Fern Burn

Here we are heading off up the Fern Burn valley, at the start of the Fern Burn Track, which is the first stage of the Motatapu Track, from Wanaka to Arrowtown, near Queenstown, in New Zealand's South Island last week. It's easy and level walking to start with.

Bùrn: Scottish Gaelic for fresh water (English equivalent - Bourne)

We then entered the antarctic beech forest of the Stack Conservation  Area, and it was a bit more up and downy. In all the ascent is about 500m, and the walk takes three hours or so each way.

Up above the tree line now, and after a few more ups and downs, the Fern Burn hut is sighted.

It's a great spot for lunch, and then it's off down again through that rather photogenic beech forest and bùrn.

Isthmus Peak, crowded mountain!

One of the many highlights of our New Zealand visit last week was the walk up Isthmus Peak. It's about 1000m of ascent from the start, near Lake Hawea, to the summit, so it's a respectable three hour slog. Excellent track of course, and fabulous scenery.

Nearing the top now.

Right on the snow line. And on the western side, beyond Lake Wanaka below, are very snowy mountains twice as high, including Mount Aspiring, the highest in the area.

The big climb didn't deter the crowds though. It seems to be peak tramping season in New Zealand, and dozens of groups of visitors from all over the world were doing Isthmus Peak that day.

Some locals, we noticed, were doing it the (relatively) easy way, paragliding their way up and then looking down on us.

Wanaka wannabes

I got back recently from a few days of bushwalking ('tramping') in New Zealand's South Island. A small group of us based ourselves in Wanaka, and did a selection of excellent day walks.

Here we are, in the Mount Aspiring National Park Visitor Centre, examining a rather fine wall map and checking out our proposed routes.

Wanaka town is a very pleasant place, full of holiday homes and tourist facilities. At the bottom of Helwick St here is a beach and Lake Wanaka. The other large lake in the area is Lake Hawea.

There are several ski resorts nearby for the ski season. For the rest of the year there's a big range of terrific walking tracks.

The scenery is magnificent: snow covered mountains, clear blue water lakes, and during our stay clear blue skies too. There are rivers and creeks, antarctic beech forests, and sheep, cattle and deer farms.



Below: the team, atop Rocky Mountain, with its fabulous 360 degree views.