New outdoor gear for 2021....updated!

 New Tramping Equipment acquired in 2021

I am a total outdoor gear head...I like new gear, I am interested in new outdoor innovations and like to read about gear other outdoor enthusiasts are using. Can you have to much tramping equipment? No...I don't think anyone can have too much tramping equipment provided you are actually using it. If you buy equipment and it sits in a cupboard gathering dust then yes you have too much. 

My Vaude Breta 50l pack on the Nina Valley Track

 This is a post about tramping gear I may acquire over the rest of this year...this will be an annual feature. I will start the post in January and note any new acquisitions over that year, I may possibly comment upon items and in some cases review how it is working for me. There may be an accompanying post in more depth on certain pieces of gear which I think you might be interested in. 

My post about the MSR Windburner stove...

As far as my outdoor gear cupboard goes I am more or less supplied with all of the basic equipment I need to under take my varied outdoor adventures. There are no new big ticket items I hunger for so any new purchase's will be replacements for broken gear, gifts or necessary upgrades.

My ACR ResQLink beacon is due for replacement in 2021...

Right-o...so lets us look at some new gear I have acquired so far this year...

Tents:

Coleman Camper 2 tent:

Karen and I recently went for a camping trip to Hanmer where we were using my Coleman Coastline  three person tent to sleep in. After using it for this trip I decided it might be too difficult for me to set up on my own when I go for car camping or base camp trips.

Coleman Coastline 3 person tent at Hanmer holiday Park

Plenty of space for two people in the Coastline 3.....

I happened to be in Hunting and Fishing the week after we returned and saw they had Coleman Camper 2 dome tents for sale for $99 so I brought myself one. I intend to use it to fill the role of single person base camp tent. I used it on my recent visit to Nelson Lakes NP where I was walking some of the day tracks like the Mt Robert Circuit. It worked well and will become a piece of kit you are likely to see again on these pages.  

My Coleman Camper 2 set up at Kerr Bay Campground, St Arnaud

The Camper 2 is a freestanding dome tent...

The tent is a two person version but is better utilised as a single person car camping tent. It is 2.4 kg's with a 8000mm PU floor and 2000 mm rain fly. Dimensions are 2.6 (L)x1.6 (W)x1.2 (H). It is a free standing design so I can easily erect it on my own in less that three minutes.  

Plenty of space in my Camper 2 for myself and base camping gear

Kerr Bay is a great base for tramps in Nelson Lakes NP

This tent will get a bit of use in the future as I have several places where I would like to go for base camps.  It would even be good for a trip to places like the Abel Tasman Coast Walk for an overnight visit to one of the beaches accessible by water taxi. I just don't want to be carrying this sucker for more than 100 meters...

Sleeping Mat:

Roman King Single Air Mattress:

I have a multitude of air mats and mattresses but I didn't have a single person car camping air mattress to use on my recent trip to Nelson Lakes NP. I had a bit of a look around and settled on a Roman brand King-Single air mattress. 

Roman King-Single air mattress

Roman is a well known Australian camping brand here in New Zealand and they sell mattresses, tents, sleeping bags and ancillary camping gear. This mattress cost me $60 NZ dollars (in a summer sale...) at Hunting and Fishing and I found it to be comfortable to use and more than wide and long enough to accommodate my carcass. It is 1.9(L)x1.1(W)x30cm(H) and weighs approximately 3 kg's. 

The Roman air bed set up in my tent at Kerr Bay

 

I put an closed air mat under it to better insulate it from the ground and this seemed to work well as I was still warm even in -2 degree weather. You are going to see this beast in posts in the future...

Camping Stoves:

MSR Windburner stove:

Lovely Karen brought me an excellent MSR Windburner stove for Christmas and it is awesome. I have long coveted a personal cook system by they are heinously expensive ($300...) and I just could not justify the cost. I am very lucky to have such a lovely thoughtful partner...thanks love!

The complete MSR Windburner stove system...

MSR are a well known and respected brand and these stoves have an excellent reputation for boiling speed, gas efficiency, quality and robustness. It will boil a 1 liter pot of water in half the time of my other stoves and it can heat 500ml in just over a minute. 

