Plan A was an overnight loop to Alpha Hut – starting at Kaitoke road end: taking Marchant Ridge to Alpha Hut and then returning via the Omega Track (with the return involving fording the Tauwharenikau River [formerly called the “Tauherenikau” River] and taking the track on the true left of the River back to the … Read more
As the sun rose over Wellington on ANZAC Day morning, four trampers hurtled through Transmission Gully, bound for Mangleton Road and Ruahine Forest Park. Google was telling us that the difference in travel time between the SH1 or SH2 from Wellington and Woodville was negligible. The closure of Kereru Road, near Kereru itself, due to … Read more
The forecast was for a weekend of light winds and sun as we left Welly Railway Station at 4pm Friday. Following a dinner stop in Masterton, it was a further 15 minute drive to The Pines carpark on Upper Waingawa Road. Arriving at 6 pm, the waning crescent moon provided no light as we followed … Read more
This trip required strength and experience. What some members of the group lacked in experience, they made up for in strength and will. We were met with weather challenges, difficult terrain and chilling cold that could have ripped your pants right off your legs, but the group persevered through it all on route to the … Read more
Hiking the Holdsworth-Jumbo circuit in the Tararua Range before breakfast A guide to hiking the iconic Holdsworth to Jumbo circuit in the Tararua Range at night time. It seems to be a shame to waste nice fine days by going tramping when instead you could get your tramping out of the way during the night. … Read more
This was my first club trip in a couple of years. I loved some of the changes and enjoyed how some things stayed the same. One change was I had never been on a trip before where on Saturday morning we stopped for baked goods and coffee – the goat curry pie was a winner. … Read more
Saturday After camping overnight at ANZAC Park, Norsewood, on the Friday night, we drove down Kashmir Road to the Moorcock carpark (via coffee and breakfast treats at the excellent Café Norsewood – highly recommended!). The road sign isn’t kidding when it says steep gradient, and it took a couple of goes to get the car … Read more
We left Wellington Train Station at 4pm on Friday and drove to our accommodation for the night at Te Wera Valley Lodge (www.tewera-lodge.co.nz) located on a remote road called the Forgotten World Highway – about 37km from Stratford. It was a very cold winter night and we arrived at 9.15pm. We were the only guests … Read more
What a trip, what a weekend, what a day! We had a wonderfully smooth sail on the Interislander, and used the time to scour our maps and discuss where we would go! It’s a wonderful feeling to pour over topo maps and evaluate track options when possibilities abound! So exciting! We had been informed by … Read more
Mt Richmond is on my aging list of ‘50 Best Tramping Peaks’ from the Wilderness magazine, way back, hence why I suggested it for the WTMC trip schedule. And on this weekend, it did indeed turn out to be a spectacular tramping peak. There were six of us, plus three from the EM group, on … Read more