The next weekend Kat, Shani, Aaron, me and Aaron decided to drive back South again and visit the Tongariro National park, to walk the famous Tongariro crossing and climb Mount Ngauruhoe. If you speak English you pronounce it: Nara-ho-ee. If you fancy the Māori way try: Ngah-oo-roo-haw-eh.

Ngauruhoe is the youngest vent and highest peak in the Tongariro volcanic complex and first erupted about 2,500 years ago. It lies between the active volcanoes of Mount Tongariro to the north and Mount Ruapehu to the southern shore of Lake Taupo.

It was busy in the 20th century, erupting 45 times, making it one of the world's most active volcanoes, it last erupted in 1975.

Ngauruhoe achieved Hollywood fame when it was cast as the fictional Mount Doom in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, achieving celebrity exposure.

Climbing it is a fantastic experience. The mount is too steep for a real path and the rocks are so loose that it's one step up and half a step backwards. The climb is tough but the views are amazing making it worth the effort.

Here is your Māori language lesson for the day. At the slopes of the Tongariro park lies Whakapapa village, see picture. The 'wh' is pronounced 'eff' as in the letter 'f', so it sounds like; fa-ka-papa. The only place in the world where it is culturally acceptable to roll out that name. A recent billboard in Auckland had a cheeky play on the word 'Whaka', check out the pictures to see why it got complaints and was removed.

Cooper Out

Love Dan & Kat