Long time no posting here. We are really sorry for the hiatus but have been very busy with a big project.  Late last year we sold our family home (after living there for 30 years) and bought a block of land in Portarlington, Victoria.   Over the last 7 months we have been “owner building” ouir new home i.e running the whole building project, arranging all the trades people, doing all the dirty and boring jobs and generally getting in the way of people who know what they are doing.

It has been a full on project , often all consuming, often incredibly tiring or occasionally stressful…..  Hence Our Hiking Blog has taken a back seat.

September – Framing up

Installing the verandah frame last week

Our view of Melbourne from the deck

Looking across Corio Bay and the You Yangs

The great thing is that the house is nearly finished and we will be getting back into bushwalking, hiking and travel very soon. We need it!

Last weekend was a long one in Victoria and when we were contacted by Adam from Toyota’s advertising company offering a test drive of the new Rave 4 we jumped at the opportunity to take it for a spin (and get away from house building for a couple of days)  The initial plan was to walk a couple of sections of the Great Ocean Walk but the recent heat wave killed that idea. We have just had nine days over 30c which is an all time record heat wave.

Adam gave us some of the advertising blurb to use if we thought it was justified.  It is bit “advertisey”  so we thought our own observations would be more useful.

The new Rav 4 looked a treat, smooth, stylish and very flash compared to my old Holden ute.

The new Rav 4 at Princetown after some sand driving

It was great on dirt tracks around the Otway National Park. There was plenty of grunt and clearance.

The All Wheel Drive held us on to the Great Ocean Road a treat.

It has a lot of the fancy techo stuff like a reversing camera built in blue tooth etc.

It seems very safe wih lots of air bags and other features.

If you want the rest of the details head over to the new Rav 4 site

Probably the highlight of the weekend was exploring the 12 Apostles.  The Great Ocean Walk finishes here and what a treat!  We took the photos below at 8pm where the sea mist was amazing.

12 Apostles looking west

12 Apostles in mist

Cheers and thanks to Toyota for providing the vehicle and accommodation.

Cape Otway – Aire River

After finally getting onto our shuttle and arriving at Cape Otway at 3pm, we started our 10km walk.

Walking past the Cape Otway Cemetery (a great place to stop and have a look).

This day was the beginning of the spectacular views! Seeing capes in front and behind us. There’s an option for a beach walk, we decided to take the high road in this case as it was getting late and we knew there was an unavoidable beach walk on day 2.

Aire River campsite was so full, particularly with the Scout Group from Melbourne, who had not only not paid their fees but they were also walking in the wrong direction along the track.

We walked the 100m back down to the drive in campsite and camped by the river. It was lovely, with only a small amount of mosquitoes and a little rain.

Aire River – Johanna Beach

We woke up rain squalls, thunder storms coming through and no clear skies on the horizon. After a lazy morning, we slowly packed up, avoiding the worst of the rain, and then finally left camp around 9 am.

Today was a day for full wet weather gear, so we departed with our rain pants and coats on.

The walk starts in land and then makes it’s way towards the coast. Once you finally make it to the coast the views are breathtaking! Walking with the cliffs above you is an amazing experience!

Walking along the beach is tricky! I was so excited for the sun that seemed to be shining, I took my shoes off, and skipped along the beach! Once we’d crossed Johanna River the rain started! And it was heavy and horrible, blowing sand into our faces, shoes, packs, I was trying to put my shoes on and my rain gear back on.  It was just horrible.

Walking up from the beach, the GOW wasn’t super well signed.  We walked up the track to the car park, you can go up to the lookout if you want, and then continued up past the GOW group campsite on the right.  This is where it got a little confusing, we stopped and talked for a while, it turns out that we needed to continue through a gate (or 2), along a grassy track, fairly unmaintained, this is Old Coach Road. You walk on this quite a bit over the next couple of days.  You just continue a little longer up the hill and then there’s a sign confirming that you’re going the right way.

This camp is magnificent! From the hut there is fantastic views, our tent had wonderful views. It was just stunning!

It was this night we met 5 lovely nurses who worked in ICU in the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Who were lovely enough to run down to our tent post-thunder storm, to invite us up to the hut for tea.

