Tramping in NZ

Well I finally made it out tramping! Just to be clear tramping means hiking and is a popular hobby here in New Zealand. In fact Palmerston North has two different tramping clubs and on any given week you can find at least three different tramps to go on. For me this has been a wonderful way to finally get out and see some of the trails and many huts that exist all over New Zealand.

My first tramp was to Herepai Hut which is in the Tararua Ranges just south of Palmerston North. I went out with a group of about 20 others from the Manawatu Tramping and Skiing Club. The group has a 12 seater van so we all meet and then carpool from a central location in Palmy. Luckily for me the meeting location is only a five minute walk from my flat.

The drive out to the area took slightly over an hour but gave me a chance to meet some of the people in the group. Everyone out was experienced hikers and knew the local area well. The day was hot but the majority of the hike was through forest and so we were well shaded. On the way to the hut we had to cross two swing bridges which are narrow wire bridges and you can only go one person at a time. The second bridge was so long that it generally took each person more than a minute to cross it. This was a bit of a bottle neck but we took this opportunity to have morning tea. I love tramping in New Zealand as they insist on morning tea, lunch and then afternoon tea! In fact I think I consumed more calories then I burned.

The Herepai hut is quite a small and basic hut. It was the first hut I have visited here so it gave me a general idea of what to expect. If you plan to overnight at a hut you need to take all your own supplies (sleeping bag, cooking utensils, food, even stove). It is also a good idea to bring a tent in case the hut is full.

Just as we arrived at the hut a helicopter flew over and then landed in a small clearing in the brush nearby. There were two people from the Department of Conservation, which is the government organization that takes care of the trails and huts, and they were there to do some basic hut maintenance.  Some of the group stayed at the hut for lunch but I went on with a smaller group to the top of a nearby hill. The hut sits at tree line so you don’t have much of a view but if you hike up above you can then see more of the range and also down the valley below.

The day was beautiful, clear and not windy, so you could stand on the ridge without being blown over (which is rare I am told). After a nice lunch break we headed back down. I was able to learn some of the plant names and even found a large native grass which looks like Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana or Cortaderia jubata) but is in fact Toi Toi (Cortaderia toetoe). Pampas grass is considered a noxious weed here and given their island location they have many invasive species that they are struggling to deal with.

I thoroughly enjoyed my day out and was glad to finally get to see some of the country on foot rather than from a car window. The group was wonderful and a learned a lot about the area and also about other topics of interest, specifically agriculture in New Zealand. I am already signed up for next week’s tramp which will be further south on the way to Wellington and give me an opportunity to see a little more of the country.