My friend and I will be in South Island over the April break. We are planning to do this tramp and if anyone is able to join us, please let me know ASAP! I am able to take 3 people in my car, so ATM that is the trip capacity. This might change if anyone else can also bring a car.

The Greenstone and Caples Track is an intermediate-level tramp in the Otago region of South Island, with the start of the track located near Glenorchy. See the DOC page here. 

The plan is as follows:

13th April: Pick people up from Queenstown in the morning. We will be at the road end by midday (1.5 hour drive from Queenstown). Greenstone road end to Mid Caples Hut (9km).

14th April: Mid Caples Hut to McKellar Hut (22km) 

15th April: McKellar Hut to Greenstone Hut (18km)

16th April: Greenstone Hut to road end (12km), an early start to make sure we can get back to Queenstown in good time for any flights/buses/long drives home.

There is also the more advanced option of instead going via Steele Creek and staying in Steele Creek Hut rather than McKellar Hut on the 14th. We can decide as a group whether we do this. At the moment there is good availability at each of the huts and campsites, but this will likely change as the break approaches so I would like to get this locked in fairly soon. 

We will be passing through Queenstown before and after the tramp. If you aren't yet planning to be down south or cannot drive yourself to join us, we are able to pick you up from Queenstown airport or the bus interchange. Ideally, this would happen early on the morning of the 13th. We can then drop everyone back to Queenstown on the 16th. It is up to you to book transport to/from Queenstown. Flights are looking quite expensive, so if you do need to fly you might want to look at this ASAP. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about these logistics.

Cost Breakdown

• Huts are $25 per person per night 
• Campsites by the huts are $10 per person per night
• Share of fuel - who can say what this will be nowadays, hopefully <$20 per person...
• Food - it would be nice to do a group meal
• Transport to/from Queenstown

Gear

You will need standard gear for a 4-day tramp for this trip (pack, sleeping bag, layers, waterproofs, etc. We can share out things like cooking equipment). I will send out a specific gearlist to those who sign up well in advance.

Please email me or find me at a Tuesday meeting if you are keen to join or have any questions! :)

Date is TBC but quite likely.

Plan is to visit the Eastern Hutt Hut (and camp in tents/flys), then walk out the next day down the river (and visit the Hydrology tower!!)

Shouldn't be too outrageous, but please be somewhat fit.

Conditional on a driver signing up - you will get priority!

This is a tramp for all girls and gender minorities, NO BOYS ALLOWED!!!

When: We are leaving on the 14/04 and returning on the 16/04.

Where: We are walking into Waitewaewae Hut from the Ōtaki gorge road on day one (10km). On day two, we will go for a day walk, a swim, play some cards and hang out! On day three we will walk back out to Ōtaki gorge road. This will be an easy/medium trip. 

Cost: Will cover shared dinner and transport. $25

What you need to bring:

- All your basic and overnight gear: https://www.vuwtc.org.nz/resources/gear-list 

- Togs! (And maybe a small towel)

- 2 Breakfasts,  3 lunches, and plenty of snacks

- Hut passes. We will need two standard hut passes for two nights at the hut. We will stop and get these on the way. 

The hut sleeps 16 people, and we will also bring a couple of tents in case there's other groups there.

We currently have 1 driver on this trip, so we desperately need someone who has a car! Please sign up if you have a car!!!! If any drivers do have to pull out, please email grace asap. 

Beginner's Bushcraft: Your Tramping Basics Intro!

Come along to Beginner's Bushcraft! This is suitable for anyone, no matter your experience: but will be aimed at absolute beginners. If you've never been tramping or camping or before, come along and we'll show you the ropes.

Before we go, we'll talk about some skills a Tuesday meeting like:

• What gear and food you'll need
• How to pack your bag
• How to pick the right track for you

Then we'll spend a weekend at the Orongorongo river (easy 2ish hour walk) sleeping under a fly & learning some basic bushcraft things such as:

• How to use a map
• How to cross a river
• How to light fires
• Some basic first aid
• Whatever else we want to learn

We need plenty of drivers! The more we get, the more people we can fit on the trip. 

Gear list:

Clothing

❏     A tramping backpack that fits all your gear in it

❏     Tramping boots or trail runners. No converse/air force 1s/jandals.

❏     2 pairs of socks, preferably wool/merino to keep your feet warm and dry

❏     Shorts + tee-shirt for walking in (not cotton or denim)

❏     Fleece/wool jumper (not cotton)

❏     Clothes for camp and sleeping, including a thermal top and bottom (polypro or merino)

❏     Warm hat

❏     Sunhat 

❏     Raincoat

Other:

❏     A warm sleeping bag

❏     Comfortable sleeping mat

❏     Toothbrush + toiletries

❏     Bowl and cutlery

❏     Headtorch + spare batteries

❏     Sunscreen

❏     1L+ water bottle

❏     Toilet paper + hand sanitizer

❏     Some basic first aid eg plasters and any personal medication you might need.

Important: Bring a notebook and pen for some of the lesson.

