Upper Nina Biv + camping at Nina Valley
Me, my partner, and our 4-year-old kid, Elliot, went on a wee adventure to Nina Valley. It’s not just home to the popular Nina Hut but also has many hidden hideaways with secluded spots for…
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Avoca Homestead to Broken River Hut
Avoca Homestead is a quaint old hut tucked next to Broken River in the foothills of the majestic Torlesse Range. A couple of families and Anna, Elliot and I embarked on a journey to take…
Mt Bruce in Arthur’s Pass
Mt Bruce is a moderate day trip in Arthur’s Pass, perfect for those looking to progress beyond marked tracks into more adventurous – yet still relatively safe and straightforward – terrain. The “traditional” route to…
Rapid Creek hut to Explorer hut via Miserable Ridge and out via Murray Saddle
Daniel planned a pretty good base-camp track-cutting adventure to Rapid Creek. After initial excitement and many sign-outs, four of us left Christchurch on a chilly autumn morning and headed to the West Coast, aiming for…
Raglan Range: from Lost Stream Bivvy to Mid Silverstream hut
Day 1 After the weather put a pin in our West Coast adventure, we had a few passionate discussions before settling on Plan E (or Z? I’m not sure anymore): the Raglan Range / Leatham…
Mt Philistine – the easy way
In 2022, I climbed Mt Philistine for the first time. We took the route that goes directly through Warnocks Bluff, a well-trodden and even vaguely marked path heading straight up through the bluffs. This section…
Lower Arahura Hut – Newton Range Biv – Styx River
The task was simple yet not easy: walk in to Lower Arahura Hut on 31st December, leave our backpacks there, cut a steep track from the hut to Newton Range until we ran out of…
Lewis Tops – ideal spot for camping
My son Elliot (3 years old) has been advancing in his tramping journey at lightning speed. I never imagined he’d become such a fit, outdoorsy kid at such a young age. That said, we do…
Pell Stream Hut track cutting mission 2024
I’ve been trying to organise a CTC group for a track-cutting mission to Pell Stream Hut for a while now. The weather finally lined up with a free weekend, so off I went with a…
Mt Williams via Williams Saddle (Arthur’s Pass National Park)
Mt Williams (1718 m) is an impressive-looking mountain perched on the southern lip of a range that boasts stunning peaks like Mt Oates (2041 m) and Mt Franklin (2145 m). Its eastern and southern ridges…