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Kea
"Animals in Paradise" Kea. The Worlds only Alpine Parrot.
Ice Crystals on Crichton - Mt Crichton Loop Track
When visiting Tahuna / Queenstown it is important to pack your hiking boots. Many travel south from all over the world t...
Driving Roads of Snow and Ice - Christchurch to Queenstown
Many, many times over the years I have driven from Christchurch south. Usually in the old days I was aiming for Queensto...
Lake Clearwater
"Places in Paradise" Lake Clearwater and Lake Camp. Hakatere Conservation Area.
The Training Ground - Omawete Coopers Knob
Working on the Routeburn Track gave me an excellent way to earn some pay during the warmer months, and this also put in...
Returning the Favour - Mt Oxford(1364m)
Getting young people into the outdoors is very important. It is also important to teach youngsters how lucky we are to h...
Where's My Head Torch? (Part Three) - Black Peak(1989m)
Sometimes we learn the hard way and in the wild that can be a tough lesson to get through. Whether it be forgetting the...
Where's My Head Torch? (Part Two) - Black Peak(1989m)
Multi-day mountain climbing adventures usually involve two separate missions. The hike to the hut / campsite is one part...
Where's My Head Torch (Part One) - Black Peak(1989m)
It seems that sometimes no matter how careful we are, we leave some part of our outdoor kit at home. For a long time I h...
Raging Wind (Part Two) - Heather Jock Hut
The weather is a free show on offer and sometimes the episodes can be very exciting. I have always been fascinated by th...
Raging Wind (Part One) - Heather Jock Hut
There are reasons why only the hardiest plants grow above the treeline in Aotearoa, and to witness one of the main reaso...
Another Great Walk (Part Five) - The Kepler Track
I once worked on the Humpridge Track which is located on the Fiordland South Coast at the bottom of the South Island. Th...
Another Great Walk (Part Four) - The Kepler Track
There are pictures of little Bobcat diggers cutting the Kepler Track into the Jackson Peaks and Kepler Mountain Range. T...
Another Great Walk (Part Three) - The Kepler Track
There are a few things people do in Fiordland which really puzzle me. While being beautiful it is still a place which ca...
Another Great Walk (Part Two) - The Kepler Track
The Kepler Track was opened in 1988, making it much younger than its Great Walk friends like the Routeburn and Milford T...
Another Great Walk (Part One) - The Kepler Track
In Aotearoa there are many walks to choose from, and of those walks a select few have been classified as ‘Great Walks’....
A Brilliant Plan B - McIntyre's Hut
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. This mission was a classic case of one thing leading to another. Motiv...
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...
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...
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...
Paradise from Above (Part Two) - Ari / Mt Alfred(1375m)
Back in the day there used to be a public hiking track up the western side of Ari / Mt Alfred. For a couple of years, I...
Paradise From Above - Ari / Mt Alfred(1375m)
From the first time I saw Mt Alfred(1375m) from the viewing area at Bennetts Bluff, I knew I wanted to stand on top of t...
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...