dirtpig67
New member
New Zealand Tramping Experiences
Hello all,
I haven't posted a lot here so far but I thought I would post a little bit about our tramping (NZ speak for hiking) adventures so far here in New Zealand. I thought I would post a few pictures of our tramping adventures to date.
Most of our tramping so far has been in areas that are typically not in the tourist guides and books so it has a very different feel than many of the famous trails and tramping areas on the South Island.
While the South Island has some spectacular mountains and scenery, the N. Island can be just as nice. It is very similar to the way the mountains in the NE US compare to the Rockies and Sierra Mtn in size and terrain. One big difference from the US is the huge variation of scenery and landscapes that can be encountered in a relatively small area. All of these pictures were taken within about 2 hours drive of each other.
Anyways here we go...
This first picture is from the Kaweka Ranges in the East Central part of the N. Island. This was taken in early spring. These mountains are somewhat of a geographic barrier to weather systems and the winds up there can commonly reach speeds of over 120 MPH.
This one is from a recent tramp in the Ruahine Ranges in the middle of winter. Very wild and rough country. Usually, we never see a single person when up in these mountains.
This is a picture from the Tararua Ranges which is just to the south of the Ruahines. They are virtually identical in their character. We are lucky to live right between the two ranges so both are easy to get to. Once you get on the open mountain tops you can literally walk for days.
One awesome thing about tramping in NZ, is the hut system which is better than anything I have ever experienced. The huts vary from small affairs with simple wood stoves and wooden bunks to something like the following with gas cookers and mattresses. The best part is that they are everywhere.
We have tramped one rather famous trail on the N. Island - the Tongariro Alpine Crossing which has been described as one of the best day hikes in the world. We did this one on Christmas Day last year. It takes a full day, and crosses a very unique landscape in the central N. Island that sits on an active volcano. It has a very moonscape feel and look to it complete with steam rising from the ground and the smell of sulfur in the air. My trusty Limmer Standards worked extremely well in the volcanic rocks encountered which shredded the lightweight boots of some of the people we were with. This is a tramp I highly recommend if you are ever in the country.
Hitting my picture limit so part II in next post........
Hello all,
I haven't posted a lot here so far but I thought I would post a little bit about our tramping (NZ speak for hiking) adventures so far here in New Zealand. I thought I would post a few pictures of our tramping adventures to date.
Most of our tramping so far has been in areas that are typically not in the tourist guides and books so it has a very different feel than many of the famous trails and tramping areas on the South Island.
While the South Island has some spectacular mountains and scenery, the N. Island can be just as nice. It is very similar to the way the mountains in the NE US compare to the Rockies and Sierra Mtn in size and terrain. One big difference from the US is the huge variation of scenery and landscapes that can be encountered in a relatively small area. All of these pictures were taken within about 2 hours drive of each other.
Anyways here we go...
This first picture is from the Kaweka Ranges in the East Central part of the N. Island. This was taken in early spring. These mountains are somewhat of a geographic barrier to weather systems and the winds up there can commonly reach speeds of over 120 MPH.
This one is from a recent tramp in the Ruahine Ranges in the middle of winter. Very wild and rough country. Usually, we never see a single person when up in these mountains.
This is a picture from the Tararua Ranges which is just to the south of the Ruahines. They are virtually identical in their character. We are lucky to live right between the two ranges so both are easy to get to. Once you get on the open mountain tops you can literally walk for days.
One awesome thing about tramping in NZ, is the hut system which is better than anything I have ever experienced. The huts vary from small affairs with simple wood stoves and wooden bunks to something like the following with gas cookers and mattresses. The best part is that they are everywhere.
We have tramped one rather famous trail on the N. Island - the Tongariro Alpine Crossing which has been described as one of the best day hikes in the world. We did this one on Christmas Day last year. It takes a full day, and crosses a very unique landscape in the central N. Island that sits on an active volcano. It has a very moonscape feel and look to it complete with steam rising from the ground and the smell of sulfur in the air. My trusty Limmer Standards worked extremely well in the volcanic rocks encountered which shredded the lightweight boots of some of the people we were with. This is a tramp I highly recommend if you are ever in the country.
Hitting my picture limit so part II in next post........
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