Whatipu is a remote beach located on the west coast of the Auckland Region. The whole area is a scientific reserve owned by the Department of Conservation. Personally I don’t know what scientific activities are being done there, but what I do know that it is a very beautiful place.

A magnificent area of coastal dunes and wetlands, and also the breeding ground for some of New Zealand’s endangered species, so the dogs are not permitted at Whatipu.

Gibbons Track. Photo by Greg Brave.

The beach is great and demands a swim, but Whatipu has no surf patrol, and as with all the beaches west of Auckland, swimming is not safe due to rips. But walking along them is highly recommended – one of the famous features of the area is the volcanic black sand

Walking Tracks at Whatipu

There are also some walking tracks in the area. For example Whatipu-Gibbons track. It begins at the car park at Whatipu and leads up the hill to the right of the parking. The track follows the top of the cliffs to the Pararaha Valley where it descends to the beach at Pararaha point. It then follows the beach back to Whatipu. There is a swamp near the beach, but don’t try to take shortcuts through it!
I tried but eventually got stuck and had to return to the beach and continue along the coastline.

Flower at Gibbons track. Photo by Greg Brave. Click on the photo for larger preview

Place to stay

If you want to spend the night at Whatipu you can stay at Whatipu Lodge, which is nested against the steep hills at the back of the beach flats. This “lodge” is really a collection of old buildings, the oldest being the Gibbons homestead, built in 1867 by mill manager Nicholas Gibbons, with its characteristic steep-pitched roof. There is also a camping ground available at Whatipu Lodge.

Getting there
Take the North-Western Motorway to the Great North Rd Exit. Follow Great North Rd onto Ash St which leads onto Rata St. Take Titirangi Rd right through Titirangi Village to the roundabout, take Huia Rd through to Huia. Continue on to Whatipu Rd for access to Whatipu at end of Whatipu Rd. From Auckland it is a 40 minutes drive.

Photo by Daniel Kelpe

The Coromandel Town itself is a small and clean town. It is located on the Coromandel Peninsula about three hours drive from Auckland, Hamilton or Tauranga. If you don’t like driving you can catch a ferry from Auckland via Waiheke Island to the town. Though Coromandel Town is a small place there are many things to do there – golf, gardens, museum, train, boating. You can even get a bus tour… though I am not really sure that it is essential for such a small town. Of course there are also shops cafes, bars, and restaurants which can suite any taste, the local specialty being freshly caught seafood.

The original “olde worlde” colonial buildings create a special local character of the town. The Driving Creek Railway runs (daily) a narrow gauge passenger train which winds up the hillside through tunnels and over bridges to the “Eyefull Tower” for great views of the area.

Photo by PhillipC

Originally Driving Creek was a potter’s community and the train was used to bring in raw materials. Nowadays the railway station complex is still a working pottery with glass blowing and an art shop – aimed for the tourists of course.

Coromandel town also hosts several annual festivals, which include the Coro Do, late in October with art and entertainments. Another festival is Keltic Fair, a large one day event with over 300 stalls, food, music and all day entertainment.

Photo by Robertpaulyoung

All in all this is a nice small town, which in my opinion is worth stopping by if you are visiting the Coromandel Peninsula, and don’t forget to visit the Waiau Waterworks, which is located nearby on the 309 road. About the Waiau Waterworks I’ll write in another article, and for now – Have A Nice Day!

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1. AJ Hackett Bungy (http://www.bungy.co.nz)

With AJ Hackett Bungy you can choose from several bungy locations:

The Nevis Bungy

You jump from height of 134 meters above the Nevis river. In order to get there, operator gets you on 4×4 wheel drive for about 35 minutes, then you get on a shuttle which crosses the Nevis river   canyon to the bungy pod.

Kawarau Bridge Bungy

Here you jump from the bridge located 43 meters above the Kawarau river. You can choose to bob above the water, touch it, or be fully immersed. You can also choose how to jump topple over backwards, forwards, with another person, spin or somersault.

The Ledge Bungy

As they say, the only “urban bungy” in Queenstown. You jump from 400 meters above Queenstown. You can also do it at night and enjoy the night view of Queenstown lights. You reach the bungy platform via the Skyline Gondola.

