 Guest Post: Easy day hiking trail in New Zealand – the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway Aside from being able to get up close and personal with a seal on a day hiking trail, Jade Johnston of OurOyster.com also says: This walk has it all. Views of mountain ranges, picturesque pasture lands, ocean views, a forest hike, and even animal encounters. All these things, combined with the ease of getting to the trail, makes this walk the ultimate short day easy hike in New Zealand. The sign reads “Please keep at least 10 metres from seals at all times” but sometimes that isn’t always possible. The sign goes on to state, “If a seal comes into the parking lot, keep your distance and don’t get in between it and the sea.” New Zealand is one of the rare places in the world where . . . → More Easy Hiking: Up Close And Personal With A Seal On A Day Hiking Trail  Guest Post: Hiking in New Zealand – Cape Kidnappers Birds, kidnappers and hiking. Now, what do these three have in common? Let Jim McIntosh tell you all about it. New Zealand’s Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony Walk New Zealand hosts the world’s largest mainland based gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay. The Australasian Gannets have been nesting at this site since 1870, and now number around 6,500 pairs. Up close to the Plateau gannet nesting colony The young chicks at 16 weeks old take to their inexperienced wings and commence a 2,800 kms flight across the Tasman Sea, returning when around 2 – 3 years later, but nest in earnest in their 5th year. The birds live an average life of 30 to 35 years. Hike it! The whole route to the colonies can be walked if you leave Clifton Beach soon after . . . → More Easy Hiking: Birds, Kidnappers And Hiking In New Zealand  Guest Post: Easy Hiking Trails Easy hiking in the Australian Outback? Ohhh, YES! Here’s Amanda who will share her hands-on knowledge of the friendly trails of Kings Canyon Rim. Hiking probably isn’t something that comes to mind when you think about the Australian Outback. So I thought I’d better fix that. Don’t just think about big red rocks, flies and thousands of kilometres of nothing. Think about mountain ranges, gorges, waterholes and spectacular canyons. … And hiking trails. The outback has dozens of little-known hiking trails (and lots of well-known ones, too). I was asked to guest post in Easy Hiker about hiking in the outback and I immediately said yes. There was no tight deadline given but required that there be no wild animals. So, as long as the odd furry little rock wallaby (that’s a small kangaroo) is OK . . . → More Easy Hiking: Kings Canyon Rim In The Australian Outback  Guest Post: Easy Hiking Trails With our new series, we are asking adventure travellers to tell us what their favourite easy hiking trail is and why. And no one is more appropriate to kick it off than THE Adventure Couple themselves, Dave and Deb of ThePlanetD who identified their favourite as the Tongariro Crossing in this guest post. Located near Taupo, the North Island’s main town for adventure, the Tongariro Crossing is known as one of the best one-day hikes in the world and it lives up to its reputation. We caught our $20 NZ transport to the start of the trail at Mangatepopo. Busses run daily and you must arrange pick up on the other side of the trail at the Ketetahi hut some 18km later. The day starts in the Mangatepopo Valley and is a leisurely walk on a . . . → More Easy Hiking: The PlanetD’s Day At The Tongariro Crossing  A guest post by John and Andrea Spirov Visitors to New Zealand may be easily fooled into thinking that the most magnificent scenery lies only in the South Island. But the North Island also has some spectacular terrain, including what many consider to be the best one-day hiking trail in the country. The 19.4 km Tongariro Alpine Crossing took us up and across an active volcanic desert, through meadows and forest, into craters and across glacial valleys as well as steaming thermal areas. We took on this incredible journey, which is located in the Tongariro National Park and were rewarded by its diverse landscapes and stunning features. Is this really an “easy” hike, you may wonder? Depends on when you decide to tramp. In winter, weather on the Crossing can be very extreme requiring special equipment and an experienced guide. But in summer it’s completely . . . → More Easy Hiking: Hiking In The Shadows Of Mt. Doom | |
