12- 16^th Jan 2024

Five hours wait in the Wellington airport

The start of my hiking trip saw me spending 5 hours in Wellington airport, waiting for my connecting flight to Dunedin!! Not at all exciting, when all I wanted to do was pull my boots on, but bought a good book,” Not Alone” by Tim Voors, who had hiked the Te Araroa so got lost in that and the time flew by. The night before transfer was spent at the Leviathan hotel, a beautiful old hotel in Dunedin which had been built in 1884. There had been some modernizations, like new showers. However  the beautiful architraves, dark paneled wood and clunky old lifts were still in place.

Pick up was 8 a.m. Our bus was lovely and spacious. The countryside easily seen through the large windows. We passed through Lawrence, Roxborough and Wanaka as we wound our way to our final destination on the Mt Aspiring station. The old homestead, belonging to the Aspinall family,  had been offered to Dunstan High School in 1969 when a new homestead was being built for the family.  The Lodge, now named Tititea, which is Māori for Mt Aspiring, is now administered by Mt Aspiring Outdoor Education Trust. Our hosts and guides were from Otago Youth Adventure Trust Rotary club of Milton Tramping club. The Lodge is used by a variety of groups from around the region.

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 Tititrea Lodge

Day one was to Glacer Bryne. A shorter hike than all the rest. Up quite a steep hill covered with tree roots . Progressive lenses in my glasses didn’t help so I found this, coupled with hiking poles, very difficult. However although challenging, the views were beautiful.  Once we got back, because it was the shortest walk, our group were on providing the dinner for the night so the next little while saw me chopping cabbage very finely for 30 odd people!!!! Lots of fun, sharing of stories from previous trips and laughter. Very happy to crawl into my bunk that night.

Next morning 6.30 arrived far too soon. The weather had deteriorated very quickly overnight. And the rivers had risen. Raincoats were pulled on and very soon our boots were soaked. The stream which had been almost dust the night before was up to my ankles.

We started the walk to the Eastern Matukituki but changed our minds due to the heavy downpour. By the time we got back to the stream it was up to my calves. Really scary how quickly it rises. The rest of the afternoon was spent reading in our bunks.

The third and last day we woke to brilliant weather. With streams quite low again, a group of us headed for the Mt Aspiring hut. I loved this. It was my kind of hiking. Undulating but easy walking.

The track was edged on one side by the Matukituki river and encircled by majestic cliffs, which emitted a slightly purple glow in the early morning. Stopping about 10 a.m. for apples and water we had time to be awed by the grandeur of the cliffs which surrounded us. We were also joined by cattle who shared the shade of the trees with us.

Snow capped mountains was something I didn’t expect to see. I guess the fact that the elevation of Mt Aspiring is 3,033 mtrs had something to do with this.

This return hike was 22 kms but with beautiful weather, a rest at the hut which had 32 bunks and flush toilets, and easy walking, this was the most pleasant day of all.

The fourth day was clean up day and leave. This was extremely well organized by the guides so everything was completed relatively quickly. In a very short time we had completed the cleaning and were outside waiting for the tractor to take us across the creek and back to our bus. (Unlike our arrival when we had to walk 6 kms to the hut. At least we didn’t have to carry our packs). While waiting for the tractor, the farmer, who owned the station shifted  some Angus cattle with the help of these beautiful and very efficient dogs.  The farmer suggested the cattle were very quiet, but with a couple of bulls roaring and kicking up dirt on the other side of the fence I stayed very close to the trailer of the tractor which I was to travel on!!!!

It took quite some time to get back to Dunedin, with many drop off along the way. Finally, I was back in Dunedin and  walked very happily, in the front door of the Leviathan. A very enjoyable few days away

This very pretty, easy 8 kms return walk/bike ride starts at the Gaslight theatre in Cambridge. The walk takes about thirty minutes one way. It has the Waikato River running down one side and cattle grazing on part of the other

About a km before reaching the café, the Te Awa River Ride joins the track.

Because the track is concreted, it is easy to push a stroller or wheelchair APART from the very last part where there is a hill to the playground and the The Bikery café. Essenza coffee is served and a really scrummy cabinet of food makes choosing something to go with the coffee, very difficult.  The added attraction of the café, following a really tasty coffee, you can wander through the double doors and watch the cyclists going through their practice runs.

Fun to watch the cyclists going through their paces.

A lovely short walk

One cup enamel if poss

One knife fork and spoon.

One plate. If it has a lip you can use it for breakfast as well and the lip keeps the milk controlled. Enamel if poss

Pots to cook in

Stove to cook on and gas

Tea bags

Cfe bags.

Bag of milk powder

Tea towel

Tiny tiny detergent.

Serviettes or packet of tissues to mop thing with.

One steelo

Matches to light stove with.

Torch (Head torch good and then hands free)

Liner in pack

Rubbish bag

First Aid kit especially blister packs

Clothes

Boots

Socks (3 pair if poss)although if they are wool you can put them back on wet (yuk) but it does work.

4 pairs of knickers although you can use pantie liners and reduce amount of knickers.

One merino as you can wear it for the three days. Dries easily.  

One shorts or tights.

Something to wear in hut when the hike is over. (You will have jandals on your feet.)
Rain jacket.

Sunhat.

Swim suit possibly

Boots

Toiletries. Towel.

Camera

Sunscreen

Sunglasses

Insect  repellent

Something to pack your lunch in.

Something to wrap your lunch in.

Water bottle

Day pack

Walking poles

Locator Beacon

A beautiful sunny Sunday – What to explore? So many choices. Over summer I had heard of a little track on the way to Raglan, a beach west of Hamilton. The track was only about twenty minutes in length but led to a small waterfall. This seemed an ideal choice on such a hot day.

