What we’re about
This group will go on day hikes and overnight camping trips. Suitable for anyone who is keen on adventure, likes a bit of exercise and looking to meet new people.
The main organiser carries a personal locator beacon on all hikes and is a certified Trained First Aider, so you can feel comfortable coming out with us. Safety is always key. Please look at the difficulty rating for each hike as we will do easy hikes for beginners, medium hikes for those with a bit more experience and some more challenging hikes for those who want to test themselves :)
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Tongariro Alpine Crossing Winter walks (Saturday & Sunday)The Crossing Lodge & Backpackers, Erua
A chance for a group of hikers to walk the Tongariro Crossing in snow. Hike approx 8.0 hours on Saturday followed by the Silica Falls on Sunday.
Difficulty: 4 on our 1-5 scale
Suitability
You must:
- be reasonably fit and willing to listen to instructions given by the hiking leader.
- have the appropriate clothing and equipment required to stay safe.
- have had training (or prior experience) using crampons and ice-axe and be familiar with self-arrest.
Risk
There are a lot of risks when venturing into an alpine terrain and this will be a very cold hike, please make sure you understand this before you RSVP to attend this event. To name a few - there are dangers of trips, extreme weather, hypothermia , slipping on ice, or getting lost.
Gear MANDATORY
- Crampons
- Ice axe
- Emergency Blanket (silver foil)
- Beanie
- Waterproof gloves
- Base layer clothing NOT cotton
- Mid layer clothing NOT cotton
- Rain jacket with hood (poncho or any homemade equivalent are not
acceptable) - Rain trousers
- Hiking Boots suitable for crampons
- Headlamp
NOTE: The above is mandatory, do not RSVP if you are not willing to rent or buy or borrow all of the above. You will be asked to wait at the accommodation if you turn up unequipped!
Gear Rental
These are the two companies I am aware of that rents out boots, crampons, etc. to the public:Bivouac https://www.bivouac.co.nz/gearhire
Living Simply https://www.livingsimply.co.nz/page/hire.aspxBook your gear early and postpone or cancel as soon as the trip status changed.
Accommodation
I have booked 4 bed bunk rooms at The Crossing Lodge & Backpackers
Home - The Crossing Lodge & Backpackers
Once you are moved across to the 'Going' list you will need to transfer $45.00 to the Auckland Outdoors bank account within 48 hours.Bank details:
Helen Kerslake-Forbes 06-0998-0909890-03
**please put your Meetup user name in the reference fieldPlan
Friday 12th September 2025
5.00pm - We will drive down to the National Park via Otorohanga where will stop for dinner as a group. Let's meet at the Information Centre, 21 Maniapoto Street, Otorohanga and go from there.We will check into our accommodation.
Saturday 13th September 2025
7.00am - Leave accommodation and drive to start of Tongariro Crossing. We will walk to the Blue Lake, have lunch and return back to the carpark. We will then drive back to Schnapps Bar for dinner and return to the accommodation.Sunday 14th September 2025
8.30am - Drive to Whakapapa Village and do the Silica Rapids Walk (approx 7km, 2.5hrs). We will then drive back to Schnapps Bar for lunch before driving home to Auckland.Food
Bring breakfast and lunch for Saturday, and breakfast for Sunday, as well as snacks.
Enough water (min 2l). You will burn extra energy staying warm so it is important that you have extra food due to the risk of being stuck on the mountain.Transport
Suggest carpooling. Please comment when you rsvp whether you need a lift / can offer lifts, which part of Auckland and your mobile number. It’s up to you to arrange this among yourselves. Please give your driver $80 for petrol.RSVP
Please read the whole event description properly before you RSVP Yes to attend. You need to answer 4 questions when you RSVP and this may or may not work with the meetup app on your phone. The only acceptable answer to the first 3 questions is YES and you must provide your mobile number for contact. Please don't be offended if I change your RSVP to No if I think you are not suitable for this hike, or your answers to the questions are not satisfactory.Donation - Due to increased Meetup subscription costs we ask all members to contribute $1 or$2 for this hike. You can either bring a gold coin on the day or make the donation direct to our dedicated bank account:
Helen Kerslake-Forbes 06-0998-0909890-03If you can no longer attend the hike please make sure you update your RSVP immediately so others can have the chance to join. If you decline within 2 days of the start time or don't turn up this will be treated as a 'no show'. 3 no shows will mean you will be removed from the group for 6 months.
Communication
These kind of trips get postponed and/or cancelled due to changes in weather forecast or avalanche warnings etc.It is important you enable messaging through this website, and that you check and read emails regarding this event. You are asked to reply promptly if required to do so, thanks.
