We learned that being highly driven and goal-oriented (or "orientated," as one of Dan's former bosses would often say) can be a recipe for totally missing the best stuff in life.
Ironically, we learned this lesson when Laura dragged Dan on an easy two-hour hike into Tongariro National Park, located roughly in the center of New Zealand's North Island. It's a beautiful park that features near-desert conditions and stunning views of three active volcanic mountains: Mount Ruapehu, Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Tongariro.
On our hike, we saw a group of three exhausted, dehydrated backpackers coming the other way. They were likely finishing a multiday hike through the park.
They looked broken. But they were clearly driven to finish their hike, and they were staring straight ahead, dragging themselves along. We could also tell they weren't Kiwis, because they didn't answer our friendly hello.
Ironically, just past where we crossed paths with these goal-oriented hikers, only a hundred meters or so off the trail, was probably the perfect place for them to rest and refresh themselves: a big waterfall and a natural swimming hole, with refreshingly cool water raining down. There were just a few other people there enjoying it.
It just shows that you can be ambitious and driven to complete something at all costs, and yet you'll completely miss exactly the thing you most need--just because it isn't quite on the path to your goal.
We highly recommend making time to explore this park. We wish that we were able to spend more than just a day. We'll share a few more views of this park before we end this post, plus a head-straining video at the bottom.
You'll notice the hiking trails throughout most of New Zealand are quite well-maintained. In fact, the word "hiking" is a bit of a misnomer. These are really more like walking trails, or as the Kiwis like to call them, "tramping trails."
Dan and Mount Ngauruhoe:
Wait, could this be the three-toed tree hugger we saw on the South Island? I never knew it could live in such widely different habitats.
Mount Ngauruhoe again:
Dan marching ahead in a rare moment of goal-orientatedness:
Laura, in the shadow of Mount Ngauruhoe:
Mount Ruapehu, which stays snow covered all through the year:
Finally, if you turn your head sideways (bear with us as we struggle with the video technology here on Blogger), here's some footage of the waterfall. I can't describe how refreshing it was to wade around in the water and get soaked by the spray.
1 comment:
In one word "WOW"!!
In more words ... it's beautiful over there!
We've been there a few times and made the day walk 'Tongariro Crossing' (in 7 to 8 hours over the volcano Ngauruhoe). Maybe the group you saw made that walk.
I know we were exhausted too after that walk. ;-)
But we would never miss a beautiful spot like that!
You had pretty good wether the rest of your holiday!
I see so much blue sky on your pictures. It makes life beautiful, isn't it.
We hope everything goes well for the both of you.
Bye, Theo and Jacqy
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