Monthly Archives: March 2015

GPS Tracks, New Zealand, Photography, Tramping, Youtube Videos

13. Waihohonu – Oturere: Tongariro Northern Circuit 2

Monday, February 23: Rain overnight, overcast at first, clearing to fine with a few clouds and warm. Later very changeable

Tramping, 7.7 km

Oturere Hut (DOC, $32)

Ngauruhoe promised to give a bit of a sunrise so I set up the A470 with infinite focus and it seemed to work OK. We were later for breakfast than the others who were headed directly to Whakapapa because their bus was to pick them up at 2:00.

Lava Tongue
Track across a pretty barren lava tongue between Waihohonu and Oturere
Had some of the bread and salami for breakfast, with 2 double coffees with condensed milk for breakfast, then packed my stuff together and spent some time discussing this & that with Khalil, Nick & Slater, who were all headed in the same direction. Eventually we decided to move off.

The path today traverses a number of lava flows, albeit with different vegetations. The first couple were mountain beech and very full of epiphytes. I took a number of pictures of small berries in red and purple. We stopped briefly at a river, and then moved into the more recent volcanic/alpine communities. At this point I decided that I had reached my warm-up point and set off at my preferred pace, which was considerably faster than that of my companions. I made a point of photographing the landscapes, and still I was almost an hour ahead of the others. Read more…

GPS Tracks, New Zealand, Photography, Tramping, Youtube Videos

12. Whakapapa – Waihohonu: Tongariro Northern Circuit 1

Sunday, February 22: A bit cloudy to begin with, less cloud during the day and quite warm

Tramping, 21.8 km

Waihohonu Hut (DOC, $32)

Managed to beat the compass/alarm this morning and even managed a shower. After all the work of tidying up Danni’s place opposite I wasn’t really expecting Simon to be up and he wasn’t. After the shower I made my own breakfast of muesli, 2 fried eggs and coffee. Packed the loaf of bread in with the rest of the food for the hike.

Got most of the stuff into the suitcase and dragged it down the hall, and was in good time for the bus. Two German women were coming along for the ride, one just to do the crossing, the other, Ina from Kiel was doing the circuit, albeit in clockwise direction. The bus trip was provided by Dempsey’s Buses via the Station Lodge, for $30 in cash, which I presumed to be a return ticket. Further passengers were collected along the way. After the turnoff there was a very dusty old dirt track, and at the stop everyone except me and Ina got off. Read more…

New Zealand, Travel Planning

11. Ohakune

Saturday, February 21: Cloudy at first, with some brief & light showers in the afternoon, clearing by evening. Still warm

Sue & Simon’s

Time to sleep in this morning – at least until 8:30. Simon was already up baking bread. After breakfast he offered me the use of his jeep and I went across to see how Pea was doing. She had survived decompression and was getting ready for the next adventure. I introduced myself as her chauffeur and had to explain why.

At about 11:00 drove around to her place to pick her up – too early for the bus, but I had been told that Roger & Jackie were in town having breakfast so I thought we might track them down as a final diversion before she left at 12:50. Read more…

GPS Tracks, Kayaking, New Zealand

10. Tieke Kainga – Pipiriki: Whanganui River Journey 5

Friday, February 20: Sunny, warm, with a few clouds

Kayaking: 22.1 km

Sue & Simon’s

GPS Tour

The rooster crowed at about 7:30, and I got up to boil some water for what pitiful drowned remains of the coffee were left. Not much else left for breakfast, a couple of muesli bars and an egg. Got Rebecca to give us her email address and everyone was off before we had finished packing, all except for Andrea, who didn’t want to be left to leave last, but then a couple of canoeists turned up who were leaving later from the lodge (Bridge to Nowhere Lodge). We were underway and soon overtaking the others.

We passed the Ngaporo Campsite at about the halfway point at around 11:00; Pea wanted to get a bit further before descending on the last remaining food. I spotted a shingle bank not very far past the campsite and we decided to finish off as much as we could there. Read more…

GPS Tracks, Kayaking, New Zealand, Photography

9. John Coull – Tieke Kainga: Whanganui River Journey 4

Thursday, February 19: Fog in the morning, still warm, sunny after the fog had lifted, with increasing cloud cover during the day

Kayaking: 32.5 km

Tieke Kainga Marae (DOC, $32)

GPS Tour

Most of the partying crowd were up very early and gone correspondingly quickly. We waved goodbye to them from the hut, as it overlooks the river. We were among the last to leave just after 9:30. I made sure the camera was pointed in the right direction before loading the front dry bag onto the boat, and set it going. Roger & Jackie turned up and made a stop at the hut, and they gave us a push off.

