Posts Tagged ‘Hiking’

Hiking in New Zealand

New Zealand is a hikers (or “trampers”) paradise. The natural beauty and diversity is second to none and it’s a great way to experience the country rated top dream destination in the recent British Travel awards. From golden beaches and dramatic oceans to glaciers and forests the variety of flora, fauna and vista will satisfy every hikers appetite.

New Zealand holds an extensive 14 national parks, each with unique scenery and easy access to New Zealand’s natural, cultural and historic heritage.

Tramping is arguably the best way to experience and enjoy New Zealand’s natural wonders, and with 1000s of miles of tracks to choose from its also very accessible. Before undertaking any walks it’s always advised that you take time to ensure you understand the conditions and let others know of your intended route. The department of conservation (most usually referred to as DOC – www.doc.govt.nz ) do look after and maintain most aspects of major walks and are an excellent starting point for any questions relating to most major hikes.

There are a plethora of outstanding regional walks to be enjoyed in New Zealand but in recent times 9 have made it to the status of “great walks”, considered amongst the best in the World. A quick rundown on a few of the best is provided below:

SOUTH ISLAND

Routeburn Track – A 3 day walk of around 40km taking in the alpine scenery of Fiordland National Park and Mt Aspiring
Milford Track – A 4 day walk of just over 50km. This is one of the best known and celebrated walks with great diversity and views including glaciers, waterfalls and an alpine crossing.
Kepler Track – This is usually a 4 or 5 day tramp though shorter sections can be walked. It reaches a mountain summit with great lake, alpine and river scenery.
Other walks include Rakiura on Stuart island (3 day tramp), Heaphy track in Kahurangi National Park (4-5 days), Abel Tasman coastal track along beaches and bays (2-3 days) and many more you will discover. There re also many excellent hikes around Stweart Island – a wonderful wilderness area accessed by boat or helicopter from the foot of the south island.

NORTH ISLAND

Tongariro Crossing – Considered by many to be the finest one day walk in the World, it takes in stunning scenery over a distance of around 20km.

Other walks include Lake Waikaremoana through Te Urewera National Park (3-4 days), The Tongariro northern circuit (4 day tramp) and many more.

WHEN TO GO
The best weather is from November to April with warmer temperatures and less chance of rain. Most tracks are comfortably walked from October to May though the winter months do get cold and its certainly not an advisable time to attempt any of the Alpine tracks. If you are heading over in the winter there are a number of valley tramps that get little or no snow and it is possible to shorten some 3 or 4 day hikes to the first stop. If considering longer hikes around this time of year then ensure you have the necessary equipment, ice picks and crampons may be necessary and liaise carefully with the teams at DOC before setting off.

HOW TO ACCESS HIKES

Most hikes are easily accessible but the more popular treks d get busy in the peak seasons. If attendin any of the “great walks” (http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/great-walks/) then its advisable to book huts in advance. Many of the walks can be accessed through general public transport though using an operator or tour does have the added advantage of providing drop off and pick up facilities + sharing their local knowledge of tracks and conditions with you. There are a number of operators available and Flying Kiwi Adventure Tours (http://www.flyingkiwi.com) are highly recommended for their tours which were rated as best budget hiking operator in National Geographics best adventure travel companies on Earth.

WHAT TO PACK
It’s important to ensure you are equipped with all the appropriate food and equipment on any of the major hikes in New Zealand. Weather is subject to great fluctuation and it’s always advisable to be prepared. Always notify others of your plans and keep in contact where possible to update them on your progress.   The following are some general recommendations:

Clothing appropriate to the season. It’s always got to ensure you have enough warm clothes for your trip. Its useful to bear in mind that more layers means more warmth so it’s not necessarily about big, bulky items. Suggestions would include a pile/fleece jacket, waterproof jacket, lightweight fleece top/woolen jersey, couple of t-shirts, polypropylene top, waterproof seamed-sealed pants, shorts (can actually be better when raining), underwear, polypropylene bottoms, woollen socks, hat, gloves and a lightweight towel. Finally, a good pair of hiking boots can be a lifesaver, you may be crossing rivers and will often be traversing slippery surfaces so good boots are a great investment.

With regards to hiking equipment, the gear you take depends greatly on the length of hike and terrain but here are some general items that would be of use:
Sleeping bag (check the warmth rating to make sure you have something appropriate to the condition and season your hiking in, theres nothing worse than being cold all night!), cooking gear and fuel, plastic crockery, torch (ideally a headlight), pen knife, map, mossie repellent, camera, backpack liner, small first aid kit and occasionally mobile phone (but be prepared for lack of reception).

FOOD
A lot of this is down to personal taste but try not to get too carried away. After a long hike most things taste good and its more about convenience than fine dining. Here are some popular hiking fuels:

Muesli, chocolate, milk, powder, bread,, vegemite (the classic kiwi spread), packet pasta or noodles (though bear in mind they never quite feed as many as they say on the packet), pasta sauce, bacon or tuna, muesli bars, packet soup , glucose powder or similar energy drink mixer you can add to water. Also try and pack your food in sealed bags where possible to prolong its life on the trip.

SAFETY AND AWARENESS

Tramping is popular and subsequently very accessible but there are a number of guidelines to be aware of. There is an environmental care code which provides guidelines on hiking in New Zealand and will be made available to you at the start of most major hikes. You can find out more information at:

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/plan-and-prepare/care-codes/nz-environmental-care-code/

The main 10 point checklist is:

Protect Plants and Animals
Treat New Zealand’s forest and birds with care and respect. They are unique and often rare.

Remove Rubbish
Litter is unattractive, harmful to wildlife and can increase vermin and disease. Plan your visits to reduce rubbish, and carry out what you carry in.

