NZ in January

[AA]

So I'm headed down to NZ in January for 3-4 weeks, and due to the short time frame and busiest tourist season, would like to know your favorite tramp/trek, cragging area, park, etc. Doing the research, there are so many incredible things to see it's going to be hard to narrow it down to a few! So comments/suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated... I already saw the thread from a few months ago, but am looking for more specifics.. THANKS

[Dru]

Go to Wanaka, go to Mt. Owen near Buller Gorge, go to the Quantum Fields near Arthurs Pass.

[AA]

thanks dru am looking at Arthur's Pass...

[Greg_W]

Be sure to post serious TR's with pics and all. There seems to be tons of beautiful country down there. Oh, and have fun.

 

Oh, yeah. I think there was a write-up in Climbing some time back about sweet alpine climbs in NZ. If I find the issue at home I'll let you know; could provide some direction.

Edited December 16, 2002 by Greg_W

[mattp]

A good two or three day "tramp" can be had in Tongariro Park on the N. Island. Shuttle busses serve the trailheads and between them is a great day-hike over Tongariro that combines well with a climb of Ngauruhoe. The weather is better here than the Southern Alps, the volcanic scenery is way cool, and there is even a small hot spring.

[Dru]

I did that dayhike and I gotta say it is more like 6 hours than 2 or 3 days. however as I guess Matt is indicating you can link it up with other treks to circumnavigate the park. It rocks and the hot spring and geyser is cool. However if you want bang for your buck go to South Island it is much cooler.

 

There's a good hike in Mt. Cook Park from east to west over some supposedly scary pass (class 2 scramble and some loose moraine) where the hut you stop at for the night is right next to a huge hot spring too. Mmmmmm.

 

In fact you can climb the 1800m high N ridge of Mt Sefton ( some 5.6 rock and alpine ice arete) from that hut too and return there. I didnt do it (wimpy didnt feel like soloing at that time) but guy I met soloed it and he said it was cool.

 

Look out for rain in the Darrans. Id say go there but in el Ninos it rains like every day for 4 months. It happened to me, I spent 21 days in Homer hut and had rain for 20 of them!

 

Otherwise(were it not for the rain) you could do the N Buttress of Sabre which is a 12 pitch 5.8+ on solid granite and supposedly the best alpine rock route in all of Australasia.

Edited December 16, 2002 by Dru

[AA]

Thanks Greg, Dru, Matt. I have a day planned at Togariro when I first get there

Dru, is N.Butt Sabre in Mt. Cook Nat'l Park as well? Couldn't find location in my books...

[Travis]

Don't miss Mt Cook National Park and Wanaka. After the New Year, locals will be hooking up the caravans and heading home, so it should be very quiet by North American standards. I don't thing it's ever really busy compared with the rest of the world.

 

Also, the bouldering in Quantam Field and Flock Hill is amazing, and it's in the South Island Rock guidebook you'll no doubt already have. A pair of slippers and a chalk back is all you really need; maybe a little carpet to wipe your feet but definitely no need for a pad. Very cool features, you'll be going right by if you drive through Arthur's Pass.

 

As far as cragging, I climbed a few pitches at Long Beach, and scoped out a lot of others around Christchurch and Dunedin. Land of the small crags, and many are bolted.

 

Never got to do any serious trekking or alpine climbing so nothing to add there, except the Milford Sound area has one that looks pretty cool.

 

NZ climbers have a pretty good web presence, google for pics.

[mattp]

Check out Mount Aspiring, too:

 

[Dru]

N Buttress of Sabre is in The Darrans near Milford Sound. It takes ~ 4 hrs to hike in to the base (some snow and ice to cross and 4th class scrambling) and there is a beautifully equipped bivy rock cave built up with benches etc - Phils Bivy, sleeps 6, dry in even the hardest rains.

[Dru]

The Coromandel Peninsula is a nice place to burn a few days at the end of trip before flying out of Auckland. Bush hiking and cool beaches with stingrays. Check out Hot Water Beach, there are natural hotsprings in the sand of the beach - you take a shovel and dig out your own pool. Great for warming up in between bodysurfing the break.

[AA]

Thanks so much you guys- I am so excited!!! My friend who I'll be staying with most of the time lives in Manapouri on the S. Isle, so Wanaka and Cor. Pen. and all of the other stuff sounds GREAT!! My flight is with United , so I'm praying that shit doesn't go down with them before then....

[vegetablebelay]

Wow United. I sure hope the mechanics are concentrating on their work and not thinking about whether or not they'll be working in the future.....

[Dru]

Coromandel on N Island. Wanaka on S Island.

 

I hear the Whanganui Journey is a good 4 day paddle down a flat river too thru thejungle.

[Travis]

Well, I guess there's worse places in the world to be stranded.

 

BTW, I talked with my kiwi girlfriend last night and she said Wanaka will start to empty out about mid Jan, but the kids don't go back to school 'till the end of January so there will still be a fair number of campers hangin' out at places like that. But as I said, it's never crowded enough to alter plans over. I was there last Christmas and it was never worse than an average weekday in Whistler, and it doesn't even come close to the Smoke Bluffs in June.

 

Have fun, hope United gets you there... and back.

[Dru]

Yup remember, Wanaka* is Squamish to Queenstown's Whistler. stay out of Queenstown, and when the midnight movie gets out in Wanaka, you can get fresh pies from the back window of the bakery as you walk back to the campsite from the baker guy who works the night shift. Mmmmm pies.

 

* Rhymes with Hannukah, not Slacker. I had trouble saying it right at first.