IN THIS EDITION…

• Summer News from Hiking New Zealand

• Dusky Sound Expedition - last chance

• Eastern Epic makes a comeback

• Staff profile - Leah "Miss World"

• Feature trip - Fault-line Adventure

• Win the price of your safari back!

Summer news from Hiking New Zealand
Busy and green at Hiking New Zealand

Our summer hiking season is in full swing and the Hiking New Zealand base is a hive of activity. Our hiking safaris prove to be ever-popular with those wanting to get away from the big crowds and see the ‘real’ New Zealand. With our team of unique and enthusiastic guides, the groups are ending their safaris exhausted and exhilarated all at the same time. Departures are heading out with good numbers and we hope to be keeping the worst of the financial crisis at bay.

General Manager, Dan, dusted off his boots recently to guide the Secret South and was pushed to his limits on the Lindis Challenge. His pre-season training was limited due to work on his small farm, so we can’t wait to see him in action when he’s back to peak fitness.

André’s heading our Green Team initiatives, aiming to document all of our sustainable business choices. Our hiking safaris are striving to be ‘plastic bag free’ and André has sourced biodegradable bags, supplied each van with a compost bucket and guides drop our recyclables off at local depots while on safari. Meanwhile, in the office, as a team effort we planted our own summer vegetables at the base so our lunches now have less food miles than ever before. If you have any other ideas for us to implement, please let us know!

Now that the festive season is behind us and there is time to look at your next hiking holiday, take a look at our Specials and Updates page on our website to take advantage of some fabulous deals.

Click here for the deals and enjoy a great value New Zealand hiking holiday.

Hiking New Zealand team

Last Chance to join the Dusky Sound Expedition

Our Dusky Sound Expedition is being offered once only on a special permit granted by the Department of Conservation. The hike will be a five-day expedition into some untouched areas of South Westland World Heritage Area. Travel from Queenstown to Tuatapere by van and across Lake Hauroko by water taxi. Then the hiking begins; hike on the Fiordland mountain tops, cross rivers, look out over distant ranges and enjoy hearty home-cooked meals each day. Returning to Tuatapere by helicopter will show the distance covered on the five days hiking and your drive back to Queenstown will give you some time to rest weary muscles.

Our guiding concessions give us access to many of New Zealand’s National Parks but for environmental reasons are limited. With special permission, we can gain access to otherwise restricted areas – and we look forward to bringing you one ‘once only’ departure each season. Where would you like to go? Send your suggestions to us, and we will investigate possibilities of guiding in some other remote areas of New Zealand’s beautiful wilderness.

Eastern Epic makes a comeback!

We all love an underdog, so we couldn't resist giving the Eastern Epic another go to get some of you avid Hiking New Zealand followers back in the mountains. Back by popular demand, the Eastern Epic will run three departures in the 2009-10 season in January, February and March. Check our departures page to see how the Eastern Epic can fit into your schedule.

For those of you less familiar with the eastern and northern parts of the South Island, and especially those looking for some grunty hiking, the Eastern Epic summits three mountains over 1700m in just 10 days, with a half day kayaking the beautiful Abel Tasman coastline. Start training today!

Profile
Leah – Marketing & Sales Coordinator / Little Miss Fix It / Queen of Lycra

Leah has a life of eternal sunshine. As soon as the winter days draw to a close here in Christchurch she jumps ship and heads for the USA where she is the Head Counselor at the International Sports Camp.

Although she returns to NZ year after year she is in fact Australian. Leah could still work on the true kiwi drawl - when she asks for fish and chips it does sound like she wants fish and chips rather than “fush and chups.” We have crowned Leah Little Miss Fix-It as she has the patience to see tedious tasks through to completion. She is worth her weight in gold when she takes on working out computer hiccups!

Queen of Lycra – although not officially crowned, she does deserve the title. We have a Green Team sheet here at the office where everyone declares his or her mode of transport to and from work. Leah puts the girls to shame with her consistent cycling, even on wet or windy days – there’s no stopping this little tar baby. Our old landlord appreciated her cycling efforts as his staff made a point of coming to work early and staying late in the hope of getting a cheery hello from the lycra-clad Leah as she cycled down the driveway.