We joined them for dinner too.

Johanna Beach – Ryans Den

Waking to find that the weather had cleared somewhat was a lovely surprise.  We walked up a spectacular valley filled with kangaroos.  The morning was spent mostly on 4WD tracks.  We flew along these tracks and made it to Milanesia Beach in no time at all.

The tracks leading up to the beach were super slippery, we had to be really careful.

The beach was good this time (I’m not a fan of sand), I didn’t have to take my shoes off and we were only on the beach for about 300m.  It turns out that the far end of Milanesia Beach was washed out and wasn’t even walk able at low tide.  So we took the inland route, yet again.

Camp was only a few kilometers on from there, however they were STEEP! We climbed up approximately 153 steps, vertically! It was tough! Then camp felt like ages from there!

We finally arrived at camp, only to be met with 6 people filling the hut.  They were just about to head off, they informed us, as they had arrived at camp at 3:30am that morning, after starting that days walk at midnight the night before!

They had sleeping bags attached to the outside of their packs, they were carrying their tents, and had those massive stoves that cost $20 from Kmart. It was a concern seeing them head off, seemingly so ill-equipped.

They headed off and we settled into the hut nicely, reading our books, until another couple needed directions. It seems that as this walk is so accessible, that people come along unprepared, with out a map or adequate equipment.

Just as this couple headed out on their way, the 5 nurses arrived in camp.  It was lovely to spend the evening getting to know them a little better, hearing their stories, how they got to know each other and how they organised themselves to be on the trip.

With the campsite nestled on top of a ridge, and a lookout at the end, with apparently great views.

Ryans Den – Devils Kitchen

I woke this morning to a very excited husband, it was my birthday.  A cup of tea was made for me, and then fried eggs with tomatoes.  He had carried in fresh eggs!

After enjoying breakfast, and packing up, we started our walk along the cliff tops. We can to a “decision point”, we could either walk along Wreck Beach or inland along Old Coach Road. Sadly the tide was high and the swell was massive so we were unable to walk along the beach.

The road option, wasn’t so great! However, from Devils Kitchen we could see that a new track is being built so that you don’t have to walk along the road.  We made it to camp in good time. And I was lucky enough to enjoy two macaron that Jay had carried in for my birthday! They were such a delicious surprise!

We scored the campsite of all time that night, campsite 8. Our tent certainly had a view! It was amazing, we watched the sunset over the ocean.

Devils Kitchen – The 12 Apostles

We were up and packed, ready to go by 7:30. We were both ready to get out of there and get home!

The final 14.9km was fairly uninspiring, there were some great views but they were few and far between. We finally popped out and got a view of Gellibrand River, it was exciting to know that we weren’t too far off.

Arriving at the Princetown Outdoor Recreation center, I was pretty bummed that we hadn’t parked our car there! From here we had 6.7km to go.  That last few kilometers were long and painful! So many ups and downs, only small ones, but the new track that was put in was hard under foot, and longer than I expected.

Finally when we reached our car, I did a little happy dance! I was very excited to be at the end.

All in all, the track was lovely, the map not very accurate, parts fairly over grown and unmaintained, the company fantastic, and the views spectacular!

Clare shares a lot of great food and lifestyle goodies over at her site, The Life of Clare. She has written an article about the food they took on this hiking trip. Well worth a look!

Ian Ferrier from Mountain Bike Tasmania contacted us recently to share information about his new transport service for bushwalkers. We have dealt with Ian for several years. He is an experienced “local” who knows his way around the walking tracks of Tassie and we congratulate him on his new endeavour.

Over to Ian:
Mountain Bike Tasmania are now able to offer transport options to the start of the major bushwalking areas in Tasmania. This can also include pickup from the end of your walk with return transport to either Launceston or Hobart.

While  we have been offering a hire gear service for some time it became obvious that a total package would give  customers more options rather than being locked into a set timetable from the major transport providers.

This flexibility means Mountain Bike Tasmania  can meet you at the airport for transport direct to the start of you walk on the same day, or to accommodation at Cradle Mountain so you can get an early start the following morning.   Drivers are all former or current Overland Track guides so can provide plenty of track info while you travel to the start of the walk and obviously,  if you don’t need to hire gear,   the transport service is still available and you can add in the option of organising your stove fuel in advance so there is no need to stop in a major town between when you arrive and your walk starts.

