscape, with hardly any vegetation, is typical of hostile volcanic environments. With three volcanic cones of different size, shape and activity, fumaroles, small lakes of different shades and a bleak aspect, it is not surprising therefore that this area was the one selected to recreate Mordor in the The Lord of the Rings movies, giving a particular boost to tourism in the region. It has been included in the UNESCO heritage list since 1990 and is one of the most popular places on the North Island (it receives more than 200,000 visitors a year), both for foreign tourists, who normally only spend one day here, and for the locals, the only ones who really take advantage of this magnificent place when the weather accompanies, since not only are there some of the best considered hiking trails in the country, it also houses the best ski slopes in the North Island and interesting routes for mountain bike lovers; We can even go rafting or take a plane to see the volcanoes from the heights.