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Mt Tongariro – and the lava lake
Mt Tongariro and the ancient molten lava lake at North Crater A 2 day hiking loop trip over Mt Tongariro and past the once molten lava lake that occupied the North Crater before cooling and solidifying. When the warrior gods Tongariro and Taranaki fought over the lovely Pihanga flames lit up the sky,…
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Kaweka Kaleidoscope – exploring Manson Country
Kaweka Kaleidoscope – exploring Manson Country Kaweka Range – Kaweka Forest Park It nearly makes the squatters weep, It takes five acres to a sheep, And each year sees these smaller flocks, For sheep don’t thrive on snow and rocks. (An anonymous poet on the difficulty of mustering in the remote Manson Country) I have…
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Dorset Ridge – not even close
With the Ruahine Crossing cancelled due to COVID level 2 restrictions, I managed to persuade a number of club members to come out on a private trip with me that had the goal of having a fun weekend out in the Tararua Range. One of the options Tony suggested was Dorset Ridge from Jumbo Hut.…
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Volunteering on Kapiti Island
On Friday at 8am I was waiting with Anne, Jamie and nine other volunteers to jump in the boat and head across to Kapiti Island to volunteer for three days doing trapline work on the island. On arrival we headed straight to the biosecurity room to go through all our gear and check we were…
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Remutaka Forest Park day walk – East Whakanui circuit
Day walk – Remutaka Forest Park Photos of a pleasant day walk through the Remutaka Forest Park starting at the Catchpool and taking in the Orongorongo River, East Whakanui Track, McKerrow Track and Clay Ridge
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Mt Matthews – a Circumnavigation
“The lights are moving—the aliens are coming for us now!” I jokingly teased Tony and suggested we both hide in our tents… Tony and I had decided to do a two-day tramp exploring our own backyard a bit more—a circumnavigation of Mt Matthews that would include both on and off-track travel in the Remutaka Forest…
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Tramping the Te Pua-a-Tāne Circuit | A Whirinaki Forest Guide
“Whio, whio!” I could hardly believe it. We had been walking for less than two hours, and already my promise of sightings of the nationally vulnerable blue duck was coming true. It was immediately clear why this route is called the Te Pua-a-Tāne Circuit—a name meaning the abundance of Tāne, god of the forest. As…
