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- conway-flats
10 summer 2024 Summer 2024 ISSUE 10 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption GO TO Springing A Pacific-blue sea and sky STOP and STAY Three nights at Conway Flats M Richardson I had 3 nights at Conway Flats on my way north. It’s off SH1 just before it heads over the Hundalees to the Kaikōura coast. A Pacific-blue sea and sky. Sleeping to the sound of the sea. Lovely. ◊ ©2024 M Richardson Up Up 10 Summer 2024 , p 17
- waikato-weekend
10 summer 2024 10 summer 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption A long weekend on the Waikato River Roland Jones Enjoying the long weekend on the Waikato River Cooked my favourite breakfast when camping: pancakes with boysenberry jam. Keely’s Reserve, Cambridge ©2024 Roland Jones Up Up 10 summer 2024 , p 19
- Coffee morning Katikati | Camping the Kiwi Way
Summer 2025 ISSUE 13 BUY PDF Contents Click on image for full view and caption coffee-katikati_8242_H.webp GO TO as the seasons change the 1st Friday of the month Coffee morning Katikati Maggie O’Rourke Our first coffee morning was held at the Chrome Cafe in Katikati. The cafe had plenty of parking for all size vehicles including my bus. We had a small gathering of four people and a dog called Ruby. We are going to hold these events the 1st Friday of the month. Add it to your calendar. Robyn and Barry came from Tauranga told us about the Facebook group they started called ‘Stolen caravans in NZ’, after they experienced having there caravan stolen (ckw.nz/fb-stolen-cara). They have 4k members. Any one can join and help owners find their homes. Above: Barry & Robyn Berghoffer, Marianna Haworth & Maggie O’Rourke Marianna Haworth, BOP representative, and her dog Ruby Up Up Summer 2025 , p 34
- kiwi-burn
4 Winter 2023 4 Winter 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption The first hour of the walk is super easy and even a bit peaceful, taking you on a flat walk along the Mararoa River and through the Snowdon Forest. Photos: ©2023 Kayla Laatz. Mountain Mamas NZ The Kiwi Burn Swing Bridge. Right at the start of the walk we faced one of the coolest features (in my opinion) of the track, the Kiwi Burn Swingbridge. A chain metal bridge spanning approximately 15 metres across and standing at least 10 meters high over the gushing Mararoa River. Not at all for the faint of heart! Photos: ©2023 Kayla Laatz. Mountain Mamas NZ The Kiwi Burn Swing Bridge. I was nervous to cross while carrying an extra 20kg of toddler + backpack with me, but I figured it was better for me than my much taller partner to cross carrying it all. A bit wobbly going across, and a bit unsettling viewing the patches in the chain link as you’re right in the middle, but we did it! Photos: ©2023 Kayla Laatz. Mountain Mamas NZ Three Tracks intersect After crossing the bridge, a DOC sign details the 3 walking tracks that intersect at this point: Left to Kiwi Burn hut (1hr 30min), forward to Kiwi Burn Loop Track (3hr 30min), or right to South Mavora Lake (2hr 30min). Photos: ©2023 Kayla Laatz. Mountain Mamas NZ Before we even started to work up a sweat, we were out of the forest and entered an open, flat grassy clearing. Photos: ©2023 Kayla Laatz. Mountain Mamas NZ The Kiwi Burn hut Just as I began to think about the lack of shade and the scorching sun on us, we saw something amazing. The top of the hut finally came into view. Before we even started to work up a sweat, we were out of the forest and entered an open, flat grassy clearing. Photos: ©2023 Kayla Laatz. Mountain Mamas NZ Arriving at the Kiwi Burn hut Photos: ©2023 Kayla Laatz. Mountain Mamas NZ The Kiwi Burn hut Photos: ©2023 Kayla Laatz. Mountain Mamas NZ At the Kiwi Burn Hut There’s lots of room for little ones to safely play both inside and out. Photos: ©2023 Kayla Laatz. Mountain Mamas NZ The longer route back We lost sight of the path, but every few minutes we spotted a tiny orange triangle peeking up out of the 1.5 metre high grass. At times it didn’t even feel like we were following a track anymore, just stamping our own way forward. Photos: ©2023 Kayla Laatz. Mountain Mamas NZ Back at the swing bridge After another hour of easy, peaceful walking through the forest, we arrived back at the swing bridge. Photos: ©2023 Kayla Laatz. Mountain Mamas NZ The final verdict is in: Kiwi Burn Hut is the perfect hut for families with young children. Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track, Mavora Lakes Kayla Laatz Many trampers have vouched that Kiwi Burn Hut is a popular and great option for families, so we thought we’d check it out and put it to a true family-friendly test. With my toddler (and his dada) in tow, we set out to do the full Kiwi Burn Loop Track and spend one night at the hut halfway through. Walking to Kiwi Burn Hut Right at the start of the walk we faced one of the coolest features (in my opinion) of the track, the Kiwi Burn swing bridge. A chain metal bridge spanning approximately 15 metres across and standing at least 10 meters high over the gushing Mararoa River. Not at all for the faint of heart! Signs state only one person at a time should cross the bridge, and when you’re on it I think you’ll agree. I was nervous to cross while carrying an extra 20kg of toddler + backpack with me, but I figured it was better for me than my much taller partner to cross carrying it all. A bit wobbly going across, and a bit unsettling viewing the patches in the chain link as you’re right in the middle, but we did it! After crossing the bridge, a DOC sign details the 3 walking tracks that intersect at this point: Left to Kiwi Burn Hut (1hr 30min), forward to Kiwi Burn Loop Track (3hr 30min), or right to South Mavora Lake (2hr 30min). We decided to take the shorter route to Kiwi Burn Hut first and went left. Since I was carrying such a heavy load, my walking pace was a little slower than the suggested times shown on the sign. The first hour of the walk is super easy and even a bit peaceful, taking you on a flat walk along the Mararoa River and through the Snowdon Forest. A few small streams crossed the path along the way, but were really easy to cross without getting wet feet. With the sound of running water most of the way and the bird chirps coming from above, there were heaps of talking points to keep our young one mentally engaged and entertained. Besides the nearby river at the start, this track is totally safe to let toddlers tot around on too. Before we even started to work up a sweat, we were out of the forest and entered an open, flat grassy clearing. We followed the path stamped down into the knee high grass and the orange triangle markers. We crossed the very windy Kiwi Burn a few times as we rounded to the left of the clearing. Just as I began to think about the lack of shade and the scorching sun on us, we saw something amazing. The top of the hut finally came into view. I was shocked to see it so soon, as we truly hadn’t walked for long at all. It was a very welcome sight though with a cranky, hungry toddler on my back. After an hour and a half of easy walking, we had made it to Kiwi Burn Hut. Kiwi Burn Hut Kiwi Burn Hut overlooks a large, open valley filled with grassy wetlands surrounded by lush green mountains. There’s lots of room for little ones to safely play both inside and out. Behind the hut is a small, shallow stream which is great fun for kids on a hot summer’s day. Inside the hut we were pleased to find two separate bedrooms, each with 6 wooden bunks. We didn’t have the hut to ourselves, so this really eased my mind having the privacy of a separate room in case our little guy didn’t sleep so well that night. A luxury you don’t often get! The kitchen has a spacious bench top for preparing meals, a sink with running water (fed by the rain water tank outside) and a wood-fired stove. The stove could potentially be a hazard to young ones who don’t yet understand the concept of heat or fire, but there’s plenty of room inside to keep them far enough away from it. Outside we found 3 metal fire pits covered with a metal grill, perfect for grilling up meat or late night smores! Back to the Carpark from Kiwi Burn Hut From Kiwi Burn Hut you have two options to get back to the parking area. The shorter route, returning on the same track you came in on (1hr 30min) or the longer route, walking the full loop track back (2 hours). We were curious about what more views the full loop track offered, so opted to take the longer path to the left. Right away we lost sight of the path, but every few minutes we spotted a tiny orange triangle peeking up out of the 1.5 metre high grass. At times it didn’t even feel like we were following a track anymore, just stamping our own way forward. Not only was it hard to constantly dodge sharp grass from poking both mine and my child’s eyes, we also had to avoid tons of prickly weeds scattered throughout the bushes. Lastly, there were a ton of small streams hidden under the wet, dewy grass that were impossible to see until you had already stepped in (or nearly tripped over) them. Wet boots, wet pants, blisters, no shade cover and the very bumpy terrain underfoot made this section quite unenjoyable for us. When my son wanted a break from the carrier, we had to keep pushing forward because there weren’t many suitable spots to put him down for at least an hour and a half. It was mentally tough, and for a while there I think we all regretted the choice to take the long way back to the car. But we were so relieved to re-enter the forest again that we quickly forgot about the tricky section now behind us. After another hour of easy, peaceful walking through the forest, we arrived back at the swing bridge. Overall, it took us just over 4 hours to complete the full Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track. We all agreed that we did not wish to ever repeat the wetlands portion of the walk again, but would happily return to the hut via the shorter walking track. Despite the tough walk on day two, the chance to easily stay overnight in Mavora made it all worth it. The final verdict is in: Kiwi Burn Hut is the perfect hut for families with young children. Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 12.5 km Trail Type: Loop Elevation Gain: 300 meters Time: 4 hours Hut Coordinates: 45°21'18.7"S 168°05'27.4"E Mountain Mamas NZ is an online community of New Zealand based mamas with a love of the great outdoors. mountainmamasnz.com instagram.com/mountainmamasnz facebook.com/mountainmamasnz Up Up 4 Winter 2023 , p 24
