Best of 2019 – Hiking overseas
For the first time I did more hiking overseas than in New Zealand this year, walking in the Himalayas, Asia, Australia, Papua New Guinea and Europe. Looking back on the…
Tag: Tramps
Best of 2019 – Tramping in New Zealand
I did most of my hiking overseas this year, in Australia, Switzerland and Bhutan, but walked some great tracks in New Zealand as warm ups for those longer trips. The…
Auckland day walks ranked
There are almost no multi-day walks near Auckland, but thankfully there are many decent day walks, often along spectacular coastlines. Sadly the Waitakere Ranges are almost entirely closed now, to…
New Zealand day walks ranked
There’s a lot to be said for shorter walks. They may lack the sense of escape that a multi-day walk brings, but they can often match the scenery and carrying…
New Zealand tramps (multi-day walks) ranked
In the past five and a half years since starting with the Routeburn Track, I’ve done 24 multi-day walks (known as tramps in New Zealand), including all of the Great…
Te Ara Hura
A relatively unknown Auckland gem, Te Ara Hura is 100km of connected tracks and trails around the Waiheke Island, only 40 mins by ferry from downtown Auckland. Particularly now the…
Mt Holdsworth-Jumbo Circuit
One of the best known tracks in the Tararuas, a popular forest park a couple of hours north of Wellington, the Mt Holdsworth-Jumbo Circuit is a 24km loop running through…
Best of 2018 – Hiking overseas
This year I ventured overseas for the longest and hardest hikes I’ve done to date, enjoying some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve seen. Hiking in Australia and Europe was…
Best of 2018 – Tramping in New Zealand
I explored some of the most spectacular parts of New Zealand by foot this year. Though much shorter than my walks overseas, many of these being day walks, the scenery…
Kepler Track Day Walk to Luxmore Hut
One of New Zealand’s ‘Great Walks’, the Kepler Track makes for a wonderful winter day 28km return walk up to Luxmore Hut to soak in the views over lunch, before…
Waikowhai Walkway
A 20km return walk through native bush, crossing rock shelves and sandy beaches, by an often serene expanse of water. Amazingly such a thing exists only 11km from Auckland CBD.…
Dart Glacier and Cascade Saddle
This quite stunning day walk is a must for anyone venturing though Dart Hut on the Rees-Dart Track, if time and weather allows. For many people it is one of…
Rees-Dart Track
A classic New Zealand tramping track, the Rees-Dart circuit was closed for a number of years due to a huge slip in 2014. As soon as it reopened in late…
Big Hill Track
The imaginatively named Big Hill Track is a 12.5km track linking Macetown (which is 20 mins walk from the start) and Arrowtown via Big Hill Saddle. This is true to…
Motatapu Track
The Motatapu Track is a hard but rewarding 34km tramp between Wanaka and Macetown (near Arrowtown), which offers stunning views, but for a heavy physical price with almost no flat…
Carroll Hut, Arthur’s Pass National Park
You get pretty good views from 1,120m up, but getting there requires a little effort. Carroll Hut is part of the Harman Pass Route but can also be visited to…
Bealey Spur Track & Triangle Peak
One of my favourite walks in the Arthur’s Pass area, Bealey Spur is also one of the easier and safer ones, but still rewards with stunning views. Starting from the…
Arthur’s Pass Walking Track
The Arthur’s Pass Walking Track connects many of the shorter walks in Arthur’s Pass, along well graded and relatively flat (other than by Bridal Veil Creek and the Devil’s Punch…
Temple Basin Ski Field, Arthur’s Pass
One of the best relatively short walks in Arthur’s Pass, heading up to Temple Basin ski field filled a couple of hours with wonderful views and exploration of an old…
Avalanche Peak, Arthur’s Pass
Understandably one of the most popular, if challenging, day walks from Arthur’s Pass. Heading up to the 1,833m high Avalanche Peak involves a steep 1,300m ascent and descent, worth it…