I am not sure when I first heard about or saw a picture of Wilpena Pound, but I know the thought of seeing it for myself has captivated me for a while. To fully appreciate the area, it’s possibly best from the air, a treat for another time, this day I chose instead to hike … More Hiking Wilipena Pound
I have set up camp in the Flinders Ranges National Park for a few days. Interesting place. Much of the park can be accessed by car at this time of year as it’s dry. So if you are feeling especially lazy you can spend your day driving through the gorges with the air-conditioning on, pulling over … More Flinders Ranges
Driving into Fitzgerald River National Park I was struck my how vast it seemed. Miles of open spaces with a few peaks dotted around so I decided to hike to the top of the closest one, West Mt Baron, to get a sense of the place. One look confirmed what I already knew, 3 days … More Exploring Fitzgerald River National Park
The Noongar people are the traditional Aboriginal custodians of the Stirling Ranges and surrounding region. “Bular Mial” is the Noongar name for Bluff Knoll, the highest peak in the range at 1095m. It means “many eyes” although Noongar speakers may use the term “Bala Mial” meaning “his eyes” when referring to the ancestral being you can … More The many colours of Bluff Knoll
My first stop was somewhere I had been before – The Stirling Ranges. First order of business was Toolbrunup Peak walk. At 1052m, it’s the second highest peak in the National Park, but arguably a tougher scramble to the top. This one is steep! When I was here last year, I battled up this peak … More Good to be back in the red dirt
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
A number of people had recommended the Muller Hut track in Mt Cook. However at this time of year crampons and an ice axe are recommended so it became ruled out for me. However I ventured up the track anyway to see just how far I could get without them! The track starts on the flat … More Leaving one undone
I mentioned in my last post about The Routeburn Track that it wasn’t a loop. So it presented a dilema on how I best get back to my car. As it crosses a mountain range to drive back by road would be 250km or I could retrace my steps and do the track in reverse. … More The Long Way Home
Am vertical, back on two feet and away from the cakes on the Routeburn track. It’s another of the group of New Zealand’s Great Walks and deservedly so. At 32km it’s one of the shorter trails in the series but makes up for it in variety. How long you spend on the track is up … More Stretching the legs
Niamh on Leave 