On Saturday we did the Tongariro Crossing hike.  This hike is one of the most famous in New Zealand and supposedly the best day hike in the country.  It’s also 19.6 km long!  That’s 12.1788754 miles and it’s not called an alpine crossing for nothing.  It was a really cool experience and I’m so glad that my brother recommended it to us.  It took us 6 hours and we pretty much walked nonstop with just a few quick breaks.  The scenery was volcanic, colorful and spectacular.  But we had to contend with gale force winds (not kidding) and tons of other tourists.  They say that in peak season, on weekends 700 people a day do this trip.  And that probably isn’t an exaggeration.  You have to get a bus to one end of the trail and then have it pick you up at the other end – unless you’re absolutely crazy and want to walk both ways!  We loved it!!!