By:
On:
In: General, Hiking, Shane's Posts, Walking

Monday morning had a clear but cool start to the day but that suited us nicely as we prepared to hit the Abel Tasman Trail to Whariwharangi Bay. It starts off on the same track we used to go up to Gibbs Hill but instead of turning right after a 2km climb at the top to head up to Gibbs Hill, we turn left and descend 3km to Whariwharangi Bay Hut and Camping ground and on to the Whariwharangi Beach. As we started off on this walk it was cool but as we got into the ascent we appreciated that coolness. The backpack being loadedRead More →

By:
On:
In: Food, General, Hiking, Shane's Posts, Walking

Couple of wet days to pay the debt collector back and now have another 5 days credit for more good weather. Morning coffee finished and off to the Rawhiti Cave. The carpark is in private property where the owner has allowed access via their farm. Arriving at the carpark there was only one vehicle that had just arrived at the same time. Jude and I changed into our tramping boots, put on our camelback bike packs and grabbed a walking pole and headed off into what was track shaded from the sun and made for a really a cold start. The first couple of hundredRead More →

By:
On:
In: General, Hiking, Location, Photography, Shane's Posts

Opened the Moho blinds to a frosty morning and the sun shining brightly into the Moho warming her up just nicely. A cup of coffee knocked back and we’re off to walk a track I found while looking at maps that were up the Parapara Valley Road. When arriving at our destination there was no carpark that we could find and for that matter we couldn’t find where the tracks started. It wasn’t until we backtracked along the road that we spotted what appeared to be a narrow gap in the bush on the side of the road. We found a wee space on theRead More →

By:
On:
In: General, Hiking, Location, Shane's Posts

Today was another stunner day and just what we needed to climb Gibbs Hill, a 5.3km uphill hike that reaches 450m above sea level. Starting at the Wainui carpark at the start of the Abel Tasman Trail you gradually climb up the winding track the track divide at 200m where one track descends down 3km to Whariwharangi Bay and turning off to the right the track continues on 2km climb to the high point called Gibbs Hill at 453m. We managed to get to the divide in 40min, 20min faster than the time DoC had on the sign post at the start where I gaveRead More →

By:
On:
In: Hiking, Location, Photography, Shane's Posts

Wow what a big day 19km tramp up Mt Arthur, 8.8km up, 8.8km down plus 1.4km returning because numb skull forgot to turn off the vehicle lights and had to return and turn them off. Yep it’s only 8.8 km to the summit but boy are the climbs long and steep. The first 4km to Mt Arthur Hut is not too bad as it climbs steadily to 1300mtrs. Once past the Mt Arthur Hut the wind blew over the ridges constantly lifting the cloud up and over the ridges amplifying the cool temps at altitude, the track narrows and starts getting into the long steepRead More →

By:
On:
In: Hiking, Location, Motorhome, Shane's Posts

It’s now day three into 2019 and it’s up early for the hike up the Matiri Valley to Lake Matiri. This involves about 6km of 4WD track before walking 5 km up the Matiri River to the Matiri Hut. This lake was formed approximately 300 years ago and I would say coincides with the last big alpine fault movement that dropped a massive side of a mountain across the valley to block off the river, hence forming Lake Matiri. The first part of our journey was up the Matiri West Bank Road before we got another test for our Suzuki Jimny as the 6km 4WDRead More →