A Storage service is available for  any spare equipment and  it can be  ready for you at the end of the walk prior to travelling back to either Launceston or Hobart.

Pricing is dependent on numbers  so for more info  email to the address below with details of how many passengers, the walk you are planning, dates of flights, walk start/finish etc

You can contact Ian via the Mountain Bike Tasmania contact page.

What a popular topic.  In this article we follow up with some additional vegetarian recipes from one of our readers,  Sonia.

Regular readers will recall the yummy Marrakech curried stew, the Massaman curry and how to dehydrate rice recipes Sonia shared in her first article: Vegetarian Hiking food.  In this article we share four more fantastic ideas. Enjoy!

Satay noodles

Serves 2

Ingredients
Packet satay sauce mix
1-2 Tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut milk powder
1 x vegetable stock cube
salt and pepper
Undon noodles (90gms per person)
Dehydrated vegetables
Optional: chili powder

To assemble
In one plastic bag add peanut butter, coconut milk powder, stock cube, salt and pepper (and chili powder). In another plastic bag add vegetables (suggestions: mushrooms, capsicum, spinach, zucchini and eggplant).

To rehydrate
Add boiling water to vegetables. Cook noodles. Place contents of satay packet in pan, add peanut butter mixture and heat till a thick sauce develops. Add vegetables and combine.

Serve over noodles.

Hummus

6 serves

Ingredients
2 cups cooked / canned chickpeas
3 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbsp raw tahini
4 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp filtered water

Method
In food processor puree all ingredients
Add water gradually to reach preferred consistency
Dehydrate then place in blender and blend into a powder. This ensures a smooth hummus on rehydration
To rehydrate add water for desired consistency.

Teriyaki Tofu Crackers

Use extra firm tofu for this recipe.

Slice the tofu into thin (1/2 cm) strips.

Marinade in your favorite teriyaki sauce for 15-30 minutes, ensure you turn the tofu to marinate both sides.

Place on dehydrator trays or fruit dehydrating sheets and dehydrate at 55-60 degrees Celsius. Turn over every three hours.

When done the crackers will have lost their flexibility and become strong and brittle. These can be crumbled and rehydrated into stir-fries, rice dishes or eaten dry.

Mushroom risotto

Ingredients
2 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbsp olive oil
150 gms portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
150 gms white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 shallot, diced
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp finely chopped chives
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Method
In a saucepan, warm the stock over low heat.

In another large saucepan warm 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.

Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to saucepan and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add small amounts of the stock to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue this process, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Dehydrate and freeze (until needed).

Pack extra parmesan cheese and butter to serve.

Thanks again to Sonia, there are gems of ideas!

Have you got any bushwalking recipes to share?

Shoot us a comment below or send us an email, we would love to share them with our readers.

It’s time for a competition!

We need a title for our new trekking guide and would love your help.

Jay Reilly, our newly acquired son in law,  has written a brilliant guide all about trekking to Everest Base Camp. It is currently with Bill Journee, our illustrious eBook designer,  and is coming together beautifully. It looks magic. The only problem is we cannot decide on a title.

That is where you come in.

The competition is to come up with a catchy title (and subtitle if you can) for the new guide.

It’s that simple!

To enter, think up a title and either leave a reply below or a comment on our Facebook page.  Don’t stress if you double up or have one the same as someone else (or just Like one on Facebook)  this will help us decide the most popular title.

The broad chapter headings are listed below to give you an idea of the content. It is quite extensive and as someone who read the draft version recently emailed:

The book summarises about 100 hours of Google searching and chats I had with people who had been over there. For me, I am obsessed about being physically fit enough for the trek and so chapters 4 & 5 were fantastic.

The good thing about this eBook is the little tips for things that you wouldn’t figure out until you got there and thought ‘aha next time I should bring this

The prize? A free copy of our other new eBook Pick your Gear – Outdoor Photography for Beginners.

Yes, everyone who makes a suggestion or Likes one on Facebook will receive a free copy of Pick your Gear!

