I live in the heart of a busy, sprawling metropolis: Auckland, the commercial powerhouse of New Zealand. I live here because this is where I work, the high-paced throb of the city beats in tune with my heart. It’s busy, people work fast, they live fast, move fast. It’s no New York, but rates consistently as the 5th top city in the world for quality of life. What does any of this have to do with tramping?
One of the common “mistakes” many trampers do is that they don’t leave entries in ALL the huts they pass on their route. It means that even if you don’t stay in the hut overnight, you still should leave entry saying that you have been there. This way if something happens to you and you need rescue, searchers will get to you much more quickly and easily. It is also would be a good idea, especially if you tramp on your own, to carry a personal locator beacon. And, of course, always check the latest weather forecast and track conditions at the nearest DOC office before going.
I got the urge to write this post while I was reading the news about an Auckland man who got trapped in floodwaters along the Ngaruroro River in Hawke’s Bay. This man had to spend six days (!) waiting for rescue. The searchers checked books in 4 DOC huts along the Ngaruroro river and didn’t find any entry from this man. They said that it would be much faster and easier to find him if he would leave entries in ALL huts along his path. The thing that really helped this Auckland man was the fact that he had left his travel details with a friend and his employer, and when he didn’t return from his planned 9-day trip, his friend called the police.
Almost anyone who is interested in hiking in general and in tramping in New Zealand in particular, knows that there are many great walking tracks there. They range from easy twenty minute walks to long and demanding multi-day hikes in absolute wilderness. But what much less people know is that there is a trust exist with a very important purpose - to design and build trail which will continuously follow the whole length of New Zealand. Please meet Te Araroa trust. Some of the acheivements of Te Araroa trust are building a 22km trail between Waitangi and Kerikeri, 18km route from Meremere to Rangiriri along the Waikato River, 8 km track across Mt Tamahunga, and much more. In fact they work on new sections all the time, and you can follow their progres on the news page of Te Araroa’s site here. One of interesting facts about Te Araroa trail is that it passes through Shania Twain’s property. Shania (for those who doesn’t know is popular Canadian country singer) gladly cooperated with the trust and even donated funds for building two huts and track construction.
If you would like to help Te Araroa by donations, volunteering or any other way, please visit their website at www.teararoa.org.nz
About 275 kilometers (170.88 miles) of walking tracks cover the top northern half of the island with few tracks in the lower southern part. There are several easy walks within Oban Township varying between ten to twenty minutes. These walks include popular Observation Rock where you can watch the sunset in the evening and enjoy the views of Paterson Inlet. On Fuchsia and Raroa walks you will see native fuchsia trees and may encounter native birds. Other walks around Oban include Ackers Point Track and Golden Bay Track, which offer nice coastal views. Another place of interest would be Motorau Moana Native Garden where you can enjoy a picnic amongst the birds and native flora.Longer walks include Horseshoe Bay Track and Maori Beach offering coastal views and native forest.The Rakiura Track is one of nine New Zealand’s Great Walks. It is a moderate three-day, 36km hike through native forest along coastal areas and sites of historical significance.
For those who seek a little bit more adventurous hikes - The North West Circuit would do just fine. It is a 10 to 12 days hike for experienced and well–equipped trampers. It covers 125 kilometers (77.67 miles) but is very demanding due to the often wet and muddy sections of the track for which Stewart Island is famous. While on this track you may wish to take a few side trips to Mount Anglem and Rocky Mountain, which provide exceptional views across the whole Island. The North West Circuit is especially desired by solitude seeking hikers as you probably won’t meet much people there. The Circuit offers dramatic coastline and stunning beaches and an opportunity to see more of the Island’s wildlife and flora. Huts are spaced at intervals suited to an average day’s tramp which is about six to seven hours of walking.
The Southern Circuit walk is even more of a wilderness experience. It takes between six and nine days to walk, and is about 105 kilometers (65.24 miles) long. This track is only suitable for experienced and well equipped trampers. Side trips to Mount Rakeahua and Rocky Mountain are recommended for the great views they provide.
Stewart Island walking tracks are open all year round but remember that the weather is unpredictable and take it into consideration when planning your hikes.
There are many tramping clubs in New Zealand. One of their main purposes is to promote people’s participation in tramping and other outdoor activities. So in those clubs people who like the outdoors gather together and participate in different outdoor activities. But this is not the only thing that tramping clubs in New Zealand do. They also care greatly about New Zealand’s environment. They donate funds for maintaining tramping tracks and backcountry huts, and they may even donate enough funds to build a new hut. People who are members in tramping clubs of New Zealand improve their outdoor skills and their awareness of the different aspects of tramping and caring for the environment.
Tramping clubs in New Zealand usually have a written rules by which the club is conducted. Those rules are written in a very official language and from the first glance you may think that this is some “frightening” government organization. But in fact they are very friendly and fun. Every tramping club in New Zealand has it’s colors and badge.
Here are some of the many tramping clubs of New Zealand:
Auckland Catholic Tramping Club
North Shore Tramping Club
West Auckland District Tramping Club
Waikato Tramping Club
Wellington Tramping & Mountaineering Club
Tararua Tramping Club
Avon Tramping Club
Christchurch Tramping Club
Waimea Tramping Club
Otago Tramping & Mountaineering Club
