Is That Snow?... I Can't Believe My Eyes...

 As I left Turangi behind and drove south towards

the Desert Road, Waiouru and Mangaweka I was most

surprised to see what looked like snow on the
distant Mt Tongariro... A compound volcano in the

Taupo Volcanic Zone. Its elevation is 1,978 meters

But I was sure it was snow I was looking at.

 Behind the sprawling mass of Tongariro

was the composite cone of Mt Ngauruhoe with

its elevation of 2291 meters. From my viewpoint

it looks like a separate mountain but  is actually

part of the Tongariro Volcano complex.

 The mountains were continually in view...

Growing in size as I got closer and further south. 

Here a lot of logging has been done... There were

numerous logging trucks on the road.

 It's a good road... In the summer. In winter more

treacherous with ice on the road with plenty

of warning signs.

 It's quite isolated...

 Long straight roads...

 Because of volcanic ash when the various volcanoes

have erupted the countryside is very barren.

Nothing much grows on the hard dry ground... 

Snow and ice covered in the winter.

 The perfect cone of Ngauruhoe... Made of

alternating layers of ash, scoria and andesite

lave flows. The sides of the cone are steep, loose

scree slopes covered in material from recent eruptions.

Fumaroles exist in the inner crater and on the rim of the

eastern and northern  outer crater but steam is seldom

visible above the crater rim.

The cone started to build up at least 2500 years ago

although recent research suggests it may be up to

4500 years old.

 The road continued on... Easy driving but it

was my longest days driving since I have been

on the road again.

I eventually left the volcanoes and scrub

of the Desert Road behind as I continued

south to my next destination at Vinegar Hill.