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A view of Mt Tongariro - Source: Getty Images -
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A Mount Tongariro tourism company is playing the waiting game at the moment, but expects a surge in visitors soon.
Stewart Barclay, the owner of guiding company Adrift on the fringe of Tongariro National Park, told TV ONE's Breakfast show that staff and tourists are excited to see how the mountain looks after its eruption earlier this week.
"Really we're just waiting for the scientists to advise DOC on when it becomes safe - and hopefully it'll become safe sooner rather than later," he said.
"When we get that all clear, we're really looking forward to getting up there and checking out the new landscape with a few new vents and rocks spattered everywhere. And really then the visitors I think will come in droves to check it out."
Barclay said he is getting a lot of queries from tourists, mainly about the safety of the mountain.
"Our big issue is to give them comfort that when it gets the all clear that we will only be going up there when it is safe and by all means, hold off for a few more days and then let's get into it and check out those craters."
In the meantime, Barclay said he is offering Tongariro-bound tourists an alternative to keep business ticking along.
"What we're offering is changing the trek from Tongariro crossing over to the Mount Ruapehu crater lake trek, so we're giving them a great mountain to walk up and giving them a beautiful snow and ice experience, so we're trying to keep our business going in the short term by giving them that alternative."
He said as long as mass hysteria is not inspired by scary headlines, massive numbers of tourists should be heading down soon.