The Windburner in action near Wainui Hut

The stove has gone on one trip so far to the Abel Tasman Inland Track and will mostly be used if I am camping or in an alpine area as they are very wind resistant. They are also excellent on ice and snow but I am not a mountaineer or heading to Antarctica so the stove is unlikely to find itself in those environments. 

The Windburner packed ready for transport...

I look forward to using this stove for many years to come....

Campmaster backpackers stove:

I was in Bivouac Outdoor one day and I saw the stove below on sale for $29 dollars and I thought...hey...I really need another tramping stove. I mean honestly...how can you go past a sub $30 camp stove? You can find these cookers in many different shops including Bivouac Outdoors, Torpedo 7,  Mitre 10 and Bunnings. 

The Campmaster backpackers stove...

I haven't used it except to trial it at home and it works a treat...a little faster to boil a 500ml pot of water than my Firemaple Ti stove slower than the MSR. It is always good to have a variety of tools to complete a job of work as nothing can fulfill every role at all times.

My Firemaple Ti stove...only 48 gms!!!!

I recently loaned this stove to my sister as she was walking the Abel Tasman Track with some of her nursing buddies. I also loaned her one of my older stoves ( a Kovea backpacker...brought in 1990 and still going strong) as one of her companions did not have a small tramping stove to use.

 

The Campmaster stove has a plastic storage box...

I will ask her how the Campmaster backpackers stove performed out in the field...BTW: I will be taking the stove on some tramping trips this year. 

Outdoor cooking kit:

Sea to Summit X-Mug:

Karen brought me a MSR Windburner stove for Christmas and I found that my Sea to Summit Delta mug I brought last year made the package too bulky in my pack. I needed a smaller (...or better yet flatter...) cup so the package was smaller. 

I brought myself a collapsible Sea to Summit X-Mug.

Sea to Summit X-Mug...mine is orange!!!

The X-Mug has been around for a couple of years now and they have quite a good reputation for durability. The base and rim of the mug are hard plastic but the main body is folding silicone. When flat it is about 8 mm thick and fits very nicely onto the top or bottom of my stove system. This has cut a good 8-10cm or more from the overall size of my packed stove.

The Sea to Summit X-Mug in the collapsed state

I have taken the X-Mug out with me a couple of times and it works really well...it is easy to fold/unfold, lite weight and insulated enough that I do not burn my hands. All in all it is a very fine bit of kit and given it cost me only $15 very economical as well. There is a whole range of this Sea to Summit folding cookware including cups, bowls, plates and even metal bottomed pots & kettles. 

There is a variety of different X-Series cookware...

I will continue to use my Delta mug with my lite weight Ti stove as I can pack my gubbins inside the mug which then fits into my cook pot. 

Outdoor Clothing:

Bridgedale Socks:

I have to replace my tramping socks about every two years or so as they start to glaze and begin giving me sore feet, blisters and other feet complaints. I have been exclusively using Bridgedale mid weight tramping socks for the last five years as they are comfortable quality for your feet.

My preferred Bridgedale socks...

I brought another two pair of these socks during a summer sale in January and wore them for the first time on my recent tramp of the Paparoa Track. They were $29.50 down from $39.50 which considering how good they are is a magnificent price. I would have brought more but they only had two pair in my size (XL=13 UK or 14 US/48 Euro)

I have several pair of these Bridgedale Hike socks...

The Mid Weight Trekker/Hike are a Merino/synthetic mix and sit mid calf on my legs...they are good at heat management (not too cold/hot) and have great durability. I normally wear the XL size which is good for feet from 13-15 UK or 47-49 European sizing. I carry two pair on a 3-7 day trip and use one pair for wear (..I wash them every two days...) and one spare. 

There is lots of technology in these Bridgedale socks

I have always brought these from Hunting and Fishing but I noticed recently that they do not have as good a selection as previously. Hopefully it is just a Covid supply chain problem as I really like this brand and would like to keep using them. 

Mountain biking:

Merida Big Nine 20 (XL frame):

I was super frustrated by the the Covid -19 lockdown last year as it meant I could only go for limited walks within my suburb. In New Zealand you had to stay within an hour of your home although I don't think anyone outside of Auckland (...the New Zealand Covid epicenter...) was prosecuted for going further than this. I cast covetous eyes on all those people blasting around on their bikes when I did not have a road worthy one to use. 

