This trip started with a long hot wait on a Friday afternoon to get on the ferry to Picton. After several sailing time changes, we were glad to see the ship arrive in Wellington Harbour, and even gladder to get on and get settled. I made good use of the wait time, however, signing up … Read more
Our group met at Wellington Railway Station at 8am on Saturday morning. We drove to Shannon, and then into the hills behind the Mangahao Power Station. Opened in 1924, this was New Zealand’s first large hydro power station. The road is very windy and it seemed to take a very long time to reach the … Read more
by Sarah Fisher Volunteerism is crucial to the sustainability of our backcountry, not only for the protection of our flora and fauna but also our unique backcountry hut network. It is the foundation of all tramping clubs across New Zealand and is necessary to keep the spirit of adventure in New Zealand’s backcountry alive. Adventuring … Read more
Emily and I took an impromptu trip up to Tongariro, excited by the promise of clear sunny skies and Emily a chance to get moving again after a bout of illness. We decided Mangatepopo would be a good Friday destination, followed by a climb over Tongariro via Hardman’s Ridge, a full moon camp in the … Read more
“I think they’re looking for escaped rebel dinosaurs who are on the run from work…….” “I bet they were surprised to see all our tents in the middle of nowhere!” This was our conversation the next morning after an Airforce helicopter circled over our campsite the night before with search lights on, presumably doing a … Read more
Welcome to the December President Column. The busy schedule of the Club continues and I’ve been out on two tramps recently : the first to Waiopehu hut and the second on a maintenance trip to Paua hut. This is the final President Column for 2022 and I would like to say thank you to all … Read more
Our team of 9 club members gathered early on an overcast Saturday morning at the Woolshed in Belmont Regional Park. We were all excited to see what the weekend held and looking forward to gaining some new skills to make our tramping experiences safer. There was a wide range of people on the course. The … Read more
The five of us met at Wellington Train Station at 9am on Sunday morning and drove out to Kaitoke Regional Park. The Park is located in the foothills of the Tararua Ranges. The plan was to drive out to the Te Marua entrance of the Park (5km north of Upper Hutt) and walk the main … Read more
Five of us met at the Wellington Train Station at 8.30am on Sunday to catch the bus out to Paremata Train Station – where Elodie and Megan met us in their cars and where Valentina was also waiting for us. We then drove out to the main entrance of Whareroa Farm via Transmission Gully. The … Read more
Te ao Whekere and the discovery of the Sarahsaurus 🦕 An ascent of Te Ao Whekere in the Seaward Kaikoura Range, and the amazing sighting of what appeared to be a dinosaur sunning itself on a cliff face. ‘Kea. Kea’. Much to my surprise I was now staring up at two noisy kea calling out … Read more