Moving On - A Crazy Couple of Years
To say the last couple of years have been interesting for human beings is a rather large understatement. There isn’t a person on the planet who hasn’t been affected by…
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41 reports
Epic Scenery For Breakfast - Lake Sylvan
Once driverless cars reach New Zealand everyone on board will be able to appreciate the incredible natural beauty seen o...
21 Sep 2021
Back to Paradise (Part Two) - Rees Dart Track / Beans Burn Confluence
Paradise; an ideal or idyllic place or state. Many locations around Aotearoa could easily fit this description, however...
3 Jul 2020
Back to Paradise (Part One) - Paradise / Rees Dart Track
I talk about ‘Paradise’ a lot, but only on a few occasions have I visited the famous area tucked away amongst the mounta...
3 Jul 2020
Recovery Camp - Rees River
After my fridge accident I was rendered immobile for quite a while. My days of taking 11,000 steps consistently were a d...
21 Feb 2020
Getting Back to Our Roots - Paddy's Point
I always like to say my favourite track is “One I haven't walked yet”. Not knowing what’s around the next corner makes t...
6 Dec 2019
Awe Aspiring (Part Two) - Rock of Ages
I always get excited about going to sleep when I am in the mountains. For some reason even if I don’t sleep that much du...
14 Mar 2015
Awe Aspiring (Part One) - Rock of Ages
Both West and East Matukituki valleys are very impressive places to visit for a hike or climb and will not disappoint. T...
13 Mar 2015
Tough Trails of the Past (Part Four) - Mt Larkins(2300m)
There have been tough times when I have been out on a mish when I have had to remind myself that I am tackling this moun...
22 Mar 2014
Skirt Around the Bush (Part Three) - Arthurs Creek(Point 2065m)
If something is hard, why do it? This is a question that many ‘non-hikers’ ask after hearing about my battles with the r...
11 Mar 2014
Skirt Around the Bush Edge (Part Two) - Arthurs Creek
Reading about an adventure can be a big step away from the actual mish. A simple sentence in a guide book can be a great...
11 Mar 2014
Skirt Around the Bush Edge - Arthurs Creek (Part One)
Arthurs Creek is one of the many large river valleys that feed into the Rees Valley, and then on to Lake Wakatipu near G...
9 Mar 2014
Can't Cross That (Part Two) - Long Charlie Spur(2024m)
There have been times when I have pointed out where water has got to during great rain events on tracks I have worked on...
20 Jan 2014
Can't Cross That (Part One) - Long Charlie Spur(2024m)
Something we definitely have no control over when wandering in the wilderness is the weather. Sometimes it rains, and so...
19 Jan 2014
Lake Wilson - Great Lake, Great Name (Part One)
When walking the Routeburn Track from Lake Mackenzie no matter what the weather is doing the hike from Harris Shelter to...
20 Apr 2012
The Other Way Home (Part Three) - Emily Pass(1607m).
A long time ago a young woman decided to tempt fate and go the ‘Other Way Home’ while hiking the Routeburn Track. With h...
17 Apr 2012
Blown Away (Part Four) - Just below Wright Col to Muddy Creek
The wind is a funny old foe. It is something you can’t see, but you can hear it, sense it and also feel its effects when...
29 Jan 2012
Blown Away (Part Three) - Kea Basin to Wright Col (almost)
It is quite common to hear the expression ‘Blown Away’ when people are talking about New Zealand’s scenery. It is also c...
28 Jan 2012
Blown Away (Part Two) - Muddy Creek to Kea Basin
When I first started to go on frequent outings, I had the odd time where I let enthusiasm lead me into the wild before t...
28 Jan 2012
Blown Away (Part One) - Queenstown to Muddy Creek
The few who fight the weather face a fearsome foe. When entering Mother Nature’s playground, it is best to know what you...
27 Jan 2012
Summer Snow (Part Three) - Ocean Peak(1848m)
Te Waipounamu sits in the line of some rather nasty weather and anything near the west coast gets it first and at its mo...
