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The Middle of the Field (Part One) - Central Peak(1912m)
I have been very fortunate to have been able to spend so much time in the Hakatere area. Many memories of marching up an...
Freedom Found (Part 3) - Wild Mans Hill(1856m)
In the home of the Kiwi you have the opportunity to have a vast area of land to yourself. And even better is the fact th...
Freedom Found (Part 2) - Wild Mans Hill(1856m)
It is difficult to explain to someone about how I find enjoyment in isolation and solitude. I have never had any issues...
Freedom Found (Part One) - Wild Mans Hill(1856m)
Freedom is found in the more than 60,000 hectares of stunning Canterbury hill country west of Christchurch city. Golden...
Red Rock in the Clouds - Mura Mura/Mt Zero(364m)
Australia isn’t renowned for having large mountains like Aotearoa, but the uplifted land it has is home to some of the b...
The Creations of the Mountain Gods (Part Four) - Phil’s Bivvy (Bivvy to Hollyford Road)
Not all mountains are created equal, some are big, some are really just hills. While many believe that biggest is best,...
The Creations of the Mountain Gods (Part Three) - Phil’s Bivvy (Lake Adelaide Basin)
There are certain places that deserve a 120-piece orchestral accompaniment. The grandeur is right on the limit of what’s...
The Creations of the Mountain Gods (Part Two) - Phil’s Bivvy (Upper Tent Flat to Lake Adelaide Basin)
After a little reccy up Moraine Creek in Fiordland’s Darran Mountains I knew it would only be a matter of time before I...
The Creations of the Mountain Gods (Part One) - Phil’s Bivvy (Hollyford Road to Upper Tent Flat)
Planet Earth is covered in beautiful places which must be seen with your own eyes. Glorious mounds of rock and ice look...
White Sands in the Sky (Part Three). Mt Titiroa(1715m)
Sometimes the motivation needed to climb a mountain comes from constantly staring at its presence. Every time (when ther...
White Sands of Titiroa (Part Two) - Mt Titiroa(1715m)
Not all mountains are equal. Some have striking ridges and faces, others snow capped with many glaciers. And then there...
White Sands of Titiroa(Part One) - Mt Titiroa(1715m)
Not long after cresting the top of Gorge Hill and entering the farmlands east of Te Anau, a beautiful and always white-c...
Swinging Through the Trees (Part Two) - Monkey Creek
Happiness, mixed with an extreme sense of satisfaction, is having a valley to yourself after putting in the work to get...
Swinging in the Trees (Part One) - Monkey Creek
Hiding in plain sight is the best way to describe Monkey Creek's location. Tucked away in the upper reaches of the Holly...
Going Guided (Part Five) - Whakatipu Ka Tuka / The Hollyford Track
The great Rangatira (Chief) Tutoko lived with whanau at Martins Bay when the Europeans arrived, and his iwi had lived th...
Going Guided (Part Four) - Whakatipu Ka Tuka / The Hollyford Track
Thanks to the fact that I worked on both the Routeburn and Milford Tracks I get asked which one is the better of the two...
Going Guided (Part Three). Whakatipu Ka Tuka / The Hollyford Track
Every now and then while guiding people around the special parts of Aotearoa I have had to patch up the odd whoopsie. So...
Going Guided (Part Two). Whakatipu Ka Tuka / The Hollyford Track
By 2016 I had spent nearly a decade guiding people around different parts of Aotearoa. Working on the Routeburn, Milford...
Going Guided (Part One). Whakatipu Ka Tuka / The Hollyford Track
There are thousands of kilometres of tramping tracks in New Zealand that are free for anyone to use. Some are easy and s...
The Best Way to Start to a New Year (Part Two) - Borland Saddle / Mt Burns Tarns
Waking up in the wilderness gives you a feeling like no other. The fresh air and bird song is at its best, and you feel...
The Best Way to Start to a New Year (Part One) - Mt Burns New Years Camp
If the weather is fine and the mish goes to plan, then it does not matter what time of the year it is. However, in my ey...
A Wet Night at Homer Hut (Part Three) - Homer Saddle / Homer Hut
The rain falling in Fiordland is an impressive sight. When you think the rain has reached its maximum fall rate, it turn...
A Wet Night at Homer Hut (Part 2) - Upper Hollyford Valley / Gerturde Valley
Aotearoa New Zealand has one of the best backcountry hut networks on the planet. There are around 950 shelters of differ...
A Wet Night at Homer Hut (Part 1) - Upper Hollyford Valley / Gertrude Valley
When the heavens open up and most go in to where it is dry. Recently other parts of Aotearoa have been bombarded with wh...