Eager Beaver Canyon v4a2IV**

Rappelling the final big waterfall Eager Beaver Canyon, Waiorongomai

Eager Beaver Canyon v4a2IV** A long day hike to Waiorongomai Hut then to Eager Beaver Canyon and return after rappelling the three 40 m waterfalls. In 2021 club member Megan Sety wrote an article for Wilderlife titled, ‘Near Miss – How not to get into canyoning. It was the story of an attempt by a … Read more

Mt Tarahaka – on the Road to Nowhere 🔁

On the ridge to Mt tarahaka Seaward Kaikoura Range with Clarence River in distance

Mt Tarahaka – on the Road to Nowhere Mt Tarahaka in the Seaward Kaikoura Range Dino chickens. Stalked by horses. Vigorous totara trees. Electric shocks. Ambiguous routes. Nothing is ever simple in the Seaward Kaikōura Range it seems. Tony and I have a bit of a running record with this area where our trips don’t … Read more

Queen Charlotte Track – Marlborough Sounds

18 months after the trip, we realised that no trip report had been written. Here is one; better late than never. Because our trip was at the Easter long weekend, we had to camp because all indoor accommodation had been booked out well in advance. But I think most of us didn’t mind camping. On … Read more

Whakapapa Day walks – Tongariro National Park

A very light sprinkling of snow fell as we arrived at the WTMC lodge at Iwikau Village, Mount Ruapehu, on Friday night. And some of it was still apparent first thing in the morning, though disappearing rapidly once hit by the sun: a brilliantly clear start to a calm and sunny weekend. After breakfast we … Read more

Kylie Biv – Ruahine Forest Park

Our journey began on Friday night with a drive up to the Ruahine Range. We parked at the track end on Mangleton Road, and donned our packs for a 5 minute walk in to Sentry Box Hut. After that exhausting ordeal we headed straight to bed, ready for a slightly longer day tomorrow. Saturday dawned … Read more

Te Puia Lodge and Hot Springs – Kaweka Forest Park

The long weekend started with a Friday evening drive to Norsewood, to camp overnight. This allowed us to break up the long drive, along winding gravel roads, to the beginning of the track at Makahu Road road end – about 1.5 hours from Napier. It was sad to see some of the damage caused by … Read more

A gentle amble along the Rakiura coastline

Kiwi sightings: 9Number of huts bagged: 16Number of days: 8Number of days with wet boots: also 8Distance: 117 kmElevation gain: over 6,500m – a very undulating track! A Rakiura haiku: The mud is everywhere. Bog-a-licious, soggy mud. No coffee cart here. Friday 13 October Landing in Mason Bay8km of local exploring, 2h Boarding a tiny … Read more

Jam Hut – with real jam and marshmallows

Jam Hut illustration

Jam Hut – Seaward Kaikoura Range A tramping trip in the Seaward Kaikoura Range to visit Jam Hut via George Saddle     If you are not sure of your route in a boulder field on the way to or from Jam Hut, always pick the left stream branch. I chose the one on the … Read more

Daphne Hut – Ruahine Forest Park

Friday 8 September:The team met at Wellington train station and set off for Anzac Park (the one in Norsewood, not Palmerston North). Dinner was had enroute at the very originally named Indian Taj; a warning to future visitors, the staff implement the term “mild” in the most English sense. Tents were quickly pitched on arrival … Read more

Manawatu Gorge Track

Ten of us left Wellington Train station at 9am on a Sunday morning for the approx 2 hour drive to the start of the track. We took 2 cars – one group started at the Ashhurst end and the other group at the Woodville end. The plan was to meet in the middle and have … Read more