The best suggestion,  that is the one we use for the  book,  will receive a copy of all our eBooks (Food to Go,  How to Hike the Overland Track and Pick your Gear) and, of course,  a free copy of the new Everest Base Camp guide.

Value? Around $60

So who is this Jay Reilly and what qualifies him to write a guide on trekking to  Everest Base Camp?

Jay  started visiting the Khumbu Valley (where the trek to Everest Base Camp is located)  in 2002 as a commercial mountain climbing guide. Since then he has led around 20 mountain climbing and trekking expeditions in the Everest Region. He has summited Ama Dablam (6856m) 5 times out of 9 attempts and Pumori (7145m) twice and actually holds a record for being the only Australian to do so.

During his guiding exploits, Jay spent most of his time in the Khumbu Valley and has an intricate knowledge of its moods, politics and people.

Jay is somewhat of a Nepal expert, having dealt with storms, injuries and illness, both altitude and otherwise – as well as now having a good understanding of the way Nepalese bureaucracy works.

Apart from being in the Khumbu region, Jay spent a lot of time hanging out in Kathmandu between mountain climbing expeditions. His knowledge of the city and his ability to get off the tourist trail make him a sought after leader and guide. Recently his travels have centred around facilitating Australian school students performing community service work in Nepal.

Finally, to get you rolling on a title, here is a broad outline of the contents:

• When to go – the best season and why
• Health – vaccinations, altitude, acclimatisation
• Training for the trip – yes, you do need to be fit
• Gear and equipment – what to bring from home or what is available there
• Guided v independent – helps you choose what is best for you
• Kathmandu Survival Tips – enough said
• Tips for the Trail – independent advice from an expert
• Costs – setting a budget
• Local contacts – trusted people who have worked with the author
• Suggested Trek Schedule – yes, finally you are on the trail!

That’s it!  What title would catch your eye if you were searching for a guide on trekking to Everest Base camp?

Leave your suggestion below or on our Facebook page

The competition closes on Thursday 29th March at midnight (AEDST)  The winner will be announced soon after, as will instructions on how to grab your prize for participating.

(Oh, for anyone who is interested, the guide will be ready in under 4 weeks. We will let you know details soon about registering for an advanced copy discount)

We did have a funny, if not weird, experience at the end of the walk.

Arriving back at the Cradle Mountain Visitors Centre we were approached by a rather frantic fellow enquiring if we would sell him our Helinox walking poles.

After a quick chat we discovered that Cathy and Geoff were about the start hiking the Overland Track. They had travelled to Cradle Mountain via a local busline and someone…..had left Cathy’s walking poles in the bus.  It, and the poles, were now on the way to Hobart via Strahan. Basically they were gone, not to be retrieved until the end of the walk.

This was ok, except, the walking poles were also their tent poles……..

Six Moons Lunar duo single skin tent – note the “tent poles”

It is a bit of a weird story but Cathy and Geoff had bought our Overland Track guide and the walking poles on our recommendation as they were regular readers of this site.

We got to meet some readers face to face! It was fantastic!

Over to Geoff from an email he sent on their return home:

Cathy and I have not stopped talking about our chance meeting with you in the visitors centre carpark at Cradle Mountain on the 3rd of Jan, the timing of your return to your car and the fact that the poles were identical to Cath’s felt like a minor miracle to us.  You can see how critical the poles were by having  a look at the attached shot of our tent !!

We had the most fantastic time on the OT (attached is also a pic of us on the summit of Ossa) with too many highlights to mention, what a beautiful place it is, our expectations were far exceeded and the highlight that we hadn’t anticipated was the people we met along the way and the friends we have now made.

Geoff and Cathy on Mt Ossa – Tasmania

Thankyou sooooooo much for your kindness which gave us the ability to get started straight away.  We were touched by your desire to see us get going and the excitement for the track that you briefly shared with us.  We had a fantastic late afternoon walk through the alpine heath past Kitchen Hut with the sun lowering and the landscape turning to a burnt orange colour. We made it to Waterfall Valley at last light with enough time to put up the tent and have some dinner.

We tented every night and took the walks each day slow and easy, admiring the big and the small beauty along the way.

