Methven & Districts Tramping Club

16/06/2026

Trip report: Mt Herbert:
Saturday 13thJune Day trip

The original plan was to climb Mt Herbert via the Monument Track, but on arrival at the car park we found a sign advising that the track was closed.

Plan B was quickly agreed on, and we headed back down Kaituna Valley to the Packhorse Hut car park. From there, it was a fast 1 hour climb to the hut, where we stopped briefly for morning tea.

After the break, continued around Mt Bradley on a track that was very muddy in places. After just under 2 hours, we reached the summit of Mt Herbert.

After lunch, the summit party split into two groups. A group of four returned the same way we had come, encountering the mud again, while the remaining two took the longer but drier Faulkner track around the front of Mt Bradley.

14/06/2026

We are already getting entries in for our first annual photo competition.

Make sure you get yours in. If you can’t/not sure about sending via messenger. You can send direct to our photo competition organiser [email protected]

Are you going to enter?

📸 1st Annual MAD Photo Competition 2026 📸

Do you have a favourite photo from your tramping adventures over the past year? Enter the 1st Annual MAD Photo Competition and share your best outdoor images with the club!

Categories:
🏔️ On the Mountains
🌿 In the Bush
🦎 Wildlife
🏕️ Hut/Camp Life

Entry Requirements:

* Photos must have been taken on a tramping trip between 1 June 2025 and 1 July 2026.
* Entries close on 4 July 2026.
* Submit your photos via Messenger to the club page.
* Please include the category and location for each entry.

Judging & Prizes:

* The club committee will select the final three entries in each category.
* Winners will be decided by People’s Choice voting at the club meeting on 4 August 2026.
* There will be a prize for 1st place in each category.

Whether it’s a stunning mountain vista, a memorable hut moment, an incredible wildlife encounter, or a beautiful bush scene, we’d love to see the adventures you’ve captured.

Start sorting through your photos and get your entries in! 📷🥾🌿

10/06/2026

06/06/2026

Make sure you get your entries in for our first photo competition.

📸 1st Annual MAD Photo Competition 2026 📸

Do you have a favourite photo from your tramping adventures over the past year? Enter the 1st Annual MAD Photo Competition and share your best outdoor images with the club!

Categories:
🏔️ On the Mountains
🌿 In the Bush
🦎 Wildlife
🏕️ Hut/Camp Life

Entry Requirements:

* Photos must have been taken on a tramping trip between 1 June 2025 and 1 July 2026.
* Entries close on 4 July 2026.
* Submit your photos via Messenger to the club page.
* Please include the category and location for each entry.

Judging & Prizes:

* The club committee will select the final three entries in each category.
* Winners will be decided by People’s Choice voting at the club meeting on 4 August 2026.
* There will be a prize for 1st place in each category.

Whether it’s a stunning mountain vista, a memorable hut moment, an incredible wildlife encounter, or a beautiful bush scene, we’d love to see the adventures you’ve captured.

Start sorting through your photos and get your entries in! 📷🥾🌿

02/06/2026

📸 1st Annual MAD Photo Competition 2026 📸

Do you have a favourite photo from your tramping adventures over the past year? Enter the 1st Annual MAD Photo Competition and share your best outdoor images with the club!

Categories:
🏔️ On the Mountains
🌿 In the Bush
🦎 Wildlife
🏕️ Hut/Camp Life

Entry Requirements:

* Photos must have been taken on a tramping trip between 1 June 2025 and 1 July 2026.
* Entries close on 4 July 2026.
* Submit your photos via Messenger to the club page.
* Please include the category and location for each entry.

Judging & Prizes:

* The club committee will select the final three entries in each category.
* Winners will be decided by People’s Choice voting at the club meeting on 4 August 2026.
* There will be a prize for 1st place in each category.

Whether it’s a stunning mountain vista, a memorable hut moment, an incredible wildlife encounter, or a beautiful bush scene, we’d love to see the adventures you’ve captured.

Start sorting through your photos and get your entries in! 📷🥾🌿

29/05/2026

Our next meeting is coming up, everyone is welcome as we will be having a trip planning and social evening.

If you’re curious about what we get up to, or like a trip added to our next schedule, then come along.

07/05/2026

Trip report: Misty Peaks Circuit
Saturday 2nd May Day trip

On a sunny day, went on an adventure in search of the illusive Newton's Waterfall, hidden in the Misty Peaks Reserve. Starting in Akaroa went up along a road, sneaking past the Giant's house for what seemed like an eternity of road walking, but low and behold the sign for the real track was just around a corner decided to take the Frank Worsley track back down (a steep poled route) instead of the easier option, which would involve more arduous road walking.

The track started of nice and wide and not very steep, but after a while it got narrower and a bit steeper. We stopped for lunch under Brasenose Hill with great views over Akaroa and beyond. After lunch we continued on down the track. We then got to a fenceline where we followed the poles along it.

Dodging quite a few ongaonga and after a bit of bushwalking we finally got to a junction with a sign pointing to the illusive waterfall, which was reached after a very short detour. We then did a short stint of road walking, along the waterfront.

Approx 13kms, 700m climb in just over 5 hours, with magnificent views, an abundance of birdlife (including some wood pigeons) and great weather.

12/01/2026

The Dart Track is closed due to a slip.

The large slip in Dart Valley between Daleys Flat Hut and Chinamens Bluff has made the Rees-Dart Track circuit impassable for trampers. Rangers have assessed the slip and the Dart Track is closed indefinitely.

Alternative options for trampers:

• Walk from Muddy Creek to Dart Hut and back out the same way (just Rees Valley)

• Walk over Cascade Saddle to Dart Hut and out along the Rees Valley.

Alert: https://bit.ly/45PiRFA

18/12/2025

Wilderness is proud to announce the inaugural Shaun Barnett Memorial Scholarship as a tribute to leading tramping author and photographer Shaun Barnett 📸 🏔️

Open to aspiring photojournalists of all ages, the annual scholarship offers up to $1000 to the successful applicant in support of their backcountry adventures and creative development.

Find out how to apply and more of your 📰 OUTDOOR NEWS 📰 in the comments below:

14/12/2025

Trip Report - Weekend trip
Sylvia Tops - Devils Den Bivvy and Lucretia Biv plus Love our Huts

3 MAD members set out of Friday for a 3 day mission along the Sylvia Tops to Devils Den Bivvy, completing a Love our Huts Challenge on the Biv, then heading down and up to Lucretia Biv.

The Sylvia Track divers off the Nina Valley Track before crossing the Nina River. It’s a steep climb through the bush to the tree line. We were grateful for recent track cutting, it made the navigating easier and there was still some tree fall to clamber in/over/around.

Once out of the bush we followed the ridge, bouncing over various tips until one final climb where we looked directly down on Devils Den Biv and Devilskin Saddle. It was an extremely steep descent, though alpine tussock and lower down thick scrub. After 7 hours and 12km we reached the Biv.

Our next mission was Love Our Huts Challenge - we gave the long drop and hut a deep clean, carrying what rubbish we could, and leaving behind FMC magazine, soap, cards, pens, multipurpose cleaner and cloths.

Next day we descended down to Nina Hut, then followed the Nina Valley Track until it met the Nina River, we crossed and picked up the Lucretia Track and climbed up to Lucretia Biv.

Final day we retraced our steps down Lucretia Stream down to the Nina River and the followed this all the way back to the road.