Hiking adventures in New Zealand
Hiking adventures in New Zealand
With it's golden sandy beaches, magnificent rock stacks and arches, huge sand dunes, stunning clifftop views, and rolling farmland, the Puponga Hilltop Track should be up there on your list of easily-accessible-must-do-day-walks. There are lots of options for walks in the area, ranging from just an hour or so, to a full day. Having had a reasonable leisurely morning, we didn't start walking until 11.30am and managed to cover Wharariki Beach and over half...
Christmas Day on Te Araroa trail 🙂🌲 We got up at 4am as Flo wanted to call his family in Europe on their Christmas Eve when we got a signal at the top of the mountain. We were ready to leave Top Wairoa hut just as it got light at 5.15am.
We began the day with an 800m (2600 ft) climb from Top Wairoa hut up Mt Ellis 1615m (5300 ft). It started with rock-hopping the large...
Today's distance walked - approx 25 kms (15.5 miles).
Ascent - approx 350m (1086 ft).
I was up early, even for me today, and enjoyed my breakfast at 5am with a gorgeous sunrise. I said goodbye to Steve and left camp at 6.40. As I walked the couple of Kms back to the coast path, the sun was catching the Eastern end of the Isle of Wight beautifully. It was another fab morning on trail! As I walked back down to Dancing Ledge a couple were sleeping in each others arms on a mattress on the cliff...
Today's distance walked - approx 26kms (16 miles).
Ascent - approx 1150m (3772 ft).
Lulworth got a light sprinkle of rain last night, but nothing that's done anything to break the drought. My tent was a little wet, but was dry by the time I packed it. I woke at 5.15am and had a light breakfast in the lounge of the YHA. There were a few people up already, who were also hiking this weekend, so we got talking over a coffee. The official YHA breakfast began at 7.30 with cereals etc. Then the...
Today's distance walked - approx 13 kms (8 miles).
Ascent - approx 100m (328 ft).
I woke at 5am and had a coffee and Museli bar in my little hotel room. I went downstairs for breakfast at 7.15am, and chatted to the new hotel owners about the history of the building and their plans to restore it's seafaring heritage. I left at 9am. The sun came out at 9.30, as I was making my way back via the marina. At Ferrybridge the trail followed a historic railway line route to Weymouth.
Mid way, I...
Today's distance walked - approx 28 kms (17.3miles).
Ascent - approx 350m (1148ft).
I woke early, but didn't get started until around 8.30am this morning. The first stretch of trail was around the remainder of the Fleet nature reserve en route to Ferrybridge. I briefly passed through a firing range - no red flags flying today, so no detour necessary. I stopped in at one of the huge holiday parks on the way, used their facilities and bought a sandwich.
The next 600m out and back down to...