16 Jan 2012
Summer Snow (Part Two) - Ocean Peak(1848m)
There were a few times when guiding on the Routeburn Track that we watched the weather gods align the clouds and it look...
16 Jan 2012
Summer Snow (Part One)- Ocean Peak(1848m)
You can pack clothing for any weather, but can you weather any situation that weather can throw at you? Aotearoa is a pl...
15 Jan 2012
Kea Never Sleep - Rob Roy Glacier Track
The first time I visited the Rob Roy Glacier Track was back in 2011, with my friend visiting from France and my parents,...
3 Jan 2012
Second Time Above Paradise (Part Two) - Ari / Mt Alfred(1375m)
It is incredible how important the Lord of the Rings movies were for tourism in Aotearoa. When I traveled to Canada to p...
14 Dec 2011
Second Time Above Paradise (Part One) - Mt Alfred(1375m)
The setting at the top of Lake Wakatipu is priceless. The view from the road to Glenorchy is an iconic image that has be...
13 Dec 2011
The Big Thumbs Up (Part Three) - Mt Xenicus(1912m).
Light breezes and sunshine, check. High up a mountain ridge, check. Outstanding views in every direction, double - no tr...
13 Jan 2011
The Big Thumbs Up (Part Two) - Mt Xenicus(1916m)
The Iconic view of Lake Harris on the Routeburn Track is dominated by a huge mountain which to me looks like a huge thum...
12 Jan 2011
The Big Thumbs Up (Part One) - Mt Xenicus(1912m)
If you are into climbing mountains and you look at one over and over again, then eventually you have to have a go at cli...
12 Jan 2011
Pretty Sweet Scenery (Part Three) - Sugarloaf Pass(1154m)
Before our roads were modified into what we have today there used to be (and still are) crashes in places where the moun...
12 Aug 2010
Sweet As (Part Two) - Sugarloaf Pass(1154m)
I like to think that going on a mish is similar to having a meal. Just like with food the lack of hiking makes you hungr...
10 Aug 2010
Sweet As (Part One) - Sugarloaf Pass(1154m)
When I took a chance and took up the opportunity to work on the Routeburn Track my life changed in a very positive way....
9 Aug 2010
Cool Conditions (Part Two) - Rees Valley / Earnslaw Hut
The magical shapes created by water freezing can take you back to your childhood. Mesmerised by the wondrous creations,...
24 Jul 2010
Cool Conditions (Part One) - Earnslaw Hut
Many fear the cold and it is because of this that usually the hiking trails of Aotearoa are very quiet during the winter...
23 Jul 2010
The Throne Room of the Gods (Part Two) - Earnslaw Burn
There are some places in Aotearoa that sit in clear view for most from a distance but are rarely seen up close. Aoraki M...
11 Jul 2010
The Throne Room of the Gods (Part One) - Earnslaw Burn
It is amazing how the Earnslaw Burn is only now becoming a popular overnight camping trip. It is definitely one of the m...
9 Jul 2010
Imagination and Fitness (Part One) - Muddy Spur Camp
When it comes to hiking around Aotearoa there is nothing wrong with sticking to the normal. Our popular places in paradi...
27 Mar 2010
Top of the Hill (Part Two) - Conical Hill(1515m)
Topping out on a mountain can be a life changing experience. For many hiking the Routeburn Track Conical Hill(1515m) wil...
27 Feb 2010
The Top of the Hill (Part One) - Conical Hill(1515m)
Although life as a guide isn’t going to make you rich, it will reward you each day with the fact you're doing something...
26 Feb 2010
Wild Workplace (Part Four) - The Routeburn Track
Going from filing cabinets to flying in choppers was a welcome change, and it needed a spine fracture and bulging disk i...
22 Mar 2009
Wild Workplace (Part One) - The Routeburn Track
To say getting a job as a guide on the Routeburn Track was a game changer is a huge understatement. I went from dreading...
18 Mar 2009