Lots of space in the van with eight people on the trip, best kebabs at Bulls and luxury camping (with hot showers) just past Whanganui, and that was just the Friday night… this was going to be a great tramp. After an early start on Saturday morning, thanks to the 5am wake-up call from the … Read more
So with the Wellington drought in full force, I figured that not too much weather watching would be needed; this just being a day walk up on the Kapiti coast. However with maps packed and the final trip intention sheet sent out, it seemed that Sunday 17th March it was possibly going to rain. My … Read more
Continued from Part 1… On Monday morning we thank Hans and Mika for their kind hospitality and throw bikes in and on the van. We are joined for the day by Julie and Thomas who, as seasoned bikers, will hopefully not mind travelling at our pace. To avoid having to climb Tantragee Saddle at the … Read more
So the idea was to get crafty while on a tramping trip: to knit, needlepoint and natter our way across the ferry trip and beyond. Yarning started while waiting for a delayed ferry departure in Wellington, with craft consultations being undertaken while still on the pier. Projects got well underway on the ferry crossing with … Read more
We had a group of 6 trampers for this daywalk with stunning sunshine weather; the day it was forecasted to be sunshine for another 10 days! We had 2 cars and met Grant the ranger at the main car park whereupon he let us in to the water collection area through a couple of gates … Read more
After a slightly bleary-eyed 7.30am meet on the Saturday morning, a club minibus jam-packed with sleepy trampers left for the Tararuas in hot pursuit after Illona’s car. As a tramping-virgin, I had been warned about the mysteriously misty, murky and muddy Tararuas and had sat through various club presentations picturing drizzly-looking forest and decidedly damp-looking … Read more
When Gareth asked me for the sixth time “have you committed to the Jumbo-Holdsworth?” I weighed up the pros and cons for the sixth time. Pros – no time left to do any training, have run the route before and enjoyed it, unlikely to be snow this time. Cons – have not done any training, … Read more
Having attended the obligatory two club tramps before becoming a member, and a trip leading session, it was appropriate to contribute in a small way by volunteering to lead a trip. Encouraged by my brother in-law Mike and the fact that a number of other trips were planned around Nelson at the same time, this … Read more
As we were doing a crossing we had a few transport logistics issues. We left Wellington Station on the 5:30pm train bound for Masterton, a lovely scenic ride, with the goal getting a pickup from the MF Blackwater-Makaretu group on the Sunday afternoon. We arrived in Masterton a bit hungry and in no real hurry, … Read more
As I now hold double (dubious) honour of setting off the first WTMC beacon rescue, and the first time I have asked others to get me out of a tricky situation, I have been contemplating the necessity, or otherwise, of carrying a PLB. It is only in the last few years I have started to … Read more