Early on Saturday morning people of all shapes and sizes tumbled off buses and on to the start of the Tongariro Crossing track. At 19.4km it’s no stroll, with many steep inclines along the way to thin out the crowd. It’s reputation as one of New Zealand’s best day walks is well deserved, although perhaps … More Tongariro Crossing
Hi, long time no talk. Hope you are all well. More recently being Niamhonleave has only been a fleeting state of mind in-between busy weeks working. However I got to spend some time in New Zealand over the Easter and it was very easy to slip back into my former ways. Just a shame I … More A State of Mind
Driving back to Wellington from Taranaki I was struck by the number of empty building along the road. Many of them were disused dairies, a sign of changing times. Equally on the South Island I noticed a vast number of distressed huts and sheds in the fields. As I am getting ready to leave New … More A new project?
A short post today, because I am…..mmmm….. otherwise occupied with a good book! I have spent the last two days reading a book but every so often I peered over the top of it to make sure the world was in order. Am in a small town called Pohara, in Golden Bay. Yesterday it mostly rained all … More Watching the grass grow
My time in New Zealand is coming to an end. It wasn’t planned but one of my last hikes here was along the aptly named Cape Farewell which is the most northerly point on the South Island. It was originally discovered by Abel Tasman and later named by Captain Cook in 1770 as it was … More Cape Farewell
Some days in New Zealand I have seen more sheep than people. Although I suspect this one thought he was concealed by a rock. Either way I feel he was approaching the day on his terms. There are many (mainly bad) jokes about the number of sheep in New Zealand relative to the number of people … More What are EWE laughing at?
The car is parked. In fact I have run out of road! Have arrived at Wharariki Beach on the north-west tip of the South Island. It’s been a while since I have been to the beach. This wasn’t a day for deckchairs and sunloungers though. Although sunny, it’s a little cool so wont be topping up the … More Sundown
Am back behind the wheel and making my way up the west coast of the South Island. Good to be on the road and blasting the tunes. Was checking out this morning and got into a conversation with the receptionist, which went something like this; So where are you headed to today? North Anywhere in particular? Not … More Hitting the road
In recent times I have learnt much about glaciers. I have many new words in my vocabulary, moraine, firn, blue ice, ablation zones, glacial flour…….. Then I came across this Maori explanation at Franz Joseph Glacier and decided I preferred that instead! The early Maori knew Franz Joseph as Ka Rominate o Hine Hukatere (Tears … More Frozen Tears
Niamh on Leave 