Tramping: Taking the Mick

I picked up a NewTopo Map of the Tararua Ranges a while back. It's a great planning map - the whole range is there, including estimated walk times on various routes, and it marks various things unfound on some other modern maps. What sets us on our journey today is a point of interest W of... Continue Reading →

Tramping: Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk

At 3 on Friday P's van pulls up with a honk and a wave and we four Meetup trampers are off, over the Rimutakas enroute to tramp the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk. We are: P, a job-taking Welsh immigrant T, a job-taking Canadian immigrant J, a kiwi with problematic knees Me, also with problematic knees After a... Continue Reading →

Tramping: Pinnacle Ridge to Mitre Flats

R eyeballs the Pinnacle Ridge in the mid-Tararuas as a place to get some off-track navigation practice. He collects some of his friends who're keen to do similar, of which I am one - so I head off for the first trip I haven't had to do anything for in ages. When you haven't been in the back seat... Continue Reading →

Tramping: Pouakai Circuit, Mt Taranaki

With a week off work and still stiff from a tramp on Sunday, I plan an adventure on Monday morning, pack the car and drive to Stratford in Taranaki, 4.5hrs north of Wellington. Tonight I hunker down in my tent at the Stratford Holiday Park. "Hope you have a good sleeping bag" the host cheerfully says, as... Continue Reading →

Tramping: Atene Skyline Track, Whanganui

The Atene Skyline Track is a 6-8hr loop track on eastern side of the Whanganui river, about 45 minutes north of Whanganui. It catches my eye as a day trip while returning from walking the Pouakai Circuit. Leaving a cabin bright and early, I drive 45 minutes to the start of the walk. The road itself... Continue Reading →

Tararua Ranges: Powell Hut

'Tramping in winter you need crampons and ice axes' I've heard. I haven't tramped in the snow but I want to go have a look. With a small dusting on the Tararua ranges, the Holdsworth-Jumbo circuit is the go - I put an ad on Meetup and a party of five gathers. I wake at 5am and stumble... Continue Reading →

Tramping: Paua Hut, Tapokopoko in the Orongorongos

Date: 20/05/2018 – 21/05/2018 Party: Colin, Dan, Raj, Catherine, Jo, Theresa, Carolyn, Larry Night location/s: Paua Hut 'Anyone keen to lead a trip to Paua Hut? It's booked but noone's going'. Knocking off another Orongorongo hut seduces me more than my intended weekend activity - working - so I say 'sure'. As the meetup time creeps closer, storms lash the region. The... Continue Reading →

Tramping: Penn Creek Hut

Date: 06/05/2018 – 07/05/2018 Party: Rachel, Kristyna, Larry Night location/s: Penn Creek Hut Hosting a tramp overnight on Sunday is an experiment - how many keen shift workers are around? With howling gales and rain forecast, the answer is just one. So Rachel and I gear up to walk to Penn Creek, when a mutual friend (MB) puts us... Continue Reading →

Tramping: Roaring Stag Lodge

Date: 28/04/2018 – 29/04/2018 Party: Gerry, Larry Night location/s: Roaring Stag Lodge Leaving Putara Roadend at 12:30, we cross five minutes of farmland before reaching the first bridge (320m), over a tributary of the Mangatainoka River outside Eketahuna. From here we follow along the banks of the waterway, climbing slowly to 400m and another bridge, much bigger at 1:10 (40min... Continue Reading →

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