Just by way of information, the last night we camped at Narcissus hut to catch the ferry the next morning at 9.30am to connect with a 10.30 shuttle but were finally advised at 10.30 am by uhf that the ferry service had been cancelled for the day (due to weather) so we missed our shuttle and walked the final leg to Cynthia bay and spent the night there (in a spa cabin !!) and got the shuttle to Launceston the following day (Paul Grigg was very helpful in this regard).  We found by talking to various people that there is a growing dis-satisfaction with the hotel / ferry operators at Cynthia bay and that there is an increasing chance that the ferry cannot be relied upon.

None of this bothered us at all as we had some flexibility at that end and nothing could detracted from the walk we had had, we enjoyed the lakeside walk actually and found it quite spectacular and beautiful.  If advising people I would suggest that you allow enough time to walk out (it took us 4.5 hrs) and catch the ferry if it turns up.

Negatives always turn into positives and because of ours and others delays we all had a great meal together in the resturant (about 10 of us) with others we had met on the track which was a great way to finish.

Next day we returned to Cradle Mountain Lodge for 3 nights to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary which was “luxury plus”!

Our little exchange in the carpark is now a rich memory and a fun part of the story as we tell family and friends about our trip.

Geoff and Cathy with the poles and our card!

Thanks Guys, it was a pleasure to meet you and fantastic you had a great trip!

By the way, we gave Geoff and Cathy the poles, Mox from Helinox had given them to Frank as a sample. He kindly replaced them on our return because we love them and don’t go anywhere without them!

Oh, and if you want to read more about the Six Moons Lunar duo single skin tent , Geoff posted an article over on the Bushwalk Australia site, great information.

Finally, if you love hiking but you’re not into camping, visit the Quickbeds website to find a great deal on your accommodation – no matter where you are!

Julia  is living in Spain and gets out and about doing day walks and longer trips all around Spain and the Pyrenees. It sounds like a great spot to be,  and the trips, magic.

She was checking out Food to Go and decided we needed another snack recipe and shot it through to share with you all.

Let us introduce the Flapjack.

Over to Julia:

I checked out the ‘snacks’ part and found that there is something missing, so I thought I’d send it to you. It is called the ‘flapjack’, which is a very rich energy bar. I got the recipe from some English hikers and now we all make it. We are even planning a ‘flapjack competition’!

We just can’t go out there without it anymore and it is super simple to make.  I cut the flapjack up in squares, the size of an energy bar,  and wrap them up individually. They are soooo good and very healthy as well.

The recipe:

275 grams oats
100 grams  light brown sugar
125 grams of nuts, dry fruit etc. (ginger)
150 grams unsalted butter
4  table spoons of honey
(sesame seeds)

——-

Mix the oats, sugar, nuts and dried fruits (cut up in small bits) in a bowl (I add grated ginger root as well)
Melt the butter and honey
Add them all together and mix well
Put in oven dish or cake tin, press together (I sprinkle sesame seeds on top and smooth them out with the back of a spoon)
Bake  for 40 mins. at 180ºC (no.5)
Cool in tin and cut into squares while still warm.

——-

I hope you will try it and like it as much as we do!

Thanks very much for sharing Julia, we will try it out, looks yum.

Do you have a favourite snack you love to take on a  hiking trip?

Have you got a recipe to share?

Drop a comment below and share your ideas with other Our Hiking Blog readers (and sweet lovers)

Don’t forget, you can pick up some cheap Auckland flights online and head off to the land of the long white cloud with your hiking gear.

Enjoy the ride.

Backpack

As a tramper out on a multiday hike, your average load will probably be around 10-15 kg. To make the heavy load bearable, it is essential to have a comfortable pack.

• A hip belt is a must have. Prefer one that is wide and well padded.
• Pick a pack that also has a good adjustable back harness.
• 60-70l is a good size for most people.
• Make sure the fabric, zips and buckles are sturdy.
• Never buy a pack without trying it on first, and never try it on empty. Ask a salesperson to help you adjust the belt and straps if you’re unsure of what you’re doing.
• Don’t forget the accessories. Some packs come with an integrated rain cover, but many don’t. Make sure to get one, and grab a pack liner as well in order to make your pack as waterproof as possible.

