Every trip report
Filter by region, type of trip or dog missions — or search the whole South Island backcountry.
Matching trip reports
Welcome to Clearwater (Part Two) - Lake Clearwater / Erewhon
As a guide the goal is to first show how much you love a place, and second to attempt to get others just as fascinated....
Welcome to Clearwater (Part One) - Lake Clearwater Area
Once a guide, always a guide. It is hard to shake off your guiding ways after you leave the industry, especially if you...
Movies at Mistake Flat (Part Five) - The Havelock Valley
People who love the outdoors usually have at least a couple of times when they have to pinch themselves to reassure them...
Movies at Mistake Flat (Part Four) - The Havelock Valley
When you are out in the wilderness exploring you sometimes need to push aside feelings of nervousness. You might be at a...
Movies at Mistake Flat (Part Three) - The Havelock Valley
My cousin Adam’s determination is evident in everything he does. He took up running and now runs marathons. He also brou...
Movies at Mistake Flat (Part Two) - The Havelock Valley
A mission is an chance to enjoy the sweet satisfaction of achievement. This feeling can become very addictive and before...
Movies At Mistake Flat (Part One) - The Havelock Valley
For all his faults my cousin Adam is an ok dude… Just kidding, he is a bloody good bloke who somehow keeps on upping our...
Grandeur on Steroids (Part Four) - The Upper Rakaia
There aren’t too many places left in the world where you can go and know you’re the only one to get there in quite some...
Grandeur on Steroids (Part Three) - The Upper Rakaia
With blind determination you can block out the bad and get yourself to some amazing locations. This was how I would guid...
You're Not Going Anywhere - Stuck at Lake Clearwater Village
On a few occasions I have been fortunate enough to be happily trapped in a wild location due to the weather. Every time...
Post Storm Magnificence (Part Three) - Snowed in at Lake Clearwater
Pushing through powder snow before sunrise might not be everyone’s cup of tea. The thought alone of getting up early whe...
Post Storm Magnificence (Part Two) - Snowed in at Lake Clearwater
Too many times the cold has been labelled a ‘bad thing’ when really it can be the cause of a remarkable sight. It might...
Post Storm Magnificence (Part One) - Snowed in at Lake Clearwater
Snow is a rare treat for most who live in Aotearoa New Zealand. Much of our low-lying land will remain snow free even du...
Significant Weather Event (Part One) - Wild Weather at Lake Clearwater
The weather is something you have no control over, therefore sometimes you just have to sit back and marvel at its magni...
A Couple of Old Dogs - Clearwater Retreat
Age is something that everybody attempts to avoid but can’t. And age can sometimes be an excuse used to get someone out...
When Very Little is Too Much - Lake Clearwater Village
The ability to move around should always be appreciated. Because you really do miss it when it gets taken away. Going fr...
My Hip and the Havelock Valley (Part One) - Havelock Valley
Back in 2020 the world was plunged into chaos thanks to Covid, and for weeks we were all confined to the four walls of o...
Searching For Snow (Part Two) - Manuka Hut / Mt Somers Range
Snow is a very strange substance that falls from the sky. Unlike rain, snow is something that has created its very own s...
Searching For Snow (Part One) - Manuka Hut
When you break down snow sports they don’t sound like much fun. Thanks to New Zealand's low altitudes the snow (normally...
An Easy Stroll in the Rain - Boundary Creek Hut
Being wet is temporary, memories last forever. So many people look at rain as being “Bad Weather” but for me the weather...
Cameron Valley Bivouac - Part 2
Now out of the storm in our make-shift shelter, we could finally relax and get some rest. Cameron had the more sheltered...
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...