summer in NZ

[wayno]

ah summer is here and so are the overseas hikers prepared for a summer tramp.

high probability of paper thin sleeping bags
gear strapped all over the outside of their tiny packs, usually includes sleeping bag and or tent in non waterproof bag...
clothing kit for 20 plus degrees.
slight possibility they have wet weather gear
moderate possibility they have warm clothing
slim probability of spare warm clothing
reasonable possibility of open toes shoes
a thousand walkers a day going past "mt doom"


usual surprised comments
"oh it's cold"
"oh it's wet"
"oh the track is rough"
"oh the track is steep"
"oh we were nearly swept away in the stream"

[Strider]

Sounds like it needs better track signage!

[weetbix456]

NZ & Tas have sooo much in common sometimes it scares me

[Lindsay]

I dont think its signage that the problem. NZ track signage is the best I've seen anywhere, like this example:

Tells you all you need to know. however some of the tourists don't seem to be able to read.

[Strider]

I dont think its signage that the problem. NZ track signage is the best I've seen anywhere

Agreed, NZ signage is absolutely excellent. I was just being silly

[roysta]

There's one thing most of NZ and Tasmania DO NOT have in common, mud !!!
Stewart Island is the exception.
NZ leaves Tassie for dead.

[wayno]

There's one thing most of NZ and Tasmania DO NOT have in common, mud !!!
Stewart Island is the exception.
NZ leaves Tassie for dead.

hehe you havent been doing the right nz tracks, i can direct you to plenty more places like stewart island.... we don't like to advertise all our well kept secrets....

[icemancometh]

NZ signage gives way more conservative times than Tas and their signage is much clearer and plentiful

[ninjapuppet]

There's one thing most of NZ and Tasmania DO NOT have in common, mud !!!
Stewart Island is the exception.
NZ leaves Tassie for dead.

hehe you havent been doing the right nz tracks, i can direct you to plenty more places like stewart island.... we don't like to advertise all our well kept secrets....

I did the dusky track in "relatively Dry" condititions. was pretty shocked that DOC called it dry at the time.

[wayno]

There's one thing most of NZ and Tasmania DO NOT have in common, mud !!!
Stewart Island is the exception.
NZ leaves Tassie for dead.

hehe you havent been doing the right nz tracks, i can direct you to plenty more places like stewart island.... we don't like to advertise all our well kept secrets....

I did the dusky track in "relatively Dry" condititions. was pretty shocked that DOC called it dry at the time.

it probably was "dry" compared to how bad it can get.....
i wouldnt call mud deep in nz until it's half way up your shins

[wayno]

NZ signage gives way more conservative times than Tas and their signage is much clearer and plentiful

depends whre you are, thats a time for a reasonably fit person on the steele creek sign,
ironically on a lot of the more demanding tracks the times are quite accurate for a fit tramper.
i can go around abel tasman and great walks and take about a third off the times, but on other tracks i can't do the tracks in the shortest suggested times... the futher into the mountains you get often the more realistic the times can get...

[icemancometh]

NZ signage gives way more conservative times than Tas and their signage is much clearer and plentiful

depends whre you are, thats a time for a reasonably fit person on the steele creek sign,
ironically on a lot of the more demanding tracks the times are quite accurate for a fit tramper.
i can go around abel tasman and great walks and take about a third off the times, but on other tracks i can't do the tracks in the shortest suggested times... the futher into the mountains you get often the more realistic the times can get...

I find the more elevation gain/hilly walks to be the most 'overrated' times given by DOC...I normally halve their times and find it's about right even with a pack.

Anywhere like that where there might be snow or avalanche they are really really really conservative without giving you a real picture and in some cases that is just dumb. Sure they want to avoid liability but sometimes they are the most recent people to go in the there and users just want to make an informed decision. Giving people this 'skewe'd information does not allow that.

Eg when I did the Kepler they were all 'avalanche this avalanche that'
I thought the approach was through bush and not in any paths so I'd go take a sticky. Barely enough snow there to require anything more than my runners. Not enough snow to slide even in the hottest sun. Ended up carrying more gear than required.

So either they were not telling me the truth or maybe they hadn't been up there lately which they also could have told me. Aren't we all supposed to make our own decisions anyway? Their (DOC) information would have just helped me make a better decision. Except for intentions I don't really consult them anymore as I now know they give the official line and nothing more

[wayno]

on the routeburn at certain times of year they will advise not to proceed or that you must take a helicopter to get past certain areas....
liability is the operative words.
cave creek and the death of an israeli on the routeburn have cast a long shadow, the israeli's parents brought a prosecution against doc , they werent successful, but doc staff are gien strict information on what they have to tell you they can't deviate from the official line and they are banned on giving advice on tracks not maintained by doc, as the israeli had strayed off the routeburn and the prosecution revolved around the elief that a doc ranger had given advise about taking a shortcut and that the israeli had followed the alleged advice, although the existence of the shortcut track may have been in the prosecutions imagination
and they were looking for some reason as to why the tramper strayed.
so the times they will give you are usually the worst case scenario but the sign times can still in some cases be on the optimistic side.
you can tell the doc staff you are experienced and see if you get a more realistic response but thats all you can hope for...
the result is its hard to know what to believe in the advce you are given,
take the routeburn, it says 4.5 hours from routeburn falls to mackenzie hut.
i did it in winds gusting 100km and hour and heavy rain in just over three hours including stopping to take photos and the odd vid., i wasnt going flat out, its 11 and a half k's with about four hundred metres of climbing. there would ahve to be a fair bit of snow before i'd take four and a half hours.
so how do you plan your trips? find people who've done it who are similar fitness to you...
but look at the cascade saddle,
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recrea ... scription/
doc start out by saying it's for experienced trampers only, and it says an eight to ten hour day. and that is a fair estimate for a reasonably fit exerienced tramper. so they have used the statement "experienced tramper" to use a totally different interpretation of walking times
i did it at a reasonable pace, took me eight and a half and i stopped a total of half an hour. plenty of people will be taking up to twelve hours or more to complete it, you need reasonable fitness to compete the 1400m climb from matukukiand still have enough stamina left to complete the trip to dart hut, , the top half is pretty steep, its one of the few ti'mes i've been forced to stop on a climb to catch my breath.
and that was in perfect weather. its a very exposed track. i wold have liked to have stopped longer but i wasnt sure how long it would take me and would have run out of daylight if i took too long.