As the medium (M) group had cancelled their trip to Triangle Hut, the 5 of us had the van to ourselves and decided to leave on Saturday morning instead of Friday night. We left the Railway Station at 8.30am, and after a coffee stop in Shannon we set off from the Renfrew Rd carpark at … Read more
Day 1 – It was a beautiful crisp start to the day as we departed Wellington Train Station at 8 am. We made our way to Carterton and then on to the Waingawa entrance of Tararua Forest Park. We started walking at 11.45 am and had a well-paced walk with plenty of breaks and snacks. … Read more
Disclaimer: This trip report was written by ChatGPT. Trip start date – 17 March 2023: I can’t think of a better way of reconnecting with my deep and treasured Irish roots on St Patrick’s Day than a dry, teetotalling WTMC club tramp along the famously brown volcanic Central Plateau. I do not speak of hiking … Read more
The original plan of visiting Tableland Circuit in Kahurangi National Park didn’t eventuate because of a challenging road up to Flora Car park that was made worse by a heavy rain fall on the Thursday. But the team worked together to identify exciting alternatives that would leave the group with long positive memories of their … Read more
I am not a superstitious man, but even I am loath to tempt fate by venturing out, away from civilization, on All Hallow’s Eve. On the night of Samhain, when the veil between the worlds is thinnest and the spirits of the dead are free to roam the earth, anything is possible, and good, sensible … Read more
A club trip with a Saturday 9am start feels a bit decadent. Grabbing some extra large almond croissants on the way to the meeting point, more so. Even better though is the cause we are off to support – helping the Friends of Baring Head Trust in their work to restore the natural habit around … Read more
Our target for the weekend was Blue Lake Hut, nestled in the Nelson Lakes National Park next to reputedly the clearest water in the world – Blue Lake with 80 meters of visibility. Walking in and out on the same track, we conservatively estimated eight hours of tramping each day. Our weekend jaunt to the … Read more
Staying the night at the Konini lodge we woke at 7am to crystal blue skies and glimpses of the mountain. After cooking up our breakfast at the lodge (facilities include stoves, plates, cups, glasses) we had a team photo outside the tourist centre. With time working in our favour we took a quick detour and … Read more
We left the train station Friday at 5:45pm and headed towards the Wairarapa. Traffic was surprisingly good so we made good time as we travelled north to Ruahine. We stopped in Carterton for an awesome meal at ‘Istanbul’ and then carried on to Dannevirke. The weather started to get worse with rain and wind as … Read more
It had been three years since the last club trip on this Great Walk. As huts had to be booked months in advance to secure accommodation over a holiday weekend, it was a long time in the planning, but there were sufficient numbers of people interested to ensure we could fill a van. In the … Read more