Kaimai Mamaku Forest: Henderson Tramline Loop

We were greeted by a sun shower as we pulled into the car park to the Henderson Tramline Loop. There was only one car before us, and I caught a glimpse of the trampers as they disappeared around the corner along Old Kaimai Road. In hindsight, it made sense to walk the road section first - it was the most exposed part and rain was expected later in the afternoon. The track is fairly boggy and crosses a couple of large tributaries of the Rataroa Stream (there are no bridges), so bring your gaiters and prepare to get wet feet.

The track starts at the western branch of the Henderson Tramline, with the first section linking up to the North-South Track. I had seen a great photo of another tramper sitting on some boulders in a stream the night before, and I must admit that I got a bit obsessed looking for the spot. I did find it in the end, but I was too wobbly (think a newborn lamb) during the stream crossings so I didn’t get that photo after all. As the weather wasn’t looking too good for later that afternoon, we decided to bypass the waterfall and swimming hole about 15 minutes from the car park. I will save that for the warmer months.

Mokaihaha Ecological Area: Mokaihaha Track

Weekend adventures with Senior DoC Ranger Mayer, it’s got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Mayer had mentioned a few weeks back that he would take me track marking if I was keen...of course I said yes straight away. Or did I? There was a fair bit of banter and negotiations that he wouldn’t use his ‘supervisor’ voice on me and whether or not morning tea was included. Happy to say that he was very patient and it was a fun day out.

Mokaihaha Track is 9.6km outside the town of Mamaku - I had never been there, so we did a couple of laps around the town before heading to the track. The town reminded me a lot of when I used to live in Te Araroa. It isn’t technically a loop track as you pop out of the bush about ten minutes down the road, but it’s easy enough to walk back to the car along the gravel road. You can walk the track in either direction - we walked it counter-clockwise.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing in winter is simply magical

I was still in Perú when I saw my cousin Rommel’s photos of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and couldn’t believe how much the terrain had transformed into a winter wonderland. I’ve done a lot more hiking since doing the crossing for the first time three years ago, so I was curious to see how different this experience would be. Would it still be this hobby hiker’s Goliath?

This adventure was with a massive group of 32 with the Pinoy Adventurers NZ group - for some it was already their second time, having experienced the crossing in the summer and excited to walk it in the snow. For many it was their first, and for a few it was a personal milestone in their fitness journey. Some even travelled from the South Island - even as far south as Christchurch. How awesome was that?

Discover Our Local: A return to the Pākihi Track on the Motu Trails

The Pākihi Track is part of the Motu Trails, which is actually made up of several shared use tracks (MTB and hiking) in Ōpōtiki, as well the villages of Motu and Matawai. My first time on the track was three years ago, during a solo hike where the track was closed to MTB riders because of a massive slip above the hut. This time I brought along my friend Kat to help kick start more Sunday missions.

I have ridden part of the Dune Trails three years ago, doing an 18km return ride from Ōpōtiki to the Tirohanga Campground. My friend, Richard Hamer (the Whakatāne Cycle Coach) had convinced me to get back on a bike after 11 years. Although I did enjoy it, I still prefer tramping as it allows me time to walk at a pace that allows me to soak in the views and do photography. Kat on the other hand does enjoy MTB and was scoping the track for a future riding mission.

Bay of Plenty: Hiking the Western Okataina Walkway

No matter how quiet you try to be at 5.30am, everything just seems louder somehow. It was an early start because I was on my way to Rotorua to meet up with Senior DoC Ranger Mayer (has quite a nice ring to it doesn’t it?), my hiking buddy for the day.

We planned to walk the 17km Western Okataina Walkway starting at the Okataina Outdoor Recreation Centre and finishing up at Millar Road at Okareka. The track can also be walked from Te Ruato Bay in Lake Rotoiti, but we decided to save ourselves a couple of hours and go from the recreation centre instead.

Hiking to the Waitawheta Hut in the Kaimai-Mamaku Ranges

I whistled Crowded House’s classic ‘Weather With You’ as I walked towards the end of Franklin Road in Waihi. The forecast had been rain, and I had certainly prepared myself for a wet hike to the Waitawheta Hut. With Whakatāne being the current sunshine capital, I like to joke that even in winter, I bring the sunshine with me. I had been sitting in the car watching the sun shower threatening to turn into a downpour, when suddenly the clouds gave way to blue skies.

As I walked along the empty road, I wondered if I would be lucky enough to have the hut to myself that night. It’s well into the winter season - shorter daylight hours and finding weather windows on weekends does mean more chances of cold, wet hikes. If I wasn’t slightly obsessed with hiking, those are perfectly good reasons in my book to stay home. Maybe it’s the eternal optimist in me or I’m just getting better at reading weather forecasts, but I barely had to use my rain jacket that weekend.