2. Auckland Harbor Bridge Bungy Jump

This is a 40 meter Bungy Jump from the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

3. Taupo Bungy (http://www.taupobungy.co.nz/)

47 meters high jump above the Waikato river. You can jump solo or in tandem, and you can also choose whether to touch the water or not.

4. Skyjump (http://www.skyjump.co.nz/)

The highest jump in New Zealand. You jump from the Auckland’s SkyTower from height of 192 meters. But this is not the REAL bungy ! You jump facing down attached to a wire. The descent takes about 12 seconds falling at around 85 kilometers per hour.

5. Agroventures – Rotorua Bungy (http://www.agroventures.co.nz/)

You jump from 43 meters high purpose built tower. From above you can see the Lake Rotorua, Mokoia Island and far below the Ngongotaha Stream. Single and tandem jumps are available.

6. Thirllseekers Canyon (http://www.thrillseekerscanyon.co.nz/)

Here you jump from Waiau Ferry Bridge overlooking the Waiau Gorge. The height of the jump is 35 meters.

7. Mokai Gravity Canyon (http://www.gravitycanyon.co.nz/)

This canyon is located 20 minutes southeast of Taihape in the Rangitikei region. This jump is 80 meters high.

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2.Canoeing, Kayaking, and Rafting
New Zealand has many beautiful rivers with strong currents perfect for Rafting and similar water activities. There are lots of operators who will gladly take you on adrenaline pumping rafting trip through the world’s most beautiful scenery.

3.Bungy Jumping
The world’s first commercial bungy site was created by two Kiwis, Henry Van Asch and AJ. Hackett in Queenstown, located on the South Island of New Zealand. Half hour’s drive from Queenstown you reach the Kawarau suspension bridge along the SH6 highway, from which you can bunjy-jump a 43 meters drop to the water. Another popular bunjy location is the Skippers Canyon Bridge, standing 71 meters above a narrow gorge of the Shotover River. A much more extreme bunjy jump is the heli-bunjy, in which you reach heights of about 300 meters in a helicopter and jump right out of it!
Of course you can bungy jump in places other than Queenstown. For example there is a Thrillseekers Canyon at Hanmer Springs, or a Taupo Bungy over the Waikato River. You can also bungy jump off the Skytower in Auckland.

4.Caving
There are lots of caving opportunities in New Zealand, which has large areas of karst limestone landscape. Waitomo caves are pretty much the most popular caves in NZ, while Waitomo caving club is the largest in the country. There are also Takaka caving systems in the Nelson area, which are among the deepest and longest in the world. In Waitomo there are many high “Rambo Rating” excursions into the caves involving tight rock squeezes, passageway crawls, difficult cavern traverses, rock chute slides, and waterfall abseils, which will give you the adrenaline rush of your life!

5.Sky Diving/Parachuting
In sky diving you usually free fall for about 45 seconds and reach speed of about 180 kph! How is that for extreme activity? Add to this New Zealand’s scenery and you get a perfect experience. Usually you will get a choice of a solo or tandem skydive from a height of 9000, 12000 or 15000 feet, but for solo you will be required to take a training course. There are many skydiving locations both in the North and South islands, such as Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown, and Christchurch.

6.Cycle Sports
The beautiful New Zealand’s scenery makes for great cycling. You can either cycle solo or you can join a guided group cycling tour. During my New Zealand’s travels I constantly meet many tourists who choose to travel through New Zealand on a road bike. But remember that you have to be in a very good physical condition since New Zealand’s landscape is far from being flat.

7. Horse Trekking/Riding
International League for the Protection of Horses releases a brochure titled “Where to Ride in New Zealand”, which you can find in any i-Site. But in general I can tell you that you can find a horse riding activity almost anywhere in NZ. Horse treks can be any duration – from about an hour to multi-day camping trips.

View from the Summit Station – Lyttelton Harbour

Nature Walkways at the Christchurch Gondola summit station

Port Hills Walk
A moderate 2.5 hours walk along the Crater Rim Walkway, admiring the great views of the Christchurch city, Lyttelton Harbour and Southern Alps.

