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New, NOT a Replacement - Te Anau. Southland
2023 was a year of ups with the odd down. I made a lot of progress in my hip and back recovery, and to my surprise I man...
The Hidden Serpent (Part Two) - Serpents Back Track
At 1.3 million hectares, Fiordland National Park has many hidden corners to get lost in. I would never recommend going i...
The Hidden Serpent (Part One) - Serpent Back Track
At times I have often wished that the fridge door on the Fiordland Navigator had just broken my arm of leg. At least tha...
An Audience with Aoraki (Part Four) - Red Tarns Track
Hiking is a sport / pastime where you are in a race with yourself. No matter how fast you go you can’t beat yourself to...
An Audience with Aoraki (Part Three) - Red Tarns Track
I’m sure that those who have had major injuries can relate to the frustration of knowing what you used to be able to do....
An Audience with Aoraki (Part Two) - Twizel to Aoraki Mt Cook Village
Jaws will drop when approaching Aoraki Mt Cook Village on a sunny day (or any day when the mountains are visible). The b...
An Audience with Aoraki (Part One) - Te Anau to Twizel
In a place full of incredible locations Aotearoa has a few that are just a touch more epic than others. I have been very...
Listening to the Silence of Snow (Part Three) - Mount Burns Tarns
I recently hiked a track that I used to use as a running trail for training. Before I could get too depressed about how...
Listening to the Silence of Snow (Part Two) - Upper Borland Valley / Mount Burns Tarns
Many will be turned away from the hills if snow is mentioned in the forecast. Cold is unpleasant to most and snow usuall...
Listening to the Silence of Snow (Part One) - Borland Burn
I have found that the thing I have missed while sitting on the sidelines with my hip and back injury is getting a sense...
Making the Most of a Disaster (Part Three) - Hollyford Valley
The mental benefits of a night out in the wild can be huge, just like the mountains that surround you. If you go into a...
Making the Most of a Disaster (Part Two) - Hollyford Valley
Not much matches the scale of wildness witnessed during a Fiordland storm. Rain as heavy as rain can get, and then it ge...
Making the Most of a Disaster (Part One) - Hollyford Valley
Fiordland is not only a place of great rain, but also one of constant change. There aren’t too many places where huge ch...
Forest Bathing (Part Two) - Lake Te Anau / Kepler Track
The call of the wild is louder for some over others. Those who must go bathe in a forest’s relaxing vibes return refresh...
Forest Bathing (Part One) - Lake Te Anau / Kepler Track
Moving back to Te Anau has given me a chance to take in how amazing this little town is and to appreciate the place I ca...
Three-Wire Bridge (Part Two) - Hollyford Valley
Forest bathing is something humans should do as often as possible. A simple walk on a trail through trees could be all y...
Three-Wire Bridge (Part One) - Hollyford Valley
Fiordland is like a present at Christmas that you really want and when you get it, it doesn’t disappoint. I never realiz...
Mid Mish Bliss (Part Two) - Rangitata Valley
The wilderness provides so much more to humans than just fitness. To sit surrounded by sweet serenity soothes the soul i...
Mid Mish Bliss (Part One) - Rangitata Valley
I had grown used to going on a mission with a partner. Having another soul enjoying the adventure was something I didn’t...
An Appropriate Place (Part Three) - Dogs Hill(1067m)
I have always wanted to spend my post life in the hills. To have my ashes spread where I was happiest would be the ultim...
An Appropriate Place (Part Two) - Dogs Hill(1067m)
I’m sure that many legends have had their ashes spread in the epic places they loved to visit. I know one day I want my...
An Appropriate Place (Part One) - Dogs Hill(1067m)
Having a dog of my own was one of the best feelings of my life. Since I don’t have kids, my dog was my child and I direc...
Merry Christmas to All!!!
Merry Christmas to all of the legends out there. It has been a year of ups and downs, with many highs and a couple of ve...
Kia Ora Namaste Whanau - UPDATE:
Kia Ora Namaste Whanau! "I went to Nepal to see the biggest mountains on the planet and left with the knowledge that the...