My optimism was slowly fading as the week progressed. The forecast was predicting strong winds, rain, and near freezing temperatures. But as we baked in the afternoon sun waiting for the ferry, that forecast seemed like a distant reality. After a sunset across the Cook strait, a sail through the sounds lit by the full … Read more
It’s never a good sign when wet weather gear has to come out of the pack before even reaching the van at platform 9, but thankfully this wasn’t a sign of things to come for the WTMC trips heading to Nelson Lakes for Labour weekend. We boarded the ferry at 5pm, and by the time we … Read more
Like the best laid plans of mice and men going astray, the bad weather predicted for Nelson Lakes National Park meant that our proposed Mole Tops tenting trip had to be altered. The new trip would be the Moss Pass route going via Sabine and over into the D’Urville. Day One – Sabine Hut to Blue … Read more
I’m not unaccustomed to being cold. I once was a student in Christchurch living in a flat seemingly designed by Fisher & Paykel. I would have to frequently de-ice the inside of my bedroom window in the winter time and my flatmates and I would sit on the couch in the evenings in sleeping bags; … Read more
To the South Island with racks and ropes and heavy packs. We started out early on Thursday with a water taxi across Lake Rotoiti to Coldwater hut, weather calm and sunny, couldn’t ask for more for the 8-9 hour trudge up the Travers valley. Lunched at John Tait in fairly good time and continued up … Read more
After the trip was postponed, rescheduled and the ferry was delayed, we squeezed into the hire car and arrived at Nelson Lakes camping area very late on Thursday night. The morning dawned bright and clear with a few sandflies finding my legs tasty. After breakfast we met up with John, a mate of Tony’s from … Read more
Just in case I have written a boring trip report and you don’t get to the end, let me put one of the concluding points at the beginning: this was Dmitry’s first time to lead a trip – and he’s a great trip leader! I admit that my opinion may have been influenced by the … Read more
The trouble with a working world is that we never seem to have enough time to complete the trip that one wants. This year was different and Anzac day fell on a Wednesday so with just two days leave we could manage a full five day trip. Plenty of time, none of this let’s run … Read more
After a wonderful side trip to the stunning Travers Falls, a few of us decided to tackle Cupola Hut. DOC’s estimated time was 2.5 hours to the hut and we saw from the map that we would have a 500m climb just before reaching it. Our honourable leader did not think we could make it … Read more
This trip promised great things: 3 days away, good weather (which always seems to happen in Nelson Lakes), an easy walk in and an achievable peak. And that was before I met everyone else on the trip. Our party were: Mike P, stalwart leader, Katie, Rini, Paul, Gary, Kevin and myself (Paula). The ferry trip … Read more