Pioneer Women’s Memorial walk
A 50 minutes return walk . The Pioneer Women’s Memorial is built at the intersection of the Summit Road and Bridle Path commemorating the early pioneer families. There are also two memorial plaques. I won’t describe them – come and see for yourself.

Bridle Path
This is a one-hour walk from the Gondola Summit station to the Base Station. It is a steep (but easy) track. It was built back in 1850 in order to assist the early European settlers travelling from Lyttelton to Christchurch.

Cavendish Bluff Lookout
This is a short (30 minutes return) walk from Gondola Summit Station to the lookout. But it is well worth the effort (which is not hard at all). The lookout offers very beautiful view of the Lyttelton Harbor, and it is also a great picnic place.

View from the Summit Station – Christchurch

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1. Contact Grand Procession which will be held on 27th of September after the track parade. Their chosen Blossom Festival Princes will lead the Procession and she will be accompanied by pipe and brass bands, horses, marching teams, classic cars and motorcycles and, of course, street entertainers.

2. Hirequip Saturday in the Park will take place at the same date after the Grand Procession at the Pioneer Park, which is the central recreation reserve in Alexandra. Some of the included activities will be Fairground Carnival, Children’s Stage entertainers, Performers and amusements, food and beverage are, interactive games, rock climbing, bungy, etc.

3. Contact Party in the Park. At the night of the same date (Saturday, 27th of September) Contact Party will celebrate the New Zealand music featuring some of the best musicians available, in a Grand Marquee for up to 2000 people.

4. The Spring Garden Tour The tour will be showcasing best gardens in and around Alexandra. It will be held on Sunday 28 and Monday 29 of September. This tour has gained great popularity through the many years of the festival.

5. WoolOn Creative Fashion Event. It is a 2.5 hours gala show of interesting fashion. It will be held on Saturday, 4 October in Grand Marquee, Pioneer Park. It will be the closing Major event of the Festival. The uniqueness of this show is that it focuses on wool being the primary New Zealand’s products. Central Otago’s premium Merino wools will be turned into fine artistic and wearable garments.

Many WWOOFing opportunities are found on small farms and holdings but there are also other interesting options. Remember that there is no money involved in the whole process. It means that you as a WWOOFer offer your energy and time for helping on the farm, and your host will provide food and accommodation in exchange. But of course there is much more than that, since usually the hosts are very friendly and nice people who will tell many interesting information about the country and anything else that you’d like to know. You will discuss the length of your stay and the nature of your work in each specific location with the host.

In my opinion it is a great way to travel, and really learn and experience new and exciting things.
For more information please visit – www.wwoof.co.nz

INTRODUCTION
It’s fun and rewarding to share outdoor experiences with young people, especially in New Zealand’s beautiful bush. The Department of Conservation (DOC) manages around one third of New Zealand’s land area and many young people will have their first wilderness experience in a national park or one of the many specially protected areas. Here we will offer practical advice on taking children (youngsters and teenagers) outdoors and a guide to help them and their adult companions get maximum enjoyment!

CATERING AND CLOTHES

• Keep them fed.
Young people need more frequent top-up snacks and drinks than adults do. A good guide is the ‘grizzle’ factor, if a child claims hunger before a planned stop, have a break and give them a snack to boost their energy. Muesli bars, chocolate and barley sugars are suggestions. A few surprise treats can help flagging spirits.

• Keep them watered.
Not all water is safe to drink. Make sure you take plenty of fluid and treat collected water by boiling or filtering.

• Keep them warm.
Wear bright clothing. Layers of clothing are best; we recommend wool, polypropylene or polar fleece, as cotton offers no warmth, especially when wet. Cotton socks absorb moisture and can cause blisters. Depending on where you’re going, make sure everyone has a sun hat, warm hat and mittens, wind and waterproof jacket and eye protection.

• Keep them comfortable.
Footwear needs to be comfortable and appropriate to the terrain. Sneakers don’t offer much ankle support or cushioning over rough ground, sturdy well-fitting boots are better.

COMMON SENSE AND SAFETY

• Keep them safe
Bush, forest and backcountry places can be risky. It’s impossible to fence off every steep drop-off, cliff, water hazard and river. Learning to manage these risks is part of being outdoors and getting wet feet may be part of the experience. Common sense is the key. Plan trips carefully, check weather reports and be flexible. Be prepared to turn back. Adult companions must be responsible for the young people with them.

