Ironman New Zealand Curtain Raiser

Is Ironman a big deal? To which Mark Hollander a post-Covid Ironman replied "It is a monumental achievement that demands unwavering dedication, physical endurance, and mental fortitude. It also gives you sore legs the next day and bragging rights for the rest of your life!" 

Ironman started as an endurance sport in Hawai in 1978 which was won by US Navy personnel. The Ironman New Zealand  in 1985 became the first overseas event outside US. For the first 14 years it was held in Auckland. It then moved to Taupo in 1999. My son Ankush is participating in Ironman New Zealand on 1st March 2025 (IMNZ-2025 for short). Ironman is currently held annually in more than 50 locations worldwide including Antarctica. This story is a curtain raiser for IMNZ-2025 in Taupo.

What is Ironman

It is a swim, bike and run event. 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike followed by 42.2 km marathon run in that order same day. Yes, the same day. The total comes to 140.6 miles. Half of that is 70.3. There is a shorter event called the 70.3. Ankush  had completed 70.3 Ironman in Goa in 2022. You may browse his story in the link below:

Ironman in the Family

The Venue

Ironman New Zealand 2025 in Taupo has a happening venue. With more than 2000 participants it was buzzing with activity two days in advance. The registration desks were all manned by volunteers who were students as well as teachers from schools in Taupo as well as Auckland. Taupo is a beautiful city with the picturesque Lake Taupo where the swim part of IMNZ is held. See the pictures below.

Registration Kit

The kit had the bib for the run, waterproof tatoo for the swim and stickers for the bike and transition bags. In addition, it had a hand-written letter by a middle school student addressed to the participant. It was such a sweet gesture. See the pictures below.

The Preparation 

Most participants bring their own bikes. the bikes have to be unpacked, re-assembled and tested. Similarly, one has to acclimatise to the water temperature and do a short swim. Bikes along with change of clothing and shoes for the run have to be deposited in the 'Transition' area in advance. Transition briefing was done by the IM staff a day in advance. See more pictures below.

Now all ears are tuned to the hooter to be sounded at 8 AM tomorrow. It marks the start of the swim to be followed by the bike and run. For the next 17 torturous hours the athletes will toil continuously to qualify and earn the title of an Ironman. And yes, sore legs the next day and bragging rights for the rest of their lives!

All the best to Ankush and rest of the participants of IMNZ-2025. 

To give our readers a taste of New Zealand, its unpolluted environment, picturesque country side and well kept parks, given below are the links to our other stories on NZ:

Huka Falls - Crystal Blue Waters

Public Park in Taupo - Caring for the Children

Aerial Photography - New Zealand coastline

Ironman New Zealand 2025 - A Curtain Raiser

Ankush Is An Ironman - Story of Grit and Daring despite a bike crash

Lake Taupo - Why is it so Iconic

Rock Paintings - Recreating Maori Art

Harnessing Geo-thermal Energy - Geo-Thermal Park at Taupo

Thanks for browsing

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Ankush Bhargava/Taupo, NZ/28th Feb 2025

#Ironman #IMNZ #IMNZ2025 #IMNZTaupo #Taupo #NewZealand #IronmanAthletes #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Children's Park in New Zealand

Children are our real assets who will take the life forward. But do we care for our children? Do we create safe public play areas for them? Can the children breathe fresh unpolluted air in the cities? Ask the above questions wherever you live. And the answer would most likely be no!

But New Zealand cares for its children. We took a walk to one of the children's parks in Taupo. What struck us was the cleanliness, well designed and safe play areas as well as clean toilets. There was greenery all around. There was a board explaining how the mountains got their names. Besides being a play area, the park also has educational value. Many cities in Europe and North America also have similar facilities for the children.

See the pictures below and then decide whether NZ cares for the children or not!

There is a huge chess board for the adults to keep busy while the children enjoy in the play area.

Warrior mountains as per local folklore! Zoom the picture and read the story.

Public loo with a rose garden! Yes, see the picture below. 

Blue skies in Taupo are a real treat. Sharing a few more pictures. See an Ironman runner practicing.

The lake with high winds and gentle waves!

The travellers basking in warm Sun in the park. In fact days are so warm because of intense UV radiation, that one has to look out for a shade or wear a protective headgear.

