Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2022 i Walking New Zealand

Walk talk Wellington and Auckland were among the 90 cities for cycling on the Global Bicycle Index, ranking at 30 and 49. This year's Global Bicycle Index ranked 90 cities worldwide to see which are the friendliest for cyclists. The index scored the cities based on the percentage of bicycle users, crime, and safety, infrastructure, weather conditions, bike-sharing opportunities, and cycling-related events. Cities in Europe topped the list of bike-friendly places thanks to high-quality bicycling infrastructure like bike lanes and weather conditions that include a high number of “cycleable” days. No. 1 most bike-friendly city in the world: Utrecht, Netherlands…

Auckland Walk Tucked away near Mangere, Auckland, you'll find one of New Zealand's best day walks. This sliver of south Auckland coastline has been beautified and upgraded and really is one of a kind. Indeed, where else can you find friendly farm animals, nesting seabird colonies, volcanic cones and stunning water views on one sevenkilometre stretch of inner harbour coastline? Begin at Ambury Regional Park where there's plenty of parking, toilets and farm animals to greet. Walk or pedal around the Manukau Foreshore to the Otuataua Stonefields on gravel tracks and boardwalks that are relatively flat. The walkway is great for cyclists as well as walkers and is also accessible for prams. Pack a picnic to enjoy at one of the white-shell beaches along the way. There's lots of birdlife…

Overseas Walk One of Mt Gambier's top tourist attractions is a walk through a park, down and around a hole in the ground, called a sinkhole. The Umpherston Sinkhole, also known as the Sunken Garden, in South Australia is to experience one of the most stunningly beautiful marriages of man and nature. The sinkhole is no ordinary hole in the ground. It is a natural wonder in its own right, forged from millennia of acidic ground-water eroding the porous Gambier limestone. This was once a cave formed through dissolution of the limestone. The sinkhole was created when the top of the chamber collapsed downwards. Now the topsoil down on the floor of the cave forms the perfect environ-ment for the sunken garden. An Australian icon of the most bazaar type,…

My Favourite Walk Hogs Back Track in the Craigieburn Forest at Castle Hill Village was on our tramping programme for mid winter. The weeks previously had been very wet in Christchurch with a lot of snow on the mountains, so we were watching the weather forecast very closely and our leader made the decision that everything looked good for us to go and so we made the 100km plus drive to Castle Hill Village to do the tramp. When we arrived at the carpark the ground was frozen solid but the sun was shining with blue sky and a little cloud and no wind at all, it was going to be perfect weather. We organised ourselves and headed on our way. We thought there could possibly be some snow on…

New Zealand Walk The Manawatu Estuary at Foxton Beach is a well known birding place recognised for the large variety of birds which can be easily seen – 93 species have been identified there. It is the largest estuary on the West Coast of the southern part of the North Island, about 250 ha in all, comprising sand banks and a large area of salt marsh which is fairly inaccessible. For that reason it is home to rare birds and a good breeding place for native fish. The estuary is a feeding ground for a flock of godwits and knots from Alaska and Siberia, and every year a Welcome and Farewell to the Birds is held to give the public a close-up view of the different migratory species. These events…

Te Kuri Farm Walkway is located on a private farm on the northern outskirts of Gisborne. The walkway has a well-defined track that is suitable for people with average physical fitness. It is a two to three hour loop that can be walked in either direction. The walkway initially passes through areas of flat farmland before steadily climbing 230 metres to a lookout point (Town Hill, 290 metres). There is a steady climb up to this lookout, and the view it gives of the Poverty Bay flats is well worth the effort. A special feature of the walk is the panoramic views which can be seen from various points along the route. There is one notable area of remnant, semi-coastal forest of a type once common on the foothills of…

Does your bike need a bit of a spruce up? Or do you fancy a cycle to the beach? How about seeing a documentary about a mother and cargo bikes? There's something for everyone in the more than 50 events planned for this year's Biketober celebrations in Christchurch. The month-long festival of cycling is back from Saturday 1 October for its sixth year with a calendar full of locally-run events. “Biketober has a huge range of events on for everyone who rides a bike for whatever reason, whether it be recreational or commuting,” Transport Operations Manager Stephen Wright says. “It's also a great chance to explore the city's cycleways.” The Bike Rave is also back for its fourth year. A bike DJ will pump music along the route to create…

Murray River Trails (MRT) has a new tour linking the Murray River in South Australia from the Riverland to the Coorong and Murray Mouth. Safari to River's End is a five-day four-night tour that enables guests to experience two contrasting river landscapes in absolute luxury, from the redgum and red cliff lined Murray River to the spectacular white sands and dunes of the Coorong and the Murray Mouth. Safari to River's End links the aboriginal cultures of Erawirung Country at Renmark down through the lands of the Ngangaruku people near Mannum and into the Ngarrindjeri Nation at the river's end at Goolwa, where aboriginal elders share stories with guests on the journey. The new tour also links two wetlands of international importance – the Riverland Ramsar wetland and the Coorong…

New Zealand Walks It is a little-known fact that although the Waikato is the longest river in New Zealand (425 km), and the Clutha is the largest (mean annual discharge 650 cubic metres per second), it is the Buller River which has a greater flood torrent than any other river in the country, along with the third-highest biomass of trout. It was named by intrepid explorers Brunner, Fox and Heaphy after Charles Buller MP, associate of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, and a director of the New Zealand Company. The Maori name is Kawatiri (“deep and swift”). The Buller is the major river of the west coast of the South Island, its main stream emerging from Lake Rotoiti then flowing in an irregular but generally westward direction to enter the Tasman Sea…