Walkers and cyclists during lockdown but no cars....

As soon as the shops opened I went and brought a brand new Merida Big Nine 20 MTB and some gear to go with it. It cost me $1000 (down from nearly $1200) and it is fine for all of the possible cycling adventures I might want to use it for. It has a lite weight aluminum frame, front shocks, Shimano gears/disc brakes, 29" wheels and quality components so it will be good for some cycle touring, road rides and easier MTB tracks. 

Merida Big Nine 20 (2019)

I was a total MTB nut back in the 1990's and used to get up to all sorts of crazy adventures back then. The bike I was riding at the time cost me over $4000 ( a heavily modified Bauer hard tail with uber expensive tires, brakes and Rockshox's fitted...). I was especially into the hard core downhill stuff, rough trail riding and long distance road riding. I would like to get back into these sort of activities if not at the pitch I pursued them at that time. 

I rode down the Bridal Path a couple of times...sporty!!!

I have my eye on some cycle trails...Otago Rail Trail, Alps to Ocean, West Coast Wilderness Trail, Timber Trail, Old Ghost Road etc. Eventually I am going to get too old to swing a pack and I'm going to head into kayaking and cycling as an alternate. 

Im keen to experience the Old Ghost Road Track...

I will need some gear for these tracks...MTB clothing, spares, racks, bags, a better seat etc.

Ancillary Equipment:

Leki Eagle trekking poles:

I have been on the lookout for a new set of trekking poles for quite some time now but to no avail. One of my Leki Makalu poles broke while walking the Travers-Sabine Circuit back in 2018 and the second pole is getting a disturbing bend in the smallest of the sections. I basically wanted something similar to my existing poles...Leki brand, basic in design, soft plastic handle, robust and not too expensive.

My old Leki Makalu pole up the Hawdon Valley in 2020

I brought Karen a set of walking poles last year for her birthday and I liked the design of them so much I went out and brought myself a set of the exact same poles. These are Leki Eagle trekking poles which I purchased from Torpedo-7 here in Christchurch on sale for only $119 a pair. 

Leki Eagle tramping poles

I have already used the trekking poles on a number of tramps...a recent visit to Godley Head Coastal Track and my Paparoa GW trip a couple of weeks ago. They performed very well and I am impressed with the quality and workmanship of these Leki products. They are much lighter than my previous poles as they do not have the the older style shock system those poles used. 

A Leki pole at the Upper Pororairi River bridge...

They will be going with me on the Kepler Track next week and will be my main trekking poles going forward. You are sure to see them in a number of photos over the next couple of years. 

My Leki Eagle pole on the Croesus Track last month

Eagle trekking pole stowed on the recent Godley Heads day trip

I had my previous poles for over 15 years...we will have to see if these ones can match that level of longevity!

Pack cover, Tatonka 50-65l:

I lost the iconic orange color Vaude pack cover I have been using for many years on my recent tramp of the Paparoa Track. I had it tied to my pack with some cord but a massive wind gust literally ripped it off my pack and over a massive bluff never to be seen again. 

Poop.....

My pack with cover fitted on the Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes NP in 2017

I am often walking in rain so I had to find an alternate...the obvious solution would be an Osprey cover but there is zero stock in New Zealand due to Covid 19 issues. In the interim I have brought a cheap Tatonka pack cover as a stop gap...it cost me just $25.   

The Tatonka 40-55l pack cover.....

If it performs ok it will probably continue in service but otherwise I will replace it with a Osprey cover specifically designed to fit my Osprey Atmos AG 50 pack.

The Tatonka pack cover is elasticated top and bottom...

My pack cover looks the same as this red one but it is a light yellow color. I suppose the color is good for safety...obvious to SAR searchers and it will help me to not get blasted by some novice hunter during the Roar! 

That yellow pack cover sure stands out....Brod Bay Shelter

MSR Salt and Pepper Shaker:

While Karen and I were in Wanaka recently we went for a stroll down the main shopping area of Wanaka including several outdoor stores. There are quite a few outdoor retailers in Wanaka as it is in close proximity to tracks in Mt Aspiring, Mt Cook and Fiordland National Parks. 

