Hiking adventures in New Zealand
Hiking adventures in New Zealand
New Zealand – Tasman/Marlborough
Did you know that there is more than one Ben Nevis in New Zealand? I discovered this whilst having a cake break half way up Ben Nevis just outside of Nelson. This wonderful day hike takes you nearly 5Kms with an elevation gain of around 800m up Gibbs Spur to the summit. If you're feeling adventurous and the weather is good, you can continue much further along the (unmarked) ridge route. Experienced trampers could traverse the entire length of the ridge to Mount...
A decent climb of around 5kms up to the 959m peak of Mount Malita is a great way to spend a day if you're around the Richmond area of Nelson. We managed the up and down (just over 10Kms with +750m elevation) with a leisurely lunch at the top in around 4.5 hours. It wasn't the prettiest walk I've done and much of it is on easy roads through forestry plantation, but it has great views from the top.
To get to Mount Malita take the Aniseed Valley road off...
Today I ventured out on a local mission from Stoke in Nelson, exploring some tracks around Marsden Valley and Barnicoat walkway. As I will be living in Stoke on a long house-sit, I wanted to have a wander round and find out about the trails on my doorstep. I started with the Scout track and headed to the top of the Barnicoat range, detoured to Jenkins Hill and made a loop route coming back down the Widdershins track...
If you're travelling from Nelson to Golden Bay on State highway 60, you'll drive over the Takaka Hill. This local landmark reaches almost 800m elevation and the drive over to Takaka is a slow, long, winding one. To break up the journey the Takaka Hill Walkway is a nice way to stretch your legs. In addition you get some awesome views of the Tasman and Golden Bay coastline and the mountains of Kahurangi National Park, The walkway is right on top of Takaka...
I started today thinking I would do a quick jaunt up Mount Robert in the Nelson Lakes National Park. Nothing too strenuous, just a quick up and down. As it turned out it was such a glorious day that I just carried on walking, with a bit of running thrown in. It ended up being the most incredible return to Angelus hut along the Robert Ridge route, which took around 6 hours in total .
Note that DoC rate the Robert Ridge Route as...
The Nelson Lakes National Park is approximately 1.5 hours drive South of Nelson. This magical area boasts a couple of beautiful glacial lakes - Rotoroa and Rotoiti, which are surrounded by mountains. These mountains form the beginnings of the magnificent Southern Alps which stretch most of the way down the South Island. The small town of St Arnaud is the hub of the area with some accommodation and a small shop and garage.
There are a...