Planning a trip to NZ in late february/march 2017
Original post
Hi!
I`m the new guy ;) I`m 41 years old and from Germany. I`m currently planning a trip to NZ. Maybe you have some ideas for me, on what to change, or what to add.
Here`s my idea:
I`m planning to fly from Hamburg to Auckland on 18.02.2017, and I will arrive there on 20.02.2017. I will stay in Auckland for 2 days, to do some sightseeing, and to organize some things, like gas tank for the cooker, maybe a tent,if I don`t bring my own, sunscreen, insect repellent.
I want to get the Intercity Flexipass with 60 hours, and stay on campsites, except in the bigger cities, as the campsites are too far away from the city centre. I will not rent a car, as it is too expensive. Also, I want to travel by bus,and meet fellow backpackers.
I want to go to:
- Paihia ( do the Eco Dolphin Cruise and visit Cape Reinga)
- Coromandel ( take a trip with the Town Driving Creek Railway and maybe the glass bottom boat at Whitianga)
- Rotorua ( discover the area, maybe take a trip to Waitomo and do the blackwater rafting, and I really must try Zorbing!)
- Taupo ( cruise the lake)
- Wellington ( do some sightseeing)
- Picton ( Do the delivery cruise)
- Nelson ( discover the Abel Tasman Coast by boat and walk)
- Franz Josef ( maybe do a walk on the glacier)
- Queenstown ( do some sightseeing, ride a jet boat, cruise on the Milford Sound, cruise on the Doubtful Sound, maybe visit the Glow Worm Caves in Te Anau)
Then fly to Auckland on the 21.03. in the morning, and back home in the evening.
How much, do you think, will I have to spend on food and beverages, if I mostly cook for myself, using the gas cooker?
48 comments
Thanks posting your experiences Gizmo, I've not done it yet, but have mates who have, and I'm sure you'd be well capable of doing the Kepler. In Feb staying at huts, and I recommend that, you won't need to carry cooking gear anyway, just utensils.
The attraction of the Kepler I guess is that it's circular, so with limited time, not the same transport issues.
RE: your other plans, not sure re: Te Paki Coastal Track and transport options, might be limited, I did as part of short cycle tour of to half of North Island. If it doesn't work out the Wanganui River Trip 'great walk' is a good experience, and you got probably get transport sorted to start and from the end from Taumaranui which is on the main (rather only) Auckland v Wellington railway link. However you wouldn't be able to do it solo, as the canoes are two man.
Hey @Gizmo -- yes take some poles! Especially if you end up with your 65L bag. I nearly left mine at home when I went to the Swiss Alps and I don't think I'd have made it without them. Life/ankle/sanity savers. Of course 2 long sticks will do the job if you don't want to buy some.
Poles work for some & not for many others. Try some out, borrowed if possible, on a short walk before dragging them round the world and into the hills. Most people i meet are much slower with poles than without. The research shows they have a negative impact on posture and thus 'are not good for you' physically in healthy people. That said I know many with knee problems for whom they're the only thing that keeps them going in the hills.
The only argument I see for using poles for healthy people is extra sureness of footing on steep country and ability to arrest a slide/fall (and an ice axe is probably the better tool for that job anyway). But on the walks you've mentioned you're on good tracks and not traversing steep faces or crossing swift rivers so there is no _need_ for them. So: down to personal preference.
i find one pole good. two are often a hindrance on a lot of NZ tracks. unless you have a good broad track to walk on, it can be hard to get enough width to use two poles together... and having one hand free makes life a lot easier in general..
We seem to be straying off topic but -----
I have the complete opposite experience to wayno. Have used 1 pole for 2 years then 2 for the next 20 years and 2 are infinitely better for me. Very rarely a hindrance. Have totally changed tramping for me as I always had weak knees and ankles.
madpom - great for stream/river crossings and another bonus was when I was a kayak guide and all that upper body strength meant I used to fly up hills using 2 poles. Also I am definitely faster with poles than without, used to run down hills. Ah - those were the days!
Yeah, I've used trekking poles for near on 20 years too. Two are best particularly with a decent sized pack, and they really spread load off the knees on descents. Likewise going up they help to get a good rhythm and I certainly walk faster with than without them.
Ok, I have had a knee injury in my youth, and from time to time, it still feels unstable, when running downhill, and on gravel. So it might be best to get some poles. I have found 2, which are lightweight and small in size when folded. Which one, do you think, is better?
https://www.leki.com/us/trekking/poles/2483/micro-vario-carbon/?c=708
http://www.backcountry.com/komperdell-c3-carbon-power-lock-trekking-poles
Good tracks, use poles. Scrambling involved, just pack them away.
My absolute go-to bit of kit are my black diamond z poles. Ultra like, highly packable.
They are AMAZING! I don't go into the hills without them. My same set of poles I've used tramping on every walk I've done in NZ, all over Australia, through the jungles of Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. Same set.
Oh, and another bit of kit for slippery trails (ice or mud) is my kahtoola microspikes. Magic.
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| Forum | Tracks, routes, and huts |
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| Started by | Gizmo |
| On | 22 August 2016 |
| Replies | 47 |
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