Kia ora! I'm Michelle. I've been living in New Zealand for two decades (which just about makes me a local 🤣) and hiking in NZ since 2012.
My mission is to educate & inspire people from all backgrounds and experience levels about Hiking in New Zealand.
Whether you've never hiked before, never hiked in New Zealand before, are an experienced tramper or are preparing for a Te Araroa thru hike, you'll find some value here.
I started my RU-vid channel and website as a way to document what it's like to be a beginner hiker in New Zealand, and to show the lessons I was learning along the way.
What you'll get from me is the perspective of a (mostly) solo female tramper who lives in New Zealand. You can expect accurate and conscientious advice straight from the mouth of a local taking into account NZ's unique environmental, cultural and safety considerations.
Join me and let's adventure together! Subscribe to this channel and visit longwhitegypsy.com for all the goodies!
Wow you had provided tons of valuable information especially selection of right shoes and as well as other aspect of shoes/boots. I was looking for that valuable things. Thanks lot👍🙏
Good morning this just excites me to start my own massive adventure later this month. Looked like a super nice walk in and out..not sure about that swing bridge though 😂, bit scary for me lol. Have an amazing rest of your week
Ello, absolutely stunnung area wow,.I live in the north island as beautiful as it is here, the South island really has breath taking scenery. I cant wait to experience places like this as I walk around the Country. The hut was real gem aye. Have a blessed week ahead
Hello, great video.. I'm about to walk all around New Zealand coast to coast and everywhere in between, this was so helpful and informative thank you..have an amazing week
Hi Michelle. I just wondered how you are these days? I hope you are well. Do you plan on going for any more walks soon? It would be good to hair from you again and to see the lovely country side NZ has to offer in the way of tramping. Take care, regards Brendon.
Very good appraisal of TA for other. I would agree with you regarding the percentage (45%) of road walking. As you say the Trust is working constantly on reducing road walking.
That swing bridge was awesome, is your friend camera shy? I took a complete stranger follower on one of my adventures recently and couldn’t get him to speak or show his face - never again 😢
Gypsy girl... thank you for these great videos of the hikes I'm planning to do Feb.2023. And so excited to see what the trail to Hooker Hut looks like. You do such a wonderful job, keep up the fun and great videos .. I'll be watching 😉
Excellent information. I appreciated to he part about rolling a hiking pole under the foot for helping plantar f., also, putting your feet up during a break. I like the idea of Toe socks, like Injinji.... However, at $12.00. / pair, they're a bit pricey. But, if they're going to save a potentially bigger issue, I think they're probably worth it.
Just a short 5 min walk! You have to cross the stream as if you’re continuing on the Mount Somers Track, then head right back the way you’ve come. If you’re walking in from Woolshed Creek car park you’ll see it on the other side of the stream as you approach the hut.
@@LongWhiteGypsy cool. Fair enough. I guess I think of multi-day as at least three. I might have described that walk as an overnight, but that’s just semantics. Thanks for posting it.
Hi stranger. It's good to see you up and about tramping again. Thanks for sharing this lovely tramp with us. We might not be there in body but we are coming along with you in spirt. Hope to see your next tramp soon. Take care. Regards Brendon from South Island, west coast, NZ.
You can also hang light stuff from the compression straps. A cap, a compressible doggie water bowl, anything with a loop or attachment point. The compression straps can also help secure a water bottle, depending on what kind of cap you're using. The newer updated versions made the water bottle pouches more secure, also. Anyway great review thank you!
This is a great idea, and something I’ve done on a few occasions, thanks for bringing people’s attention to it! (No matter how hard you try, you always miss something out!) Glad you enjoyed!
You really need to use soap and water to wash up every time after you go 💩. Norovirus is NOT killed by hand sanitizer. It can create a legitimately life threatening emergency, especially in remote areas, because of dehydration. Popular areas are more susceptible to catching disease. Grand Canyon National Park has had several well publicized outbreaks.
Agreed! I’m always wary of the fact that whenever I’m tramping, I’m never 100% clean, so try to avoid eating food with my hands unless I’ve properly washed them. A good practice!
