Mt Ruapehu day walk and the ice cave

Mt Ruapehu Summit Plateau Glacier ice cave featured image

Mt Ruapehu day walk and the ice cave. A day hike from the Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club (WTMC) Mt Ruapehu Lodge to a spectacular ice cave in the Summit Plateau Glacier Sarah enjoys staying at the WTMC Ruapehu Lodge. Mainly because it is easy there for her to make tasty pancakes and raisin scones. … Read more

Holdsworth daywalks – Gentle Annie Saddle, Pinnacle, and the summit.

Holdsworth daywalks Gentle-Annie Saddle, Pinnacle, Mt Holdsworth Summit featured image

Holdsworth daywalks – Gentle Annie Saddle, Pinnacle, and the summit. Three hikes in the Holdsworth area of the Tararua Range – Gentle Annie Saddle, Pinnacle, and the summit of Mt Holdsworth – including route guides, photos and a video. Gentle Annie Saddle Inspired by a TTC day trip of many years ago Tony and I … Read more

A Baldy – South King – Mitre Flats Hut adventure – Tararua Forest Park

The original plan for this trip was to head into Atiwhakatu Hut on Friday night, climb Baldy Peak and then go on to the Broken Axe Pinnacles and McGregor Biv on Saturday and then back to Holdsworth Lodge via Angle Knob and Jumbo on Sunday. While Saturday’s weather looked pretty good, Sunday’s forecast was for … Read more

Lake Nerine – Routeburn North Branch and Park Pass, Aspiring NP.

Lake Nerine, Humboldt Mountains, featured image

Lake Nerine – Routeburn North Branch and Park Pass A 3 day hiking loop trip through spectacular mountain scenery of the Humboldt Mountains, Aspiring National Park, New Zealand, from the Routeburn North Branch, to Park Pass and the Rock Burn. Sidle unpleasantly steep snowgrass and hard earth slopes on the Rockburn side. Our imaginations run … Read more

Up, up, up and down, down, down to the river, Upper Makaroro Hut – Ruahine Forest Park

After a long drive, broken up with a long wait for our “pre-ordered” burgers in Carterton, we were all pleased to arrive at the Mangleton Road end parking area. The “10 minute” walk-in to Sentry Box Hut took us almost twice the time in our rush to get to the Hut. We had charged ahead … Read more

Pack floating down the Waiohine Gorge – Tararua Forest Park

After 6 months of casual day trips and regular wine and cheese tasting overseas, I wondered what the best way would be to get back into tramping in NZ…  and the answer appeared on the trip schedule listed as a Emily’s MF trip “Waiohine Pack Float via Jacs Biv”: good company, some tops travel, another … Read more

Jumbo Hut and Pizza – Tararua Forest Park

We gathered at the train station on Friday afternoon and piled into the van, greeted by Sophie who was co-leading the medium group with her human, Sara. She was clearly ready to have the best weekend ever and spent most of the trip up touring the van for pats. We stopped for dinner at the … Read more

Mid-Waiohine Hut and Pizza – Tararua Forest Park

Date: 28 Feb – 2 Mar 2025Trip type: MediumLocation: Tararua Forest ParkAuthor: Georgia Trampers: Sara (leader), Georgia, Tawera, Brianna, Chrys, Callum (and Sophie) Friday – 28 Feb Five of us and Sara’s lovely dog (Sophie) met at the Wellington Station and drove up to the Wairarapa with the EM group. We met up with Brianna … Read more

Gunsight Pass – a nice daywalk from the North to the South Temple, Ruataniwha

Gunsight Pass featured image

Gunsight Pass – a nice daywalk from the North to the South Temple, Ruataniwha Conservation Park A day loop hike over Gunsight Pass from the North Temple to the South Temple starting and ending at the DOC Temple Campsite. Matt and I had been thinking about Gunsight Pass for over a year after our trip … Read more

Brass Monkeys, a Devil’s Den and Lucretia – all from Lewis Pass

Brass Monkeys, a Devil’s Den and Lucretia – all from Lewis Pass A 7 day hiking loop trip through scenery in the Lewis Pass mountains Old mouldy monkeys were out and new monkeys were in! I was on a week’s solo tramp in Lewis Pass and I had been dropped off by the East by … Read more