New Zealand Trip | The Hiking Society

This section is purely dedicated to the adventures I’ve been on in New Zealand. I will be documenting the entire trip by way of preparation and post trip. While I wouldn’t expect many people to undertake a multi-day trek consisting of 270kms over 13 days, I think the core principles of organising a multi-day trek still apply, so I genuinely hope those of you who are at that stage, or are looking to get into multi-day hikes will get some value out of this.

We will be documenting everything from why we are doing this, how we are doing it, where will be on certain dates, our respective gear lists, and various other aspects of completing this trip.

Feb

February 19, 2018John FeeneyNew Zealand, Tracks & Trails

Mount Ruapehu Walking Track, New Zealand

The main event for our trip to New Zealand was undoubtedly the hike up to Mount Ruapehu in the Tongariro National Park. After spending several days in New Zealand forests, which included the Timber Trail and the 42 Traverse, we entered the volcanic area of the Tongariro National Park. The park itself, home to the...

Feb

February 8, 2018John FeeneyNew Zealand, Tracks & Trails

The 42 Traverse: New Zealand

The second of three main trails we hiked during our time in New Zealand, the 42 Traverse was a 2-day walk through the quiet Tongariro Forest. Often used by 4WDs, hunters, mountain bikers, motorbikes, horse riders, and fishermen, the 42 Traverse is also used by hikers; particularly those who are hiking the Te Araroa trail....

Jan

January 28, 2018John FeeneyNew Zealand

The Timber Trail, New Zealand

Despite the fact that the Tongariro National Park is the jewel in the crown of our trip, the Timber Trail comes a close second in its own right. An 85km trail in the Pureora Forest in the North Island of New Zealand, this is a trail designed for mountain bikers and hikers alike. It is...

Jan

January 23, 2018John FeeneyNew Zealand

What Our New Zealand Trip Meant For Me

Well, after a week of getting back into the swing of things, it’s time to turn my attention to blogging about our trip to New Zealand. It’s funny though. When I think about all that we did while we were there, it can be a little hard to really convey my feelings about the whole...

Dec

December 24, 2017John FeeneyNew Zealand

Hiking Gear for New Zealand: Part Three

This is part three of a three-part series going over the hiking gear I’ll be taking with me to New Zealand. You can find Part One here and Part Two here. The third and final part of this blog series will be looking at what First Aid, navigation, hydration and other miscellaneous hiking gear I...

Dec

December 23, 2017John FeeneyNew Zealand

Hiking Gear For New Zealand: Part Two

This is the second part of the three-part blog series covering the hiking gear I will be using in my upcoming trip to New Zealand. The first part covered what tent, backpack, sleeping system and sleeping mat I’ll be using. Disclosure: some of the items featured in this list are those I sell through my outdoor...

Dec

December 21, 2017John FeeneyNew Zealand

Hiking Gear For New Zealand: Part One

I’ve chosen to break this down into a three-part series as there is a fair bit to cover. The next blog in our trek to New Zealand series will be looking at what hiking gear I will be taking with me. So far I’ve written about what food we will be taking, as well as...

Dec

December 10, 2017John FeeneyNew Zealand

Our Food For New Zealand

In just over two weeks, my two friends and I will be heading off to New Zealand to hike 270kms from Matamata to the Tongariro National Park. This latest blog article will go through not only the food we will be taking and why, but also the process of how we will be managing our...

Nov

November 13, 2017John FeeneyNew Zealand

How To Efficiently Break Down a Long Day Hike

Given there are a couple of days in New Zealand where we will be hiking 25-30kms, I thought it might be useful to detail how we are going to tackle these seemingly long days. And do it with ease. Similar to my theory on how to tackle those damn hills, it’s all a mental game...

Nov

November 7, 2017John FeeneyNew Zealand

Where Are We Hiking In New Zealand?

So, let’s get into the nitty gritty of where myself, Matt and Keith will be heading to when we hike just over 270kms in New Zealand at the end of the year. As mentioned previously on Facebook, this trip is very much the sequel to our previous NZ trip and is inspired by The Hobbit. But,...