On Helwick Street in downtown Wanaka

I happened along this item in Southern Wild (one of the shops there)...it is the MSR Salt and Pepper Shaker. I don't really care that it is MSR brand I brought it because I have been looking for a small seasoning shaker like this for some time now. That and it was only $10.00 on sale....

MSR Salt & Pepper Shaker

This tiny unit fits inside your closed fist and weighs only grams...salt at one end and pepper at the other. You could use these for any other type of spice as well...

MSR Salt & Pepper Shaker

I'm a practical man...price and durability usually beats brand name with me. 

MSR Salt & Pepper Shaker

I have been using paper salt and pepper sachets up to now which I justify as the paper can be burnt in the fire after use. I will give this shaker a go and see if it can fill the gap in a more environmentally friendly way. BTW: Southern Wild had a fair selection of Stoney Creek outdoor wear if that is your thing...

Icebreaker Merino Gloves:

The gift shop at the Hermitage in Aoraki/Mt Cook NP had a sale on Icebreaker gear...tops, leggings, hats, gloves and socks. I brought myself a pair of merino gloves as the polypropylene ones I have been using got a hole in them on the Paparoa Track. They were $39 dollars down from $60.

My new Icebreaker merino gloves

They should keep my hands a bit warmer when wet as they are merino wool and they should dry faster if they do get a bit moist while out tramping. I have a set of Outdoor Research gortex over-mitts to wear with these. The mitts got a good amount of use during the cold, windy and wet traverse along the Punakaiki Escarpment recently...

The new ACR ResQLink 425:

I had reached a bit of an impasse as I could not decide what my next step would be...in the end I just brought a new ACR beacon. One of my favoured online retailers Gearshop had a two day sale with over $100 off the price of a new ACR beacon so I jumped at the chance to buy one for a decent price. The new unit cost me a total of $400 including post which is a real bargain as I have seen these units in stores for $500-$600 dollars. 

Some of the features of the 425 ACR ResQLink beacon

I brought a newer ACR model the 425 which has a five year battery life (...good to July 2027 so really six years...) and while it is slightly larger than my previous unit it is one 2/3rds of the weigh of the older model. The 425 model of ResQLink has a digital screen on the front which will show you a variety of messages when it is in operation.

Front of the new ACR ResQLink 425 PLB

  When you push the test button a [TEST] message will appear on the screen to show the unit is functioning correctly. If you activate the SOS function [406 SENT!] will appearing showing that the National Rescue Center has been informed. You will also be able to see your global GPS location. This is a nice feature but not actually vital as there is a light which flashes if the unit is transmitting a rescue message to SAR. 

The digital screen on my new ACR ResQLink

The new beacon is now waterproof down to 20 meters and buoyant which were two of the faults on the older models. Previously I carried my PLB in a sil-nylon drybag to protect it from water but this will no longer be necessary. 

ACR ResQLink: instructions and tech specifications are on the back...

My new PLB came with a couple of accessories...a lanyard to carry the beacon around your neck (not the best way to carry it), a shoulder carry case and an attachment to put the beacon on your belt. I will not use any of these means of carry as all three are prone to losing the beacon when bashing through dense bush or during river crossings. 

ACR ResQLink belt attachment clip...

I will dispose of my old beacon in the proper fashion...they can be handed into some Police offices or sent back to the local supplier so it can be professionally decommissioned. If you are in the market for a new PLB here is a post I wrote about buyers tips for selecting a Personal Locator Beacon. 

My buyers guide post from 2015...recently updated!!!

I hope this beauty will never need to be used but if I do find myself in a situation of peril it is good to know that I have a way of alerting the authorities. 

"...and into the future...."

I will continue to add details of any new gear I buy over the course of 2021 so watch this post for updates....

Every track an adventure...every hut a palace...every meal a banquet...

Kea Point Track, Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, 14 April 2021

 My first visit to Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park since 1999...

Karen and I visited Aoraki/Mt Cook as a part of our recent campervan holiday...we explored the area around the Hermitage and Whitehorse Campsite but we actually stayed down at the Glentanner Holiday Park as they had better facilities. I haven't been to Mt Cook for over 20 years..the last time I was here was in late 1999. I have long wanted to return but just never had the money or the right conditions to come down here with my family.  