• Keep them in sight.
Youngsters love to run ahead to make the first discovery, to hide and pounce on unsuspecting adults or arrive before anyone else. This is a heap of fun but if you don’t know what’s around the corner, it can be dangerous. Stay in a group; adults must always be able to see the children in their care, and tell the kids to keep an adult in sight. Small children do not comprehend the risks of a fall. Wherever there is the potential for children to fall (off a bridge, a track, into water) hold their hand or supervise them closely.

• Tell them what to do.
Make sure children know what to do if they get lost: tell them to stop, stay where they are and to make lots of noise or use a whistle to attract attention. It’s a good idea to look behind on the way to a destination because landmarks often look different on the return journey. Pick out unusual features to recognize on the way home. Show older children how to use a map and compass.

BACKPACKS AND BABIES

They don’t need to be overloaded but it’s a good idea to get children used to carrying a pack, even if it only contains a favorite toy and drink. Make sure the pack is comfortable and if they get tired, offer to take it for a while – it may prevent you having to carry them later.

• Keep checking.
If you’re carrying a baby or toddler in a backpack or pushing them in a buggy, make frequent checks to ensure their hands, feet and head remain warm – while you may feel warm, the child could be quite a lot colder. It is also important to make sure they are protected from the sun. Watch out too for low branches and other head-height hazards.

HOW FAR CAN WE GO?

Length of walk, terrain, temperature, individual fitness and health affect most people’s ability to last the distance.

• Keep it realistic.
Initially it may be a good idea to keep trips short to build up stamina and interest. If you’re feeling weary, it’s likely that a child will be even more tired. Make frequent stops and do fun activities along the way. Have realistic expectations and give plenty of praise for their accomplishments.

• Keep to the speed limit.
Travel to the speed of the slowest member of your group. Give fast walkers tasks to slow them down or put them at the back of the group. The only time when dawdling can be dangerous is if bad weather is approaching and you need to get to shelter.

• Keep them interested.
Boredom is another factor to consider with children; a quiet forest or stunning view may not appeal to an eight-year-old in the same way as it does to you! Remember that there’s plenty of time for discovery and if children don’t enjoy the outdoors in the beginning by pushing them you could put them off forever.

GOING TO THE TOILET

DOC provides basic toilet systems in many of the areas it manages, but if you’re caught short please go as far away as possible from any water and tracks. If necessary dig a shallow hole and bury waste. Take all disposable nappies and other rubbish home.

CARING FOR KIDS – WHOSE JOB?

When visiting the outdoors, parents and adult caregivers are responsible at all times for the welfare and safety of all children in their care.

• Facilities.
The Department is responsible for providing safe facilities and services such as huts, bridges and information, and makes every effort to maintain them to a very high standard. We welcome your comments: contact your local DOC office with feedback.

Access
There are two entrances to the Dusky Trail. One starting point is located on Aoraki/Mt Cook Road (SH 80), about 4 km from the SH 8 turn-off. There is a designated car parking area here.
The second entry point—and the closest to Twizel — is at Fraser Stream. Look out for the Department of Conservation sign for Dusky Trail beside Glen Lyon Road, on the western outskirts of Twizel.

Route Description
From the Fraser Stream entrance, travel along the marked trail through public conservation land beside Fraser Stream. At the Darts Bush/Fraser Stream junction, the trail continues on a public easement and steadily climbs through tussock country beneath the Ben Ohau Range. After crossing Fraser Stream, the trail traverses the lower flanks of The Black Hills and reaches a high point of 780 metres. The trail then descends a public easement past an old private mustering hut before crossing Twizel River. The trail gently descends bumpy flats alongside Twizel River, before climbing up to the Aoraki/Mt Cook Road car park.

Baikie Hut
This hut can be visited as a side trip from the main Dusky Trail. From the Twizel River crossing, it is 4 km to Baikie Hut (4 bunks), a great venue for picnicking or an overnight stay. This hut has been substantially renovated. The original hut was built during the 1920s as part of the Dusky run block. The trail derives its name from this connection.

