Aorangi Crossing: A tramper’s tramp

– “Not all fun is created equal: – Type 1 fun is enjoyable while it’s happening. Also known as, simply, fun.  – Type 2 fun is miserable while it’s happening, but fun in retrospect. – Type 3 fun is not fun at all. Not even in retrospect.”  – After the trip was canceled once, and … Read more

Tongariro Northern Circuit in a day

A scoria descent from Red Crater to the three Emerald lakes. Blue Lake is at top left. 11.15 am

DOC promote this Great Walk as a 3-4 day tramp with two or three overnight stays (Mangatepopo, Oturere, Waihohonu Huts) for good reason. The scenery is exceptional. Alternatively, it can be walked in two days with each day at least 8 hours. However, the Northern Circuit in a day is possible. Trail runners run it … Read more

Not the Aorangi Crossing but a sweet as Kiwi Kawakawa Experience

After three dead cows along the river, lots of river walking and a gust or two we made it to Mangatoetoe hut, about an hour in from the van. The night before, we’d driven to the campsite with the Easy group (in the other van), all stopping at Lake Ferry Hotel Restaurant for dinner. We … Read more

Mangatoetoe Hut

The trip in pictures What people thought of the trip Well organised and it provided a really good introduction to club trips. I gained some useful tips on the basics, like how to properly pour out of a billy when it’s full of boiling water! and what ongaonga looks like. I liked the scenery, the … Read more

A tramp of two halves

Aorangi crossing

When the Aorangi Crossing has been on the schedule in the past it has attracted a handful of signups. This time however, there were two handfuls – in fact a round baker’s dozen of keen beans signed up. The reason for this, I believe, is simple – people love a challenge. The last club trip … Read more

Aorangi Crossing

This was a weekend traverse of Aorangi Forest Park, starting from the sea, ending at the sea, and going over some big hills in between… Friday night we converged on Platform 9 and bundled into the club van to test drive the newly opened Smart Motorway. Opinions about its performance varied slightly but generally were … Read more

Kawakawa-Mangatoetoe Traverse

Billed as an Easy-Medium, the Kawakawa Hut trip sounded like just what I needed after a long break from overnight tramping and a hideous cold. As benefits a trip of this grade, proceedings commenced with a coffee at Martinborough and it was 11am before the actual tramping began. Being new to the area, I’d done … Read more

Aorangi Crossing

This tramp started from Putangirua Pinnacles, walking down to Mangatoetoe (Cape Palliser) via a number of huts. We had left Platform 9 at 5:15 pm on Friday for a couple hours drive to the Pinnacles campsite. Apparently the water at the campsite was not safe to drink, so we had filled our bottles at a … Read more

When ‘Garage Projects’ go Feral – Aorangi Undulator and Aorangi 100 

Both Sharron and Marie have written up their experiences of the race Marie’s running adventures The Aorangi Undulator is a ‘run’ taking in some 30km of Aorangis over a series of bumps. Our trip leader decided to truly lead the way by doing the Aorangi 100 Ultra – a three day event taking in 100km … Read more

From Pinnacles to Sea with the “has beens” – November 2011

I was down to lead the medium traverse of the Haurangis, one of my favorite tramping haunts, but with no punters signed up things looked grim until Craig McGregor, an ex-Chief Guide, signed up. It’s been a few years since our glory days at the Tongue & Meats and, with no one else signed up, … Read more