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Exploring the Best Waterfalls in Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park is a dramatic landscape. Best known for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, the park has many short walks to spectacular waterfalls. Using the Wellington Tramping & Mountaineering Club (WTMC) Lodge as a base was perfect for exploring both the well-known waterfalls and a few secret hidden gems. Iconic & Accessible Falls 1. TARANAKI fALLS…
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Climbing Te Ātaahua: Reaching the “Shark’s Tooth” on Mt Ruapehu
Identifying the Forgotten Highpoint: Point 2757 While Paretetaitonga is widely recognized as the second-highest peak on Mt Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park, a higher point on the summit ridge often goes unnoticed. Located further south lies Point 2757, informally known as Te Ātaahua—meaning “the beauty.” To those looking up from the Turoa skifield, this sharp…
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Mt Taranaki East Ridge: A Summer Ascent Guide
The East Ridge of Mt Taranaki offers a classic summer alpine scramble starting from the Stratford Plateau. This route guide covers everything from crossing the Manganui suspension bridge to navigating the Shark’s Tooth. The perfect rock scramble for any reasonably fit and competent hiker this photo-story breaks down the ascent, essential gear, and the descent…
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Mt Ngāuruhoe from the South Side: The Path Less Trodden
Mt Ngāuruhoe stands as a striking, 2,291-meter volcanic icon within the heart of Tongariro National Park, but its popularity has come at a cost to both its physical slopes and its spiritual significance. While the heavily scared northern “trade route” is now strongly discouraged by DOC and local iwi, the southern flank offers a “path…
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Totara Flats and Sarah’s cup of tea
Forget Totara Flats Hut—the ultimate luxury is a campfire brew in the solitude of the flats Sarah heads into the Tararua Forest Park to visit the iconic Totara Flats. Leaving the bustle of Totara Flats Hut, she walks onto the flats and finds a place to camp in the shelter of the bush.. Then boiling…
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NZ’s Sacred Summits: Why Many Climbers Stop Short
The summits of many New Zealand mountains are sacred to Māori. The proverb, ‘If I should bow my head let it be to a high mountain’, perfectly encapsulates this reverence. This guide outlines why many climbers now choose to stop just short of a physical summit to avoid standing on the head of a sacred…
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Holdsworth to Mitre: A Guide to a Tararua Day Tramp
The Holdsworth to Mitre Tramp The route Brian attempted is a legendary “classic” in the Tararua Forest Park, but it is quite demanding. It connects Mt. Holdsworth (1470m) to Mitre (1571m) via the Broken Axe Pinnacles. The story of Brian’s misadventure The narrative begins with Brian (real name altered to avoid disapprobation) planning his favourite…
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Sawtooth Ridge: More bark than bite?
The Sawtooth Ridge has long been whispered about in New Zealand tramping circles as the “Broken Axe Pinnacles on steroids”—a jagged, formidable spine in the Ruahine Range that demands both respect and steady nerves. Eager to see if the reality matched the intimidating reputation, Anne and I set off on a weekend mission that began…
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Hauhungatahi | The Gateway to Off-Track Wilderness in Tongariro National Park
New Zealand’s 14 National Parks offer world-class tracks, but “true wilderness” areas intentionally devoid of huts, signs, or bridges—remains a rare find for the North Island tramper. Most of our designated wilderness areas are buried deep in the Southern Alps, yet one of the most accessible sits right on the western slopes of Mt Ruapehu…
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Totara Flats | How the Wellington Fault Created a Tramper’s Delight
Totara Flats is widely considered one of the Tararua Forest Park’s most idyllic places—a camper’s delight of grassy terraces, blooming rata, and deep swimming holes. But beneath the tranquil surface of these river flats lies a violent geological history. From ancient forests buried three meters deep to the massive tectonic shifts of the Wellington Fault…
