Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 i Walking New Zealand

There is division in the Tuhoe iwi decision-making process around the demolition of 44 Te Urewera backcountry huts. Even Tuhoe kaumatua Paki Nikora, upset by the lack of consultation, joined the petition to stop the destruction of the huts and more gathered for public protest, reports Casey Costello from the Hobsons Pledge website. The Department of Conservation (DOC), however which owns the huts, has no objections. This work is expected to take around two months during October-November 2022. The Sandy Bay Hut and the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk huts are unaffected. New purpose-built structures will be constructed for the use of locals and visitors, but not all huts will be replaced and new facilities will reflect the Board's and Ngāi Tūhoe's vision for Te Urewera. Tamati Kruger, the Tuhoe chief…

Based in the Adelaide Hills, 20 minutes’ drive from Adelaide, Bike About offers single and multi-day cycling tours and bicycle hire in some of South Australia's most picturesque surroundings. Utilising easy-ride ebike options, clients can cycle through vineyards for exclusive wine tastings in the Adelaide Hills or Barossa. The all-ages family adventure is a way for clients to immerse themselves in native South Australian wildlife or go on safari. South Australian Tourism Commision (SATC) regional manager NZ, Stacey Kerr experienced a Bike About cycling tour on a recent trip to Adelaide. ‘We followed Bike About's exclusive trails and tracks through vineyards and stunning Australian countryside in the Adelaide Hills. We were lucky enough to see several kangaroos on the journey and enjoyed wine tastings at local cellar doors along the…

My Favourite Walk Take a day walk across the northern slopes of Mt Taranaki, through spectacular native bush, alpine wetlands and goblin forest. The Pouakai Track had been on my bucket list for many months and I finally got the courage to attempt what I had been advised was not for the faint-hearted due to the continuous and steep uphill climb to reach the top to view the famous Tarn that is the subject of many beautiful magical photos of Mt Taranaki reflected in it's pool. I started out early on a Sunday morning at 8.30am as I am lucky enough to live only about 30 minutes from the parking area at the start of the walk. It was a fine sunny day and my hopes were to reach the…

New Zealand Walks Ohiwa Harbour, in the Bay of Plenty, is an ancestral taonga of significance to many Maori groups - Ngati Awa, Upokorehe, Whakatohea, and Tuhoe. For many years it was known as a food basket, with plentiful fish to be caught and shellfish to be gathered. During the 1870's a hotel, post office,school, wharf and some houses were built on the end of the sand spit, and a ferry service took people over to Ohope; but by 1915, the sea began to wash all this away. In the 1960's more sections were offered for sale, but once again the sea moved in, and in 1978, 56 metres was carved from the foreshore, leaving only a few houses remaining. It is now a bird watching ‘mecca’, some birds flying…

Auckland Walk For a delightful day of walking, check out Fullers ferry timetable to Rotoroa Island in the Hauraki Gulf. The boat leaves downtown Auckland from Pier 13 at 8.40am, returning about 5.00pm. Rotoroa Island, covering an area of 82 hectares, was formerly a drug and Alcohol re-hab centre run by the Salvation Army. In 2009 the Rotoroa Island Trust was established to purchase a lease to administer the island. Since then, accommodation and farm buildings have been demolished, many traps set, to make this a predator free zone; and 400,000 native trees planted, to create an island reserve and bird sanctuary. Many different varieties of birds have been released, including kiwi, and only a limited number of visitors are permitted each day. It is possible to stay in a…

High Achiever I've given up long walks. In fact, I've pretty much given up most walks. Up till two months ago, I was doing my usual 40-minute strides up the hill from New Plymouth's CBD to home, through Pukekura Park's tall green-grey avenues of kauri. Then my right knee began to hurt. I kept walking, through the park or on my other daily circuits, which may not have been wise of me. After a week, I was limping. Another week, and I was hobbling around the house, wincing and gasping as pain stabbed. Suddenly, I was semi-crippled. A doctor's appointment, an X-Ray, a diagnosis. Osteoarthritis: cartilage worn away, bone starting to scrape on bone. The knee is stuffed. A replacement seems inevitable, which means either seven months on a waiting…

New Zealand Walk The Waiopehu Scenic Reserve is a quiet and peaceful spot set on 22.5 acres sits under Kohitere Forest and is just five minutes drive from central Levin in the Horowhenua. The area has picnic tables, a meandering stream and a number of native bush walks suitable for all ages. The remnant native podocarp forest has some large old rimu trees. This land was proclaimed as a scenic reserve in 191315 after previously being set aside as a waterworks reserve. In earlier times, this land was a refuge for the Muaupoko tribe with the Koputaroa Stream providing water and an abundance of eel and kakahi shellfish. There is a bridge and viewing platform across the stream about half way through the walk where you may spot some native…

Walk talk RiverLink, a transformational set of projects for Lower Hutt, is one step closer to reality with the green light given to release a Request for Proposal (RFP) to establish an Alliance of design and construction firms to deliver the programme. RiverLink is jointly funded by the Government through the NZ Upgrade Programme, Greater Wellington and Hutt City Council. Emma Speight, NZTA Director of Regional Relationships for Wellington/Top of South, says RiverLink is a critical set of projects for Lower Hutt and represents more than five years’ worth of extensive consultation, engagement and consenting work by project partners on behalf of their local communities. “RiverLink will bring real benefits to the tens of thousands of Kiwis who live, work, and travel through Lower Hutt every day, with safer and…

Overseas Walk As part of a 30-day Overland trip in six countries in Southern Africa in 2017, our group had a day walking with rhino's in the Matobo National Park located in the Matobo Hills. Andy from Black Rhino Safaris collected us from our accommodation on the outskirts of Bulawayo in one very temperamental jeep. Andy was a big guy dressed in sandals, shorts, and green shirt, who called a spade a spade. We had been told to wear neutral colours, as we would be getting very close to the rhinos. We also had to turn off our GPS tracking on our mobiles. We clambered into the jeep which had trouble starting and we were treated to some colourful vocabulary that could have come straight from my favourite old film,…

New Product The new Garmin inReach Messenger provides satellite communication as a standalone device or when paired with your smartphone, and has a few other neat features that look promising for anyone hiking away from cellular coverage in the great outdoors. The latest communication device in Garmin's inReach lineup is the new Garmin inReach Messenger and Messenger app. The inReach Messenger is a satellite communication device that provides global two-way texting, location sharing, and SOS capabilities. It can be used alone or paired with their new Garmin Messenger companion app for smart phones, making messaging loved ones or getting help even easier. The app will automatically choose between Wi-Fi, cellular, or satellite connectivity to ensure every message is sent and received. Considering the size of the device, it's impressive that…