IN THIS EDITION…

• What’s in the news – Snow, snow and more snow.
• Alpine Ski Touring and Telemark Ski Touring.
• Feature Guide – Regan Hellyer.
• Personal encounter – Kermadec Expedition with Dad.
• Last chance to book Milford, Routeburn and Grand Traverse.
• Your contribution – your chance to receive a free merino top.

Last year winter was a bit of a non-event, it was pretty mild and many of the ski fields were crying out for snow. This year however, you couldn’t ask for more snow. Ski fields in both the North and South Island are reporting bumper seasons. A relief for Mt Hutt where a multi-million dollar upgrade took place last year combined with a season of poor snowfall.
Whilst skiers and boarders are revelling in the snow many South Canterbury farmers are struggling. The big snow dump in June saw many sheep and cattle stuck up on the hills without feed. With huge effort farmers and volunteers alike helped make tracks for the sheep to get to lower ground. A big risk for sheep in snow is that their wool can freeze them to the snow when the snow melts during the day and then turns to ice overnight. Many South Canterbury farmers also found themselves without power for up to 12 days as the heavy snow brought down the power lines. This lack of power for such a long time is hard to comprehend in this day and age! There have also been reports of the diesel freezing in some tractors so a combination of diesel and aviation fuel is being used to run the trusty machines.

Make the most of it!
2006 is definitely the year for Alpine Ski Touring and Telemark Ski Touring. The Tekapo region is a ski tourer’s paradise with magnificent mountains, amazing glaciers and high altitude huts.
There are options for all abilities for ski mountaineers a crossing from the Tasman to the Franz Josef Glacier is possible via the Rudolf Glacier and Graham Saddle. Choose the trip that suits your ability level, each tour is five days.
If you can telemark or want to learn, what better way to explore the Central Southern Alps! Telemarking trips are tailored to fitness and ability levels from beginner to advanced. Tours are three days.

Take your pick and make the most of all this snow!
More information: Alpine Ski Touring
Telemark Ski Touring

From hiking guide to international sports camp co-ordinator to “super model”, Regan is definitely multi-skilled! Well OK the super model status may be a little exaggeration, but last April Regan was in Portugal modelling outdoor wear for a high profile outdoor clothing and equipment brand!
Even though it was his modelling debut, he came through it really well, the photographer saying he was a “natural poser”, check out the photos of Regan on the left and see what you think! Anyway we would hate to lose Regan to the world of super models, so we are delighted that he is returning to New Zealand in September after his 10th winter in a row working at a Children’s Sports Camp in Pennsylvania. Regan spends a bit more time at our base these days co-ordinating safaris and training guides rather than full time guiding. This summer Regan hopes to compete in the “Goldrush”, a gruelling 3-day multi-sport event in the mountains of Central Otago.
Give it heaps Regan!

In March , I took my father Ken, on the Kermadec Island 11 day expedition from Auckland. This was partly for his 71st birthday, and partly for helping me set up Hiking New Zealand over 13 years ago. He was on the trip for the hiking, but I was on it more for the scuba diving.

The Kermadec Island’s are a chain of volcanic islands 1000 km from the New Zealand mainland and the area around them form our largest marine reserve. When we were in route to the Kermadecs, Raoul Island (our main destination), erupted suddenly. One Department of Conservation worker was killed, as he was down in the crater taking measurements at the exact time the explosion occurred. It seemed a bit crazy, that as the island was experiencing frequent earthquakes, they had decided to increase the regularity of taking measurements in the crater. He didn’t stand a chance. The other 5 Department of Conservation workers were evacuated off the island by helicopter.

Though the eruption did prevent us from landing on Raoul Island and doing some hikes, for the divers on board (half of the passengers), it was straight into the diving as soon as the anchor was down. And it was fantastic. The diving was the best I had ever done. Amazing visibility (25 – 30 metres), spotted black groper’s that would swim right up to you for a gentle caress, moray eels, king fish, lion fish, painted moki, cabbage coral … And Galapogos sharks! I counted 40 circling around me as I exited from one dive. Most are around 1.5 metres long. Just big enough to make you a little uneasy, but not too scared We did 9 dives in the 5 days we were around the islands, and each time you really felt privileged to be here in this very remote and unspoilt marine park.

While diving I would often stick close to Roger Grace, one of the two naturalist on board. He’d been diving in the Kermadecs probably more than anyone else and his knowledge of the fish and conditions was second to none. In the evening or during ‘at sea’ days he would give us lectures on everything from what we were seeing under water, to problems with our present fish management systems to his job on board Greenpeace as a photographer.

The other naturalist on board was someone I often talk about while guiding our own hiking safaris. Don Merton is well known in New Zealand for saving the Black robin from extinction. He successfully cross-fostered chicks from one female to a closely related species, the tomtit, and this way slowly increased numbers from a total population of 6 individuals. It really was great to meet this guy, and hear all his amazing stories over dinner. It so happened that the last time he was on the Kermadecs, was back in 1964 when it last erupted. Now that’s a coincidence.

On one day we landed on Meyer Islands. The island was teaming with birds, mainly the Kermadec petral and Sooty terns, but also Red Tailed tropic birds and Red Crowned parakeets. The birders on board had an awesome day. It was amazing just to see the full power of nature without the interference of man.

Most days I would head up to the top deck of the ship to watch the sunset, write my diary and relax with a beer and just think over the days events. There were so many highlights - viewing bottlenose dolphins ride the bow wave of the ship, seeing sperm whales spouting in the distance, albatrosses circling. flying fish, great sunsets …. And then there was the great camaraderie that forms between people on a multi-day expedition like this with only 48 passengers. You really do have the opportunity to chat and get to know everyone. And they even made Dad a birthday cake and all sang to him. It was great to travel and do something active with the old man.

Mark Brabyn

The Kermadec Island expedition runs once a year in March. Prices for a shared birth start from US$2786. We have just added some more expeditions with this same vessel. Check out the Southwest Pacific and the Russian Far East expeditions.

I can’t recommend these expeditions enough.

Last chance to book Milford, Routeburn and Grand Traverse
It is the last chance to book, Milford, Routeburn, and Grand Traverse through us at hiking New Zealand. As of 4th August we will no-longer be selling these 3 hikes. Bookings made prior to this date for anytime in the future are secure. If you do book between now and the 4th August we will throw in a free a Hiking New Zealand t-shirt.

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