Reviewing walks from around New Zealand with stories, photos, videos, and helpful information you need to get walking and exploring!
This wasn't a typical walk. It was a 50km mountain race around a volcano, that started and finished in darkness. I'd gone into it knowing that I'd already completed a 50km before (and that included running and walking, whereas this one was only walking), so mentally I knew I could do it. It was whether I could physically do it again.
The number one reason I like this walk is because it starts in the heart of the city, but within 30 minutes you can look around and not see any sign of people. That's my kind of walk! The second reason is that it ends at the beach. And not just that, but a beach with seals! If those aren't two fantastic reasons to do this walk, then I'm not sure what would be.
If you like stairs, you'll really like this walk. There are lots of them. And they are perched on hillsides where if you slip, there is nothing to stop you until you hit the ground far below. So my hint for this walk? Take it slow going up and down the many, many stairs.
This is a slight detour from normal on the blog as this walk took place half way around the world from where I normally walk - in Italy! And not only that, it took place on a different surface than normal - snow.
I've walked tracks on Mt Victoria a hundred times. But it seems like each time I do I still manage to find a new path I haven't come across before and manage to not follow the track I want to be on. This was a loop walk so I figured it was going to be well signposted, which it was. Mostly. But I still managed to get off the loop, but I found my way back on to it, purely by accident!
I never used to be a goal setter. I always though it was a little bit lame. My thinking started to change when a friend bought me to their house, sat me down in front of a computer and asked me what did I want to do with my life and how did I want to live it? We opened up a google spreadsheet and broke down what seemed like the simplest things into a range of headings including travel, finances, health, career, and relationships and popped them into short, medium and long term goals. She then told me to turn off the spreadsheet and to not look at it again for a few months.
On the first sunny Saturday in December, I expected the Shine Falls track to be full of families trekking their way down to the falls for a swim - this walk is along a relatively flat track, safe, and with barely any uphill. Hence, you could imagine my surprise when we made it all 2km to the falls without passing another person!
