Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club
Enjoying the great outdoors since 1947
The Ashburton Lakes landscape is noted for its relatively unmodified, huge, harsh and vast inter-montane wetland system of wide open valleys, twelve lakes, and braided rivers. An area surrounded by tussock lands and bordered to the west by the Southern Alps it was never a place of interest to me, except as a place to … Read more
Continued from Part 1… Queenstown to Nevis At 7am, the air is cool and clouds gather about the peaks as our water taxi rips across the dull lake. Walter’s Peak Station is silent as we head for the glacial landscape of the Von. It’s long and flat; Julie’s tyre relieves the boredom by loudly disembowelling … Read more
The Southern Brevet; 1,100km of stunning Central Otago MTB riding, on tarmac, gravel roads, 4WD tracks and all sorts. There’s a set route and a few guidelines but the rest is up to you; carry what you will, stay where you like and take your time (within 8 days). The idea is somewhat intimidating (it’s … Read more
Randonneuring has many great rides organised by sister clubs around the world. Often, these rides are not only scenic but place us among creatures of which we are unfamiliar. This year, while travelling to 1200k events I have unintentionally cycled with moose and caribou, hiked amongst the grizzlies and wolves, camped out with black bears, … Read more
Iona tells of accompanying a friend who is completing the second of two laps (the enduro). My friend Helen has called in at our motel for an inter-lap pit stop and is soon feeling freshened up after a shower and breakfast despite having cycled since 1:30am. We set off in the brightening morning light and … Read more
Most running or cycling events have their own attraction but I’d never really understood those that feel the urge to turn up at the same event year after year. That is until I completed my first ‘round Taupo challenge. It’s great fun, particularly if you go in a group and has earned its iconic status … Read more
A dodgy foot has enforced a break from tramping for the time-being and the need to find an alternative weekend activity. The on/off road MTB tour has proved to be a very satisfactory replacement providing plenty of scope for entertainment. If you have a bike in the garage, the additional kit required is modest so … Read more
Later the following week I decide to do a road foray along Keneperu Sound. I study the Topo map carefully and the DOC website; there seem to be plenty of camp-sites and a fair length of road to explore so that’s about as detailed as the plan needs to be. I commute to work with … Read more
The previous two trips being so enjoyable it was pretty much inevitable that I’d be out again the next weekend. The tails of excitement have clearly captured Angela’s imagination and she is a keen starter. I’m running the same bike set up as the previous two weekends with the exception that we now need a … Read more
If people sign up for a Mystery Trip, they might expect that at least the trip leader might know where they’re going, what transport would be used, how long the cycling would take, and where they’ll sleep. This was however a Mystery Trip of the better kind, where such trivial things even remained unknown for … Read more