What model Orthaheel blue insole is in this video? I own Vionic Orthaheel Active insole which gives far more arch support than Superfeet green insole due to Vionic Orthaheel arch surface area is 50% wider and longer than Superfeet.
This is a great question and I actually don’t know the answer. I bought these insoles by chance at a random pharmacy in Kerikeri as I passed through, and by the time I wanted to check what brand, it had already rubbed off from overuse! If anyone knows, I’d love them to share ☺️
Loved your series on this walk - especially from the point of view of a first time solo multi day hike! Overall, would you recommend camping rather than staying in the huts?
I’m so glad you enjoyed! And yes it’s a great starter walk for anyone new to multi day hiking. There are pros and cons to both camping and hiking, so it would depend a lot on what you enjoy about each and what kind of trip you’re after. If you’re going in anything other than rainy or cold weather, I’d highly recommend camping. There are more camping options along the track, meaning that you can often have a beach or small bay almost to yourself. The larger campsites have fantastic facilities, flushing toilets, covered cooking areas etc. But the huts are also an iconic kiwi tramping experience!
Did this in a 11 hr and 15 minute day this past weekend. Lee Bay to Potirepo (Port William) Hut was lovely and by far the nicest part of the track; the middle needs more maintenance in my opinion. Saw lots of birds (though no kiwi) and three deer.
Wow! This is a great effort. As you say, the track is definitely doable in a single day, if you’re fit and prepared enough. Personally, though, I like the slower and more immersed multi-day option. Sad you didn’t get to see any kiwi, but I hear only 60% of people do!
That’s a matter of personal preference… purist thru hikers would say you haven’t done the trail unless you’ve walked every kilometre. But the vast majority of thru hikers (especially on the TA) skip large sections, mostly because there is a lot of road walking on this trail, which many people don’t enjoy.
Thanks so much for this series. I’m a beginner hiker from Australia and I’ve watched your entire series on gear. It’s been super insightful and given me some great knowledge on what gear to think about. Looking forward to checking out the rest of your videos (and hopefully doing some hiking in NZ in the coming years!)
You’re welcome Tim. I’m really happy you’ve found it so helpful. Hiking in a different country is a daunting prospect, so please reach out if you have any questions. You can contact me via my website or on IG ☺️🙏
Thank you 🙏🙏 I wish I had more too, but I’m glad I have such dedicated ones like you rather than thousands that could take them or leave them ☺️ Thanks so much for being here ❤️
Wow I started following you last year but did not realise you did this trip until I was trying to find info on it, can you please tell me the camp sites you stayed at again? Thank you
No worries! I did the 5 day version from Whakahoro to Whanganui as part of the TA (if you didn’t already know that!). I stayed at Ohauora DOC camp, Ramanui private camp (opposite Tieke Kainga), and then Flying Fox and Hipango Park. Such a great trip, although I did get very lucky with weather and river conditions!
Yeah it’s a beaut track, right into the heart of the Tongariro Northern Circuit and an easy day hike with the ability to stop at the hut for lunch. Love it!
I can't unfortunately walk the entire Rakiura track. Does anyone know roughly how long it takes to walk from the Lee Bay trail head to Maori bay campsite?
Thank you! I'm still using my Canon Eos M50. I'm not actually super happy with it and looking to upgrade, but it's well out of the budget for now so i'll have to make do!
Hi Michelle, thank you so much for the great video. I plan to solo hike this trail and a section of Around the Mountain in a few weeks, and I am looking to rent a Personal Location Beacon. Do you have any advice on where I can find one in Auckland or National Park? Thanks!!!
Yes absolutely, I believe you can hire PLBs from the DOC Visitor Centre at Whakapapa village. Otherwise, check out your local bivouac or macpac store in Auckland, they usually hire them too! If you're still stuck, check out locatorbeaconz.co.nz or the mountain safety council PLB hire page for more ideas. I'd recommend ringing ahead first to check availability. Good luck, and have a safe trip!
Thanks for this extremely comprehensive review. You answered several questions I still had after watching multiple reviews on this pack. Well done and much appreciated!
