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Welcome
to NZ Hiking Adventures
Real hiking stories, trail tips, and reflections from the backcountry.

NZ Hiking Adventures
Stories, routes and reflections from the backcountry
Welcome to NZ Hiking Adventures.
This site is about more than trails. It's about movement, recovery, and finding steadiness in wild places

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Pinnacles Hut Mt Somers
Pinnacles Hut offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. A popular destination for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts.


Mt Sunday: like stepping into Middle Earth itself
If you're a Lord of the Rings fan, there's no better way to experience the magic of Middle Earth than by hiking Mt Sunday. Located in Mid...


Doubtful and Hope Valleys via Lake Man
Labour Weekend generally marks the end of winter and the beginning of the Spring and Summer tramping season, it's one of my most favourite long weekends.


Mt Somers Bus Stop Circuit
I have completed the Bus Stop circuit on Mt Somers many times before, it's a thoroughly enjoyable day out over varied terrain and scenery, encompassing loose rock, open tussock hills and waterfalls.


Tarn Hut & Youngman Stream
With the weekend weather forecast clear, dry but some wind our group headed to North Canterbury to complete the Tarn Hut and Youngman Stream


Peak Hill
I have lived in Mid Canterbury for 14 years now, and in all that time I have never made the trip to Peak Hill.
All that changed for me in September 2022, I originally had this trip planned for the first weekend in September but unfortunately the weather was unkind and the wind too strong for a pleasant outing.


Mt Somers - Sharplin Falls Carpark to Woolshed Creek Carpark
We had planned to do the full circuit around Mt Somers in a day, knowing full well it was going to be 26km and take us anywhere between 10 and 12 hours. Well we got half of it done, and it was more a case of the weather beating us down than our inability to complete the task.


Dingle Burn Valley
The Dingle Burn Valley stretches from the upper Ahuriri in the east all the way down to Lake Hawea in the west, with access to the Ahuriri via Birchwood Road just out of Omarama.


The Torlesse Gap
Have you ever driven through Springfield heading towards Arthur’s Pass, looked at the skyline ridge of Castle Hill Peak, seen a gap that looks like a missing tooth and wondered what it was? Well that my friends is The Torlesse Gap.


Mt Oxford Forest - Wharfedale Hut & Black Hill Hut Overnight Hike
An early December 2021 tramping club trip was rescheduled due to weather, it went from plan A to plan D in the space of about a week, I wasn't too worried as I was eager to get out and it didn't really bother me where we were going.


Lake Clearwater Circuit
When time is short and the weather is stunning, there is nothing better than doing the Lake Clearwater Circuit. From Ashburton it takes...


Potts Hut via the Dog Range
Potts Hut, located in Hakatere Conservation Park, exudes history from every metal panel and nail. Once upon a time, this hut was part of Hakatere Station and used by the annual musterers. Scan the walls for long enough and you begin to feel the history come alive, the earliest names date back to 1906.


Completing Unfinished Business with Sebastopol - Aoraki/Mt Cook
My first attempt at Sebastopol was about 12 years ago as part of a trip with the Methven and Districts Tramping Club. It was winter and at that time I had no winter tramping experience, including the use of ice axe and crampons. This time I have more years of tramping behind me, along with many winter trips including a seven day mountaineering course in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park.


Rabbit Hill & Trig M
I've lived in Mid Canterbury now for 14 years, in that time I have been a member of the Methven and Districts Tramping Club for all but one year. Rabbit Hill and Trig M has appeared on the trip scheduled at least once every year, and so far either I have not been available to do the trip or it has been cancelled due to weather or lack of numbers.


The Peaks of Mt Peel - Little, Middle and Big
Mt Peel stands out along the Canterbury Foothills, driving up and down State Highway 1 between Rakaia and Timaru it’s hard to miss. The three peeks of Peel have caught my attention for years, unfortunately I have never been able to make it on a trip to any of the peaks. So on the bucket list it went.


Day Hike Kakahu Track Geraldine
Kakahu Bush is 15 kilometres from Geraldine, on the way to Fairlie. It's somewhere I have heard of but never been to before, and was glad to have the opportunity to check it out.


Mt Harper - Mid Canterbury
The initial part of this track follows a marked walking/mountain biking track that takes you to Lake Emma, but to get to Mt Harper you divert off this track and aim for the clearest spur going up. There is no marked path and the initial climb is significantly steep, but the views are worth the effort.
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