Botanic Gardens to Island Bay 16kms Total 1688kms Katie and Hayley joined me for the final day. James dropped us off at the Botanic Gardens and we had breakfast at the cafe there. The walk started off nice and easy through the gardens, past the Beehive and down onto the waterfront which we followed to …
Porirua to Wellington City 25kms Total 1672kms I started very early today and was walking back up to Colonial Knob in the dark before 6am. I needed my phone torch to see going up the bush track. By the time I got half way up the sun was providing enough light and the sunrise looked …
Paekakariki to Porirua 29kms Total 1647kms Before leaving town we had a coffee at a cafe and then joined the Paekakariki Escarpment track for 10kms through to Pukerua bay. The track has amazing views up and down the coast and sidles the hills above SH1 and the railway line. It was a great walk. We …
Waikanae Beach to Paekakariki 16kms Total 1618kms We decided to have a shorter day today and treat it like a bit of a rest day. We knew there was a restuarant and bar in Paekakariki and also a holiday park. We walked the the beach most of the way there and it was a nice …
Otaki Forks to Waikanae Beach 30kms Total 1602kms Another early start for me and Jesse. We left at 7am. We crossed the swing bridge over the Waiotauru river and then walked down the metal road to the carpark where the track up Pukeatua mountain begins. It is a very big hill at 812m abs. The …
Nichols Hut to Otaki Forks (Tararua Ranges) 17kms Total 1572kms I woke up to the sound of wind whistling around the hut. The door was also knocking in the wind. Not a good sign considering we were climbing to the summit of Mt Crawford early in the morning along a long, narrow and very exposed …
Te Matawai Hut to Nichols Hut (Tararua Ranges) 12kms Total 1555kms Today started with a big climb up to summit of Pukematawai. The track was very over grown in places with thick tussock grass and shrubs. At times there was no "track" and we were climbing rock faces. At the summit the views were incredible. …
Makahika to Te Matawai Hut (Tararua Ranges) 17kms Total 1543kms Last night John came down to our campsite with a large and detailed map of the ranges and fully briefed us on what to expect and things to be mindful of. In the morning he gave me a weather update but it hasn't changed much …
John gave me and Jesse a ride into Levin this morning. He was going in for a few hours anyway. John had printed the weather report for the next four days and we picked his brains. John runs Duke of Endinborah courses and spends three months of the year in the bush, so he knows …
Toko Corner to Makahika OPC (Tararua Range) 33kms Total 1526kms Totally exhausted after today! That was much tougher than any of us expected. 13 hours of hiking through mostly bush. There were lots of steep climbs and one up to 690m abs towards the end of the day. Heaps of mud and several stream crossings …
The Path Less Travelled 