Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2023 i Walking New Zealand

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 is expected to bring real benefits to the tens of thousands of Kiwis who live, work, and travel through Lower Hutt every day, with…

Get on your bike and rediscover the joy of riding this February with the Aotearoa Bike Challenge. Returning for its seventh year, the month-long challenge encourages New Zealanders to make everyday trips with a bike. It's a great time to give cycling a go. Cycling has never been more accessible with the increase in cycleways around the country. Register your workplace or join as an individual for the chance to win great prizes and feel fitter and healthier. Correction There was an error in the headings of the article about a long walk around Waiheke Island. The correct spelling of the headings should have been Te Aka Hura.…

New Zealand Walk Martinborough, a village in the Wairarapa, well known for its wineries, mar ket days, wine festivals, the annual Round the Vines event is also a place with cute get-a-way weekend holiday cottages. For those on a short stay the Martinborough Lions promote the Ruamahanga Bridge Walk as one of three walks in the area. The start is about one kilometre from the Martinborough village on State Highway 53 where on the left is a yellow AA sign indicating there is a walkway. You know you are there, when you also see that this is a truck washing area. Just a few metres in from the road on the left are two arrows on a post pointing to the start of the walk. The day was in Autumn,…

Walkers who like to include (or ‘tick off’) a National Park when they head to the USA now have a new option – The New River Gorge, which earned the status just over two years ago. Ironically, despite it's name, New River is one of the oldest waterways in the world and it has carved out a dramatic chasm through the state of West Virginia. Clients can self drive to West Virginia in a few hours from Washington DC – those with a hankering for this sort of thing could take in the more familiar Shenandoah National Park in Virginia along the way. New River Gorge National Park and Reserve itself spans more than 70,000 acres (approx 28,000 hectares) along the river so there are plenty of stop off points…

New Zealand Walks The Kawaulsland Historic Reserve on Kawau Island, former home to Sir George Grey, who developed the stately Mansion House and its exotic gardens is a great place for interesting short walks, all classed as a walking track. The house, gardens and tracks on the reserve are open to the public. The track times mentioned below are indicative only. You should ensure you have plenty of time to complete your walk and catch the ferry back to the mainland. Ladys Bay Mansion House to Ladys Bay 10 minutes one way. A short stroll to a sandy beach, accessible mid to low tide only, once a swimming spot for ‘ladies only’. Follow the central path up Mansion House Valley and take the signposted track to Ladys Bay. Two House…

Cutting-edge technology is reducing the risk of a fire in one of Christchurch's most popular recreational spots – Bottle Lake Forest Park. Self-powered sensors have been installed in the park to help with early fire detection. Christchurch City Council and Spark New Zealand are trialling a new fire detection network that uses artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) technology to monitor conditions within the park, which is also a commercial forest, around-the-clock. With help from technology partner Attentis, they have installed a network of five self-powered sensors that deliver environmental monitoring, live micro-climate weather updates, air quality information, and visual and thermal imaging to assist in early fire detection. Thousands of people visit the park each year to get out in nature and enjoy the bike and walking tracks.…

People in Auckland will have the chance in March to experience crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge on foot or using bikes, scooters or wheelchairs. The free events will be held on Sunday 12, 19 and 26 March, with 20,000 tickets available for each of the days. Ticket holders will enjoy free public transport (bus or train) to and from the arrival areas on either side of the bridge. The events are being held during the public consultation phase of the Waitematā Harbour Connections project which is investigating future long-term active mode connections across the harbour.…

TRAINING Before you start walking, it is a very good idea to warm up first. Increasing the temperature in your muscles and joints and increasing blood flow will make you more comfortable when you exercise and reduce the risk of injury. Mark Fenton has developed a few easy warm-up moves that target the muscles you use most during walking. You can do them all in a standing position and the entire routine should take only three minutes. Ankle circles Standing on one foot, lift the other leg off the ground in front of you. Slowly flex that ankle through its full range of motion, making circles with the toes. Do six to eight circles then reverse the direction of your circle and do six to eight more. Switch feet and…

New Trails The Outdoor Access Commission is working with Ride Coromandel. who has developed some innovative projects recently, such as the Coromandel Township Mountain Bike Park. This park lives among the kauri forest in a way that supports and protects the forest horn kauri die-back. Ride Coromandel is part of the Coromandel Cycle Trails Collective, which hopes to expand the regional trail network to 400 km in the next ten years. The Outdoor Access Commission supports the collective's efforts to create that network. The collective wants to create new outdoor access at locations across Coromandel that link to existing tracks or public spaces. These new tracks will use many different types of public land in the area, including unformed legal roads and maybe some even private land. These new tracks…