Having walked most of the trails around Queenstown over the years, this year we had fun biking around the mountains from Walter Peak Station. To reach Walter peak, we had to travel across Lake Wakatipu from the Steamer Wharf in Queenstown. We had a choice of the Earnslaw at midday or the water taxi at 9am, and chose the earlier boat to give us more time to explore the trail to Mavora lakes. Walter Peak, a high country sheep station on the southern shore of Lake Wakatipu, was originally settled in 1860. The trail between here and St Nicolas station was stunning, snow capped mountains all the way. This is the only way to enjoy such scenery. It's too far to walk, and driving is far too fast to enjoy…

Auckland Walk South Auckland communities celebrated the opening of Ngā Hau Mangere last month, the new walking and cycling connection across the Manukau Harbour. The new bridge, built by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, replaces the Old Mangere Bridge connecting Mangere Bridge and Onehunga which was closed for safety reasons in 2018. It was officially opened by Auckland Mayor Phil Goff and Minister of Transport Michael Wood with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday 27 August. The old bridge had been standing since 1915 and was the main route for people on foot and bikes to cross the harbour in this location. “The new bridge is architecturally designed and will not only provide a way for people to cross the harbour on foot or by bike but will also become…

Visitors to Mount Taranaki are being urged to obey the rules and leave their family pets at home, after DOC staff observed jacket-wearing domestic cats being taken into Egmont National Park. DOC Senior Ranger Dave Rogers says one of DOC's staff did a double-take when she encountered pet cats wearing jackets and being carried in backpacks by their human owners on Mount Taranaki. Cats and all other domestic animals are not allowed in the National Park as they pose a threat to endangered birds such as kiwi and whio, and other native species including geckos and insects. The cats were in the carpark at North Egmont and were being put into the backpacks by their owners when approached by the ranger. The owners, visitors from Auckland, said they weren't aware…

Auckland Walk Onepoto Domain is a huge domain at the base of Onewa Road, alongside the Northern Motorway in Auckland. The crater shaped domain was formed by an eruption 20,000 to 30,000 years ago. The domain is perfect for a variety of sports activities for all ages, and can host large numbers of visitors. The wide paths and boardwalks throughout the park are good for walking, push chairs and wheelchairs. There are two small freshwater lakes within the domain so keep an eye on small children! A playground, toilets and changing rooms, seating and picnic tables, large car park (including mobility parks), drinking fountains, bike stands, and barbecues are inside the park. The main entrance to Onepoto Domain is from Sylvan Avenue into a cul-de-sac spur road. There is foot…

New Zealand Walks Stunning geological formations, food & wine, and working farms are some of the walks on offer for November's Wairarapa Walking Festival. The Wairarapa is well-known for its diverse history and landscapes, and the festival aims to highlight its best features through walking, storytelling, and exploring. Festival convener Celia Wade-Brown says, “We're excited to showcase some of the Wairarapa's best known walks, as well as some hidden gems that aren't normally open to the public.” The festival runs from the 11th – 20th November, and is the first Wairarapa-wide walking festival of its kind. Festival-goers can choose from over 40 walks which feature local flora and fauna, rich cultural history, farmland, coastlines, and the food/wine industry. Thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers the majority of walks are…

Cycling Auckland For some cyclists, the thought of sharing the road with motorised vehicles is enough to put them off the idea altogether. But in Auckland, there are a number of ways for traffic-averse cyclists to build their confidence thanks to the city's bike-friendly infrastructure. Kick up the stand They say you never forget how to ride a bike, but if you need a refresher before heading out again, Auckland Transport offers a range of bike (and e-Bike) skills courses for adults and children. If you just want to know the basics, or if you want some help figuring out how to safely navigate Auckland's increasing number of separated cycleways, cycle lanes and shared paths, there are a range of courses available. These courses start out on flat concrete, before…

New Zealand Walk “The ‘jewel in the crown’ for Timaru is definitely Caroline Bay and it's easy to see why. It's a great open space with the beach, parkland, boardwalks, picnic spots, skatepark, a Christmas carnival in summer, an aviary and plenty of events throughout the year, a playground and a great place to walk. The Caroline Bay Walk is one such walk that is an easy 30 minute walk and for those with moderate fitness there is the Benvenue Cliffs that adds an extra 15 minutes to the walk. A feature of this walk is the panoramic views of Caroline Bay, Dashing Rocks and mountains from Piazza. The walk starts at the bottom of the Piazza steps. The Trevor Griffiths Rose garden is opposite and is well worth a…

Need 2 Know When Queen Elizabeth died, many people asked how our daily life would change. A writer on Stuff noted that Queen's Counsel would need to become King's Counsel, coins with pictures of the Queen would slowly be replaced and passports would bear the name of the new King. But one thing that won't change is the Queen's Chain. That's because, legally, it doesn't exist. The term Queen's Chain stems from a myth that among Queen Victoria's instructions to New Zealand Governor William Hobson in 1840 were orders to reserve such strips around the whole coast, lakes and rivers. The Queen's Chain is a shorthand term for public access that exists alongside waterways and the coast. However, not all rivers and lakes, and not all the coast is bordered…