Aoraki/Mt Cook from SH 80- the Mt Cook Highway

We went for a cruise around Mt Cook village in the van as Karen had not been there before. We didn't go into the Hermitage on the first day in Aoraki/Mt Cook as it was getting late in the afternoon and we wanted to get at least one track in while the weather was still good. We went to the hotel the next day and visited the cafe and museum located there. It was awesome and so very quiet....Covid-19 strikes again!!!

The Mt Cook Hermitage Hotel, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

The weather on day two at Mt Cook NP...lets be honest...crap!!!

We parked at the car park for the Hooker Valley Track as the Kea Point Track starts from the same location. You could see Aoraki/Mt Cook over the end of the moraine wall between the car park and the Mueller Glacial Lake. We were lucky to have such a beautiful clear day because they are rarities at Mt Cook  especially as winter starts to roll in. 

Aoraki/Mt Cook is just visible from Whitehorse Campsite

It is just stunning at Aoraki/Mt Cook...the mountains are huge and tower over you wherever you are in the park. I love those golden grassy plains between the village and Lake Pukaki as well. I applied for a job working for DOC in the visitor centre a couple of years ago...I think I would have loved living here. I'm sure you would eventually get bored in this super remote place but my god imagine waking up to this vista everyday...

At the Whitehorse Campsite Shelter:

We drove down to the Hooker Valley carpark which is the start point for a number of tracks and the gateway to the DOC Whitehorse Campsite. It was moderately busy which surprised me. It was only a Wednesday but there are a lot of people travelling around the country at the moment..utilising those last golden days before the weather packs it in. 

Mt Wakefield from the Hooker Valley car park

The Sealy Range from the Hooker Valley carpark

The start of the Kea Point Track is right next to the Whitehorse Campsite Shelter so we went inside to use the facilities and to have a look around. It is a very nice shelter with decent amenities for the people camping and staying in vans at the campsite. 

Whitehorse Campsite Shelter, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

Tables and benches in Whitehorse Campsite Shelter, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

Cooking bench in Whitehorse Campsite Shelter, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

The Shelter is right next to Whitehorse Campsite, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

I would definitely use the shelter if I was ever camping at Whitehorse Hill...it would let you stretch your legs and get you out of the camper van or tent while still providing some shelter. 

Kea Point Lookout Track:

The Kea Point Track is about 2.2 kilometers return and takes you up to a point on a nearby moraine wall where you can see the Hooker Valley, Mt Sefton and the Mueller Glacial Lake in close proximity. The track is nice...a bit rocky but a massive step up from your everyday tramping track. It is wide, flat and well graded and climbs about 120 meters over the length of the track. 

Start of the Kea Point Track, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

This track is also the start point for both the Sealy Tarns and Mueller Hut tramps. Both of these are a much harder proposition than this gentle track...Sealy Tarns is 3 hours return and Mueller Hut is 3-4 hours one way. 

The current Mueller Hut (V), Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

The current Mueller Hut is number five...I visited Mueller Hut IV back in the mid 1990's and I think it might have been the hardest tramp I have ever done. Mueller Hut is at nearly 1800 meters so you gain one kilometer of altitude over three km's. It is beautiful as heck with magnificent views of Mt Sefton and Aoraki/Mt Cook but it is steep as bro....steep!!!

...also the track to Sealy Tarns and Mueller Hut, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

Kea Point track gradually climbs up through the Matagouri and alpine scrub and then crosses old piles of moraine deposited here when the ancient glaciers retreated from the area. That wasn't as long ago as you might think..you could still walk down onto Mueller Glacier from near Kea Point even in the late 1970's. 

Kea Point Track goes through the Matagouri...

...and the Monkey Scrub...Kea Point Track

There are a multitude of good tracks in Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

Mt Sefton is your constant companion once you round the old moraine piles and start the last kilometer of the track. It is one of the tallest mountains in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park and its cold, bleak faces stare down on you from on high. 