EVENT The Echo Walking Festival is celebrating its 20th-anniversary milestone this year. The much-anticipated festival promotes outdoor walks and activities for all abilities. It's gone from strength to strength over the decades, as its offering has grown substantially with walks increasing three-fold since the festival's origins. The festival aims to encourage all New Zealanders to enjoy the beautiful outdoors, appreciate the attractions of our region, and keep fit and active. It celebrates the many walks from the northern Coromandel, right through to the Kaimai's, plus has expanded to include a scenic bike ride to the Owharoa Falls and a guided kayak tour to Whenuakura Island as well. With 32 guided tours scheduled between 1st – 16th April 2023, this is the biggest ECHO Walking Festival yet. The festival presents an…

Walk talk European self-guided walk operator, On Foot Holidays, has launched a new hiking route in the wine region of Galicia in north-west Spain. Hikers stay in historic inns and a former monastery and explore gorges, ancient citadels, medieval hamlets, and terraced vineyards established by monks in the Dark Ages. The new nine-night walking holiday in Spain brings to 35 the number of self-guided hikes UK-based On Foot Holidays offers in 11 countries across Europe. The Galicia walk is called Gorges of the Ribeira Sacra.…

Auckland Walks Rangitoto Island longer walks Lighthouse walk to McKenzie Bay Time: Two hours 30 minutes one way from Rangitoto Wharf; three hours 45 minutes one way to summit. This walk winds along the coast to McKenzie Bay, one of the two natural sand beaches on Rangitoto, and a good picnic and swimming spot. The road continues on to the summit for those who want a longer walk. Rangitoto Wharf to summit to Islington Bay Time: Two hours 30 minutes one way Take the Summit Track from Rangitoto Wharf and at the summit follow Summit Road down to Islington Bay. This is a good walk if you can arrange a ferry pick up at Islington Bay – make sure you check the ferry timetable first, as Islington Bay stops are seasonal.…

New Zealand Walk Bell Rock is an iconic lookout accessed reached via a medium intensity walk, with breathtaking views over Hawkes's Bay. This track features a variety of vegetation and seasonal bird activities. The track climbs through mixed beech and podocarp to a forest dominated by gnarled beech and mountain holly trees and panoramic views. The low canopy provides opportunities to view large numbers of tui, bellbird and kereru. Expansive views from the top of the range include Mahia Peninsula, Te Kooti's Lookout, and the Kaweka mountain range. Note, the latter part of the walk and lookout are very exposed and can be particularly windy. While the track is largely fine for children who are fit enough to walk the distance, please pay particular attention to them at the lookout…

New Zealand Walk For a short bush walk with a water view, the walk from State Highway 1 at Te Rangiita fills the bill. Te Rangiita is known by motorists where there is a sharp bend in the road before or after driving over the bridge, some 20kms south of Taupo. The ten minute flat walk starts on the northern side of the bridge and follows the river as it winds its way to enter Lake Taupo. Along the way you can get close to the river. The walk ends with views of Lake Taupo and often you will see fisherman on the opposite side of the river.…

New Zealand Walk The present New Brighton Pier in Christchurch was officially opened on 1 November 1997, on the site of the original New Brighton Pier which had been demolished more than 30 years previously and is great for a short walk over the ocean. It is the biggest ocean pier in Australasia. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the opening of the New Brighton Pier on 21 June 2007 the structure became a permanently lit icon of the city's coast. LED lights along the underside of the pier were switched on, bathing the pillars the length of the pier in a combination of red, green and blue lights. This effectively lights all the columns and the sides of the pier structure creating a dramatic display of colour which is…

Australian Walks Be dazzled by the transformation of the New South Wales Snowy Mountains — around five hours southwest of Sydney — into an adventure playground each spring and summer when the snowmelt reveals hidden trails and other pleasant surprises. Whether you're into hiking, horse riding or mountain biking, here's how to explore this picturesque alpine wonderland, and where to refuel on wine and comfort food afterwards Step into natural beauty Immerse yourself in spectacular alpine scenery while exploring the region on two feet. Choose from dozens of tracks where you can be wowed by waterfalls, learn about the region's history, or challenge yourself on a hike through Kosciuszko National Park. This is one of the largest national parks in the state, and is home to Australia's highest mountain, Mount…