Category: International Walking

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Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara, New Zealand. A Walk on the other side of the world.

It’s only sitting at home, a few weeks after my return from New Zealand that I have time to reflect on just how special my walk on Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara was. Sitting off the southern tip of New Zealand Ulva Island is a predator free paradise of unspoiled temperate rainforest and footprint free beaches where the waves of the Southern Pacific Ocean break rhythmically onto golden sands. Human interference has been kept to a minimum on the island and a rich variety of flora and fauna has been allowed to flourish naturally. I don’t think I’m likely to have the privilege of walking in such a pristine environment again. It also happens to be the furthest south I am ever likely to travel. When I discovered the handy website ‘antipodesmap’ and put my home town in, it took me to the ocean about 300 miles South East of Ulva Island. As you can’t walk on water I’m going to say that I have literally walked on the other side of the world.

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A walk along the Hooker Valley Track

After completing two of the ten ‘Great Walks’ in New Zealand we’re working our way slowly up through South Island, taking in some of the sights and doing some day walks. The Hooker Valley track is on the list as it is one of the best day walks in New Zealand and has great, close up views of Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand. We have decided to spend the night in Twizel as it’s near to the start of the track. It’s a quirky name for a quirky little town that has a slightly strange feel about it. Wikipedia tells me it has only been around since 1968 and was built to house workers on a hydroelectric scheme so this might explain its rather functional, frontier like atmosphere.

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A Walk up Puig de Santuiri

Of all the walks around Pollenca, the walk up Puig de Santuiri is perhaps not the most exciting one to complete, or the highest, or the prettiest. In saying that though, it is interesting in its own right, provides good views from its modest summit and is well worthy of a couple of hours of your time.

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Routeburn Track Day Three, Lake Mackenzie Hut to The Divide

All was quiet and still in the valley as I paid a visit to the outside toilet during the early hours. I could see the stars were out so turned off my head torch. As my eyes adjusted to the dark I became aware that above me, the Milky Way was stretching out gloriously across the inky black Southern night sky. A million diamonds twinkling through a black curtain. I stood there for a while, mesmerised by the sight until the night air started to chill me and I made my way reluctantly back into the hut and my warm sleeping bag. The clarity of the air in New Zealand and the lack of light pollution in the mountains has meant regular sightings of the Milky Way during our tramping adventures and it has been a joy to see the stars of the Southern Hemisphere throughout this trip, even if I have not quite got used to seeing Orion upside down.

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Routeburn Track Day Two, Routeburn Falls Hut to Lake Mackenzie Hut

Day two on the Routeburn Track dawns bright and clear. All twenty or so bunks in our room were full but there were no ‘nighttime noises’ and I slept well, helped no doubt by the fact that the girls from Otago were at the opposite end of the lodge. The weather forecast is for rain early afternoon so I am keen to get moving as soon as we can. After breakfast we finish our packing on the balcony of the hut enjoying the morning sunshine and final views down the main Routeburn valley. 

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Routeburn Track Day One, Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Falls Hut

Driving to the start of the Routeburn track I was wondering if the walk we were about to do could possibly compare with the beauty and majesty of the Milford track that we had walked only one short week ago. As we left Queenstown and joined the lake road heading north, I realised I needn’t worry. Lake Wakatipu, looking like a huge sapphire jewel set deep into a ring of mountains appeared before us glistening in the morning sun. It stretched for miles and beyond that, the Southern Alps of New Zealand reached their snowy topped fingers high up into the bright blue cloudless sky. Even the road itself, straight as an arrow in places and lined with purple Lupins seemed to be leading us invitingly into the heart of the mountains. It was the road to El Dorado and for the next three days we were about to partake of its golden treasures.

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Glenridding Dodd and Sheffield Pike from Glenridding

Glenridding Dodd and Sheffield Pike, the objects of today’s walk form the northern wall of the Glenridding valley and can be clearly seen from Glenridding village and from Gillside campsite, my home for a couple of days walking. Unfortunately (or fortunately if you like the heat) today’s walk coincides with some of the hottest days of the summer and with temperatures reaching into the 30°c’s an early start seems best to avoid both the crowds and the heat.

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A walk up La Mola, Mallorca

La Mola looks down onto the pretty seaside town of Cala sant Vicenc in the far north east of the beautiful island of Mallorca. Here, you can while away the hours enjoying a nice cold beer or meal in one of its many picturesque sea front bars whilst gazing out onto the aqua blue Mediterranean gently lapping onto the small sandy beach. In fact, the Med features prominently today, being in view throughout most of the walk.

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Milford Track Day Four Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point

It’s our final day on the Milford Track and there is a sense of anticipation in the air. Today, the forty of us ‘independent trampers’ who over the last four days have all walked together, ate together, talked together and slept under the same roof together will all complete our journey and at last fulfill what for many, including myself, will have been a long held dream and ambition to have walked ‘The Finest Walk in the World’.

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Milford Track Day Three Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut

As forecast we awake to a completely different scene from the Sunshine and clear blue skies of yesterday. Cloud and mist have descended low into the valley overnight, draining the colour from the trees and muffling the sound of the birds and the rivers. The huge rock wall of Mount Balloon opposite which last night rose up before us like a giant is completely enveloped in mist and may as well have disappeared as far as we were concerned as we could see nothing beyond twenty metres. The air was still and the mist, cold and damp, hung in the air. It was like a grey wet blanket had been thrown over the valley.

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