Sleeping Bag

There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep to make you feel good. And if you want to have any of those when out in the bush, you will need to get a good sleeping bag that will keep you safe and warm.

• Down bags are the warmest, the lightest and the most compact. Unfortunately, they are expensive and won’t keep you warm when wet, a problem that is made worse by the fact that they take a long time to dry.
• Synthetic bags are cheaper and will retain heat even when they are wet. They also tend to dry more quickly. However they are both bulkier and heavier than down bags of the same temperature rating.
• Make sure the temperature rating of your bag abides by EN13537 norms otherwise it may be wildly optimistic. The rating should give you temperatures for comfort (relaxed sleep), lower limit (sleeping curled on yourself for extra warmth) and extreme (survival). For 3-season use in New Zealand, try to pick a bag rated 0°C to -5°C.
• If hiking as a couple, try to get a left zip on one bag and a right zip on the other. This way you’ll be able to zip your bags together.

Tent and Sleeping Mat

These 2 key items may not be as important in New Zealand as they are elsewhere, thanks to a widespread network of backcountry huts:

• If you only intend to stay in popular, pre-booked Great Walk huts, packing a tent and mat is not necessary.
• If you intend to stay in more remote huts, it is recommended to take a tent and mat in case the hut turns out to be full, or an emergency arises.
• Camping is the alternative of choice for those who are on a budget and/or want to get away from the crowds.

 Should you decide to camp or at least carry a tent as a safety measure, keep in mind the following:

• Choose a 3-season tent that is well-ventilated and truly waterproof (>5000 mm water column). Check the dimensions to make sure you can both lie down and sit up inside. Roomy vestibule(s) are a big plus for pack storage and/or cooking in bad weather. Regarding weight, aim for a tent that works out at 1 kg/person, i.e. a 2-person tent should be around 2 kg.

• Consider getting a groundsheet, or footprint, to further waterproof the tent floor.

• A sleeping mat is essential for comfort and to insulate you from the cold coming from the ground. You can get either a foam mat that is light and cheap but bulky, or an inflatable mat that is heavier and more expensive but more compact and more effective.

 Other essential gear

• Food and cooking. Small gas stoves are cheap and convenient. Pack enough canisters for the duration of the trip. The less crockery you have, the lighter your pack will be: a billy can take care of all the cooking. Don’t forget plates, cups and cutlery. Food should be light and easy to conserve, for instance: muesli for breakfast, nuts for snacks, cheese and salami for lunch, dehydrated meal for dinner. To make the load lighter, leave all packaging at home, carefully measure the quantities needed and pack them in Ziploc bags.  For more information about tramping food check out Food to Go

• Footwear. Get proper tramping boots that will support your ankles. Full leather boots will be the most durable and the most water tight, but they are also the heaviest and the most expensive. Lighter Gore-Tex boots may be a better alternative. Consider bringing along a pair of sandals for creek crossings and relaxing at camp.

• Clothing. Always be prepared for the weather to turn nasty. Clothes that will keep you dry and warm are essential: always take a good waterproof jacket with a hood, a warm jumper and a beanie. If you’re heading for the mountains, add thermals, gloves and gaiters. Always pack spare clothes so that you can change into something dry to sleep. Prefer fabrics that will dry quickly (jeans are a no-no).

• Miscellaneous items. Map, headlamp, first aid kit, toilet paper, rubbish bag (everything must be carried out)… make a list and double check before you go!

With the gear out of the way, you will then be able to concentrate on organizing your walk.

 Transport

 There is one warning to keep in mind before you fly to New Zealand: they take biosecurity seriously. Declare all tramping and camping gear to customs. The easiest way to go through quickly and with no drama is to clean all your gear beforehand – be especially mindful about soil left on tent pegs or boot soles. If your gear isn’t clean enough, you may be in for a wait as it gets fumigated.

 This issue aside, traveling in and around New Zealand is easy:

• The country has 3 main international airports: Auckland and Wellington on the North Island, Christchurch on the South Island. From Australia, you may also catch direct flights to a few smaller airports: Queenstown and Dunedin on the South Island, Rotorua and Hamilton on the North Island.

