Washpool Wanderings

We left Wellington on a sunny Saturday morning and after a caffeine boost in Martinborough arrived at the Putangirua road ready for our adventures. With boots and packs on we set off to find orcs amongst the Putangirua Pinnacles. Possibly it was too sunny for the orcs to be out so we had no success … Read more

WTMC Family tramp to Field Hut

Before you head away on a trip often there are a number of things for the trip leader to sort out. The group gear is divided up, the menu planned and dinner ingredients dished out, transport organised, the emergency contact person informed and the route planned. So when you find out that the road access … Read more

Renata Ridge

There’s nothing like gale forecasts of 100 km/hr to lend the run-up to the weekend a slight nervous edge. But spirits were high in the minibus so I could only assume either the others hadn’t seen the forecast or that I was the mad one: that heading up to a ridge with that forecast was … Read more

Paua Hut

The morning was sodden, however, spirits were as high as the amount of rainfall, and in some cases higher than fitness levels when we met at Platform 9. We were one of three groups making our way to Paua Hut and one after the other we discovered we would not actually sleep inside the hut as the … Read more

Southern Crossing

The Southern Crossing is described by DoC as one of the “four classic tramps of the Tararua Range”, and is a trip that any Wellington-based tramper should tackle at least once. However, in the leadup to our trip the weather looked like it was going to spoil the plans, with gale winds forecast for the … Read more

Waitewaewae Hut

The tramp to Waitewaewae Hut on the Saturday took us approximately 8 ½ hours, and 6 ½ on the Sunday. We believe we walked about 15kms each way, and may have got to over 600 meters above sea level. The route We started from Otaki Forks at the swing bridge by the picnic area. We … Read more

Stunning views at Tongariro National Park

If you have never done the Tongariro Crossing or if you have never done any tramp in the Tongariro National Park, it is time to get your boots ready! The views of the volcanos, lakes, craters and tussock are just stunning; and you will wish you have been there earlier. Because we were an easy … Read more

Skyline Walkway

On the Skyline Walkway I felt like I was on a big adventure. When we were up on the mountains the view was just so amazing and sometimes it was hard to run against the wind but it was so funny because we always laughed together about it and I got to know so many … Read more

Cow Creek

Mike: It’s Saturday night, before 8pm. I’m hunched below a top bunk of Cow Creek Hut, feeling very well fed and trying to scribble these notes by torchlight.  Debbie and Eleonora are already trying to go to sleep. Debbie’s had the wood-burner going, and it’s toasty enough for me to have switched to a downstairs … Read more