Kahurangi Tablelands 2012

Seven keen folk explored Kahurangi Tablelands for four days in exceptionally fine weather and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. We arrived at the road end, where we dossed for the night in the shelter, around 12:30am Friday morning, after a three hour ferry crossing and about a three hour drive. Another WTMC trip group arrived … Read more

To Peel or not to Peel

After many years of vigorously peeling any carrot that came within a co-eee of my cooking pot, I have recently found there is a strong movement of people who believe in a skin-on approach to culinary carrots. I therefore now feel more confident in writing this newsletter article about the lack of peel in our … Read more

Kiwi Saddle – Macintosh Hut

We started out on Labour weekend with a basic plan of staying a couple of nights around Studholme Saddle Hut, and possibly heading further up the main Kaweka Range during that time. Things didn’t work out that way. For the first time in a long time, at least as far as I can remember, we … Read more

The hard way to Waiopehu Hut

It promised to be a wonderful weekend in the sunny tararuas. And for once they were actually meant to be sunny! We set off Saturday after a week of rain from the railway station. On the way up I noticed the higher than usual flow in the rivers when we crossed the bridges… it occurred … Read more

Heritage to Tunupo

Around the 3rd to 5th of September Bernie, Richard, Mike and I had plans to do some exploring around the southern Ruahines. We bailed out a day early with too much snow for the gear we’d brought, not to mention an extended mountain forecast of 120km/h galeforce nor-westerlies in exposed mountain areas on Sunday. Okay, … Read more

Punter gets Lift Off in the Ruahines

The Route: Mangakukeke Road End to Purity Hut then on to the tops of Wooden Peg and Iron Peg, across and down the ridge heading south east past Pinnacle Creek to Pourangaki Hut. Sunday was down the Pourangaki River to Kelly Knight but then along the trail back to the Mangakukeke Road End. The Stats: … Read more

Northern Crossing of the Tararuas

I volunteered to lead this medium trip after Michael Lightbourne pulled out due to unfamiliarity with the route. On the trip list were six club members, plus Vlad. Vlad had never tramped in New Zealand, although assured me he had hiked in the Ukraine. Best let him know what he’s in for, I thought. You … Read more