Mt Sefton (3151) from the Kea Point Track

View back down the Hooker Valley, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

The eastern side of Mt Sefton has remnant glaciers at the top and it produces a local climatic cooling effect to the whole valley. It is like stepping into a large commercial freezer once the sun goes down behind the mountains. We had to stop and put on warm tops halfway to the viewpoint as it was starting to get cold. 

The track climbs the old moraine walls...Kea Point Track

There is a lot of Spaniard growing up here above the 800 meter asl line...it was dotted around the moraine piles and along the track so you are going to get to see it up close and personal. There were also a lot of Mt Cook Lilies but without flowers as the summer blooms are now long gone. 

A Spaniard plant along the Kea Point Track

We are heading for the notch in the moraine wall...Kea Point Track

Sefton Bivouac is on the point in the center of photo...

The final section is climbing up over a lip in the moraine wall...the track was a bit rough through here so bear that in mind. You should never walk off the track in these old glacial areas..there are often hidden holes & caverns with a thin veneer of rock on top of them. This is caused by ancient ice melting under the rocks and leaving a void. It is super easy to accidentally fall into one of these and injure yourself. 

Stay on the marked track folks...

Kea Point is the slight rise in the middle...

The Kea Point Track is to a high standard...

The view is the reason you would come up here...it is awesome. 

To the west is Aoraki Mt Cook itself towering over the end of the Hooker Valley and Hooker Glacier. You can look down and into the lake at the base of the Mueller Glacier and the massive moraine wall 200 meters tall which sits about a kilometer off in the distance. The water in the lake is that cold glacial blue...magnificent.  

To the south is the massive bulk of the Sefton Range with Mt Sefton at its center. If you sit here for long enough you might be able to watch a avalanche cascade down its side. Look for the tiny two person bivouac at the top of Point Piccolo. Sefton Bivy (1660 asl)  is becoming a hut bagging legend as well as an entry point onto Mt Sefton itself. Only for experienced trampers with some mountaineering nous...

To the north is the mouth of Stocking Stream and the mid point of the Hooker Valley Track. That is backstopped by the rocky heights of Mt Wakefield (2058) visible from the car park. 

Everywhere you look is amazing...

Aoraki/Mt Cook (3724)  from Kea Point, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

Looking down to the mouth of Stocking Stream from Kea Point

The distant moraine wall is 200 meters tall...Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

We were sitting on one of the benches DOC have installed up here and eating our lunch when we heard an almighty crack come down the valley. We couldn't see it but an avalanche had fallen off Mt Sefton and down onto the Mueller Glacier. 

Mt Sefton dominates the Mueller River Valley

I was slightly peeved by all the idiots who walked up the track and then jumped over the safety fences to take photos. What a bunch of numb nuts...the moraine face in front of the Kea Point viewing platform is easily 200 meters high. Big chunks of the wall fall away all the time. If you fell off you would most assuredly get 'squot like a pumpkin' as I am wont to say...

Looking back down the track from Kea Point

None of them brought the farm while we were there but it wasn't from lack of effort. I think they are a bunch of fools and paltroons!!!

The tail of Mueller Glacier and the glacial lake, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

Mueller Glacial Lake, Hooker Valley, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

The Hooker River flows off the end of the Mueller Glacial Lake

We spent about 20 minutes sitting on one of the benches at Kea Point eating our very late lunch and having a look at the scenery. There are several bench seats and a raised viewing platform at Kea Point for this purpose. It was very beautiful but it started to get quite cold as the sun had gone down behind Mt Sefton and the glacial ice and snow on the mountains were acting like a giant refrigeration unit.

Kea Point Track drops back to the Whitehorse Campsite

It was cold in the shade from the mountains, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

We packed up our gear and after one last look up the Hooker Valley we started back down the track to the White Horse Hill carpark. You go back on the same track and surprisingly we passed at least half a dozen people heading for the viewpoint even though it was heading towards dusk. You could walk this track after dark but only if you had a good headtorch as it is rocky and uneven in places. 

You can just see the Hermitage in the middle distance

We stopped at the turn off to Sealy Tarns/Mueller Hut to have a look at the track...looking up the visible course of the track we could see several people heading down the 2200 stairs you need to climb/descend on the way to the hut. They were a good kilometer above us so they were just moving dots high up the mountain ridge. I imagine they were day trampers on their way back after visiting either Sealy Tarns or Mueller Hut. 

