Category: Easy

Travis Wetland Circuit, Christchurch NZ

A very pleasant short walk in the north-east of Christchurch around the reconstructed Travis Wetland, with native plants & lots of birdlife.

My wife Sophia has worked opposite Travis Wetland in the Christchurch suburb of Burwood for a few months, but this was our first time to visit it. I didn’t expect all that much, but it is in fact a very pleasant stroll. The majority of the area is grassy wetland, but various iconic native plants are planted along the track, many of them labelled. And there are pleasant lakes, lots of birdlife, and a viewing tower so you can get a proper look at the area. Continue reading “Travis Wetland Circuit, Christchurch NZ”

Mt Iron Circuit, Wanaka, Otago NZ

A shortish circuit walk up the glacial landform of Mt Iron (548m), with views in all directions including Lake Wanaka and the Southern Alps.

Climbing Mt Iron is a popular circuit walk on the edge of Wanaka. Although there are steep sections it is a reasonably short and straightforward walk through a mix of private and conservation land. There are views in all directions, over Lake Wanaka, farmland, the towns of Wanaka and Albert Town, and various mountains including the Southern Alps. Continue reading “Mt Iron Circuit, Wanaka, Otago NZ”

Makarora Bush Nature Walk, Haast Highway NZ

The Makarora Bush Nature walk is a short 1km loop through attractive native forest besides the Haast Highway at Makarora.

The Makarora Bush Nature Walk is a short stroll through attractive native forest, starting on the highway near the DOC office in Makarora. We did it on our way out and then back on the all day Mt Shrimpton Track. I thought it was nice enough to give it its own post. Continue reading “Makarora Bush Nature Walk, Haast Highway NZ”

Sluice Box Bridge Short Walk, Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve NZ

The Sluice Box Bridge Short Walk follows the Lake Daniell Track for about 5 minutes to a small picturesque gorge formed by the Maruia River.

The Sluice Box Bridge Short Walk is a very short walk, but is a nice way to stretch the legs if you are driving to or from the West Coast (or Nelson) via the Lewis Pass. It’ll only take 5 minutes to get to the bridge on the Lake Daniell Track, however you might like to spend some time down on the rocky Maruia River bed. The river narrows to a short gorge here, the Sluice Box, and is a lovely green colour. The surrounding area is quite picturesque. Track notes at the end. Continue reading “Sluice Box Bridge Short Walk, Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve NZ”

Pipeline & Tram Tracks plus Powerhouse Walk, Reefton, West Coast NZ

A pleasant short walk between the town of Reefton and the village of Blacks Point, plus visit a historic power station site.

After doing a couple of excellent walks in Victoria Forest Park (the Klondyke Routes and Mt Haast Route) we took a day off to look around the historic mining town of Reefton. To do so we walked about 2-2.5km into town from our accommodation in the small village of Blacks Point along the Pipeline and Tram Tracks. These made for pleasant walking through mostly native forest with a bit of scrub, with just a short ascent and descent at the start and end. We later did the short Powerhouse Walk, learning about the hydro scheme that powered the southern hemisphere’s first electric street lighting. There’s almost nothing left of this but they are going to build a replica I believe. Continue reading “Pipeline & Tram Tracks plus Powerhouse Walk, Reefton, West Coast NZ”

Tekapo Mt John Walkway, Lake Tekapo, Canterbury NZ

The Tekapo Mt John Walkway is an easy circuit walk offering extensive views over lakes, plains & distant high mountains from the summit of Mt John (1031m).

The Tekapo Mt John Walkway is an easy route that takes you to the observatory complex on the top of Ōtehīwai Mt John (1031m). You can continue as we did to make a loop walk, returning by the shore of Lake Tekapo. The views are very spacious: this roche moutonnee is surrounded by lakes and wide plains, and beyond these are numerous high peaks. Continue reading “Tekapo Mt John Walkway, Lake Tekapo, Canterbury NZ”

Lake Hayes Walkway, Arrowtown area NZ

The Lake Hayes Walkway is an easy 8km walk around Lake Hayes, near Arrowtown, passing through a variety of vegetation on a well formed track.

Despite numerous holidays in Queenstown over the years we had never done this short and pleasant walk around Lake Hayes: the Lake Hayes Walkway. There are more interesting tracks to do first I guess, but this was a good option to stretch our legs after lunch in Arrowtown one day when we needed to recover from other longer tramps. There’s a bit of variety, with small wetlands and a number of wetland birds in residence, as well as small stands of trees, some native scrub and exotic plants/trees. Continue reading “Lake Hayes Walkway, Arrowtown area NZ”

Key Summit Track & Lake Howden, Fiordland National Park NZ

A very high views to effort ratio on the relatively easy Key Summit Track in Fiordland, a side trip off the famous Routeburn Track.

On our first walking trip to Fiordland I wanted to do a few of the well known day walks that take in some of the best scenery. The Key Summit Track can be fit easily into half a day, and has a very high views to effort ratio. It’s mainly a views walk, so one to save for a clear day, and in fact we had planned two days in Fiordland to coincide with rare cloudless skies. There’s spectacular views of the Darran, Ailsa and Serpentine mountain ranges, picturesque tarns and bogs, and views into the Lower Hollyford Valley. Continue reading “Key Summit Track & Lake Howden, Fiordland National Park NZ”

Blue Pools Walk, Mt Aspiring National Park NZ

An easy 3km walk to green-blue waters on the Blue Pools Walk in Mt Aspiring National Park, just off the Haast Pass Highway.

When driving from the West Coast to Queenstown I had wanted to stop off and do a short walk to stretch my legs, and the Blue Pools Walk fit the bill. It’s a stroll through mainly beech forest to a couple of swing bridges, the second of which provides views up a gorge filled with blue-green coloured water. These are the so called Blue Pools, although it’s really Blue River, a tributary of the Makarora River. You can drop down to the river bed at the confluence of the two rivers for a different perspective. Continue reading “Blue Pools Walk, Mt Aspiring National Park NZ”

Forest Walk & Sentinel Rock Walk, Franz Josef Glacier, Westland Tai Poutini National Park NZ

Very short walks to good views of the Franz Joseph Glacier. Can sometimes be extended on the Franz Valley Walk.

On a typically wet and cloudy visit to Franz Josef Glacier we wanted to at least get a good look at the glacier before moving on to our next destination. We did get a look from Rata Lookout two days earlier on the Alex Knob Track, however with some clear weather on the morning we left we stopped to do two very short walks, both with glacier views: The Forest Walk to Glacier View (the first part of the Franz Valley Track), and the Sentinel Rock Walk, which is a short side trip up a hill. You get a decent look at the quickly receding Franz Joseph Glacier from the end of these tracks, however the highlight is probably the overall Franz Valley. Continue reading “Forest Walk & Sentinel Rock Walk, Franz Josef Glacier, Westland Tai Poutini National Park NZ”