Tongariro Devil Creek Crossing

With an appalling weather forecast it was decided that a weekend trip to the lodge wasn’t a goer; chances are the Bruce Road would be closed and we wouldn’t even get there.  Spencer was keen to lead a local day walk instead and I for one really needed to stretch my legs, so did Tracey, … Read more

Who really wants an uneventful tramping weekend?

After having come into contact with WTMC for the first time only 2 Wednesdays earlier, here I was at Wellington train station meeting a bunch of random people for a weekend in the Tararua ranges.  First good sign was a newish, sturdy looking WTMC van in the car park with 2 or 3 people milling … Read more

Snowcraft – 1st weekend: A brief report from the Podium Group (Not to be confused with the ‘elite’ group…)

When signing up in the balmy month of May, it wasn’t there yet. And even for many long weeks into June, there was hardly any snow on the ski fields at the big hill in the North, which we can often see on a clear day when tramping in our Tararua backyard. However, we still … Read more

Howletts Hut

The trip began at platform 9, Wellington Station.  Our group of 7 plus another group of 6 going on the EM trip to Daphne Hut filled all spaces in the van.  We all headed off to the eastern Ruahines to Kasmir Road end arrived sometime after 10pm.  We brought tents as the weather forecast predicted … Read more

Ruahines, Daphne Hut

Kashmir Road on the eastern side of the Ruahine range is probably the worst road that I have ever encountered.  It is unsealed, very steep, very narrow and quite scary in places.  Nevertheless, we got to the road end without incident.  Thanks Hans, for your superb driving! There were five punters on this trip: Jo, … Read more

Butterfly Creek, Eastbourne

On Friday night Ally Clarke’s grand total number of punters was none at all but come a fine Sunday morning there were 8 children ready for a tramping adventure in the hills above Eastbourne. Dom, Hamish, Iona, Charlie, Charlie, Ellen, Carly and Taylor, and assorted parents started up the track towards Butterfly Creek. For 2 … Read more

Not your usual trip report

This trip report is a collaborative effort written much like a childhood story game. The first few sentences were emailed to the next punter who added their thoughts who then emailed it to the next punter, and so on. This could make for either a very interesting or a very incoherent report! Our tramp began … Read more

Pouakai Circuit, Egmont National Park

Most of my tramping gear is kept in the attic, to be fished out every month or two. There are several pairs of everything up there, which can lead to mix-ups on occasions. One of those occasions was when I agreed to lead the Pouakai Range circuit trip in Egmont National Park in May. The … Read more

Matiu/Somes Island, Wellington Harbour – Family trip

A day out to the island in the middle of Wellington harbor, catching up with old tramping friends I have not seen for years, learning some history and kids having the chance to run and run and run! All in all, a very relaxing chilled day … a highly recommended day trip. Legend has it … Read more

The name is Tongue and Meats! A geriatric old codger braves the Ranges of Everlasting Mud and Misery

Are you from the Tongue and Meat tramping club?, the veteran Tararua Tramping Club member asked one of Hans’s punters in Atiwhakatu Hut on Friday night, when we arrived there after walking in for an hour and a half by torchlight from Holdsworth Lodge. No, she replied, clearly puzzled by such a strange name. Yes … Read more