• Connecting domestic flights service a number of other cities such as Nelson, near Abel Tasman National Park.

• You can also get around by rental car or bus. If planning your trip in advance, Naked Bus will provide unbeatable fares based on a simple principle: the earlier you book, the cheaper you travel.

• Great Walks and other popular tracks can be accessed thanks to shuttle buses that will drop you off and/or pick you up at trailheads. Just ask the local information center (i-site) for a list of operators.

 On-track accommodation

Although the romance of setting off into the bush for a few days might trick you into thinking you can just go without further ado, this is not quite true: on-track accommodation will usually need to be sorted beforehand.

• If you’re doing a Great Walk, you will need to book everything in advance, whether you’re staying in huts or on campgrounds. This also means you have to work out your itinerary first, as you will need to know at which site you will be staying each night of your walk.

• Booking is easy to do online on the DoC website. In New Zealand, you may also book your walks from any i-site, and take the chance to pick up advice at the same time.

• Make sure you book early to avoid disappointment if you intend to do the most popular tracks during peak season: the Milford, for instance, is fully booked months in advance.

• Outside of Great Walks, things are a lot more laidback and aside from a few exceptions there is no booking system. Huts are split into 3 categories: basic (bunks, water supply), standard (+ table and benches, wood heater below bushline), serviced (+ heating and sometimes cooking stove). Basic huts are free, but to stay in other huts you will need to pre-purchase nightly Hut Tickets (NZ$5 for standard huts, NZ$15 for serviced huts) or a Hut Pass (NZ$122 for 1 year or NZ$92 for 6 months). Tickets and passes can be bought from i-sites, DoC offices and many camping stores.

• Neither the tickets nor the pass guarantee you a spot in the huts – outside of Great Walks, huts work on a first come, first served basis. If the hut happens to be full, you’ll have to try to squeeze in or put up your tent outside instead.

• You can camp on those non-Great Walk tracks for free most of the time. The only exception is camping by a serviced hut, which is charged NZ$5 a night. All campers are welcome to use hut facilities.

 Safety

 Last but not least, keep these simple safety tips in mind before you go, and don’t forget them once on-track:

• Always make sure you have everything before you go – checklists are a must.

• Pick a track suited to your fitness and experience level – if in doubt, start with an easy Great Walk then gradually work your way up to harder tracks. New Zealand is not a flat country, so always be prepared for steep bits, even on easy walks. Estimates given on signs are always for actual walking time, and don’t account much for dallying and taking longer breaks.

• Be mindful of the weather – if the forecast is for heavy rain or other difficult conditions, you may want to reconsider going, especially if the track involves creek crossings.

• Rivers are dangerous – if in doubt about your ability to cross safely, turn back. Never go into a flooded river.

• Take at least a day’s worth of extra food – if you get stuck, you’ll be happy you did.

• Make your intentions known – give your full itinerary and due date to a trusted person so they can sound the alarm if you don’t make it out in time. All huts have logbooks, make sure you leave an entry in all of them so that rescuers may find you more quickly should an emergency arise.

 That’s it – you are now fully equipped to start your own adventure in the wilds of New Zealand. Make sure it’s a good one!

What do you think of the list?

Have we overlooked or missed anything?

Have you tramped in New Zealand? We would love you to share your experiences, shoot us a comment below.

Stephanie Cotteret is a freelance travel writer and photographer who is currently enjoying many “tramps” in New Zealand. She is a regular contributor to Australia-Australie.com , France’s leading website for Working Holidaymakers and backpackers. Check out her photography portfolio online , or contact her on toothbrushnomads[at]gmail[dot]com.

Maintained by “The Sons of the Desert”, this site is interesting, quirky, well written and contains some really great information.

We suspect very clever people , who can actually write and photograph, are behind it.

With “the Son’s” permission we have linked to a couple of their excellent images and stolen some amusing and enlightening pieces of text.

Please read the full trip report, it is well worth your time if you are planning the South Coast Track or just want to see why you might never go there….or, just live the adventure vicariously.

