CANTERBURY
THE THREE PASSES - ADVANCEDThere are a few classic New Zealand trips that have been on the to-do list ever since we started exploring the harder to reach parts of Aotearoa. The Three Passes is a 4-5 day tramp across the beautiful Southern Alps, taking you from the wide open rocky banks of the Waimakariri River all the way to the lush green valleys of the West Coast.
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MANUKA HUT - VERY EASYNot all trips need to be grueling expeditions through dense bush or up steep mountains. Sometimes it's nice to just load your pack up with a tonne of delicious food and head to a great little hut for the night with some mates. Manuka Hut is the perfect easy over-nighter with a very achievable 5km walk from the road end with fantastic views all the way.
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CROW HUT - MODERATEThe Crow Valley is the perfect weekend excursion into Arthur's Pass for those with limited time on their hands but wanting epic views and an awesome hut to spend the night. At only 4 hours walk from the road at Klondyke Corner, the 10 bunk hut is well situated high up the valley below Mt Rolleston at the end of an easy to follow route directly up the river.
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EDWARDS TO STANLEY RIVER - ModerateIn October 2012 we took on the rather daunting (at least it felt that way at the time) task of walking part of the St James cycle trail from the Edwards River to Lake Guyon via the Stanley River and returning along the west face of Mt Maria. This incredibly picturesque track is located a short drive north from Hanmer Springs over Jacks Pass.
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CARROLL HUT, KELLY RANGE - EASYThere are so many walks, tramps and climbs in Arthurs Pass that I should really stop being surprised when I find another corner that I'm yet to discover. Sitting on the Otira side of the park, Carroll Hut was the perfect option for a solo overnight mission at the beginning of September.
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CASS LAGOON SADDLE - EASYMost tramping trips don't begin with handing over your car keys to a complete stranger you just found wandering out of the bush in his undies. Thankfully Phil turned out to be a stand up guy and drove our car back to the other end of the track for us - also conveniently saving him a 12km mountain bike back to his own vehicle.
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TRIBULATION HUT - VERY EASYNot every trip need be an epic expedition into gnarly territory, full of hardship and suffering (although we do enjoy a good bit of suffering from time to time!). Sometimes you're just looking for a quiet weekend away from the city with a pleasant amount of exercise coupled with some beautiful views.
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BOB'S CAMP BIV - EASYBob’s Camp Bivouac, just off the back of Mt Thomas, is the perfect overnight trip when the weather is looking a little iffy in the main divide or you are pressed for time; as was the case when I visited. Being unable to leave Christchurch until 1pm on a Saturday this wee bivvy was the ideal location for a quick overnight trip to get away from the city.
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FOWLERS PASS TO LAKE GUYON - EASYWe were already heading to Hanmer to meet some friends so after mountain biking the morning away we packed the car up and set out over Jack's Pass to take on Fowler's Pass. By take on, I mean meander at a leisurely pace over a gradual climb with great weather and way too much chocolate.
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MYSTERY LAKE - EASYOne of the hard things about hiking in New Zealand is there are plenty of places you're not allowed to take your dog. That can lead to all sorts of feelings of guilt, betrayal and separation anxiety which are no fun for anyone. Cue the Hakatere Conservation Area. The Te Araroa Trail runs straight through it and at only 90 minutes drive from Christchurch it's perfect for finding overnighters that are K9 friendly.
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POULTER HUT - BIKEPACKING3AM Monday - Poulter Hut....
The rain has been hammering down on the roof non-stop for the past 9 hours. Coming down the valley in great waves, easing slightly every now and then. When it does ease the sound of the rain on the corrugated iron roof is replaced with the roar from the river. The river we rock hopped across yesterday trying to keep our feet dry. The only way home. |
SYLVIA TOPS - ADVANCEDThe weather was looking good for the Lewis Pass so after changing our minds four or five times, we finally settled on heading up the Nina Valley and traversing across the Sylvia Tops for two nights. The drive out from Christchurch on a hot summer's day was too much for the Corolla's air conditioning but we made it to the Deer Stalkers Hut around 11am.