Feature trip - Fault-line Adventure
by Alyssa Woodman

Our Fault-line Adventure began with an early start on a Saturday morning in late November. Setting off from Christchurch and heading west, our destination that evening lay in a chalet in Arthur’s Pass. Nestled amongst the Southern Alps, this would be the first of two separate occasions where we would be crossing over the fault-line.

The day started bright and sunny though the forecast for later was stormy and rainy. Ready and prepared, we set off into the approaching clouds. Within a few hours we were stopped at a remote location with interesting limestone rock formations. The huge grey volcanic-looking rocks scattered along the hillside seemed strangely out of place, yet an obvious favourite for boulderers and climbers. Further down the road we stopped for our first hike at Bealey Spur. With our lunch packed, we started the journey up through stunning beech forest, heavily draped in lichen. With our guide, André, out front we made our way through the beautiful grey forest which sheltered us significantly from the rain that now fell. We stopped frequently along the way as André pointed out native plants. After two hours of hiking steadily upward, we reach the destination of the hut. Stepping out of the rain and looking forward to lunch, we entered the hut where another group of six teenage boys and their chaperone had a fire nicely stoked. It was atmospheric and left us wanting to linger as the rain persisted outdoors.

Our hikes over the next week were filled with educational tid-bits on the local ecology, history of the land and people, and the conservation efforts as well as threats that presented themselves to the New Zealand landscapes.

For the next couple of days, the rain fell tirelessly on the west coast. Our longer hikes and the exploration of Paparoa National Park had to be averted as the water levels rose dangerously high and washouts claimed the trails we were meant to trod.

Alternatively, our guide took us on two walks, both including caves. Our second walk of the day ventured down a short path to the water’s edge where, tucked away behind rocks was an amazing display of vast caves and tunnels. The local Maori only a few hundred years ago had used these spots to take shelter on their journeys.

Day four brought with it kayaking in the Okarito Lagoon and a hangi feast on the grey sandy beach afterwards, both favourites of mine. Floating along the water in silence was such a wonderful, calming way to let those leg muscles rest, take in the beautiful surroundings and watch the birds. The delicious food of the hangi following filled our bellies and seemed to refresh our moods with the warm evening sun coming out from behind the clouds.

On Day 6 en route to our destination of Makarora, André recommended we take on a ‘grunty’ hike along the way to make up for some missed excursions. We all jumped at the opportunity and were not disappointed. With another packed lunch, the hike up was steep in spots. Through the shade of the trees in the heat of the sun that finally made its appearance, we passed the bushline and headed for a lookout spot to have lunch. The views were spectacular. We could see the tops of mountains for miles in all directions and the snow covered peaks behind us stood out brilliantly against the bright blue sky. Our legs ached that evening as we dined on fresh salmon.

Up early, we had a helicopter to catch - another highlight. The helicopter flew through valleys, over rivers and glaciers and dropped us off at the Siberia Mountain Hut. A lovely couple greeted us who were overseeing the warden duties for the week. After settling in we ventured off on a five hour hike that lingered past six hours as we paused to lay in the sun at the side of the glacial Lake Crucible. As snow cracked and trembled on the peaks overhead the lake itself was still thick with ice despite the heat beating down. After another delicious dinner our tired bodies wound down for an early night.

Up at dawn, prompted to meet a jet boat further down the valley, we departed before many of the others in the hut even stirred. The jet boat ride was quite the ride! At top speeds we hurled down the river, stopping to do 360 degree spins in the water. We arrived, wind whipped and with white knuckles from clenching the safety bars. As our last day, we journeyed into Queenstown with several small stops along the way. Over all, the van was quiet as we all seemed deep in thought. The images of where we’d gone and what we’d taken in over the past eight days seemed to blur together. There were magnificent views of mountains and valleys, green lush vegetation of the damp west coast temperate rainforest and everything in between; all of which was vastly different from the next, all uniquely a world unto its own. It opened my eyes to the diversity of New Zealand, knowing it was just a small glimpse into the wonders that lay out there.

Thank you, Hiking New Zealand.

Alyssa Woodman, Canada

One lucky film-maker will win the price of their Hiking Safari back this season with our special YouTube video promotion. All you have to do is submit your video filmed while on a Hiking New Zealand safari to YouTube and send us the link.

The hiker with the best video from the 2008-09 season will win the price of their safari back.
If you’re booked on a hiking safari later this season, don’t forget to pack your video camera!

Send your link to us at info@hikingnewzealand.com