In no particular order,  some images and selected quotes:

But as we descended the south-easterns side of the mountains two things happened. The first was that the flora went from alpine to rainforest! A complete, dramatic change which contributed to making the thousand metre descent quite challenging. The other thing was that the well made track ended; that was the last of well made tracks until the final day.

So what we were left with was descending what was alternately a muddy trench or a root filled running watercourse down a thousand metre descent all overgrown with rainforest undergrowth. The horizontal distance was about 2k; it took almost five hours.

Top of Ironbound Ranges looking toward Louisa Bay and beyond

We then walked on to our intended campsite at Prion East. When we had almost achieved it we found that (not for the first or last time) storms had destroyed the track work, and there was a twenty metre almost vertical sand and slippery rock climb to get to the campsite. When we got the campsite, we found that there was no water: the only water was in soaks at the bottom of the climb!

Mmmm, water is king!

The people who came in the other direction arriving at Granite Beach camp were shellshocked. It started with a relatively tolerable 600m climb through moderate mud and up waterfalls laughingly called track. But when we got to the top, there was a traverse across the ridge line for a few km that was extraordinary. Many people were getting in the mud up to their waists. I managed my thighs but no higher.

South Coast Track mud - fun in the sun (or rain)

Interesting how psychology changes: at the cold moment I would have paid thousands to be transported back to civilisation. Warm in my sleeping bag I would have paid a lot *not* to be transported out and miss out on completing the walk!

Cold is bad, warm gear is great!

We hope you enjoyed the article over at The Sons of the Desert site. Many thanks to them for granting permission to share the information here.

Have you hiked in mud or water like this?
Enjoy or never again?
Shoot us your thoughts and experiences below, we love to share.

Drum roll…… the Overland Track now has its very own weather forecast.

Yep, a specific seven day forecast for the Cradle Valley.  It includes forecasts for “the Overland Track area”, New Pelion Hut and Lake St Clair. Up until now we have always relied on the Mt Reid and Lake St Clair forecasts. That left about 80km in the middle!

Head off to the B.O.M. site to check it out – Cradle Valley forecast.

Because this is a very short note, we thought some indulgence with a series of “weather” photos taken along the Overland Track might be fun.

Barn Bluff topped lightly in snow. This trip was in winter heading back to Cradle Mountain from the Walls of Jerusalum.

A wet day on the track as a walker tries to use a plastic poncho to protect his camera gear….

This was a trip in July, lots of the track was like this. Snow shoes weren’t necessary but the snow and ice was very slippery.

Speaking of ice, we loved these patterns.

This shot was on day five of a quick trip through from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. We had not seen the top of ONE range in four days because of low cloud, rain and fog.  As we headed out on the boat, out came the sun!

Echo Point, a top spot to camp when the lake is low.

Ah, the last day on the track on a February trip. A few of us rinsed out some clothes or swam in them to freshen up. It was a beautiful day as we camped at Echo Point.

What sort of weather have you experienced on the Overland Track?

Have you had all days of sunshine, a mix of sun and snow or just terrible weather?

Shoot us a comment below or post your Overland Track weather images on our Facebook page. We would love to see them!

Recently we were contacted by Natureshop.com, who loved Our Hiking Blog and when we perused their website,  we found we loved them.

Nature shop is a carbon neutral online retailer selling products with a strong environmental and social ethos. A quick glance at their about us page will make you aware of how committed they are.  They specialise in a variety of  footwear and gear such as
Merrell footwear or Teva sandals and shoes

Johanna Beach - Great Ocean Walk - Frank used Teva walking shoes for a few trips here guiding, they were excellent

They did offer us a product each from their extensive range and we are both very excited now that our parcels have arrived. I am looking forward to trying out my new Merrell Siren’s while Frank opted for a pair of Teva Event M’s. We will let you know how these styles go, with consideration to comfortable and durability, two of the essentials of good footwear.

In the meantime we suggest you have a look at Nature shop . It great that they have done all the research about how the products are made and that everything availabIe has been produced in an environmentally responsible manner. It’s also good to know in this age of consumerism that when we go shopping the some profits are use for good.

Oh, and they offer free return shipping and a long return policy.  Quite a positive approach.

Do you buy much gear online? How has your experience been?

We’d love to hear about your experiences.

Sue