Lodestone-Mt Hodder-Flora circuit, Kahurangi National Park, 23 April 2023

By Saturday there were 15 registrants and a further 3 late-comers were turned away. The excellent weather forecast for Sunday had brought everybody out from under their shells (speaking of which we saw some large Powelliphanta snail shells in the...

Mount Hope, Kahurangi National Park, 16 Apr 2023

Ten happy trampers made light of the amble up Mt Hope. Actually, the highlight being the unusual landscape with big rocks peppering the open tops of Granite and Mountain beech. The summit itself doesn't stand proud, congruent to Chris remarking "I...

Arthur’s Pass day trips, Arthurs Pass National Park, 7 April 2023

Day 1 - Yumi Six people heading off to Arthur's Pass for the Easter holiday with good weather. There was bumper to bumper traffic going towards Greymouth. We started walking the Otira Valley Track after lunch. The DoC sign says 1 hour to footbridge but...

Mt Peel and Balloon hut, Kahurangi NP, 24 Mar 2023

The walk from Trilobite hut to Balloon hut and back is a common weekend walk, dropping down from the Cobb ridge to Lake Peel with Mt. Peel towering over the lake, and up again to the long ridge down to Balloon hut. Not so commonly walked is the route...

Heartbreak ridge Browning hut circuit, Mt Richmond FP, 5 Mar 2023

This was to be a trip up Heartbreak ridge and on to Totara Saddle, circuit down to Browning hut, but a discussion in the rain at our initial meeting point we decided to make it a shorter trip, especially as heavy showers were predicted from 3pm. So 7...