Food:

❏  personal addition to breakfast e.g. fruit, peanut butter (we are providing oats as a base)

❏   personal addition to dinner e.g. dried meat, pesto, cheese (we are providing pasta)

❏     2x lunches 

❏     Snacks 

 A little poem written by me (Jack)

Why were you lost in the bush

Was it your compass broke

Or abandoned by your hope

Mayhaps the light of the morn will guide your way

Through glistening ferns - they won’t lead you astray

Across rivers, like arteries that feed the sea

Oh, how forlorn the great forests feel

But if only you knew some tricks

Perhaps you'd be joyous and free

At home in the forest amongst the trees

Are you into Rocks, Tramping, and Drinking? Well don't I have the event for you!!

Introducting part one of the Greywacke Series (Patent pending)

What is a Geologists favourite drink? 

Whiskey on the Rocks!!!

VUWTC and the Geology Society are two of VUW's biggest and best societies! We also have lots of overlapping memberships and a shared love for nature and the outdoors. So, we are devising a three-part collaboration with Geology Society, which will take place over this academic year! 

To start, and for everyone to get to know each other, we are organising a pub crawl for Part 1! Expect to mingle, chat, and discuss your favourite minerals and mountains. Come and take part in the CHALLENGE element of the night:

On this trip we will engage in some healthy Pub Bingo at a few of the finest drinking establishments that Courtney Place and Cuba Street has to offer. Pub Bingo is basically where you complete different challenges as a team at different pubs on our planned route. Challenge examples: swap shirts with a team member, start a conga line with strangers, write a short poem for the bartender and recite it to them. Just a bit of fun to break the ice! The plan is:

1. Start at the Welsh (19:00)

2. BL3

3. Dirty Little Secret

4. Rogue and Vagabond 

5. End at JJs

We will be getting pizza when we get to Rogue and Vagabond (Hence the 5 dollar fee) so hopefully thats a good enough encouragement to stick it out.

Watch out for the next parts of the Greywacke Series! We are hoping to organise some rock climbing and a chill tramp.

Come along to hear about a day in the life of a Department of Conservation ranger, and some exciting opportunities to collaborate with DOC in the Ōrongorongo Valley (which involve chatting on walkie talkies!).

Bring along any questions you have!

• 
• Day trip to Kapakapanui track. We will leave Hunter carpark around 8:15, the track might be steep in some sections, should see a good view will take around 8 hours. bring lunch and water. I will be taking my car more people can come if there's more cars.
• Have a look at the doc website for more info:
• https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/wellington-kapiti/places/tararua-forest-park/things-to-do/tracks/kapakapanui-track/

Feeling OVERWHELMED by assignments!? Feeling like there's just no TIME to do anything else!? It's getting to that time of tri where days and nights spent whiling away in the library might feel like your only option! But when you're part of the tramping club, you know that's not true...

Join us for an invigorating early morning run and swim! We will start our run at 7am sharp at Kelburn Park (please kindly note the rhyme. Jack isn't the only keen poet round here). Come find us just before 07:00 so that we can hit the road on time. It is unlikely that we will wait for people so be on time, or try and catch us up! We will be taking a beautifully chill pace, just taking in the fresh Thursday morning air.

We will run down to the Botanic Gardens, through Bolton Cemetery, and out to the northern parts of the Waterfront. We shall embrace the sea breeze and head along the coast to Oriental! Then the brave amongst us shall enter the crisp and clean (?) embrace of the ocean. See the route below!

The total distance for the run should be just over 4km, so it will probably take us around half an hour to get to Oriental. I imagine we'll be sort of wrapping up around 8/8:30am so that everyone can get back to their busy lives feeling rejuvinated. If you feel like just coming for either the run or the swim, that's also an option!

What to bring

Comfy running clothes (t shirt and shorts)

Running shoes

Water if you're keen on being hydrated

Togs and towel (if you can be bothered to carry them on the run)

See ya there!

Welcome to Wednesday Climbing Nights!

Want to try indoor climbing for the first time, or meet some like-minded climbers? Come along to our weekly climb nights! We climb at Hangdog (Bouldering & Top roping) in Lower Hutt, and Faultline (Bouldering) on Willis St. 

This week, we'll be climbing at Hangdog, which is a bouldering and top-roping gym. This = ropes/harnesses & belaying. There are grades for every level of experience, so no matter how much climbing experience you have you’ll have plenty to get stuck into! 

This week: Hangdog (bring cars + $3 for your driver)

Schedule:

• Sign up! (Even if you are meeting us there - they need to know numbers ahead of time)

• Meet at the Hunter carpark at 5 p.m, leaving at 5:10pm on the dot.

• CLIMB!

• You can leave whenever you like - but drivers need to have the same number of people in their cars that they brought out (and make sure people you drove out know when you want to leave!)

• PAY YOUR DRIVERS

Entry costs: $15 + $3 for shoes 

This is not paid for through the club—there is no piking fee if you pull out. Pay at FL when we arrive.

To get the VUWTC entry price, just let the front desk know you are with VUWTC. Our discounted price is only from 5:30 pm onwards on Wednesdays.