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Massive Mountains and Clean Eyre (Part One) - Oreti Peak(1619m)
The spectacular Eyre Mountains are ogled at from Queenstown on a daily basis and when I’m there I become another set of...
Storm Vs Tent (Part Two) - Borland Saddle Ridge Camp
In the wilds of Aotearoa you are at the mercy of the weather. In Fiordland if you get the forecast wrong, you could be i...
Mavora Mountain Magic (Part Two) - Mt Campbell(1685m)
Bald mountains and barren high country surround the top of North Mavora Lake. Somehow the lack of trees doesn’t affect t...
Mavora Mountain Magic (Part One) - Mt Campbell(1685m)
Forget social media, if I’m stuck with a little bit of time on my hands I’m scrolling through topo maps on my phone. Str...
See Ya Later Sleeping Mat (Part Two) - Mount Burns Tops
Nothing makes you feel more alive than exposure to the elements. Stripped back to human and clothing, and the rest is up...
The Perfect Getaway (Part Two) - Oreti Plateau Camp
When you break down certain aspects of camping it doesn’t sound like much fun. Wet feet, long walks, and sleeping on roc...
The Perfect Getaway (Part One) - Oreti Plateau Camp
Sometimes you just need a little getaway to reset life and ready you for the next bout of challenges. The simple life an...
Wild Turkey's and the Ashton Burn - Peak 1330m (Part Three)
For a lot of people it is the close companionship found when on a mish that keeps them repeating the process. A couple o...
Wild Turkey's and the Ashton Burn - Peak 1330m (Part Two)
To go a night without even a flutter of tent fabric is an absolute dream and fuel for the fire of adventure that burns b...
Wild Turkey's and The Ashton Burn - Peak 1330m (Part One)
With another exciting and busy season in Patea / Doubtful Sound on the Fiordland Navigator looming, it was time for me a...
Hut Bound - Aparima Forks Hut (Part Two)
To sit and listen to heavy rain pounding the roof of a mountain hut is a feeling difficult to describe. Excitement , ner...
Hut Bound (Part One) - Aparima Forks Hut
Mountain weather is an extreme and never forgotten experience when held up in a tiny backcountry hut. A couple of times...
Red Skies Above (Part Two) - Takitimu Tops Camp
There are times when you don’t need a weather forecaster to tell you what the conditions will be like. Certain clouds or...
Red Skies Above (Part One) - Takitimu Tops Camp
Late start. Less than favourable weather forecast. Camping on an exposed mountain side. Factors that might turn some awa...
Be Seen, Be Safe (Part Two) - Boyd Creek Tops.
I recently got a new tent which is as bright as can be - be seen, be safe. My older Marmot tent is green and the more th...
Be Seen, Be Safe (Part One) - Boyd Creek Tops
I’ll never forget a situation I faced when doing my job as Track Manager on the Humpridge Track. It was the day I could...
A Fridge Sized Rock (Part Three) - Cold Peak(1613m)
Play it safe and minimize the risk is a good way to approach anything in the back country. Injuries at home are a hinder...
A Fridge Sized Rock (Part Two) - Cold Peak(1613m)
I have been very lucky during my time roaming the hills. A couple of situations have been close to disaster, but due to...
A Fridge Sized Rock (Part One) - Cold Peak(1613m)
Injuries are never a good thing, and if you are out in the mountain’s injuries can lead to much worse situations. Having...
A Sample of Southland's History - TurnBull's Track
New Zealand’s network of tracks and huts really does cover the South Island top to bottom. From the ranges above Nelson...
Savaged by Sandflies (Part Two) - Borland Rock Bivouac
There are many places throughout the South Island of Aotearoa where you would love to kick back, look up at the mountain...
Leave Our Forest Alone - Kiwi Burn Hut
I remember visiting this excellent little hut, located in the pristine bush of the Snowdon Forest, during the times of t...