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Chasing more adventure: Beyond the Earnslaw Burn Track & Rock Biv
Often underestimated, the Earnslaw Burn Track is a Southern Alps classic near Queenstown. While many are drawn by the towering waterfalls and hanging glacier, navigating the windfall-heavy bush and unpredictable mountain weather requires solid planning. A night in the Earnslaw Burn Rock Bivvy and more adventurous off track route make this trip more adventurous than…
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Whakaari Conservation Area: Discovering “White Gold” & Spectacular Views
Bus Timetable Magic & “White Gold” With only two days before my flight out of Queenstown, I needed a tramp that aligned with local transport. Fortunately, the Cromwell and Glenorchy bus timetables synced perfectly to get me to Whakaari Conservation Area. The driver was even kind enough to drop me directly at the start of…
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Mount Richmond Forest Park: Summer Snowflakes at Lake Chalice
We weren’t supposed to be in Mount Richmond Forest Park; that was Plan C. After the weather put an abrupt end to Plans A and B, we found ourselves winding up Staircase Road toward the Lake Chalice carpark, only to be halted by a 10-metre pine tree falling in slow motion across our path. It…
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Exploring Ferny Gair: Lake Alexander Hut and beyond
Navigating Access: The Teme River vs. Private Land After a trip to Ferny Gair a few months ago to find the elusive “dinosaur cave,” I was itching to return to explore the southern part of the conservation area including Lake Alexander and Ferny Gair peak itself. Access in this region can be tricky. A long-standing…
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Climbing Mt Adams: A Gateway to the Adams Wilderness Area
Climbing Mt Adams: The Ultimate Warm-up for the Garden of Eden There’s no better way to prepare for a Garden of Eden traverse than by climbing the 2,000-metre peak that shares its name with the wilderness area. Situated on the edge of the Adams Wilderness Area in the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, Mt…
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Leatham Circuit: Dolphins, Dinosaurs, and Magic
Camping at Onamalutu “Dolphins!” shouted a crew member as we travelled through the Marlborough Sounds on the Interislander. I sprinted over to the railing as dolphins are one of my favourite animals and saw a huge pod of dolphins swimming joyfully alongside the ferry. Just magical! This seemed like a good start to our 5…
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Raglan Range: No teeth needed
“You don’t need your teeth to walk out.” The best adventures sometimes happen when your original plans fall through. Standing at the edge of an uncrossable Dart Ford, our Luna Tops dreams were washed away—but the Raglan Range was calling. What followed was a three-day masterclass in New Zealand ‘off-track’ travel: bush bashing, technical scree…
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Climbing Te Ao Whekere: An Alpine Adventure in the Seaward Kaikoura
Listening to the calls of two kea at 5:30 am isn’t your average wake-up call, but on the rugged slopes of the Seaward Kaikoura Range, nothing is quite “average.” From our infamous “Rubbish Bag” campsite to the 2,590m summit of Te Ao Whekere, our journey was an energetic yet magical traverse of unstable scree and…
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The Craigieburn and Torlesse Ranges | Two nice day walks
Two easy walks near Arthurs Pass – the first to the Broken River ski-field and Nervous Knob in the Craigieburn Range, the second to the iconic ‘Gap’ in the Torlesse Range. Whether you’re looking to fill a weekend or just need a quick escape into the wild, these two fun day walks in the Craigieburn…
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Mt Titiroa: The Fiordland Mountain Covered in ‘Snow’ That Never Melts
The snows of Mt Titiroa Think you need alpine gear for a white-capped summit in mid-summer? Think again. In plain sight above Lake Manapouri is Mt Titiroa—a mountain that uses a clever geological trick to stay white all year round. The plan was simple: chase the Fiordland sunshine up to the summit. From a ‘deserted’ campsite…