- winter-woodie
6 Summer 2023 6 Summer 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Tiny-busporn6_w.webp Bus Porn at Winter Woodie Franziska Bus Porn at Winter Woodie, Woodville, June. ©2023 @Franziska Rv and Tiny House Living NZ Up Up 6 Summer 2023 , p 17
- Stop and Stay | Camping the Kiwi Way
Summer 2025 ISSUE 13 BUY PDF Contents Click on image for full view and caption SS_Papamoa-_20250908_115109.webp GO TO as the seasons change Stop and Stay Up Up Summer 2025 , p 30
- scottland-park
7 Autumn 2024 Autumn 2024 ISSUE 7 BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption Looking west, uphill Scottland Motorhome Park, Bannockburn. ©2024 M Richardson Looking up the valley to Carricktown Scottland Motorhome Park, Bannockburn. ©2024 M Richardson Looking down on Cromwell and Lake Dunstan beyond. Scottland Motorhome Park, Bannockburn. ©2024 M Richardson Looking east, downhill. Scottland Motorhome Park, Bannockburn. ©2024 M Richardson Dump station Scottland Motorhome Park, Bannockburn. ©2024 M Richardson Wind. There is wind. Scottland Motorhome Park, Bannockburn. ©2024 M Richardson Scottland Motorhome Park Miriam Richardson On the top of a ridge looking down on Cromwell one side, and towards Carricktown the other. It’s a windy spot with dramatic views, dramatic weather and the history of the valley is dramatic as well. Read the handout at the registration shed. No tents, children or dogs. Must be self-contained. Bill and Jenny set up their POP (Park Over Property) to have all the things they want when they are travelling, so it includes, water, a photo-worthy dump station for cassettes (left), a washing machine and 2 clothes lines (use your good pegs; it sure is windy), rubbish and recycling as well as a bucket for chook scraps. For grey water, they appreciate it being delivered to their trees, up here in the dry. Also, plugs for e-bike charging, and e-bikes for hire. They have a produce stall at the gate with fruit, eggs, jam, honey and fruit leather, depending on the season (greengages! blackboy peaches! yum!). Activities: walking and cycling, near the Lake Dunstan Trail, and Carrick tracks; wineries, historical sites, galleries. Bill & Jenny 34 Quartzville Rd, Bannockburn 0274 331 761 | 0274 317 101 jenny@xtra.co.nzscottabgood.info $10 a night. NZMCA discount. GO TO Celebrating Summer a windy and dramatic spot with wonderful hosts Private property. Not affected by law changes. Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 39 ISSN 2815-827X (Online) | ISSN:2815-8261 (Print) ISSUE 4 editor@campingthekiwiway.org
- summer-22, cycle-touring-2
2 Summer 2022 Summer 2022 ISSUE 2 CONTENTS PDF BUY Up Cycle touring: Part II, Southland to the West Coast Stephen Wood Up After my ride from Canterbury to Southland, the next step was to continue my clockwise circuit of the Island. I left from Lorneville, in Otago, heading north. Winton was a good opportunity to stock up on a few groceries before lunch in Dipton and carrying on to Lumsden. I researched where the overnight stop might be, and settled on getting to Athol, which was a long enough day, such that there weren’t any cafés or shops open when I arrived. The campsite at Athol was basic but attractive. The kitchen was a small hut with a sink, toaster and fridge, so I cooked outside on my own stove. Part of the camp was set up for campervans, with each site assigned a small hut, with toilet, shower and basin as an en-suite. An early, foggy start in Athol soon cleared and I found snack stops in both Garston and Kingston. I enjoyed the landscape, suggestive of the much larger river that once drained Lake Wakatipu before the Kawerau River captured that role. The road from Kingston to Frankton is one which many believe is too dangerous to cycle, but with less traffic due to covid restrictions and keeping a good eye out for vehicles ahead and behind it was manageable. I decided to head into central Queenstown to look for a few bits and pieces. It was certainly quieter than I’d seen it for years, but still plenty of shopping and food options. Because my next day was going to be a big one, I headed out via Arthurs Point to Arrowtown to camp there. Setting out from Arrowtown, I used Tobin’s track to