Ngaruhoe.........in the cloud!

Breakfast with the rest of the tour who hadn't left yet then set off back towards Waiouru.  I didn't have a plan but, with rumours of snow on the other side of the mountain, I wanted to explore.  

Visited Tangiwai, scene of an horrendous Christmas Eve 1953 train disaster when a lahar burst through the Ruapehu Crater Lake wall, swept down the mountain and took out a rail bridge at precisely the time a passenger train was crossing it.   A sombre place full of sadness and a stark reminder that life can change in an instant. 

Had some refreshments in Waiouru whilst I studied the weather reports then made the decision to head up to the Desert Road area and see how things were looking.  After tootling about for a wee while I've decided to stay until the morning in the hope (fingers and toes crossed!) that the weather calms overnight and brings a stunning sunrise, bathing the snow-covered mountains in beautiful pastel pinks and oranges.  Watch this space.  In the meantime, this is about as good as it got with Mt Ngaruhoe at sunset tonight.