The Tutukaka Lighthouse walk is a fun short walk with fantastic views. This easy walk is a great way to enjoy the views of the area and get your heart pumping! I have visited the Tutukaka Coast area a few times and have always really enjoyed it. On past trips most of my time was spent lounging around some of the pristine beaches or getting bashed by waves at Manapouri Bay. For this trip we broke up the beach time with a bit of exercise by taking this walk to the lighthouse. Keep in mind that you should aim to take this walk at low tide as you have to cross a narrow isthmus that may be under w ..read more

Is that tree a Miro or matai? These two native New Zealand trees are similar looking, but here are some tips to help you tell them apart. New Zealand is home to a diverse and varied ecosystem. There are beautiful beaches, volcanoes, lakes, and a variety of forests. The main native forests in the country are either a predominantly beech forest or a podocarp/broadleaf forest. The beech forest is (unsurprisingly) comprised mainly of a handful of species of beech trees. On the other hand the podocarp/broadleaf forest is comprised of a much greater number of trees, including the two similar looking ..read more

iNaturalist is a great, free tool to help you identify unknown plants or animals. This post explains what it is and how to use it. I love exploring New Zealand, especially visiting a new area I haven’t been to before and finding new species. The country has amazing landscapes and trails from the Mt. Taranaki and Mt. Ruapehu in the North Island to the South Island’s Abel Tasman and southern alps. One of the fun parts of exploring is coming across new trees, birds or insects that I’ve never seen before. Then I get to learn more about this special country. iNaturalist is the best tool I’ve found ..read more

Here are 4 common New Zealand cicadas that you may see and likely hear during summer. These are just a few of the more than 40 species of cicada in the country. Well, we are at that time of year again when the bush is alive with the ceaseless pulsing sounds of cicadas. If you are in the bush for hours the sound can drive you a bit nutty. However, I have come to enjoy cicada season because I associate it with long, warm, sunny days to get out and explore. You may get lucky and see some cicadas up close. If you do you’ll notice that there are many different species. Here are some of the common o ..read more

These 7 best Egmont National Park day walks include the famed Pouakai Crossing. They are a great way to get the full Taranaki experience. I have spent a lot of time exploring the trails around Mt. Taranaki since it is the closest mountain to where I live. There are some epic multi-day walks, but a lot of the fantastic features of the area can be experienced on these day walks. A couple of benefits of doing day walks as opposed to overnight walks is that you don’t to carry too much and at the end of the day you get a shower, meal, and sleep in a bed. Mt. Taranaki in Egmont National Park is trul ..read more

The Round the Mountain Track is a classic walk that circumnavigates Mt. Ruapheu. This multi-day walk has waterfalls, snow capped peaks, native forest, open tussock, and varied volcanic landscapes. Although I’ve spent a lot of time in the Mt. Ruapehu area I had not yet experienced what is now one of my favourite places on the North Island – the round the mountain track. I’ve snowboarded on all three ski fields, done the shorter day hikes (tama lakes, Taranaki falls, lake surprise, and the Tongariro crossing), but hadn’t done this walk yet. We recently spent four days enjoying about 2/3 of this ..read more

The Lake Surprise Walk is an uncrowded, fun alpine walk on Mt. Ruapheu. The panoramic views and waterfalls along this walk are awesome. My first explorations of Mt. Ruapehu were always during the winter to go snowboarding. Since those first trips I’ve been back several times during the summer and have really enjoyed exploring the mountain. The south side up from Ohakune is very different from the area around Whakapapa village and is well worth a visit. This short walk is a fun way to explore the less crowded Turoa side and feel a bit adventurous as you wander down the lava flows and cross stre ..read more

I am excited to announce the release of my book, The Real Guide to New Zealand: the Unique Nature of Aotearoa. The book was officially released on 10 November 2022. We are so lucky to live in such a special part of the world here in New Zealand. The country is full of so many unique plants, animals, and fungi that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. My new book is designed to give readers an introduction to the country, explaining why and how it’s special, including the reality of the devastating impact people have had. This is the only book that you need to bring along on your adventur ..read more

The Abel Tasman Coast Track is a lovely great walk in New Zealand. Here is an overview of this magnificent walk. New Zealand’s great walks offer a wide range of experiences, from walking wild west coast beaches along the Heaphy to traversing volcanoes on the Tongariro Crossing, or the mountains along the Kepler Track or Routeburn Track. The Abel Tasman Coast Track explores beaches for swimming and relaxing. This is the most popular of the great walks due to the multitude of ways that it can be explored, such as a half day, full day, kayak trip, or multi-day. Abel Tasman Coast Track Highlights ..read more

The Taranaki Falls Hike on Mt. Ruapehu is a great short walk. This hike is perfect if you only have a few hours at Whakapapa Village to explore the area. When I first heard about this hike I was a bit confused. I live in Taranaki and thought it strange that one of the waterfalls on Mt. Ruapehu is call the Taranaki Falls hike. Well, the two volcanoes of Ruapehu and Taranaki, which can be seen from each other on a clear day, are connected in Maori lore. More about that another time. We did this hike on one of our first visits to Mt. Ruapehu during summer and have been back several times. This sh ..read more