I gunned it along, confident that had a realistic chance of making it back on time. The winding path that led down the scenery here turned from moorland into a forst that never seemed to end. My confidence was waning fast as I walked through endless wooded area. Finally, and I do mean finally, I made it. The bus driver from another company told me I was lucky the driver was still waiting for me. I looked at my phone - I was 8 minutes late. Yes, I was lucky, but I just climbed a volcano and made the Tongariro Crossing in about 9.5 hours. Now that was a great day!