⛰️#10 - More Kiwis, Epic Humans, Official Hump Ridge Opening Party & Lots More.

Author

Jub Bryant
October 24, 2024

And we are back with the 10th NZ Hiking Newsletter, sent every Thursday.

I'll let you know what’s going on in the hiking scene in New Zealand, along with other related bits and pieces I find interesting.

Alright, let’s get into it.

In This Week's Edition...

🐪The Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track Officially Becomes A Great Walk On Friday

TL;DR | Official opening of the Hump Ridge Track details:

  • Waiau Town and Country Club, 41 King Street, Tuatapere

  • Friday October 25th, 2024

  • 1.30 pm (doors open 12:30 pm)

  • Speeches followed by afternoon tea, all welcome

  • Event link

It took an extra two years, but the Hump Ridge Track will officially be a great walk on Friday.

The idea of the Hump Ridge Track was first bandied about in ’80s when logging of native timber was banned. It was a chance to create local jobs and generate revenue for the region. $4,000,000 later, the track opened in 2001 it's only grown in popularity over time.

In 2017 the Hump Ridge was proposed to be the next Great Walk which was confirmed in 2019. The initial timeline was for a late 2022 opening (they need to ‘upgrade’ the track to meet certain criteria to be a Great Walk)…but delays/covid etc. mean it’s happening now.

I still haven’t done the track, but it’s high on the list. At 60km over 3 days, it’s going one of the tougher 11 Great Walks. You can find out more info/bookings on the DOC page.

p.s. It'd be cool to see a book, similar to Old Ghost Road’s Spirit to the Stone, about the Hump Ridge Track.

🥝Kiwi Spotting Chances Are Increasing On The Heaphy

NZ has heaps of epic birds, but there’s no denying the kiwi is the most famous.

And if you’re looking for a chance to see a kiwi in the wild, consider a trip on the Heaphy Track. Within the DOC-managed area of Heaphy Valley (Kahurangi National Park), there has been a solid increase in the number of great spotted kiwi calls. From 6.67 calls/hour in December 2021 to 8.33 calls/hour in December 2023.

I’m no rocket scientist but a 25% increase in calls/hour seems like a win and means increased sightings (source).

I wonder if there’s any data on the number of people who see kiwi on various Great Walks. I’d guess 10% on the Rakiura?

😇 We All Need To Be A Bit More Like Penny Webster

Credit: Zach Preston

It's humans like Zach Preston and Penny Webster making the world a better place. Zach gave Penny a shout last week in the NZ Alpine Club Facebook group.

With a full Pioneer Hut, Penny ensured the hut was swept, cubbies cleaned, TP restocked, gas canisters cleared, tea towels soaked and dried, rubbish taken from the hut, and more. 

This isn't a once off though, with Zach noticing this is a norm from Penny. What can we learn?

From Penny, leave huts in a better state than when you arrived. And from Zach, give a shoutout to others that do awesome things!

To both of you, chur.

😹 Meme Break

I’ve just discovered this IG account. Brilliant stuff.

🗒️ Other Track News Etc.

  • I want to give Gavin from Topomap.co.nz a shoutout. I emailed him when I got an error while generating links to create embeddable maps on the site (so I can upload GPX files). He replied within an hour with a new fix and updated the website. Love it. I’m guessing many of you have used the website previously…if you do, email Gavin ([email protected]) and tell him he’s a legend.

  • The Tararua Tramping Club is celebrating the centenary of Field Hut on Labour Day, from 12:30 to 3 pm at the hut. There'll be cake, tea, and speeches from 1.30 pm. I'm guessing you'll meet amazing people too...as I write this, the weather doesn't look ideal 😕 Field Hut is the oldest surviving hut made for trampers in the country. More here: https://ttc.org.nz/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/TTC/FieldHut

  • The Federated Mountain Club has opened applications for their quarterly Youth Grant Awards. With applications closing on November 15th, learn and apply.

  • After a long closure, the Rob Roy Glacier Track Bridge can once again be used for this popular hike.

  • If you want to improve your map reading skills, the quizzes from @trailrunningguid on X are pretty good. For example.

🎁 A Couple Of Competitions To Enter

  • Win a Dream Adventure in Ruapehu - enter here (entries still open at time of writing)

  • Win a Year’s supply of chocolate and a glamping experience - enter here (entries close October 28th)

  • Massive 2024 Cottage Gear Giveaway - enter here (entries close November 6th - international winners possible)

🧔‍♂️ What I've Been Up To...

A view from the Benmore Peninsula Walk.

I’ve been getting onto my favourite local tracks around Queenstown after work, but my find of the week was the Benmore Peninsula Walk. I’ve never considered spending time in this part of Canterbury, but sometimes life is weird.

It’s an easy 4km loop, but the ratio of photo/picnic spots to distance is epic. I also visited Omarama’s Clay Cliffs for the first time which were super fun to see up close. Goooood times.

Have a great week, hike it up.

As always, reply to this email (or message me on Whatsapp +642041702764) with anything and everything…I’m happy to chat.

Chur,

Jub

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