Bury Toilet Waste
In areas without toilet facilities, bury your toilet waste in a shallow hole well away from waterways, tracks, campsites and huts.

Keep Streams and Lakes Clean
When cleaning and washing, take the water and wash well away from the water source. Because soaps and detergents are harmful to water-life, drain used water into the soil to allow it to be filtered. If you suspect the water may be contaminated, either boil it for at least 3 minutes, or filter it, or chemically treat it.

Take Care With Fires
Portable fuel stoves are less harmful to the environment and are more efficient than fires. If you do use a fire, keep it small, use only dead wood and make sure it is out by dousing it with water and checking the ashes before leaving.

Camp Carefully
When camping, leave no trace of your visit.

Keep to the Track
By keeping to the track, where one exists, you lessen the chance of damaging fragile plants.

Consider Others
People visit the backcountry and rural areas for many reasons. Be considerate of other visitors who also have a right to enjoy the natural environment.

Respect Our Cultural Heritage
Many places in New Zealand have a spiritual and historical significance. Treat these places with consideration and respect.

Enjoy Your Visit
Enjoy your outdoor experience. Take a last look before leaving an area; will the next visitor know that you have been there?

Protect the environment for your own sake, for the sake of those who come after you, and for the environment itself.

hiking in the porcupine mountains and some bear claw marks and some other bear stuff

hiking in the porcupine mountains and some bear claw marks and some other bear stuff

What do you enjoy doing for a vacation – going abroad, skiing, sea, hiking, camping, hunting, tropical island?

scuba diving, exploring, mountaineering …

A Hiking Guide to Easter Island, by David Stanley

Ask me which Pacific island has the most to offer hikers and I’ll probably answer Easter Island. Here on an island 11 km wide and 23 km long you’ll find nearly a thousand ancient Polynesian statues strewn along a powerfully beautiful coastline or littering the slopes of an extinct volcano.

The legends of Easter Island have been recounted many times. What’s less known is that the island’s assorted wonders are easily accessible on foot from the comfort of the only settlement, Hanga Roa. Before setting out see the sights, however, visit the excellent archaeological museum next to Ahu Tahai on the north side of town (the term “ahu” refers to an ancient stone platform). Aside from the exhibits, the museum has maps which can help you plan your trip. An online map is available at http://www.mapsouthpacific.com/easter_island/

The first morning after arrival, I suggest you climb Easter Island’s most spectacular volcano, Rano Kau, where Orongo, a major archaeological site, sits on the crater’s rim. But rather than marching straight up the main road to the crater, look for the unmarked shortcut trail off a driveway to the right just past the forestry station south of town. It takes under two hours to cover the six km from Hanga Roa to Orongo, but bring along a picnic lunch and make a day of it. (If climbing a 316-meter hill sounds daunting, you can take a taxi to the summit for around US$6 and easily walk back later in the day.) Once on top, you’ll find hiking down into the colourful crater presents no difficulty. It may also look easy to go right around the crater rim, but only do so if you’re a very experienced hiker and have a companion along as shear 250-meter cliffs drop into the sea from the ridge.

Another day, rise early and take a taxi to lovely Anakena Beach at the end of the paved road on the north side of the island (you should pay under US$10 for the 20 km). A few of the famous Easter Island statues have been restored at Anakena and you could go for a swim, although the main reason you’ve come is the chance to trek back to Hanga Roa around the road-free northwest corner of the island. You’ll pass numerous abandoned statues lying facedown where they fell, and the only living creatures you’re unlikely to encounter are the small brown hawks which will watch you intently from perches on nearby rocks. If you keep moving, you’ll arrive back in town in five or six hours (but take adequate food, water, and sunscreen). This is probably the finest coastal walk in the South Pacific.

Almost as good is the hike along the south coast, although you’re bound to run into other tourists here as a paved highway follows the shore. Begin early and catch a taxi to Rano Raraku, the stone quarry where all of the island’s statues were born. This is easily the island’s most spectacular sight with 397 statues in various stages of completion lying scattered around the crater. And each day large tour groups come to Rano Raraku to sightsee and have lunch. However, if you arrive before 9 am, you’ll have the site to yourself for a few hours. When you see the first tour buses headed your way, hike down to Ahu Tongariki on the coast, where 15 massive statues were reerected in 1994. From here, just start walking back toward Hanga Roa (20 km) along the south coast. You’ll pass many fallen statues and enjoy some superb scenery. Whenever you get tired, simply go up onto the highway and stick out your thumb and you’ll be back in town in a jiffy.

An outstanding 13-km walk begins at the museum and follows the west coast five km north to Ahu Tepeu. As elsewhere, keep your eyes pealed for banana trees growing out of the barren rocks as these often indicate caves you can explore. Inland from Ahu Tepeu is one of the island’s most photographed sites, Ahu Akivi, with seven statues restored in 1960. From here an interior farm road runs straight back to town (study the maps at the museum carefully, as you’ll go far out of your way if you choose the wrong road here).

A shorter hike takes you up Puna Pau, a smaller crater which provided stone for the red topknots that originally crowned the island’s statues. There’s a great view of Hanga Roa from the three crosses on an adjacent hill and you can easily do it all in half a day. A different walk takes you right around the 3,353-meter airport runway, which crosses the island just south of town. Near the east end of the runway is Ahu Vinapu with perfectly fitted monolithic stonework bearing an uncanny resemblance to similar constructions in Peru.

Easter Island’s moderate climate and scant vegetation make for easy cross country hiking, and you won’t find yourself blocked by fences and private property signs very often. You could also tour the island by mountain bike, available from several locations at US$10 a day. If you surf or scuba dive, there are many opportunities here. A minimum of five days are needed to see the main sights of Easter Island, and two weeks would be far better. The variety of things to see and do will surprise you, and you’ll be blessed with some unforgettable memories.