Check out the latest news and trips reports below or view the archives using the menu on the left. If you want to know more about the newsletter including submitting stories, see Newsletter>Publication Details. To learn more about the club, check the top menu. Some links will take you to the old website, but content will eventually move to this site.

2023 Best of the New Zealand Mountain Film Festival National Tour coming to Wellington

The best of the New Zealand Mountain Film Festival National Tour is once again coming back to Wellington with a double feature! We’ll be screening the best of the festival including NZ made and international films AND we’ve also arranged a special screening of the Tararua SK movie. The festival started in 2002 and is … Read more

Tapokopoko to South Saddle – with aliens on the eastern skyline

Orongorongo Valley with clearing mist

Tapokopoko to South Saddle ‘Where is the Tapokopoko scree slope? The map shows it is right here.’  ‘The map lies. I reckon the cheeky aliens stole it out from under us and planted a whole forest of trees instead!’   Tony and I were standing on the edge of the supposed ‘scree slope’ that was marked … Read more

Winchcombe Biv – Tararua Forest Park

Fri – Waiohine Gorge car park to Cone HutWithin minutes of starting our journey to Cone Hut, in an attempt to avoid getting wet feet, I had somehow managed to fall (timber-like) sideways into the creek. I hit my knee, there was blood and a bruise-in-the-making, and I needed a minute to recover. Not a … Read more

From the President – July 2023

Kia ora, This article provides a brief update on club activities, including: WTMC July recap: Committee, trips and lodge updates Get involved with the review of the Club’s constitution Coming up in August If you have any questions, comments or ideas please get in touch. Ngā mihi Anne de Ferron [email protected] WTMC July recap Tutuwai and … Read more

Maungahuka Hut and marshmallows in the rain – Tararua Forest Park

The forecast for the weekend was pretty uninviting – gale force winds on Saturday with increasing rain throughout Sunday. The low on Saturday night was forecast to be -3°C at Kime Hut. I figured there was no way we would be going ahead with our planned route along the tops. In fact I was so … Read more

Volunteering on Kapiti Island

Volunteering on Kapiti Island On Friday at 8am I was waiting with Anne, Jamie and nine other volunteers to jump in the boat and head across to Kapiti Island to volunteer for three days doing trapline work on the island. On arrival we headed straight to the biosecurity room to go through all our gear and … Read more

Tutuwai Hut and the Geographic Centre of NZ – Tararua Forest Park

We departed from Wellington Railway Station at about 7.30am for the drive over the Remutakas and past Greytown, to the Waiohine Gorge carpark entrance of Tararua Forest Park. It was a lovely sunny winter day. We started our walk at 9.20am – going straight across the Waiohine Gorge suspension bridge. There were great views up and down the … Read more

Stumpy Stream – a winter tramp in the Hakatere Conservation Area

Stream from the saddle above Stumpy Stream - Hakatere Conservation Park featured image

Stumpy Stream a winter tramp in the Hakatere Conservation Park A 5 day winter hiking loop trip through the Hakatere Conservation Park and a climb to the summit of Mt Potts Since moving to Christchurch at the beginning of the year the Hakatere Conservation Park between the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers has become one of my … Read more

Mt Potts and Dogs Range – frozen boots and bobsleds

Mt Potts and Dogs Range – frozen boots and bobsleds A 4 day hiking loop trip through spectacular mountain scenery of the Hakatere Conservation Area in winter with icy conditions Mt Potts and Dogs Range – frozen boots and bobsleds ‘The good news is that we have found your luggage. The bad news is that … Read more

Richmond Saddle Hut – Mount Richmond Forest Park

Disembarking from the Friday afternoon ferry to Picton, we drove to Onamalutu Scenic Reserve campsite along with the Medium group and had a cool, but peaceful, night’s sleep under the trees (campsite fee $10 cash per person). The Medium group had a much longer day ahead of them, so we packed up and left Onamalutu … Read more