Cape Palliser and Putangirua Pinnacles

Ascending the 252 steps to the lighthouse at Cape Palliser, near to the southern most point of the North Island.

View from the lighthouse.

Towards the isolated lower east coast of the North Island

Beach at Ngawi

The fishing boats and tows at the small settlement of Ngawi

The Putangirua Pinnacles (used for the Dumbholt road in 'Return of the King') and the flowering Teatree, said to give the impression of Christmas snowfall during the antipodean summer.

Unfortuately the vertical gravel isn't condusive to climbing up the fantastic formations

Lookout over the gorge

Driving back over the Rimukata Hill Road, great for motorbiking?

Bearing Head

Typical northerly conditions at Bearing Head

Looking west to Turakirae Head

Helen crossing the stream to get to the boulders beyond

Wellington Skyline

Wellington Skyline from our living room

Otari-Wilson Bush Reserve on way up to skyline

Wellington CBD from Mount Kaukau

Our place in Wadestown

The Marlborough Sounds across the Cook Strait

Skyline tops

Makara Wind Farm and the Marlborough Sounds

Tongariro

After giving the subaru back to Helen's colleague, we resorted to taking Bongo on his first long distance journey since arriving in Wellington in April. Loading him up and setting off from Wellington on Friday evening felt very much like we were back on holiday and travelling again.

He wasn't quite as well equiped as our big tour of NZ and we resorted to thermarests and sleeping bags rather than put our mattress back in.

Whakapapa skifield carpark with Pinnacle Ridge behind. No snow left!

It was a short 15 minute walk to the crag at Whakapapa gorge, but hidden over a hill and facing NE, it felt nice and secluded and we were soon warming up on one of the lovely long 17s.

Topping out high above Whakapapanui Stream.

Tim on Moko [22] 'the best natural line of its grade on the North Island'. It was lovely up until half height when the gear, holds and line dissappeared and the lichen was abundant, making it a bit necky to reach the top.

Whakapapanui Stream and the Ngauruhoe in the distance.

Helen starting off up the 'NZ Classic Rock Tick' Trenchtown [10].

Whakapapa Gorge crag, The Pinnacles and the ski field and summits behind.

Tim setting off up 'Tango Tragedy' [22] aiming for the overhanging chimney through the roofs above.

Resting at the top of the chimney.

In it's 30m length it probably overhung about 5m!

View from our campsite at sunset.

The next day we headed to the Mangatepopo car park and joined the tourists in the first section of the 'Tongariro Alpine Crossing'. It's just under a year since we did this as part of the 3 day 'Northern Circuit' and the weather was equally as fine. Departing on the 19km walk, we saw some fine examples of bimblyness that typifies this famous day walk - jeans, leather jackets, trainers, shoulder bags, water bottles in hand...

Heading up Mangatepopo Valley over the lava flows and cushion plants with Taranaki in the distance.

Helen setting off up another 'NZ Classic Rock Tick', Bomb Arete [16] on Bombay Cliff.

Looking down on the second pitch high above the valley floor. From here it was a pleasant scramble to the top of the crag and a descent scramble down a gully.

We next headed to the Tuwharetoa Cliffs a little further back down the valley.

Helen starting up the inappropriately named 'Death Wall' [13].

Tim finishing the classic 'Parc Lane' [18] crack.

The Tuwharetoa Cliffs. "Death Wall' and 'Parc Lane' link up to climb the lighter coloured buttress in the centre of the crag.

Looking back towards the Mangatepopo cliffs and Ngauruhoe behind.

The distinctive outline of 'Bomb Arete' is directly under the summit of the volcano.

Whanganui Bay Labour Weekend Trip

Our Labour Weekend began early on Friday night, sitting in traffic as we headed north out of Wellington with Steve and Sichang from the NZAC in the back seats and a boot full of gear. We camped near Rangipo (having been relieved to hear that the murderer who'd escaped the day before from the nearby prison had been recaptured...) in a DOC camping on the edge of the Kaimanawa Forest Park. We woke in the morning to a thick frost on the inside and outside of the tents by a clear sky up above as the sun rose over the thick bush clad hills. It was less than an hour from here and down the shocking road to Whanganui Bay on the western shore of Lake Taupo.
Whekenui from the beach

The beach from the crag

We headed straight to Whekenui, the original crag to get climbing, the first time since the autumn and Tim was itching to get his hands back on real rock. We started off up the classic 17 hand crack of 'Sayonara', followed by the classic 22 arete, aptly named 'Bizzarete' right next door. Then was another classic 17 crack in the form of 'James Sterling Direct', fantastic climbing (slightly easier that 'Sayonara') and placement opportunities for all the gear you could possibly carry. Having done some cracks and aretes, we decided it was time for the other staple of Whekenui - corners, so next stop was the nearby technical 22 corner of 'Zarathrustra'. The awesome soaring lines and features of Whekenui makes it probably the best trad crag in NZ!

'Sayonara'

'Bizzarete'

Tim on 'James Stirling Direct'

Helen on 'Champange'

In the evening we enjoyed a bonfire in the lakeside campsite with some other friends from Wellington ensuring we were rested and ready to go the next morning. We first decided to check out the Sunday Up De Do Da Buttress a little back up the track and got straight on the classic 'Rumble in the Jungle', a long bolted 19 bringing you high above the valley floor with great views out to the bay. 'Limestone Cowboy' (22) provided some fun steep jug hauling until the lichen slab above the last bolt and soon we were off to the crags of The Plateau to join Steve and Sichang.

The Plateau has a bit more of a sport climbing focus (despite having some great trad lines) and we ticked some more classics on its sunny walls until the end of the day when we hardly had enough energy to pack our rucksacs! Highlight was the surpurb technical groove of 'Mid-Life Crisis' (22) and the neighbouring short pitch of 'Hands Solo' (19).

'Knobs and Knockers'

'Mid-Life Crisis'

Despite worries of some impending weather, Monday morning dawned bright and sunny and we rushed back off to Whekenui to explore the hidden but brilliant pitches nestled amongst the short walls around the right hand end of the crag including the classic hand/finger open-book corner of 'Moss Corner' and the crack/slab of 'Ego Trip' (19). By lunch time we were well and truly exhausted and headed back along the pumice beach to pack up camp and head back to Wellington, enjoying the views of Tongariro, Ngaurahoe and Ruapehu as we traversed the Desert Road and the expected weather rolled in.

Helen bridging up the classic corner crack 'Moss Corner'

Look out at Lake Taupo