Lunch time found me at a VERY busy Whatawhata café, having a coffee and a date scone.  (Whatawhata is a small farming country district about ten minutes west of Hamiton) Since opening about five to six years ago, the owners have added a canopy making the outdoor area much more shady which was very pleasant on such a hot day. They also have a little “petting area” attached where there are a few sheep, goat and a pig all ready to accept food when offered.  An Indian family of about 30 family members were celebrating the birthday of one of their sons. Looked fun but really noisy.

Having satisfied my hunger, I travelled west along the main highway where, about ten minutes past the café, I turned right into Karakariki  Rd.  – a well maintained tarsealed road, through VERY brown, dry  farmland. Arriving at Karakariki Christian camp there was a turn on the left and travelled to the end of this no exit road. Much to my surprise there would have been fifty cars in this little known (as I thought)  car park. The track is maintained by Department of Conservation. The track runs through farm land so beautiful hills and valleys surrounded the car park.

Quickly popping on my walking shoes, sunscreen and a hat, I took off over the cattle stop to the start of the signposted track. Over the first style, starting the walk, sheltered by thick, leafy and very old trees providing much needed shade.

First swing bridge crossed. This is why the track is so much fun for young ones -there is a collection of styles, swing bridges and right at the end there is a little rope to assist them to get down to the water. What adventures!!

People were passing me both ways. Mainly youngish families chatting excitedly as they passed along. A small shallow bubbling stream ran alongside the side of the track. Every now and again there was a little track which allowed you to potter down to the little stream. One or two young families were actually settled there, away from the reasonably crowded waterfall. Second style crossed followed by a second swing bridge. Because of the small roots and rocks in the track I found I needed to watch my feet a little rather than really enjoying the bubbling stream and summer flowers which I was passing.

Wildflowers

A waterfall suddenly appeared in front of me at the end of the track. A swimming hole was in front which had encouraged many in to swim – Older children leapt off the top while the little ones played in the pool below.

A scramble down a little bank assisted by a rope tied to a tree allowed access to this delightful watery playground.  For littlies, there needed to be a bit of adult assistance but they all managed it.

On my walk back to the car, it was such a pleasure still hearing the excited shouts and giggles of families enjoying this simple natural pleasure.

So many Magic Moments in NZ

As inhospitable as the terrain looks, I have spent many happy years enjoying its challenging tracks, being awed by its majestic scenery and energized by the peacefulness I always found here.

Sunset at Whakapapa

Tracks of 1-3 hours include Taranaki Falls and Silica rapids both framed by the mountains surrounding them. Slightly further in distance is the Tama Lakes (5-6 hours return ) which was the track which Yvonne and I did. With the Abel Tasman on the calendar for December 2022 training is underway. Further yet, on past the Tama Lakes, was Waihohonu Hut, a 6 hour hike. This hut is relatively new and is much more comfortable but not as close as the old one to the Waihohonu stream. At the end of a hot and dusty hike, you could drop your pack at the hut and race down to this freezing cold mountain stream, a quick strip and then covered by a sarong, a dash into the water, discarding the wrap as you dived in. Usually there was no one else around, so not too many worries about privacy. It was such bliss to get rid of the dust and sweat from the hike just completed.

Alpine terrain surrounding the Tama Lakes

Lower Tama Lake

“Round the Mountain” is the most challenging at 66.2 kms. Rugged terrain. Rocky. Alpine. Forest. Each day the terrain was different. It took us four nights and five days staying in Waihohonu, Rangipo, Mangaehuehu and lastly Mangaturuturu. I have completed this twice. The first time was shocking weather. I was already pretty shattered by the challenges this track offered as I had never done anything which had pushed me out of my comfort zone quite so much and then to have weather not loving me either !!. Each night I would climb into my bunk thinking very positively “tomorrow will be better” but no. Rain. Wind. A bit of sleet. Rain and wind!! all delivered alongside the threat of an avalanche (which never eventuated thank goodness) The second time was picture perfect. A completely different experience – for me. We had met up with a young couple on the first day who were also walking the track . She had not broken her boots in before starting, so within two hours on the track she had developed large blisters which had progressively got bigger over the next four days. She was in absolute agony. He was so selfish. He had just bought a new video camera so could not help her at all as he was too busy filming!!!! On the last day we shared her pack contents between the three of us, I don’t think she would have made it out otherwise. I am always surprised by the people you meet on tracks. Usually such great and interesting people who are happy to share their stories. I don’t think I have ever met anyone as selfish as he was.

Whakapapa will always be special to me. I hope that somewhere in the world you are able to find such a place for yourself. If you find Whakapapa so much the better.

(17th August 2021)

This COVID lockdown has been so different for me to my last one. I had been working part time as the Telehealth Coordinator at the Waikato District Health Board (Hamilton NZ). With the arrival of COVID my hours were quickly increased to full time. We were frantically trying to support health professionals, working from home, to continue seeing their patients using technology. Working from home was foreign to those of us in NZ so there were problems with connectivity, learning technology etiquette and booking appointments on line. An exciting but very tiring time.

This time is so different. I have the luxury of living at a slower pace. Home looking shiny, gardens manicured within an inch of their lives, new activities trialed such as making a pizza from beginning to end and learning how to video and edit on my phone (first attempts not too successful but can only get better) and the most enjoyable part ,walking each day and having the time to enjoy the beauty of nature. There are three favorite walks from which I can choose, all about an hour and half in length. They are a treat I give myself each day.

At the mention of an overnight stay, spending time with good friends at Coromandel, I instantly accepted. We were to stay at some cabins close to Coromandel (these sounded very much like basic hiking cabins which I am very used to) and our places for fishing were booked on a mussel barge.