Travers-Sabine Circuit and Blue Lake – Nelson Lakes National Park

Fri 3 Jan – Ferry and camping at West Bay (Jetty Campsite) It was with anticipation that the four of us met at Wellington train station at 11.15 am. I’d been waiting to get a 5-day window for a while to attempt this tramp and duly put it on the trip schedule. We were to … Read more

Stanfield Hut Trip – aka ‘Buried in the Bush’

Drive + Tamaki West DOC Campsite Trampers for this supposedly Easy-Medium trip met their fearless leader Elizabeth (Liz) and intrepid Medium/Medium Fit-ish group members: James (leader) and Ashley at Wellington Train Station carpark at 5pm on Friday to jump in the swanky WTMC van. Trusty James was our driver. Tasty foods were eaten during a … Read more

Five passes (Mount Aspiring National Park)

Private trip organised by Lynsey. Lynsey and Jamie did the trip in a clockwise direction, Tiffany did the trip in an anticlockwise direction Summary of logistics, route and top tips This was a mostly off-track tramp into a remote alpine area that skirts the Olivine Wilderness Ledge. There are a variety of terrains to negotiate, … Read more

Sunrise Hut – Ruahine Forest Park

On Friday evening the five of us met at the traditional WTMC meet up point at Wellington Train Station for a weekend getaway to Ruahine Forest Park, located in Hawke’s Bay. We were joined by the Medium-Fit group, who were travelling in the van with us. Our group was a mix of new and more … Read more

Mangahao Flats Hut – Tararua Forest Park

We met at Wellington Train Station at 6:30 am on a sunny Saturday and piled into the club van. After dropping off the Medium group at Poads Road, we carried on up to the Managahao Top No 1 Reservoir dam. I was a bit nervous about driving the van, but had been reassured by others … Read more

Te Atuaoparapara peak – Ruahine Forest Park

It was timely that the Wilderness magazine had an article on negotiating scree, given that our descent from Te Atuaoparapara peak involved just that! We left Wellington train station at 5.30 pm on Friday and arrived at the road end (North Block road) at around 9.30 pm. It was then a 10 min walk to … Read more

A tale of two Aorangi Crossings – Aorangi Forest Park

We had an extraordinary number of sign-ups for the Aorangi Crossing trip, originally graded Medium, which was very encouraging to see. We were keen to accommodate as many trampers as possible, as the club had signed up to support the Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC) ‘Love our Huts’ campaign (unbeknown to those who had signed up). … Read more

Fighting for the underbird – helping out on the Tin Range, Rakiura

The fight for the underbird – helping out on the Tin Range, Rakiura A week on the Tin Range Stewart Island helping the Department of Conservation rangers with predator control to protect one of NZ’s most endangered birds the southern dotterel. If you want to save a species or habitat it’s a fight for evermore. You can … Read more

Mt Ngāuruhoe – a different way to climb to the summit

Mt Ngauruhoe summit and Tama Lakes

Mt Ngāuruhoe – a different way to climb to the summit A hiking loop trip to the summit of Mt Ngāuruhoe via an ascent route that is different from that usually taken. Mt Ngāuruhoe is the second highest mountain in the Tongariro National Park at 2,291 m, and is either a rather cute and perfectly formed … Read more

Mangatoetoe Hut and Kawakawa Hut – Aorangi Forest Park

Friday: We met at 4 pm at Wellington Train Station in the carpark by platform 9. After a 2 1/2 hr drive we arrived at Aorangi crossing carpark, Cape Palliser road. It took an easy-paced 1 hr 10 min hike along Mangatoetoe Stream to reach Mangatoetoe Hut -just as the light started to fade. This … Read more