did a walk at Mount Pirongia....this is the view just from the carpark at the base....wait until i get another 800m above sea level... 

i got to this first trig lookout spot and had planned on stopping here, having taken an hour to get here and a very strenuous uphill climb...then this other tramper told me that the top was only another hour in that direction...i was surprised but thought i've come this far it'd be cool to see the top...so rejuvenated after lunch i continued walking towards the top...only to discover much later that that guy obviously had no idea what he was talking about because i walked so far, very fast and later discovered it is actually an 8-10 hr return walk and most ppl camp overnight...but i'm glad i got so far because i got to do real rock climbing...as you will see 

this was the cliff overhang above the next part of the walk...i had images of those rocks tumbling down on top of me...plus i realised that no one in the whole world knew where i was...so started freaking out! 

i was going to take a summit photo when i triumphantly reached the top...but having decided to turn back i took a 'turning back' photo...don't know i look so happy...i was actually disapointed...but then again the view is so spectacular and the walk is so cool that i couldn't help smiling anyway

another view 

i could see the ocean in that direction...and the fog and rain slwly coming in...there was blue sky only half an hour earlier 

i think one of those peaks in the background is the top 959m...i got as far as that little knob and then the fog came in and the rain started coming down so i didn't want to risk getting stuck out there by myself...turns out I was probably another 2 hours from the top anyway...oh well all the other people i passed out there had hardcore camping gear and boots etc and were going to stay overngiht at a hut along the way...i guess my little spontaneous 'walk in the park' was a little ambitious... 

i was aiming for somewhere in that direction 

this was the view from halfway up...i could see the kaimai range...where i was last weekend 

i climbed down this wall with only the chain bolted to the rock...it was so fun! 

my shoes tell it all 

went to wairere falls, south of Te Aroha and it was one of the best walks so far... 

wow 

The Kaimai range finishes pretty much Te Aroha with Mt. Kaimai...when i got there i was trying to get all these shots of the mountain cos it looks so cool as a backdrop to the little town, little did i know the more spectacular shots are further where i drove 

kaimai range 

the kaimai range stretching the whole way along this road...wish i could've got some better shots, but was driving but managed to pull over a few times  

it had been pouring down about an hour before and i was hoping the river wouldn't get too high...and it didn't...but was flowing very fast 

i reached the waterfall lookout and was like "whoah" this is cool...plus the sun came out which was woohoo 

i suddenly saw this view from between the trees over the green farmland stretching as far as i could see 

the top of the waterfall...153m up 

the stunning view out over the green farmland of waikato 

I'm getting good at those one-handed shots... 

look i stepped right in a big blob of mud because i wasn't looking where i was going...because the cliff was up ahead 

very mini waterfall 

hmm 

maximum load two persons...i wasn't too sure...