Last six weeks in NZ - Ruapehu and National Park

My last six weeks in New Zealand were spent solely in National Park. National Park is the kind of town one could describe as a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ kind of place. There’s a petrol station, which serves as a supermarket, a handful of lodges and a couple of pub / restaurants. However, it serves as the base for snowsport lovers, and those attempting the famous ‘Tongariro Crossing’ hike. It also has wonderful walks with spectuacular views of Ruapehu, one of the worlds most active and New Zealands largest volcano. There's also plenty of spots nearby for caving and climbing. The permanent population of ‘Natty P’ is less than 300, which increases significantly during the winter season, and sometimes things get a little ‘cray’!  

Arriving back was strange and wonderful. Aisling, her friends Dave, Roseanne, Sam and I spent the night in the neighbouring and somewhat more ‘sophisticated’ town of Ohakune in the cabin they were renting for the weekend. They dropped me to National Park the next day after a fun night out. We went for a lunchtime beer at Schnapps. It was a cold, crisp day on June 27th. But the sun was shining and the mountains looked pristine as we sat admiring the view. It was quite emotional for Ais and I. This is where we began the journey of a life-time together one year ago. So much had changed, yet so much was still the same.

They then dropped me to my lodge, the National Park Hotel (or ‘The Hoe’ as it’s more affectionately known.) I had called the new owners days before telling them I used to be a regular customer in ‘the Hoe’, and that I was coming back to be their new ‘woofer’. I was working for my accommodation there – I had already decided and I hadn’t even spoken to them yet. I simply could not afford to pay rent at this point in time. Luckily Wayne wasn’t hard to convince and I lived here almost rent free for 6 weeks, doing odd jobs here and there. I also had my job in Eivins and through chatting to people managed to get a few hours in another lodge in the mornings. Sorted!


The first week back was lovely. Meeting again with old friends, making new ones and feeling that special, spiritual connection with the mountain set things off to a great start. After working for a while, I bought my ‘Early Bird’ season pass (discounted through working in hospitality) and it was time to hit the slopes. It felt so good to be back snowboarding on the mountain that I knew so well and where I had so many amazing days last year. Overall, the snow wasn’t great for my time there but I didn’t let that stop my enjoyment, hitching up to the ‘Top of the Bruce’ every chance I got. I spent some time riding with ‘Dutchie’, an experienced instructor working at Ruapehu. Observing my riding, he said I was at level four/five out of six. He gave me such simple tips that helped me improve within minutes. One thing on my bucket list is to get my instructors course and be able to teach for a season. Working as a primary school teacher in Ireland would allow me to spend summers off instructing in new Zealand. We’ll see! I really enjoyed working in Eivins this time around. The owners treated my like their daughter and I developed a great relationship with all of our local customers. The ‘craic was mighty’, as we say in Ireland! I met some really fun and quirky characters this season, a lot of who lived at the Hoe. We had great fun there, and although the lodge was, well, a royal kip – I still enjoyed every minute of it. Just like last year, National Park served us well and there was always a party to go to or something on! Whether it be a house-party, a bonfire party or quiz-night in Schnapps – we were never stuck!

I was so happy to spend my last six weeks in this beautiful part of the world. As I said before, there is something spiritual about Ruapehu and National Park, and many people who live here or have spent time here will say so. Having had the most perfect year, it felt only right to finish it off in a place I felt lucky enough to call my home away from home. Through out my travels, there was always a worry in the very back of my head about coming home, about going back to my old life and longing to get away again. But as the weeks went by at Ruapehu, something came over me, a simple feeling of spiritual contentment. There was a quiet reassurance inside myself that everything was going to be okay, that life was only going to get better, and that while there may be hurdles ahead, there was nothing to worry about. All could be perfectly well, if I let it be. A feeling quite simple, yet profound. Being at Ruapehu definitely helped create this feeling. And after about fifteen months away in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, a lot of craziness, a lot of 'contemplation' and a lot of fun I was finally ready to come home. 

Well, for a while.