bypass the zigzag at the bottom of the Crown Range road, but there is still plenty of climbing to do after rejoining the road. It’s a long winding climb, and even though I could ride much of it, a loaded bicycle is pretty slow and wobbly at low speed. I decided that my safety was a lot better if I walked, especially around blind left-handed corners as I could be further to the left, with my bike between me and the traffic. It’s always an achievement to get to a road summit — it was the first time I’d cycled this one from the south. Of course the downhill was wonderful, with a café stop at Cardrona and a relaxed arrival in Wanaka, where I decided to camp at one of the campgrounds to allow another grocery top-up. Next day I was heading off past Albert Town, the first time I’d come across a one-way bridge with traffic lights and a cyclists’ push-button to switch them, and then on to Hawea and beyond. There was a reasonably strong nor’westerly slowing me down. After a lunch stop on the road and then a café stop in Makarora, I headed to the DOC campground at Cameron Flat. Despite some publicity about DOC campsites needing to be pre-booked, so far I have found that you can still just turn up and pay at an honesty box, as long as the site isn’t full! The site is close to the Blue Pools, a scenic hotspot with an upgraded car park. From Cameron Flat it was a relatively short haul up to the Summit of Haast Pass/ Tioripatea. The descent however is steep, and requires care on a loaded bike, including checks for brakes overheating. Once down on the river flats it was easy going until Haast, apart from navigating around several road crews working on sections of an optic fibre link. Although there were camping options in Haast I upgraded myself to a backpackers hotel and a pub dinner. Fox Glacier is a 120km away and I decided that although I can do that distance in a day, that I’d split it into two easier days. The first day took me past the steep bluffs around Knights Point and gentler coastal terrain to a DOC campsite at Lake Paringa, giving me plenty of a time for an afternoon excursion up the road to check out the nearest café, 18km away. An early start the next day got me to Fox Glacier township, where I was expecting another welfare visit from my wife Robyn in our campervan. Because she was planning to shadow me for a couple of days, this meant I could tackle the up and down road to Franz Joseph as well as the next hump, called Mount Hercules, without my panniers. That got us to Hari Hari where the pub was set up for campervan stays and we had time to look around the town. The next day’s forecast carried a heavy rain warning, but I was determined to keep going. We had a cuppa stop together in Ross where Robyn reported that the campervan had a worrying roof leak. I did start riding towards Hokitika, but thinking about both my safety on the road when every passing vehicle was lifting a cloud of road spray, the forecast, that suggested the next several days would also be wet, and that the last leak on our campervan had caused a lot of electrical damage, I decided to call a halt to my ride and help Robyn get the campervan home to Canterbury. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be the end of my ride around the island or not. 9 days riding, 707 km. Up Up Tile garden in Hari Hari ©2022 Stephen Wood 1/19
- cracked-it
Winter 2025 ISSUE 12 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption chilly-puffer_H.webp chilly-puffer.jpg GO TO CHILLY CHILLY CHILLY OUT THERE Plus a hottie! HUH ! Cracked it! Nick Hope It’s a pressure issue. Too cold. Turned fan on. Went for a couple of seconds, intermittent for a couple of bursts. Stopped. Bought a size 20 puffa jacket. Perfect fit for the gas bottle. Plus a hottie. Heated water to about 60°, and stuffed the water bottle in the jacket against the bottle. Whadiya know. Couple of mins later we got heat. 🏕️ Facebook comment: You’ll need something waterproof over it if you’re in the south or in a snow area. If it gets wet then freezes you wont get it off. I use waterproof synthetic horse rugs on my water and gas bottles. Been in -8° with 2 foot of snow on top: sweet as. Up Up 12 Winter 2025 , p 11
- a-teardrop
