Previous four TRM reports have each listed 10 reasons to visit Turangi, yet other good reasons – such as the most popular one day walk in NZ (had you noticed it had not been listed?) – still keep emerging.  These were in response to a series of fifty reasons listed to encourage tourists to visit Sweden.  In Turangi we have it all.

If you have survived through the 40 reasons over the last week then you get rewarded today with ten short TRM videos as a special Sunday treat… (to assist your recovery from the rugby).

41 High Tea – A special treat, very popular with wives and partners of anglers, is to take a trip up to the Chateau on Mt. Ruapehu for their High Tea.  A memorable trip back about 70 years to an Edwardian drawing room setting complete with chandeliers and everything you ever imagined a ‘high tea’ might have.

Some lucky guests hire TRM’s elderly driver to deliver them in a classic vintage Bentley – more appropriate regal style to fit the occasion.

42 – Five minutes to everywhere – TRM had a special request from anglers from West Island to advise of any facilities within a five minute walk of TRM so the following video was prepared specially for them.  Later we learnt that all they wanted to know was how far to walk to the Tongariro Tavern… (Have a special squiz in the short video below at the Turangi version of a corporate box at the rugby – admire the stressed out crowd!   Life cannot get more “laid-back” than that…)

43 – Traffic congestion – Turangi does not have a word for “traffic jam” or “congestion” in their vocabulary.  Not even any traffic lights.  On Turangi streets there are no such irritating delays.  To try to look up-to-date the Toe-paw Council installed a taxi stand but we do not have any taxis.  (One exception is a certain classic vintage airport taxi used for special guests from a quirky motel)  No need for them in a small town.  The CBD is surrounded by spacious car parks that have never been full in the last ten years.

The nearest we could find to a local traffic snarl-up was “grid-lock” on Taupahi Road in rush hour close to TRM where your usual city driving rules keeping to the left etc. were completely ignored.

Welcome to Turangi rules.

44 – Local canine attractions – Many guests visit Turangi so they can take their friendly dogs for walkies down the Tongariro River tracks.  Some specially nice motels are “dog friendly”.  Regular inmates include anglers who cannot go fishing without their pooch.  Other guests love the riverside ambience to let their dogs off the leash to be dogs again after the restrictive life on busy city streets.  See how the motel dogs used to share in all the action in the following brief video.

45 – Tongariro Crossing – How amazing to get to Number 45 before listing the most popular one day walk in NZ.  This clearly shows how many other activities take place in Turangi.  As it is on everyone’s bucket list we provide a brief “safety” video to warn inmates to be prepared for the alpine weather when some guests climbed Mt. Doom (Ngaurahoe).

i.e. The latest update from Tongariro Expeditions is for snow storms for Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday!  The shuttle bus sevice will not be operating and we recommend alternative options such as the Taranaki Falls walk from Whakapapa or the 2 hour walk around Lake Rotopounamu.

Another warning.  If you hope to find yourself (?) or lose yourself (?) in the alpine wonderland, this is not the place.  It gets very crowded.  OK?  Ask us for other unmarked tracks in the Tongariro National Park if you wish to climb a mountain – i.e. Mt. Tihia? – all on your own.  Many prefer discovering their own trail in  mature native bush as more soothing and memorable.  Or we have our own special mountain bike route – three and a half hours long – which you will never find on any map.  Much more fun.  Below is a short video of what TRM have been encouraging to take the pressure away from the Tongariro Crossing.  Note that for 2018-19 summer the chairlifts are not working as they are being replaced by gondolas which will add even more to this alternative option…

46 – Stress relief – Have a brief perusal at the following brief slide show of Lake O below and concentrate on your pulse and blood pressure to feel any stress signs just drift away.  That is what Turangi is all about.  There are so many wilderness walks and places where you can relax and enjoy the great outdoors.

47 – Historic sites –

Located on SH 47, Tongariro Te Porere a Rereao Redoubt is the historic site of the fighting in 1869 between the Maori rebel, Te Kooti, and government troops.  This was the last battle of the Maori wars.  After 150 years these man made fortifications are perfectly in order.  The well preserved layout resembles a little fortified castle.  Kids will love it. 

The walk to the first redoubt is about ten minutes to the clearing.  However, it is well worth the few extra minutes uphill through dense bush to the second and more impressive redoubt, where one can imagine the fierce fighting that went on.

48 – Lake Otamangakau – This is the best trophy trout fishing lake in New Zealand.  Recently the Fishing & Outdoors newspaper (compulsory reading for fishos) featured an article about a TRM inmate who we called K (for Kayak).  After 100 visits to Lake O since 2013 he has landed 629 trout – an average of 6.29 per day.  Quite extraordinary when you also factor in he only goes at peak times over Christmas and Easter holidays.  The short video is of another inmate Stuart Nicol showing how effective and easy TRM ‘water-strider’ rafts are on Lake O…

 

49 – Other reasons – Even after reaching fifty we found other reasons to visit Turangi but the most important – the people – are reviewed in the following short video.

50 – Turangi is an international BOF’s (Boring Old Farts) meeting place.  The very nature of trout fishing attracts such a wide range of interesting diverse characters who all have different reasons to follow their addiction/sport/recreation/hobby whatever.  Some of the TRM inmates meet here every year on their annual pilgrimage to mecca.  The Hall of Fame inmates were filmed a few years ago so apologies to more recent converted disciples who are not included.

The following short video prepared by a guest – thank you to Murray Cullen – and provides a brief impression of the up-river loop only.  When we were looking for a tourist to ride the trail with Kiki we had more volunteers than we had guests.  Only in Turangi…