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:

❏     1x breakfast

❏     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.

Heya, 

I am going to be heading to Mt Ruapahu over mid trimester break. from sunday 5th april to thursday 9th. 

itenerary: 

sunday 5th: Leave Welly and drive to Whakapapa early and walk from whakapapa to Waihohonu campsite  ( will be tenting this night as huts are full) 5 1/2 hours according to DOC - 14.3KM - option to head to Tama Lakes 

Monday 6th: Waihohonu to Rangipo Hut - 5hr with optional 1 hour side quest - 12.5km 

tuesday 7th: Rangipo hut to Mangaehuehu 5 hr 30 8.5km 

wednesday 8th: mangaehuehu hut to Ohakune Mountain road 3 hours - will leave hut early for walk out. If we have 2 cars, one car will be there waiting for us, other wise we will need shuttle/ hitchhiking. we will pick up other car at Whakapapa, then potential for some exploring, maybe some geology rock exploring or bouldering if people are keen for wednesday night/ thrusday. 

Thursday 9th: drive back to welly. 

We will probably do shared breakfast and dinner. 

Trip will be limited to 5 as we only have one car. but if someone with a car signs up we can take up to 10. 

Costs: fuel, 2x hut passes, food and accomodation for wednesday night. 

will need overnight tramping gear. 

Feel free to reach out with any questions :)

• 
• 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.

The Greater Wellington Backcountry Network (GWBN) has tasked VUWTC with delivering maintenance supplies to several huts. This will support their awesome Caring For Our Huts project, which encourages everyone to "do their bit" to look after Aotearoa's treasured huts.

https://gwbn.org.nz/caring-for-our-huts-2/

We'll be looking for leaders to design their own club trips featuring a 5kg orange bucket! Reach out to Justin (hut maintenance officer) or Jack/Robyn (chief guides) if you're keen :)

Available huts (click on green text for more info!):

EASY: Atiwhakatu Hut

Tararua Forest Park, a 2hr drive from Welly. $10-15 per night. This is a spacious 26 bunker, just a 1-3hr flat walk from the Mt Holdsworth carpark. It requires bookings, but is a fantastic spot with a nice river to swim in. Many options: chill overnighter, add in Jumbo and Powell for a loop, go down a poor track to Mitre Flats, even further to McGregor or Mid King Bivs, or something else!

MEDIUM: Kawakawa Hut

Aorangi Forest Park, a 2hr drive. $10 per night. 6 bunks. Could complete as part of the famous Aorangi Crossing over multiple days, or a return trip via Mangatoetoe hut. If you can get permission, a 2hr journey down Kawakawa Stream from the road. Or even a crazy bush bash route? Add in a bonus visit to Cape Palliser lighthouse?

HARD: Arete Hut

Tararua Forest Park. Free to stay at. 2 bunks, but some camping space. North, South, East, West: so many options! Most direct is via Poads Rd and Te Matawai Hut, a 1hr 15min drive and 8-9hr walk. Could alternatively cross the tops from Dundas Peak in the north, or Tarn Ridge in the south. Or the much-loved track from Blue Range and Arete Forks? What about a Carkeek picnic, or the popular Bannister Crossing? There's sooo many choices!

Sunday, 1 March 2026 at 2:00 pm to Tuesday, 3 March 2026 at 4:00 pm

Organiser: Hazel Murray (hazelamurray@icloud.com)

OUr Second collaboration with Karori Kaitiaki at Birdwood Reserve. We will be helping to restore a steep Gully of native bush in the reserve, and clearing Kaiwharawhara stream of Tradescandia. This is an important site for Karori Kaitiaki, as it's the home of the future Birdwood Reserve track. It's a super fun way to do some practical work outside that creates meaningful and visible change within the native ecology of our city. Come along and be part of the action!

Please bring gardening gloves, a water bottle and jacket, snacks and if possible a spade, shovel or rake. 

If you sign up please also say that you're going through the Karori Kaitiaki Facebook event, linked below. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CT1tc6Hm7/

Hope to see you there!

Cost: TBD

Trip Emergency Contact:

Robyn Surcombe

Can't wait to see you there. 

Meet opposite the Zealandia overflow carpark at 1.50pm. 

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 Faultline, which is a bouldering gym. This = no ropes/harnesses & no 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! 

IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME CLIMBING AT FAULTLINE, SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE (https://www.wellingtonclimbing.co.nz/first_visit_fl/) AND SIGN THE ONLINE WAIVER BEFORE WE LEAVE FOR THE GYM! 

This week: Faultline 

Schedule:

• Sign up! (FL need to know numbers).

• Meet outside Faultline at 5:20 p.m.

• CLIMB!

• You can leave whenever you like (We usually finish up around 7:30-8:00 p.m), return to your flats and halls by bus or walk from the gym.

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.