4th June – Mangatutu Hot Springs to Te Puia Lodge and Mangatinoka Hot Springs Total Walking Time – 2.5hours Total Hot Pool Time – 2.5hours After a long drive our group arrived at the Mangatutu Hot Springs camping ground at around 1:30am on a very cold evening. Our road weariness and the cold, hard ground … Read more
This club easy tramp was made very special because of both the pretty place we went to, and also because everyone on the trip got on so well together. There was never a harsh word, and all those little camping jobs were done as if by magic. Lake Chalice is a delightful place. We arrived … Read more
The new Paekakariki Escarpment track proved to be a very civilized introduction to the WTMC. Nine of us – a mix of club old hands and newbies, Kiwis and recent arrivals – met at the Wellington railway station at 9 and took the train to Paekakariki. First things first, so we headed into a nearby … Read more
The Te Puia Lodge area in the Kaweka Ranges is well known for more than just its stunning scenery; it is one of the few tracks in New Zealand where trampers can relax in spring-fed hot pools at the end of each day. With the winter chill beginning to set in and fine weather predicted, … Read more
Friday afternoon had arrived and it was the long weekend – that meant only one thing – off to explore the hills! I knew it would be a long drive after our 30min dinner break in Carterton but our group got off lightly as we were dropped off at road end just below Makahu Saddle Hut, … Read more
Fourteen trampers started out from the railway station at 4.15pm. We had a long drive ahead of us – 6 hours up to Lake Tutira campsite, just north of Napier. We stopped for gourmet delights at Country Chef Fast Food in Dannevirke and then got back on the road. The campsite was only marked by … Read more
Friday 6th of May (10min) Our nine person tramp started out on a cool Autumn Friday night. A swift trip over the Rimutaka’s led us to the comforting stop that is Café Istanbul in Carterton. We all spread out amongst the cushions and enjoyed our nutritious yet affordable kebabs in a semi authentic setting. It … Read more
The Croesus Track is located in the Southern Paparoa Range in the West coast region. This track is one of finest surviving examples of a miners’ track (1881) on the West Coast. A group of 12 from WTMC, lead by Matt and assisted by Catherine started our adventure on Thursday night of Easter weekend 2016. … Read more
My optimism was slowly fading as the week progressed. The forecast was predicting strong winds, rain, and near freezing temperatures. But as we baked in the afternoon sun waiting for the ferry, that forecast seemed like a distant reality. After a sunset across the Cook strait, a sail through the sounds lit by the full … Read more
On Saturday 16th April the alarm went off at 5 am. In darkness we drove to meet the team at Wellington train station at 6 am for the train to Waikanae. Here we met fellow trampers Jared, Mike and team leader Garth. Unfortunately, one member of the team slept through the alarm so our group … Read more