⛰️#26 - Takahe, Tragedies, Tararua Goodness, Te Araroa FKT, & More.

And we are back with the 26th NZ Hiking Newsletter, sent every Thursday/Friday.

My time management was poorer than usual this week, so it’s a little shorter. If you want to unsubscribe, fair. Next week, I’ll be back better than ever next week! Promise.

Anyway, 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

🗒️ Track News Etc.Tak

• If you’re considering hiking up the Rees Valley in the next couple of years, keep an eye out for takahe. They released 18 in the valley on Wednesday with the plan for 50 to be in the valley before the end of the year. That’s great news after many of the traps in the valley had been tampered with a few weeks back. (source)

• This is a prime case study of how we can still save all huts in our backcountry thanks to the International Visitor Levy, and some flexibility from DOC. Sika Foundation Member Brent Stokman and a few friends will repair Waipakihi Hut over the summer which they’ll combine with hunting trips. THey’ll get flown in for free (a big hunting expense) but will trade their time for money by rebuilding the hut.

• The search continues for the missing hiker, Hector Gaston Artigau. He went missing while hiking with friends near the Rob Roy Glacier Track. It’s been a week now, and there’s been no resolution as of writing this, though some of his personal belongings have been recovered.

• There was a second death in two years on the Te Araroa with a body found in a pool of water on Timaru Creek, near Hawea. It’s a known tricky section of the trail. The person appeared to have suffered head injuries, and while we won’t know exactly what occurred, it’s raising many questions about the Te Araroa Trail and the people it attracts. Personally, I think this piece on Stuff was a bit sensationalist. I’d be interested to hear everyone’s thoughts, send me an email 🙂(I won’t share it anywhere etc.)

• In better Te Araroa news, Karel Sabbe, has nearly finished his journey on the Te Araroa Trail. It’s been fun following the live tracker of his progress with what I expect to be a Sunday finish in Bluff (31 days).

• Works to repair two major slips on Otaki Gorge Roads have begun. The road has been closed for ~4 years, with an alternative walking track enabling people access the Tararua Forest Park in that time. But with the road reopening, hopefully in May 2025, access to many of the huts in that part of the park will be easier once again. (source)

• I found this stove study interesting (I had to turn YouTube off 1.5x playback speed to focus). Most people use stoves on multiday hikes, and having worked at Macpac, almost everyone has no idea how much gas they need for a given trip. Keeping these tests in mind when using your stove can help you plan better. In saying that…unless you’re going ultralight, being conservative with a bigger gas canister is no drama.

🎁 A Couple Of Competitions To Enter

• Kiwi Summer Giveaway - enter here (entries close at midnight Feb 28th)

• Splendid Outdoors Photo Competiton - details here (closes midnight February 16th)

• Win a Bushbuck Stashlite Anorak Rain Jacket - details here (closes midnight February 15th)

😹 Hiking Funny

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🧔‍♂️ What I've Been Up To...

I spent some time up in and around Wellington catching up with friends and fam last week which was a good change-up from the Otago summer.

The highlight would have to be the Kapakapanui Track. A 12km loop with 1000 metres of elevation in the Tararua Forest. It’s a great day trip, but there’s also Kapakapanui Hut which makes it possible to do it as an overnight hike.

There’s plenty of variety on the loop (yay Goblin Forest), and while we didn’t get much of a view of Kapiti Island, we were able to see the Main Ridge of the Tararua.

If you’re in the Wellington area, I can 100% recommend this trail (it is steep and root-filled) as an easy way to sample the Tararua Forest Park, while not being far from civilisation (5km from CJ’s for some chips & potato fritters in Waikanae).

p.s. Wellington dog owners…if the track says to have your dogs on a leash. Please do it. Be better.

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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