some tramping blogs for your vicarious pleasure

In my travels I like to jot down a few thoughts at the end of the day, intending, usually unsuccessfully, to encourage others with engaging with the Great Outdoors.

Occasionally these blogs may mention what I had for breakfast, well might as well tell you now, it’s always porridge and coffee, glad we got that out of the way, or whether I was grinding up hills, okay by me, or whizzing down ‘em, different feelings on that direction, or what the weather was doing. It’s NZ, so we know it’ll be variable.

Mainly they are a daily rave about random events and thoughts, or recounting the casual bumps up against the disparate patchwork of the human race that exploring semi-remote areas of the world brings.

Hopefully you find them somewhat humorous and entertaining.

Get to the first entry of each trip by clicking on the menu on the right, or the highlighted words below.

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Try the rather lengthy tale of 85 days wandering from Bluff to Ships Cove, more or less via Te Araroa. Actually I found myself in a parallel universe for a few weeks up the north end of the South Island.

Man, that Lake Tekapo is the picture

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Getting as far south as you can in New Zealand, beyond 47º S, Tin Range to Port Pegasus. That’s back on Stewart Island once again.

The Lake  at Mt Allen with Lees Knob lurking beyond. | Tin Range, Stewart Island

getting kinda remote down here, no one else around

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Closer to home, actually once again just walking out the back door to have a go at climbing Mt Richmond.

Up around Mt Fell on a cloudy day, Mt Richmond Forest Park

I kinda know there’s a big drop around here somewhere

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A spring tour visiting a few Great Walks from Te Anau, ie, the Kepler, Milford, Routeburn, Greenstone and Caples Tracks in rapid succession, not always dodging the rain drops.

It's rather wet and you can't make out all those waterfalls, but there are walls of them. | Milford Track, Fiordland National Park

the absolutely memorable Clinton Valley in the rain

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The Go To track in early spring down south has to be the Hollyford Track, no worries about avalanches there. Actually I fitted in the Kepler as a 4 day entree before the 15 day Hollyford/Pyke circuit.

Morning at the mysterious Lake Manapouri.  | Kepler Track, Fiordland National Park

not on the Hollyford, this is Lake Manapouri on the Kepler

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It might be winter but it’s not so harsh on this 15 day ramble around various parts of Arthurs Pass National Park. It did eventually snow, on Day 13.

Looking somewhat bleak in the morning, the temp is about 1ºC. |  Arthurs Pass blog

that crazy old wooden tent, Minchin Bivvy

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Out the back door from Nelson to the Lewis Pass via Waiau Pass. If the weather remains good why not just keep on going.

Sunrise over the Pelorus River

sunrise over the Pelorus River from near Slaty Hut

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Here’s 19 days on the Northwest and Southern circuits, on Stewart Island was a full inspection of the most southern tracks in NZ.

Mason Bay, Rakiura National Park, Stewart Island

yup, looking north over Mason Bay from Adams Hill

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12 days in the Leslie Karamea, documents one of the slowest ever traverses from Little Wanganui to Flora Saddle, no excuses, I just thought I might spend some time, err, counting the trout and generally experiencing the area rather than running through like I did in my youth.

The Karamea River

yeah, that Karamea River sure is purty

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Having warmed up, and with new boots, I ended up taking the shuttle to St Arnaud and spent two weeks in Nelson Lakes National Park, walking from St Arnaud almost as far as the Lewis and then circling back. Not so many others out there at that time of year, ie, after Anzac Day.

Upper Travers Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park

the Upper Travers Hut with snow on the hills, it is late autumn

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Booting along | Mt Richmond Forest Park, April 2013, was just wandering straight out from downtown Nelson, intending to make it to St Arnaud via the Alpine Route, but due to some mechanical issues, ie, my you-beaut Meindl boots falling to bits, instead stumbled around in my newly created moccasins, ended up back in Nelson somewhat earlier than intended. They say how you overcome adversity is what life is all about.

near Rocks Hut in Mt Richmond Forest Park

through the mineral belt towards Rocks Hut, somewhere in the fog

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The initial blog, a stray, the Larapinta Trail from April 2012 is included because, well, why not, maybe inspiration is required to do some walking that is not completely damp underfoot, that is one great Little Adventure despite the Australian nature of it.

Almost epic.

Larapinta Trail, Central Australia

another razorback ridge on the Larapinta