Our family group lucked in to the most perfect weather to go bush as Wellington’s run of perfect weather weekends continued in March for the Bushcraft 1.0 lead by the inimitable Bazza C, a super-organised, patient, knowledgeable guide. Our task was to i) pack, ii) get to the designated meeting point at iii) a particular … Read more
Saturday morning all participants gathered at Wellington Station where Richard picked us up with one of the club vans. After the drive to Catchpool carpark we met up with the other trip leaders, Kevin and Pete. We started with some practice using our compass and other navigational skills taught by Kevin, analysis and interpretation of … Read more
Back in February when the sun was warm, sky blue and rain was but a distant memory (unlike more recent weather), the family group ran its first junior Bushcraft course. Based on the club’s main bushcraft course it aimed to allow older kids to learn some basic skills of the outdoors. Ten kids aged between … Read more
The Bushcraft course was a great opportunity to gain or refresh tramping skills and find out about how the club trips operate. The group was a mixture of people wanting to get into tramping for the first time, others wanting to get back into it after time away, and some who have tramping experience – … Read more
Most of our group met up at Wellington Railway Station on Saturday morning, while a few drove straight to the park. Before we left we checked how much our packs weighed on a portable scale. I was looking forward to trying out my new boots, and hoping they would prove comfortable. The weather was delightfully … Read more
Keen to get into New Zealand’s great outdoors but don’t know where to start? WTMC Bushcraft will give you the confidence and skills you need. This weekend course covers the basics about what to take, what to expect and how to look after yourself. It’s designed for people over the age of 18 who are interested … Read more
The majority of Team Bushcraft had made every effort to keep their feet dry on the way to the campsite. But when it came to learning about river crossing later that afternoon, it was immediately apparent that notwithstanding our previous efforts, no amount of side-stepping, tree-clinging or stunning athleticism would change the fact that we … Read more
The morning of Saturday 9th March dawned colder and wetter than had been predicted by both Amanda and the Meteorologists so I was glad I had packed a raincoat. From the house it was clear to see that it would be wet over in the Rimutaka ranges. Perfect conditions for an NZ bush-craft course. Seeing … Read more
With nine punters signing up rather early we were confident it would turn out to be a good weekend. And indeed, it was a weekend with a good atmosphere, made more so by the Paua Hut rat having been caught earlier this year. The rain during the days prior to the weekend meant that the … Read more
The Coast Road heading south from Wainuiomata provides a picture of New Zealand ruralness so idyllic, it feels a bit like you’ve driven onto a huge scenic calendar. The road winds through a landscape of ideally green paddocks, wooden water troughs and tumbledown sheds. Cabbage trees appear with regular randomness, as if part of a … Read more