Intersection of Kea Point and Sealy Tarns/Mueller Hut Tracks

It is 3-4 hard hours to Mueller Hut from here...

Mt Sefton from the track junction, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

The Tasman Valley and the flats at the head of Lake Pukaki were shining in golden light as the sun slowly went down over the mountains. It really had been a perfect day to visit Aoraki/Mt Cook and we were so lucky to have struck the one good day in a week of cloud and rain. 

The view down to the Tasman Valley...from Kea Point Track

Well manicured track near Whitehorse Shelter, Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

Mt Wakefield recedes into shadow...

Almost the whole course of Kea Point Track

It was going on dusk as we reached the carpark and I could see a number of people inside the Whitehorse Hill Shelter cooking dinner and chatting to each other. There were a number of people coming off the end of the Hooker Valley Track..we are hoping to visit that track when we return to Aoraki/Mt Cook in June. 

People were fixing dinner in Whitehorse Camp Shelter

One of the classic long distance MTB rides starts from the Whitehorse Hill carpark...this is the Alps2Ocean Track which goes from here right out to Oamaru over 300 km's away. It goes down the Pukaki Valley before going past Twizel, Omaramara, Kurow and along the Waitaki River Valley to the coast. Along the way you pass some of the big hydroelectric dams...Pukaki, Benmore, Aviemore and Waitaki.

I visited Aviemore Dam back in March

I have an notion to do some long distance cycle touring and MTB riding has been one of my longstanding areas of interest. I would like to ride some of the rail trails and longer tracks like this one. We certainly saw a great many cycle tourists during this trip..I think late autumn and early winter are the main time they get out riding. 

I guess I just need to organize something and get her done as they say...

Start of the Alps 2 Ocean MTB ride in Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

The start of the Hooker Valley Track from the car park

Nobody broke into our van while we were away which was good. Car break-ins are an infrequent if growing problem especially at more remote tourist spots, track ends and parking areas. Your average camper van/trampers car is probably a good score for some scum bag as they will often contain money, cards, phones and computers all of which can be sold or used. 

Some places are specifically excluded from insurance policies like the carpark at Lewis Pass Tarns and anywhere along SH73 over Arthurs Pass. Too many break-ins along those roads. You can mitigate your risk by not leaving attractive goods sitting on the passenger seat of your car or clearly visible to the criminal scum-arazzo who troll theses byways.

Our Jucy Van parked at Aoraki/Mt Cook NP

We were staying that night at the Glentanner Holiday Park about 20 minutes drive back down the Mt Cook Road. We had thought to stay at the Whitehorse Hill Campsite but they had few amenities there. The campsite at Glentanner was more expensive but oh so much better...stay there if visiting the area. 

A distant view of Aoraki/Mt Cook from Glentanner Holiday Park

View of the Southern Alps from Lake Pukaki Dam

We would have liked to visit a couple of other walking tracks in Aoraki/Mt Cook (Hooker Valley and Tasman Glacier) but the weather on the second day was not conducive to being outside. We went to the Old Mountaineers Cafe and the Ed Hillary/Climbing Museum instead. 

Karen and I have booked a multi night stay at the Mt Cook Hermitage Hotel for early June so if the weather is even half way decent we intend to go for several walks in the area. Come back then to see what it was like...

Access: Mt Cook Village can be accessed along SH 80 (Mt Cook Road) from SH8 the Twizel-Tekapo Road. It is over 50 kilometers from the SH8 turn off to Mt Cook Village.

Track details: Kea Point Track is 2.2 kilometers return (1-1.5 hours) from the Whitehorse Hill car-park. It is another 45 minutes walk to the Hermitage hotel and Mt Cook Village

Miscellaneous: The DOC Whitehorse Campsite is at the start of the track with camper van sites and tent sites. There is a cooking shelter with water, gas hobs, benches and tables and an adjacent toilet block. It is 10 meters from the shelter to the start of Kea Point Track. This is a high alpine area so be prepared for all conditions and stay on the track at all times. Do not cross any safety fences as this is a dynamic glacial environment. There are multiple rock fall, fall and trip hazards.