Maraetotara Falls, HAWKES BAY

This is a sweet little waterfall in the Hawke’s Bay that requires a day trip to the beach to really make the most of the roadie out there. The great thing is that you don’t have to hike to the falls (it’s maybe a 5min walk from the road) but you do need to know […]

Putangirua Pinnacles & Cape Palliser Lighthouse, WELLINGTON

Cape Palliser is the most southern point of New Zealand’s North Island. It’s a decent 2 hour drive from Wellington, so you need at least a full day to make the most of the area. We left Wellington after a quick coffee and breakfast, road tripped to the cape, did a few short day hikes […]

Waitahinga Dam, WHANGANUI

This is one of the best day hikes we’ve done since moving to Whanganui. The great thing about it is that you can do the full hike down to the dam and back, or a shorter walk around the other trails. With a canopy of Native New Zealand forest (some original tawa and rimu trees, […]

Tawhai Falls, TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK

This year (2018) I set the goal for myself to learn how to snowboard in the winter, and learn how to surf in the summer. In the summer time of 2017/18 I had my second ever surfing lesson (my first being at age 15 ) while on Christmas holiday in and around Cape Town, South […]

Trains Hut, WAITOTARA

Location: Waitotara Conservation Area Time: Overnight, 5 hours each way Difficulty: Medium (easy to follow track, hiking boots)   The walk to Trains hut starts with an epic-ly long and windy drive up the Waitora River. While this is rather picturesque (and I enjoyed this walk) the car-sickness (which I have always suffered) endured means […]

Herepai Hut-TARARUA FOREST

Location: Tararua Forest Park Time: Overnight, 2.5 hours each way Difficulty: Medium (Clear track with route markers, steep in parts, Hiking Boots) Herepai Hut is accessed from the end of Putara Road, a 25 minute drive from Eketahuna (which is a cute little rural town in the Manawatu Region. It’s claim to fame is the giant […]

Rangiwahia Hut, RUAHINE FOREST

Location: Ruahine Forest Park, Manawatu Region Time: Overnight. 2 hours up, 1 hour return Difficulty: Easy (Clear track. Running Shoes)

The Routeburn. A day walk?

So kids, here’s a little story. Mike once said he really wanted to walk the Routeburn. “Great” I thought “we can do that.” I’d done the Routeburn before, camping along the way because me and my student buddies didn’t want to pay the $50/night to sleep in the huts. Then he added: “In a day” […]

Zeke’s Hut Track, HIHITAHI FOREST