Fri 17 Jan – Travel to WTMC Club Lodge at Mt Ruapehu We all met at Wellington Train Station after work on Friday and loaded into the club van, excited at the prospect of an adventurous long weekend for Wellington Anniversary – doing a variety of day trips, based at the club’s lodge near the … Read more
Fri 3 Jan – Ferry and camping at West Bay (Jetty Campsite) It was with anticipation that the four of us met at Wellington train station at 11.15 am. I’d been waiting to get a 5-day window for a while to attempt this tramp and duly put it on the trip schedule. We were to … Read more
Coinciding with the first full moon of 2024, this was a weekend dedicated to moonlight Tongariro crossings. The plan was for groups of different grades to start the Crossing at various times throughout Saturday afternoon and evening (either walking or running), so they would each complete the track at night and enjoy the bright light … Read more
Mt Tongariro and the ancient molten lava lake at North Crater A 2 day hiking loop trip over Mt Tongariro and past the once molten lava lake that occupied the North Crater before cooling and solidifying. When the warrior gods Tongariro and Taranaki fought over the lovely Pihanga flames lit up the sky, … Read more
Summary Day 1: Boyle Village – Magdalen Hut Day 2: To Waiau Hut via Boyle Flat, Rokeby, Anne and Lake Guyon Huts (side trip) Day 3: To Blue Lake Hut Day 4: To Upper Travers Hut via West Sabine Hut Day 5: To Cupola Hut Day 6: To Coldwater Hut via John Tait & Hopeless … Read more
The following is a recollection of the trip from two perspectives – Lynsey and Tiffany. With two vans from WTMC heading down for the long weekend, the ferry ride was a social affair, especially with a group of TTC folks also heading down for an attempt of Mt Manakau. We shared a van with James’ … Read more
Some trip specifics Friday night – 2.45pm left Wellington. Arrived Mangetepōpō hut (1,190m) about 8.30pm (20 min walk in from carpark) Saturday, circa.9am (well hydrated and fed) – Tongariro Crossing track to South Crater. Track started getting icy near the top of Devil’s Staircase. Good place to put on crampons. Met tour group at junction. … Read more
The trip started with the ferry crew handing out free boxes of chips to everyone on board – their way of compensation for the 2-hour delay to our departure. I bought some fish to go with my chips and the crew gave me even more free chips. Feeling fully carb-loaded, we set off for Lake Rotoroa and … Read more
Dan’s Red Crater group pretty much got to do what they set out to do, but didn’t exactly get to see what they set out to see. We left Wellington early Friday evening under an even mix of blue sky and high cloud. By the time we reached Kapiti, there was no cloud, the blue seemed bluer … Read more