The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is said to be one of the best day hikes in the world and is a World Heritage Site. The track is 19.4 km and it crosses a volcanic alpine landscape of dramatic contrasts – steaming vents, glacial valleys, ancient lava flows, alpine vegetation and vivid crater lakes, all with stunning views. More information and pictures of sunny day treks (ours was not a sunny day trek), can be seen here, https://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz.
The day we hiked the crossing started early for us. We were up before sunrise to catch our shuttle at 5:50 am. A shuttle is recommended because the trek is one way. Our shuttle dropped us off at the beginning of the track and we had until 5:00 pm before we had to meet it at the end. The shuttle drivers also provided us with some information about the hike and about Tongariro National Park.
The day did not start out warm and sunny! It was cloudy, foggy, and rainy. Our packs were full of water and food and we had layers of clothing, including our rain coats. We did not have great views of the mountains and even when the sun peeked out occasionally the peaks were still obscured by clouds. Oh well, that forced us to focus on what we could see and it held its own beauty.
The start of the trek.
This warning came early! There was not another one.
Devil’s Staircase 
A much needed break.
The first half of the trek was soon over, we hit the 10 km mark and started down. It soon became apparent that going down was no easier than going up.
The path wound its way, down, down, down. It seemed to go on forever.
Oh to have the knees of a 20 year old.
Finally, almost eight hours after we started, we finished.
It's All About The Journey 