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JOLLIE BROOK HUT CIRCUIT - MODERATEHave you had a busy week at work and just need to get away from it all? A nice easy overnighter into Jollie Brook hut might be just what the doctor ordered! This relatively popular jaunt is a perfect last minute destination and is a great intro to tramping in the Lake Sumner Forest Park.
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HOPE KIWI LODGE & HOT SPRINGS - MODERATEMid Winter Skinny Dipping isn't everyone's cup of tea but if the idea intrigues you then this may just be the perfect hike for you. Starting at Windy Point just off State Highway 7, the track is easy going up a wide expansive valley to the confluence of the Hope and Kiwi Rivers.
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NELSON/MARLBOROUGH
MT TAPUAE-O-UENUKU - ADVANCEDA 90 minute drive from sunny Blenheim up the beautiful Awatere Valley lies the Hodder River and the highest peak outside of the Southern Alps. "Tappy" sits at an imposing height of 2885m, half a day's amble from Gladstone Downs in the Kaikoura Ranges. An achievable ascent for the fit and enthusiastic, Tappy affords climbers impressive views as far as the North Island on a clear day.
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SALISBURY LODGE - EASYHaving just graduated to the role of new parents earlier in the year, we were really keen to find a track we could take a baby on for a few days to get back into multi-day hikes once the weather warmed up. The Arthur Range and Tablelands circuit just south of Motueka ticked all the boxes for us and although you could spend much longer exploring the various tracks and huts in the region, we settled on a two night, three day adventure taking us from the Flora car park to Salisbury Lodge and over the ridge to Mt Arthur Hut and out again.
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TRAVERS-SABINE - MODERATEThe Travers - Sabine circuit is an undisputed New Zealand classic. Venturing through the beautiful Nelson lakes national park the track travels through lush forested valleys, over an alpine saddle and with a short side trip visits the clearest freshwater lake in the world - the stunning Blue Lake.
This 4-6 day tramp is on a well marked trail and is a very achievable goal for anyone with a moderate level of fitness. |
WAIAU PASS TO BLUE LAKE - MODERATEAn early start saw us jumping in the 4WD at the bottom of Mailing Pass and on our way to the start of the route. The walk in started at a very leisurely pace and after a couple of hours we made it to Caroline Creek Biv.
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OTAGO/SOUTHLAND
THE FIVE PASSES - ADVANCEDA few years back I read about the Five Passes in a book called "Classic Tramping in New Zealand". At the time I thought that the route was well beyond my physical and navigational capabilities and I wondered if I'd ever be able to manage a trip of that scale. People were taking anywhere between five and ten days to complete the circuit and many had been tent bound for days waiting for inclement weather to pass. This is on top of the fact that there are no huts or even a track for most of the trip. However, it does make its way through one of the most stunning parts of New Zealand and is an absolute must on the tramping bucket list so we couldn't help but give it a good nudge.
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KEPLER TRACK - REVERSE DIRECTION
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WEST COAST
GLORIANA PK & ADA PASS HUT ADVANCEDMuch like Edmund Spenser's epic "The Faerie Queene", from which the mountain takes her name, our attempt to climb Gloriana Peak was incomplete but a great weekend away none-the-less. In the Lewis Pass at the top end of the well known St James Walkway lies the Spenser Mountains.
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LATHROP SADDLE - ADVANCEDThis post was intended to be a trip report on the Lathrop Saddle/Zit Saddle circuit on the west coast of the south island. That's not the case but we had a lot of fun and ticked off a few firsts for the memoirs. The trip started late on Friday night as we left work with a car full of gear and drove over to the coast.
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CANNIBAL GORGE HUT - EASYWhile the St James Walkway at 66km is one of the longer trips in the country, Cannibal Gorge Hut is an easy overnighter or day trip covering the first section of track. This was our second time visiting in winter after we had wandered past a few years back on our way to Ada Pass Hut. With a group of ten and the baby in tow, it made for the perfect location with snow in the forecast and shorter daylight hours to contend with.
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