We made pretty good progress throughout the morning, missing one stop that we just wanted to have a short break at (Mangawaiiti Campsite, damned river maps, damned signs) and continued on to the landing where the track to the Bridge to Nowhere starts from (Mangapurua). Lots of boats tied up at a very slippery limestone outcrop, which normally would have required some kayaking practice to get off and on at. Landing in the sheltered covelet, Pea tried to get out, couldn’t hold the boat with her left leg, and promptly the whole caboodle capsized. Managed to get Pea to hang onto the boat while others pulled us ashore. Got out myself, had the boat tied up by a helpful gent, then started on the process of baling the boat out. Read more…

GPS Tracks, Kayaking, New Zealand

8. Whakahoro – John Coull: Whanganui River Journey 3

Wednesday, February 18: Some fog at dawn, clearing to fine and sunny

Kayaking: 35.2 km

John Coull Hut (DOC, $32)

GPS Tour

Whakahoro dawn
Dawn over the Whanganui River at Whakahoro, with fog

Snoozed until about 7:30, then I had to get up to take the sunrise time lapse in the valley. A bit of low cloud or fog about, but the river was mostly free, so I set the camera going and returned for breakfast. Had the water boiling as Pea was getting up, then it was the favourites of egg, muesli bar, the remains of the crackers and coffee.

Moving all of the stuff back down again proved to be simpler that moving it up. I seemed to miss just one blue dry bag but while Pea was back at the hut trying to find it I found it in the boat. By the time she was back, nearly everything was in the boat. Roger & Jackie turned up just as we were about to go & they took a couple of pictures of us before they took off up to the Blue Duck for a coffee. Read more…

GPS Tracks, Kayaking, New Zealand

7. Poukaria – Whakahoro: Whanganui River Journey 2

Tuesday, February 17: Very dense fog on the river to begin with, clearing to fine and hot

Kayaking: 23.8 km

Whakahoro Bunkroom (DOC, $10)

GPS Tour

I had gotten the most of a night’s sleep and was awake again by 6:00. The valley was shrouded in very dense fog and I wondered what a time lapse would look like if I could get the camera to focus. It continued to lighten, some voices chirped up and eventually others were awake and up and about. Of course, everything was wet, and my legs were peppered with sandfly bites from the short time between arriving, putting up the tent, and getting the deet and spiderman suit on.

No signs of rat predation so either the rats do not try to get into the dry bags, or they are in insignificant numbers. Read more…

GPS Tracks, Kayaking, New Zealand, Youtube Videos

6. Taumarunui, Cherry Grove – Poukaria: Whanganui River Journey 1

Monday, February 16: Very cloudy to begin with but not as cold, reverting to sunshine with a few clouds

Poukaria Campsite (DOC, $14)

Kayaking: 35.7 km

GPS Tour
YouTube video

I awoke at about 5:30 and could hear Simon baking the ciabatta he had promised us. Was promptly up at 6:00 and had a breakfast of muesli and then scrambled eggs on toast and some coffee. Simon returned back to bed while I threw the rest of my stuff into the rucksack and a couple of shopping bags.

Pea was waiting for me at her place when I went over just before 7:00. Soon Gavin from Yeti Tours was there with his car to take us to the depot, a little scroungy looking, but these kayak people have their own laws. We had been fitted out for life jackets at the briefing yesterday and so only needed the boat, paddles and spray skirts. Then I realised I had forgotten the butter (in the fridge) and as we were leaving I asked Gavin to call past Sue & Simon’s place to pick it up. Read more…

Kayaking, New Zealand, Photography, Travel Planning

5. Ohakune

Sunday, February 15: Cold overnight due to clear skies, and clear and sunny during the day, with some clouds in the distance

Sue and Simon’s

Just after 6:00 I felt awake enough that no more sleep seemed possible but with a little relaxation I managed to fall into a lucid dream until just after 8:00.

Simon was the maitre de petit déjèuner and I had some muesli with milk, coffee and a couple of scrambled eggs with toasted ciabatta which Simon had baked himself. It was really worth eating, though I haven’t been up to much in the last couple of days. Then I had to make the mother of all lists for today, the mother of all technical days. Read more…