Overview

What lies off-track in Tongariro National Park? This engrossing book contains stories of ghosts, fires, avalanches, plane wrecks, sly grogging, secret spots and more from around Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and Ruapehu - a place of wild and chaotic grandeur. This well-illustrated and lively exploration of the history of Ruapehu is told by a self-confessed 'Ruapehu addict' who has an uncanny talent for persuading a cast of great characters to join her on her explorations and investigations. With over 200 historic and present-day images and 25 maps, it's a must-have for all who love skiing, climbing and tramping around this mighty mountain.

Full Product Details

Author:   Hazel Phillips
Publisher:   Massey University Press
Imprint:   Massey University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 19.00cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 25.00cm
Weight:   1.000kg
ISBN:  

9781991016843

ISBN 10:   1991016840
Pages:   400
Publication Date:   08 May 2025
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

A note on the text 9 Introduction 11 Part 1. Earth 15 1: The smashed summit stone 17 2: Secret huts on the southern slopes 37 3: Lost on Ruapehu — the Stanton search 57 4: Mangaiti, the hidden hut 83 5: The Dudley rescue 95 6: Hauhungatahi’s secret stone 109 Part 2. Air 123 7: The wreck of the Kaka 125 8: A plane wreck hidden for decades 151 9: A fireball above Te Heuheu peak 163 10: A test flight turns to tragedy 177 Part 3. Fire 183 11: The legend of the Haunted Whare 185 12: Te Wai ā-moe Crater Lake 201 13: Sly groggers and a booze ban 223 14: Joe Blyth’s Ohakune Hut 237 15: Skiing Ngāuruhoe 249 Part 4. Water 263 16: Disappearing ice 265 17: Holl’s Rock 287 18: The mauri of the maunga 301 Part 5. Aether 315 19: Missing climbers on Mitre Peak 317 20: Te Onetapu — the Sacred Sands 329 21: Searching for Goatman 339 22: The water vortex of Rotopounamu 345 23: Skull on a summit 355 24: Peak obsession 365 Notes 374 Glossary 388 Select bibliography 387 Acknowledgements 389 About the author 391 Index 392

Reviews

‘Diligently researched, excellently presented’ — Tony Orman, Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of NZ ‘Aotearoa’s answer to Bill Bryson’ — David Slack, More Than a Feilding

Author Information

Hazel Phillips is the author of four books: Fire & Ice (2025); Solo: Backcountry adventuring in Aotearoa New Zealand (2022); Wild Westie (2014), a biography of Sir Bob Harvey; and Sell! (2013), a history of the advertising industry. Her previous book Solo was shortlisted in the New Zealand Mountain, Film & Book Festival book awards (2022) for mountain and adventure narratives and was a New Zealand non-fiction bestseller. Hazel has a background in newspaper and magazine journalism, and her writing has been published in media and journals across New Zealand and Australia. She published an essay in the book Otherhood (2024) and contributed to the global publication Atlas of Mountaineering (2025), edited by Conrad Anker and Katie Ives. Hazel holds a Masters in Creative Writing with first-class honours and an MA in media studies. She is currently working on her next book, about early women climbers and adventurers of Aoraki Mount Cook.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions