One big adventure, two tired legs, three days in the wild, four great new friends and a fifth whose name I can't remember. I had lots of fun!

So I had to leave the crew from my Kiwi Experience just as they were starting to like me. The send off was just after we'd visited Taranaki Falls an hour inside Tongariro National Park. That would be my last landmark before finishing the three day Northern Circuit. I made a mental note to pack some togs.

I spent the next few hours battling with the near-impossible task of packing a rucksack with three days of clothing and supplies, my prize saucepan and a sleeping bag. My hostel in Taupo had been full; this backpacker building in the holiday village was entirely empty except for me.

I kicked off the first day of walking quite late, but I powered on to Mangetapopo Hut on possibly the most eroded "track" I've ever walked. The weather descended once I got there, and I began the next section in ever-increasing rain. A shame, as that was the start of one of the 10 best one-day walks in the world: The Tongariro Crossing. After briefly taking shelter in a toilet hut, I carried on to the aptly titled Devil's Staircase and across the main crater to the foot of Ngaurahoe, otherwise known as LOTR's Mount Doom.

It was there that I met a couple called Matt and Sarah, from German Switzerland. Sarah was cold after they attempted Ngaurahoe peak in dense cloud and rain and turned back. I knew my Thermos of tea would come in handy. They were headed to Tekekahi Hut, as was I. We walked together for the rest of the day.

Climbing the rest of the crossing and past Red Crater was pretty special. We were deep in cloud at Red Crater and soon realised that the clouds blowing off the ridge we were walking was actually steam coming from inside the ridge. Awesome to watch. It's easy to just accept the landscape you're walking through, but it really is just an alien world, with emerald green lakes formed from lava explosions, fresh lava flows and huge deposits of loose volcanic rock.

We met the next couple, Jean-Gregoire and Elise, at the giant Blue Lake. They had apparently been taking Gollum photos up by the mountains. Top work! They were also headed to Tekekahi, so we all walked together on the steep winding track down to the hut, which is deceptively far away.

That evening we ate noodles, drank tea and chatted by candlelight, to end a great start to the Northern Circuit, despite the weather.

On day two, I awoke - after a fairly cold night in my thin sleeping bag - to a beautiful view of the sun rising over the northern edge of the national park. Jean-Gregoire and Elise went back the same way they came as Matt, Sarah and I went to attempt Tongariro Summit. In hindsight that was a mistake - the cloud prevented any view, it was cold and we had to climb Red Crater's scree field just to start the summit attempt.

We then descended into the eastern slopes via a giant lava flow that gave the place a real Mordor appearance. With our packs, that was the most tiring descent I've done. The walk across the eastern slopes was just as tiring, undulating over barren hills and beech forest until we finally saw Waihouhonu Hut, which compared to Tekekahi is a palace. Solar lights, running hut water, double glazing and a panoramic view of Ngaurahoe and Ruapehu! My final act of the day was to dunk myself in the alpine stream 5 mins from the hut. That was pretty cold, but oh so refreshing!

The third and final day started with a clear sky and a quick trip to the local spring. I filled up with crystal clear water from the mountain and we set off on a mind numbingly long route over terrain that never seemed to change. It was a surprise that we arrived at the Tama Lakes so early. The Upper Tama Lake is stunning and the weather was amazing, although the wind was biting. I was once again glad of my Thermos of coffee for lunch.

I knew what was next: the Taranaki Falls. With the weather being so lovely and my feet having 50 kilometres of walking behind them, it was high time I jumped into the falls and gave my shoulders a natural massage. Gorgeous. I'd been waiting for this moment for three days.

Then, as if it couldn't get any better, Matt went to the store at Whakapapa Village and came back with a couple of beers each for us. What a legend!