"Journey to Te Ika-a-Maui" narrates an adventurous trip to New Zealand, featuring a five-day kayak journey on the Whanganui River and hikes on the Tongariro Northern Circuit and Waikaremoana Track. Lee Traynor shares insights on travel, accommodation, and technical tips for photography and map-making from his two-month stay.
Rambling Around New Zealand’s Southern Islands
Holidaying in New Zealand and adventure activities like bungee jumping, canyon swinging, and jetboating up wild rivers are virtually synonymous. But there are other adventures that this country–one of the most isolated in the world–offers. Finding them may not be that easy, nor is getting there and back in one piece. Lee Traynor has therefore explored the two main southern islands of New Zealand: The South Island (Te Wai Pounamu) and Stewart Island, and undertaken a number of shorter and longer hikes (tramps). Among these are the Great Walks of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, the Kepler Track, and the Milford Track. These three tracks, each with its own distinct personality, are set in spectacular landscapes found only in New Zealand. The utmost technical challenge is, however, the ten-day North-West Circuit of Stewart Island (which includes parts of the Rakiura Track, another Great Walk), a trek through temperate rainforests, all but impassable muddy tracks, and across extensive coastal sand dunes reminiscent of the south-eastern coast of Australia. Lee Traynor recounts the preparations and the two months spent in New Zealand travelling around these southern islands and his adventures on and off the track. Lavishly illustrated with over 175 colour photographs and maps, and 20 black and white photos and diagrams.
Revisiting Te Wai Pounamu begins with a hike across remote Stewart Island, followed by a brief sea kayak tour of Paterson Inlet. The journey then continues on the Dusky Track in Fiordland National Park, a stark contrast to the busier Great Walks like Milford and Routeburn, offering a challenging and solitary experience. Progressing northward, the author hikes the Heaphy Track, the last of the Great Walks he explores, which is reserved for walkers in summer, with a mountain bike tour available in winter. The Heaphy Track features a stunning section along the Tasman coast that can be enjoyed as a day walk. After a visit to Karamea, located at the end of the world’s longest cul-de-sac, the Wangapeka Track serves as a return route to Nelson. The adventure culminates in Picton, where a five-day sea kayak tour of Queen Charlotte Sound awaits, showcasing dolphins, penguins, and wekas. This narrative captures a New Zealand that lies beyond typical tourist paths, yet remains accessible. Lee Traynor shares his two-month journey across these tracks, providing detailed travel and accommodation insights, along with practical advice for organizing expeditions without the need for a rental vehicle.
Journey to Te Ika-a-Maui (the Maori name for the North Island of New Zealand) details an adventurous trip to New Zealand to kayak the remote Whanganui River and to hike the Great Walks of the Tongariro Northern Circuit, and the Waikaremoana Track. The Whanganui River Journey is a five-day adventure down the Whanganui River in kayaks or canoes from Taumarunui to Pipiriki, down countless rapids over a distance of 150 km. Preparation is key here, and tips are given concerning trip planning and hiring equipment. Not far from the Whanganui River the volcanoes of Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe rise from the limestone plains and valleys. Tourists may be familiar with the one-day Tongariro Crossing, but the mountains can also be circled by the 3-4 day Tongariro Northern Circuit, which passes by the picturesque Tama Lakes and over lava tongues, with exhilarating views of the mountains on clear days. In the remote east of New Zealand lies the third of the North Island Great Walks, Waikaremoana, whose lakeside track can be undertaken in 3-4 days. Lee Traynor spent a total of two months in New Zealand on these and other tracks and recounts his adventures on and off the track. In addition to detailed information about travel and accommodation in New Zealand, he presents technical advice on photography, image processing and map-making.