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Walking off the Map (Part 2) - Lost in Hakatere
After a few years of adventures, I was feeling reasonably confident in my abilities. I felt like I could reach any targe...
Hiking off the Map (Part 1) - Lost in Hakatere
Over time I have clocked up many hours under the stars during the times I have foregone a tent and opted for a night out...
Lake Wilson - Great Lake, Great Name (Part Two)
To visit your workplace on your day off is saying something about where you work! I was extremely lucky to wake up and r...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Learning the Ropes (Part Four) - Aoraki / Mt Cook Winter Travel Training
There is something so special about travelling on foot though the mountains. Just you, your thoughts and nature, a combo...
Learning the Ropes (Part Three) - Aoraki / Mt Cook Winter Travel Training
After years of climbing I really understand the draw of the biggest peak on each part of our planet. To some, the experi...
Learning the Ropes (Part Two) - Aoraki / Mt Cook Winter Travel Training
A long time ago Aoraki and his brothers clambered onto their overturned Waka (canoe) and were then turned to the rock, s...
Learning the Ropes (Part One) - Aoraki / Mt Cook Winter Travel Training
The year 2011 was dominated by the disastrous Christchurch earthquake. The event in my hometown made me realise that lif...
Stunned by Spectacularness (Part Two). Caples / Greenstone Camp.
Calling any of New Zealand’s wilderness your ‘Office’ is a real treat, and a really good reason to get into the tourism...
Stunned by Spectacularness (Part One). Caples / Greenstone Camp
It is no surprise that the Greenstone/Caples Loop is getting more popular with both Kiwis and visitors alike. Once the p...
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...
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...
Imagination and Fitness (Part Two) - Muddy Spur Camp
Whilst injured one of the most frustrating situations to be in is watching my fitness disappear. Pre-injury I could go o...
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...
Gear Testing - Glacier Burn Camp
I am very thankful that I got the opportunity to work on the Routeburn and Greenstone Tracks. Not only was it good train...
Going to a Remote Place (Part Three) - Moraine Creek
There are some very misleading names in the wild, and research is key because they can catch the odd person out. For ins...
Going to a Remote Place (Part Two) - Tent Flat (Part Two)
There is definitely a strange sort of confidence needed when going out into a wild environment. In theory you will simpl...
Going to a Remote Place (Part One) - Moraine Creek
As a kid I always enjoyed getting away from everything in the real world and spending some time exploring wherever I cou...
Follow a Man Named John Smith (Part One) - Te Taho Station (Dry Creek)
While the rest of the world grew, Aotearoa sat alone near the end of the earth. It took brave and bold voyages by advent...
Mountains, Mud & an Old Honda. Lake Sumner / Hurunui River
Like a child with blue cheese, it took me some time to get to like the taste of going on missions into the mountains. As...