Public easements
This trail has been formed as a result of Ben Ohau, Rhoborough and Pukaki Downs stations negotiating the tenure review process. Land has been secured for the public along the Ben Ohau Range on the western outskirts from Twizel. To be able to reach conservation land there are agreed easements (public right of way) through private farm land. Roughly half the Dusky Trail travels along easements.

Take care visiting natural areas
River crossing: This trail involves crossing several rivers, with a major crossing of the Twizel River. Do not attempt to cross if the river is swollen or discoloured.
Public easements: Keep to the public easement tracks and use the small pedestrian gates. Please close these gates after you.
Stock: Stock may be present on private farm land. Do not disturb animals.
Didymo: Please take all necessary pre-cautions before and after entering the rivers to avoid the spread of didymo. See www.biosecurity.govt.nz.
Fire: Fires restrictions apply to all public conservation land. Check with the Twizel Information Centre or DOC for the current fire status.
Dogs: Dogs are not permitted on Dusky Trail

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Terms & Conditions of use

A. We appreciate your custom and aim to provide an enjoyable and quality service.

B. We advise that all activities do carry a degree of risk and that by participating in the activity provided by the Operator you are expressly assuming those risks personally and are releasing the Operator and its officers and employees from any liability, claims, losses, damages or expenses caused by any event including, but not limited to:

- personal injury or death

- property loss or damage

- acts which may be construed as negligent or accidental

- any other loss, damage, suffering, emotional or nervous disorder

1. In participating in the activity, I, the passenger, agree to all conditions set out above and consent to the conditions in clauses 1(a) to 1(e) below and 2 to 6.

(a) I agree that my successors, executors, administrators and next of kin are bound by the terms and conditions.

(b) I agree not to commence any litigation or proceedings in any country in relation to the risks and perils set out in B above and to indemnify the Operator and/or its Agent against any such claims.

(c) I confirm that I am physically fit and suffer no medical conditions which may be aggravated by this activity.

(d) I consent to receive medical treatment in the case of injury, accident or illnes during the activity and to indemnify the Operator and/or its Agent against any claims in respect to this treatment.

(e) I agree that any films, sound, video or other recordings taken of or during the activity will not be used in any promotion or advertising without the prior consent of the Operator, however the Operator may use such recordings itself at its complete discretion without any prior approval.

2. This voucher is issued as Agent for the Operator providing the services and activities described, and is non-transferable.

3. The selling Agent and/or Operator accept no responsibility for any loss or additional expenses arising from changes, delays or cancellations of the services and activities by the Operator.

4. This voucher is based on fares and tariffs, which are, to the Agents knowledge, correct at the time of issue. Any increases since the date of issue are at the cost of the passenger payable to the Operator.

5. Cancellations – the Operator reserves the absolute right to cancel any service as a result of weather conditions, insufficient reservations or any other unforeseen event or circumstances.

6. Refunds – a full refund is entirely at the discretion of the Operator and/or its Agent. A minimum 10% penalty will apply. In general, no refund can be given for a cancellation received less than 4 hours from departure time.

_________

WOW ! To tell you the truth I was shocked when I first read these terms. It seems like the customer has absolutely no rights. The most scary is section B. It basically says there that even though Operator tells you what to do during the activity, and takes care of everything, YOU (the participant) are RESPONSIBLE for everything. Operator is not !!! How can it be ? I wonder whether these terms are even legal. Or look at section 1(d) – participant has to accept any medical treatment offered by Operator and doesn’t have the right to sue him afterwards if Operator messed up. Scary! Next – section 4. I understood from it that you may buy tickets for certain activity for certain price, but if price gets higher after you bought your ticket but before you actually participated in activity, you HAVE TO PAY THE DIFFERENCE ! I wonder why they didn’t reserve the right to call you long after you took the activity and charge you with more money. Section 5 is also looks suspicious to me but here I am not sure how to take it so I won’t comment on it. And section 6 says that no matter what happens you probably won’t get the full refund…

Well, maybe someone can explain me how people are agreeing to such terms ? Or maybe I misunderstood it completely ? Will be glad to know your opinions.