To give our readers a taste of New Zealand, its unpolluted environment, picturesque country side and well kept parks, given below are the links to our other stories on NZ:

Huka Falls - Crystal Blue Waters

Public Park in Taupo - Caring for the Children

Aerial Photography - New Zealand coastline

Ironman New Zealand 2025 - A Curtain Raiser

Ankush Is An Ironman - Story of Grit and Daring despite a bike crash

Lake Taupo - Why is it so Iconic

Rock Paintings - Recreating Maori Art

Harnessing Geo-thermal Energy - Geo-Thermal Park at Taupo

Thanks for browsing 

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Ankush Bhargava/Taupo New Zealand/ 27th Feb 2025

#Taupo #lakeTaupo #New Zealand #ironmannewzealand2025 #childrenparktaupo #publiclootaupo #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb

Huka Falls Taupo New Zealand

Ever seen a water fall with crystal blue waters thundering down the slope?

Even the Ganges when emerges from Gangotri glacier is not so clean.

And unlike many other water falls which have reduced outflow during non-monsoon months, Huka Falls in Taupo New Zealand has a thunderous flow round the year. Victoria Falls in Africa also do not have such clear water, though the falls are much higher. Huka Falls are basically the overflow of lake Taupo. White water rafting is also done in the upstream of the falls.

Sharing below few pictures and video of Huka Falls.

See the video below to feel the energy !

You may be thinking why so much of energy of the waterfall is being wasted? No, it is not being wasted. Downstream of the falls, there is a hydro-electric power pltant. New Zealand not only conserves Nature but also harnesses nature's sources of energy. Besides the hydro-electric power plant, New Zealand also harnesses geo-thermal energy to produce electricity. Read another story titled 'Craters of the Moon' which highlights a geo-thermal park near Taupo, New Zealand.

You may browse some of our earlier stories on Water Falls in India listed below:

Boghata Waterfalls - The Niagara of Telangana

Kuntala Waterfalls - The Monsoon Getaway

More stories from New Zealand will follow. Stay connected.

To give our readers a taste of New Zealand, its unpolluted environment, picturesque country side and well kept parks, given below are the links to our other stories on NZ:

Huka Falls - Crystal Blue Waters

Public Park in Taupo - Caring for the Children

Aerial Photography - New Zealand coastline

Ironman New Zealand 2025 - A Curtain Raiser

Ankush Is An Ironman - Story of Grit and Daring despite a bike crash

Lake Taupo - Why is it so Iconic

Rock Paintings - Recreating Maori Art

Harnessing Geo-thermal Energy - Geo-Thermal Park at Taupo

Thanks for browsing

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Ankush Bhargava/ 26th Feb 2025/ Taupo New Zealand

#hukafalls #taupo #newzealand #naturenatitsbest #conservingnature #environment #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #hydroelectricity #geothermalactivity #geothermalenergy

Marshland Conservation By The Residents

Can the residents of a high rise township conserve a km long marshland? Can the marshland be turned green? Can it attract the birds and butterflies?

The answer is an emphatic yes. While on my morning walk today, I observed this remarkable effort by the residents of the House of Hiranandani, Egattur, Chennai. 

Overlooking the Buckingham Canal and the Bay of Bengal, these 28-storeyed towers offer a great view. However, the canal which is part of the tidal system, had barren shores. The residents have converted the barren patch into a green shore line which will soon become a mini forest. With imaginatively designed all-weather signage, it helps raise awareness and educate the walkers, visitors and children about the local flora and fauna. Each display panel also brings out the environmental benefits of the bird or the tree.  See the pictures below.

See the saplings below.

The photo-op booth

The grassland is thriving again.

The concrete towers have well maintained green pathways.

You need a binocular to spot the names of towers named after different types of wood and trees.

The birds are back in the canal. Black winged Stilts in the picture below. 

May such conservation efforts be emulated by more citizen groups. 

Bravo Bush Walk Hira. Keep up your good work.

Thanks for browsing 

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/Chennai/22nd Feb 2025

#BushWalkHira #environmentalconservation #CommunityEffort #Volunteering #HouseOfHiranandani #Chennai #TNForestDepartment #Marshland #BuckinghamCanal #Ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh