Friday 6/03/2026 Tunnel Beach Car Park, Green Island Bush Road – Tunnel Beach Walk – Tunnel Beach – Tunnel (hand-carved, 1870s) – Natural Rock Arch – Clifftop Track – Forbury Head – Blowhole – Second Beach – Second Beach Track – St Clair Esplanade / St Clair Beach (Whakahekerau
Tunnel Beach Recreation Reserve (Doc) / South Dunedin Coastal Cliffs
Participants: Beth Davies, Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report), Pablo Ureña Vega
From the gravel car park at the end of Green Island Bush Road — a clifftop paddock perched some 139 metres above the Southern Ocean — the Tunnel Beach Walk plunges immediately downhill on a well-formed, steep gravel single track. Five successive viewpoints, each a fenced clifftop “nest”, serve up progressively wider panoramas of sculpted sandstone headlands. Continue reading →
Monday 2/03/2026 Diamond Lake Car Park – Wānaka–Mt Aspiring Road – Diamond Lake Loop Track – Lower Circuit Track – Lake Wānaka Lookout Track – Rocky Mountain Track – Diamond Lake Bird View – Lake Wānaka Lookout – Diamond Lake – Schist bluffs – Rocky Mountain (775 m) – Kā Tiritiri o te Moana / Southern Alps – Mount Aspiring / Tititea (3,033 m) – Lake Wānaka – Mou Waho – Mou Tapu – Te Peka Karara – Ruby Island – Glendhu Bay – The Peninsula – Diamond Lake Car Park
Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain Track
Diamond Lake Conservation Area, Queenstown Lakes District, Otago, NEW ZEALAND (Aotearoa)
Kāi Tahu ki Otago Country (Ngāi Tahu / Kāi Tahu)
Participants: Beth Davies, Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report), Pablo Ureña Vega
We decided to do a slightly easier walk today after a big climb on the previous days. It was a 20-minute drive from Wanaka to the trailhead, and there was plenty of parking.
The trail climbed up from the carpark, and we were soon passing Diamond Lake, of which we had excellent views a little further along the trail. Looking from above, the dark waters of the lake were very picturesque.
Wednesday 4/03/2026 Wanaka Mount Aspiring Road – Matukituki River West Branch – Raspberry Creek Carpark – Rob Roy Stream – Rob Roy Glacier Track – Bridal Veil Falls – Rob Roy Glacier
Fiordland National Park / Te Wāhipounamu
South West New Zealand World Heritage Area, Southland, NEW ZEALAND (Aotearoa)
Tahu Country (Ngāi Tahu / Kāi Tahu people)
Participants: Beth Davies, Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report), Pablo Ureña Vega
It is about a one-hour drive from Wanaka to the Raspberry car park. There is about 30km of gravel, as well as a few shallow (at this time of year) fords. We arrived at about 10:00am at the already busy car park.
Tuesday 3/03/2026 Isthmus Peak Track Carpark – Stewart Creek – Glen Dene Station – Dinner Creek – Dinner Flat – Ridge Junction – Glen Dene Ridge Track junction – Isthmus Peak (1,385 m)
Isthmus Peak Track
Matatiaho Conservation Area, Glen Dene Station (private land)
Queenstown Lakes District, Otago, NEW ZEALAND (Aotearoa)
Kāi Tahu (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha) Country (Kāi Tahu people / Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu)
Participants: Beth Davies, Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report), Pablo Ureña Vega
It was a 30-minute drive from Wanaka to the trailhead of Isthmus Peak. The recommendation was to arrive early as the carpark is not large. That was an understatement, but if people had parked appropriately, many more cars would fit there. We were lucky to get the last spot.
It was almost 9:30am by the time we set off in the cool, clear morning, which promised to turn into a stunning day. It certainly didn’t disappoint us!
Friday 27/02/2026 Bob’s Peak / Skyline Gondola Top Complex (787m) – Skyline Access Road – Luge Track crossing – Ben Lomond Track – Douglas fir forest zone – Alpine tussock zone (treeline ~800m) – Ben Lomond Saddle (1,326m) – Moonlight Track junction – Ben Lomond Station (private land) – Ben Lomond / Te Taumata-o-Hākitekura Summit (1,748m) with rock cairn (built 1960s by Henry Barker) – Ben Lomond Saddle (1,326m) – Ben Lomond Track – Bob’s Peak / Skyline Gondola Top Complex (787m)
Ben Lomond Track
Ben Lomond Scenic Reserve
Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago, South Island, NEW ZEALAND (Aotearoa)
Te Waipounamu – Ngāi Tahu (Kāi Tahu) rohe (Ngāi Tahu / Kāi Tahu people, incorporating Kāti Māmoe and Waitaha)
Participants: Beth Davies, Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report), Pablo Ureña Vega
We arrived in Queentown late the previous night. With a two-hour time difference and the associated tiredness, we were off to a slow start.