1 Spring 2022 1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption My little teardrop I always liked the shape of the early teardrops “1939’ so just started with that. he teardroIt has a bit of an old aircraft look to it It isn’t the flashest little camper out there, but the main thing is that it is fun, always changing when I find something new or different to add, and I get to meet great people and enjoy this great country. The feature I like best is the kitchen The main shelf is a fold down one; I put my vintage primus cooker on, with the wash sink. It keeps everything flexible. I like the open feel of having a large window open to the world. A teardrop camper Gary Hitchcock My little teardrop started life in 2016 as an idea to have something I could use to get away and recharge myself, and also as a bug-out camper in the event of a disaster. I live in Christchurch! I always liked the shape of the early teardrops “1939” so just started with that. I had an old trailer with a body that was too rusty to save, but the frame was ok. The main material for the camper was a UV-protected plastic sheet, ideal for outside use. It was getting dumped from where I was working at the time. I had the advantage of being able to use a large laser cutter to cut it to my design. It was about a year before I was ready to start the build, having found funds and materials to start putting it together. A lot of the bits and pieces are reject parts that would have been tossed out, like the windows, roof vent & gray water tank, that are made from PVC cabinet door fronts. I have two layers to the floor so there is lots of storage under the bed. The feature I like best is the kitchen. I didn’t do a full, built-in kitchen in the back as I like the open feel of having a large window open to the world. It is fantastic when you get to camp with a great view you can enjoy even if the weather is not great. It still works as a kitchen, with the main shelf and a fold down one I put my vintage Primus cooker on, with the wash sink. It keeps everything flexible to change around to suit what I am doing at the time. After all, it is supposed to be camping. I have fun cooking up a storm as I have plenty of food in the storage areas, but never know what I will find till I get there. All part of the adventure. I can also easily remove the two clear polycarbonate windows & main shelf if I need to use the teardrop as a covered trailer. I use a small old solar panel to run a small fan to have fresh air circulating, mainly for when the teardrop is not in use over winter, so it is always fresh. I didn’t plan on having a TV, but after finding a bargain & some speakers, media player & amplifier I put them all together and made a great little system to listen to music & watch movies when I just want to relax at the end of the day. With the teardrop having a bit of an old aircraft look to it I was after something to go on the front. While I was working on it I heard Murray Ball passed away, 12 March 2017, so I made the “Dog” graphics as a tribute and also now to my little dog Angel who just loved being in the teardrop. Most of the summer was spent camping out in the teardrop at home, as for some reason we both sleep better in the teardrop than in the house. It isn’t the flashest little camper out there, but the main thing is that it is fun, always changing when I find something new or different to add, and I get to meet great people and enjoy this great country. BY: Gary Hitchcock PHOTOS: ©2022 Gary Hitchcock Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 24
- my-back-yard
5 Spring 2023 5 Spring 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Watching the sunrise in Bluff Cruising on the open road. No where to be — everywhere to see. Heading for Te Anau. Mirror Lakes Homer Tunnel. Spot the Kea! Spot the Kea! (Homer Tunnel) Milford Sound! Somehow I scored a free kayak tour— under waterfalls, next to dolphins — just magical. Milford Sound! Probably the best day of my life so far. Milford Sound! Probably the best day of my life so far. Milford Sound! Probably the best day of my life so far. Queenstown Lakes Queenstown Lakes Queenstown Lakes Clay cliffs, Omarama Felt like the Grand Canyon Arthur's Pass Thunder Creek Falls Thunder Creek Falls on a rainy day. (Mt Aspiring National Park) Tunnel Beach, Dunedin Tunnel Beach, Dunedin Moeraki Boulders Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes National Park Port Underwood. A cool detour to Picton, very scenic. Freedom camping near Featherston Freedom camping near Featherston Freedom camping near Featherston Castlepoint, Wairarapa My solo adventure began on my 20th birthday Around my own back yard Maia Steiner I’ve always dreamed of travelling around my own back yard in a van and I finally did! I saved up and brought myself Wally (my van) in May 2022. I worked 6-day weeks to save up some travel money and left for my solo adventure on my 20th birthday! I got home a few days before Christmas and sold my van not long after, for the same price I brought it for. All in all it was an awesome trip I will never forget! Get out there and travel our awesome country! Photos ©2023 Maia Steiner Up Up 5 Spring 2023 , p 30
- pukaki-ano
9 Spring 2024 Spring 2024 ISSUE 9 BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption Lake Pukaki September 2024 ©2024 M Richardson Lake Pukaki September 2024 ©2024 M Richardson I just can't get enough Lake Pukaki Miriam Richardson Lake Pukaki, freedom camping in Winter: I cant get enough of this place. Any season. ©2024 M Richardson Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 24











