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INTRODUCTION Following the great success of the first WTMC packrafting instruction course our chief-guide Richard organised a second one – which helped to alleviate our feelings of envy. Packrafting is a very exciting way to travel down a river by using a special inflatable kayak weighing in at just over 2 kg and folding to … Read more
This trip was Marie Henderson’s idea. Walk into Roaring Stag on Friday night and sleep in the hut. Then packraft down the Ruamahanga River on Saturday to a Mt Bruce exit on the highway. But at the last hour Marie was called by SAR for four days assistance in the search for a tramper missing … Read more
INTRODUCTION Over Easter weekend I took a trip through and around the Forgotten World Highway, between Taumarunui and New Plymouth. This area is surprisingly beautiful for how little I have heard about it before going, and still relatively quiet in terms of traffic. As you pass through, there are stunning views of the Ruapehu massif, … Read more
Tama Lakes Solstice 2018 A day hike around the Upper and Lower Tama Lakes from the WTMC Ruapehu Lodge in Tongariro National Park Seven bright eyed faces peered out of the windows at the brown rocks and patchy snow as the van drove down Bruce Road. A right turn before the Chateau and they arrived … Read more
Welcome to my June update – there are some meaty topics in this one which might be useful discussion points for long journeys in the van or those times when you need to distract your trip-mates from your puffing and panting up a Tararua hill. Re-thinking the WTMC Journal The committee has recently been discussing … Read more
The New Zealand Mountain Film Festival National Tour is coming back to Wellington with another double feature! The festival started in 2002 and is internationally recognised as one of the world’s premier mountain film festivals. It is New Zealand’s original mountain film festival with an international adventure film maker’s competition, as well as a highly … Read more
INTRODUCTION This route is one of the few opportunities to make a weekend loop from Holdsworth that gets you onto the stunning middle range of the Tararua Ranges. It does, however, require quite a bit of effort to make it work, with multiple steep climbs and descents, and with Powell Hut currently out of commission … Read more
This trip was planned as a Medium trip to Mt Patriarch in Kahurangi NP…. but the week leading up to Queen’s Birthday weekend had rather a lot of rain so there was no way we were getting across the ford on the Wangapeka River Road. (The advice we had said not to even try crossing … Read more
Over Easter weekend I was on a climbing holiday in Takaka and having a very excellent time; and looking forward to a tramping trip over the ANZAC weekend up to the summit of Faerie Queene (a mountain in the Spenser range, just south of the Nelson Lakes). The plan was simple, head down the St … Read more
The plan: a two day traverse via an interesting looking spur from Bannister to the Ruamahanga. 4.30am Saturday – the cell phone buzzes. Mike has dragged himself out of bed and is heading my way. It’s pleasant to have company for the trip to Poads Road and good to be walking by 7am under lights. … Read more