In mid to late summer the Tararuas are at their vibrant best. Flowers brighten the higher-level slopes—there are meadows of edelweiss particularly about Brockett and Table Ridge—and there are many more juicy snowberries to be picked than anyone could possibly eat. Butterflies and grasshoppers flutter and jump about. The rivers are warm enough for gorge trips or just fun swimming—and all the while the sun is shining from a clear blue sky with barely a cloud in sight.

So it was that Sarah thought it time to go exploring, to climb to the top of a few unclimbed peaks, and visit and stay at some unvisited huts. She set off with two friends on a 3 day trip and this is her story.