Tag Archives: navigation

Floyd Pond: A New Tararua Lake

Posted on 20 March, 2017 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

There’s an interesting report on Stuff this evening about a landslide in the upper Tauherenikau catchment of the Tararua, which has created a new lake in the catchment surrounded by the Dress Circle and Alpha. The new lake was reported … Continue reading →

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Taranaki exploration ideas

Posted on 27 June, 2016 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

The two ends of what used to be the Pyramid Route. In the past I’ve dropped a few references to the various tracks around Egmont National Park which have been ‘closed’ (in official terms) in relatively recent times. Reasons have … Continue reading →

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Browsing Historic Topo Maps with MapsPast

Posted on 20 May, 2015 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

If you like topo maps, and especially trawling through historic topo maps of New Zealand, then check out the new MapsPast website, thrown together by Matt Briggs. Maps are great. For me, looking at maps and understanding what’s around is … Continue reading →

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Trip: Tapokopoko Kotumu Loop

Posted on 18 February, 2015 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

Alistair in typical surroundings. It’s easy to overlook the Orongorongo Valley and surrounding Rimutaka Range, especially with additional tramping options so nearby, notably the Tararuas. That’s something I’ve often been guilty of. Until relatively recently, my most common perception of … Continue reading →

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Trip: Rimutaka Mukamuka Runaway

Posted on 25 November, 2014 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

The mighty Mukamuka River trickles through the lower parts of its catchment. It’s Friday evening, and seven of us arrived at Catchpool Valley carpark at about 6.30pm. It’s quite a nice change to visit a place so near to Wellington, … Continue reading →

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Trip: Blackwater, Twin Peak, Butchers Creek, South Ohau

Posted on 12 February, 2014 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

This weekend should be spent mostly in rivers, and it’s helpful that the upcoming forecast is actually accommodating. A very small amount of rain forecast from the east, some wind high up, but otherwise sunshine to burn. This is my … Continue reading →

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Collins Ultimate Navigation Manual, by Lyle Brotherton (a review)

Posted on 18 August, 2013 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

I don’t normally refer to material without a direct New Zealand connection, but I’ve made an exception in this case. In my kiwi-centric world (at least on this website) I’m very interested in outdoor navigation. Globally the Collins Ultimate Navigation … Continue reading →

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Detecting a faulty baseplate compass

Posted on 26 March, 2012 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

My Silva Field 7 Baseplate Compass. Usually when intuition says one thing and a compass says something else, it means your intuition is wrong. More than a few times, I or a group I’ve been in have had a compass … Continue reading →

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GPSs and Cognitive Mapping, or lack of it

Posted on 10 February, 2012 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

Late in 2010, I expressed some concerns about uses and perceptions of GPS receivers and similar technology. This article published in the New York Times (copied verbatim here if the NYT tries to force you to subscribe) refers to some … Continue reading →

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Trip: Powell, Totara Flats and Sayers

Posted on 18 December, 2010 by Mike McGavinPrint This Post Print This Post

Saturday night sunset on Totara Flats. This is meant to be a tramping club trip, though really it’s just Éamonn and me. We’re the “social” trip, but I think people bailed on the social idea when it became clearer that … Continue reading →

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