We headed off to find some breakfast and then drove to buy some food for lunch. By the time we walked to the gondola station and reached the top, it was after midday.
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report), Jeremy Harrison, Jamie Murray, Sally Murray, David Rayment, Amy Simone, Julie Wells, Brett Wright (Leader), Lee Wright, Toni
After years of trading stories about our various bushwalking adventures, we finally got out for a walk with Brett and Lee. This Sunday morning hike had us meet at Gambells Rest Campground at 8:25am where our party of eleven completed some introductions before heading off.
Monday 29/12/2025 Bullocks Flat – Thredbo River – Perisher Valley
Kosciuszko National Park, NSW
Ngarigo Country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report), Beth Davies, Pablo Ureña Vega
Beth had suggested we try this newly opened walk. She and Pablo would run in one direction, and we would start at the other and swap keys along the way.
We started under clear skies, and although it was around 8:30am, it was already getting warm, and we were walking uphill!
Tuesday 20/01/2026 Aurora – Barrack Point – Shellharbour Village
Participants: Stephen Davies (Timelapse, Report)
With a strong aurora forecast, I headed down to Blacks Beach, Barrack Point, after sunset, chasing southern lights to the south. Thick cloud looked unpromising, but a faint purple glow teased the horizon as I reached the beach and moved out onto the rock platform. Continue reading →
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (Los Glaciares National Park)
Area Lago Viedma
Santa Cruz Province, ARGENTINA
Distance: 75.8km Time: 34 hours
Total Ascent: 2695m Total Descent: 2803m
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report), Pedro Navarro (Guide), Patrizia Schäffnerl, Valentina Sobol (Porter)
The Huemul Circuit is not a casual stroll but a full immersion into the raw weather, vast ice and big skies of southern Patagonia.From the moment our small team left El Chaltén and Monte Fitz Roy faded behind us, daily life was replaced by a rhythm of boggy lenga forest, wind‑buffeted passes, creek crossings and evenings spent drying gear beside lakes.
Guided by Pedro, with our porter, Valentina, carrying a very heavy pack and an endless supply of good humour, we circled Cerro Huemul above Lago Viedma, twice crossed the Río Túnel by Tyrolean traverses, and crunched over glacial ice while storms and sun took turns sweeping the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.This report aims to capture an experience that tested creaky knees and comfort zones, but rewarded us with a guanaco on a perfect backdrop, rare orchids, and the quiet satisfaction of finishing one of South America’s toughest and most beautiful treks.
Tuesday 9/12/2025 Arakur Ushuaia Resort – Camino Arakur – Base Cascada de los Amigos – Cerro Cortez
Cerro Alarkén Nature Reserve above Ushuaia
Patagonia
Tierra Del Fuego Province, ARGENTINA
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
We were keen to get out for a walk before boarding the boat for the next ten days this afternoon.
We walked down the road from our hilltop hotel along the Camino Arakur before following the trail through the forest. We enjoyed views of the stunning mountains under clear skies. There were still some wildflowers around, including some orchids.
27/11/2025 – 29/11/2025Bariloche – Refugio Emilio Frey – Laguna Toncek – Laguna Jakob Rucaco – Refugio San Martin – Tambo Báez
Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi
(Nahuel Huapi National Park)
Rio Negro Province
Patagonia Lakes District
ARGENTINA
Distance: 46.6km Time: 21.5hours
Total Ascent: 1692m Total Descent: 1848m
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
A much-anticipated start after multiple delays.
Getting to the start of the walk was an adventure in itself. We were lined up to board our international flight from Sydney to Buenos Aires when the line came to a standstill. The staff were looking stony-faced as they were given the news. There was no announcement, but they came over to the line and started speaking to individuals. We soon learned that our plane had been “struck by lightning” and the flight was cancelled. Great start to our trip! We were offered overnight accommodation if we didn’t live in Sydney and a meal voucher. A few hours later, I received an email saying our flight had been rescheduled for the following day, 27 hours late. We were transferred by bus to the Holiday Inn Sydney Airport, where they were keen to give us free food. Dinner and breakfast were included as well as the shuttle back to the airport. We settled in for the afternoon.
We did take off at the new time the following day, but I had to adjust our travel plans, accommodations and our flight into Bariloche for the following day. The new flight time, unfortunately, had us waiting for seven hours in Santiago for the connection. We arrived in Buenos Aires close to 10:00pm, and I had organised accommodation close to the airport. Our flight the following day was at 3:15pm, but we had to check out of our accommodation at 10:00am, so we just headed for the airport. We checked our bags in, and soon after, I received an email saying the flight was delayed another six hours! So we had an 11-hour wait at the airport!
We eventually arrived in Bariloche close to midnight and fell asleep as soon as we hit the pillow.
