Trip intentions

We are planning a two-night tramp in the Mt Aspiring National Park. We would leave from Wānaka on the morning of the 25th November and would love for anyone in the area to join us. At the moment, there are two spaces left in my car leaving from Wānaka, and if you are coming from anywhere else you will need your own transport.

25th: Drive from Wānaka to the Matukituki Valley carpark. Tramp 15km to Liverpool Hut (<1,000m ascent). Unfortunately the hut has turned out to be fully booked on this day - we will still go up to see it if we feel like it, but in the evening we will camp in the valley.

26th: A day to explore the valley and the river. We will ultimately tramp to French Ridge Hut on the other side of the valley. This is a 5km walk, with a ~1,000m descent and ~1,000m ascent. Stay overnight at French Ridge Hut.

27th: Tramp out from French Ridge Hut, back to the Matukituki Valley carpark (~17km, >1,000m descent). Return to Wānaka.

You will need to pack for three days of tramping. We will likely plan to share main meals. 

Both huts require booking in advance, so please let us know ASAP if you intend to join!

***COST
$50-$60 is an estimation based on current numbers. French Ridge Hut is $40 per person. There will be an additional cost for fuel and food.

VUWTC heads out every few months to Opau Bay (near Mākara) for an awesome day walk and beach cleanup event! 

We partner with Sustainable Coastlines to clear rubbish from the beach. We then count it up to help scientists and policymakers deal with pollution. Along the way there'll be plenty of yarns and laughs. You'll get gloves and pink fluoro vests (to stay safe and stylish)! This is also the fourth and final beach cleanup of the year, however, we struggled to get cars to signup in October, so it has been postponed to November. If there is a lack of cars I will postpone it to January for a summer edition!

Cost: $3-5 for petrol.

Plan:

1. Meet at Kelburn campus at 9:30am

At the Hunter carpark, we'll sort out car groups and split up survey gear.

2. Drive 30min to Mākara Beach carpark (arrive about 10:15am)

DRIVERS! We need people to get us there, with no Mākara bus. Drivers will be reimbursed for fuel costs.

3. Walking time! (10:30am to 12:30pm)

Trek up Mākara hill and down to Opau Bay (2hr with breaks). This is a medium walk, with a STEEP bit at the beginning, a flat bit in the middle, and then a meander downhill to the beach. We'll pass old military bunkers, windmills, sheep, cows, and great views. If we get a clear day, the South Island will be visible!

4. We pick up rubbish!! (about 1pm)

After lunch, we'll set up a 100m x 20m area and collect all the rubbish inside. Equipment provided: gloves, funky pink fluoro, bags, mallet! There'll be a health and safety briefing, then we'll search for one hour.

5. We walk back to the cars via the coast! (about 2-3pm)

We'll return to Mākara by walking across the rocky beach. This is an easy walk, just long!

6. Return to uni! (about 3-4pm)

We might stop at Mākara's nice coastal cafe (open on public holidays)!

7. Sort and weigh rubbish at uni (4-6pm)

We'll count up the amount and weight of rubbish we found. This info goes into an online database to help map Aotearoa's plastic pollution. This might sound boring, but it's actually super fun. We should be done by 6pm. If you need to leave once we get back to uni, no problem! :)

What to bring:

• Lunch and snacks

• A full 1-2L drink bottle

• Warm and windproof layers, PLEASE have long sleeves and pants to reduce the chance of injury

• IMPORTANT: Sturdy closed toe footwear, as we'll walk over pebbles and driftwood (PLEASE NO crocs/sandals/jandals etc.)

• Sun smart gear (sunscreen/hat/sunglasses)

• Hand sanitiser

More info on Sustainable Coastlines

Mākara walk info: https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/wellington-kapiti/places/makara-beach-area/things-to-do/makara-walkway/

Data from our last survey in Jul: https://litterintelligence.org/data/survey?id=3604