RICKY WILSON/STUFF
There was strong support for the Queen Charlotte Track to become a Great Walk last year (video first published in December 2020)
From the Milford and Routeburn to the mighty Te Araroa Trail, New Zealand abounds in epic tramps that will knock your socks off. Before you tackle these tougher trails or if you’re a seasoned tramper like me simply want a break from carrying a heavy pack take an easier multi-day walk along the Queen Charlotte Track in the picturesque Marlborough Sounds.
Clarissa Hirst
Pack a hat and plenty of sunscreen for this walk, as you’ll be soaking up a lot of sun.
GO NZ: Sounds like luxury: Cruising through Marlborough
10 minutes to read
Peter de Graaf is a reporter for the Northern Advocatepeter.degraaf@northernadvocate.co.nznorthernadvocat
Peter de Graaf
If you want to experience New Zealand s most beautiful places – and I mean experience them, not just look at them from afar – you need to suffer a certain amount of discomfort.
You need to lug a pack groaning under the weight of a week s worth of food. You need to put up with mosquitoes invading your tent, a wafer-thin mattress and dehydrated meals. Don t even start me on breaking camp in the rain or sharing a hut with a dozen incurable snorers.
Russell community stalwart Stephen Western dies aged 69
20 Dec, 2020 05:00 AM
2 minutes to read
Peter de Graaf is a reporter for the Northern Advocatepeter.degraaf@northernadvocate.co.nznorthernadvocat
Russell community stalwart Stephen Western known for his support of local events and his love of sailing and photography has died aged 69.
Western, who had been fishing just a day earlier and had been in good health, passed away suddenly at home on Wednesday morning.
Together with his wife Sue, he ran a bed and breakfast, Villa Russell, and operated a charter sailing business on their yachts Kama Lua and Kingfisher.
He was rarely seen without his camera and there were few events in Russell he didn t support, usually as the official but unpaid photographer.
Poor Knights snorkelling Northland is home to the country’s best snorkelling. The sub-tropical currents that pass the Poor Knights Islands mean you will be surrounded by thousands of fish, including colossal snapper and even kingfish. Get there on a day trip with Dive! Tutukaka, it’s an hour boat ride from the coastal village of Tutukaka.
Brook Sabin/Stuff
Monster Scooters Whangārei’s Headsup Adventures runs a New Zealand first: monster scooters. These two-wheel off-road buggies are powered by gravity; you’ll be shuttled to the top of a hill, before choosing one of eight tracks to race down with your friends and family.