Happy new year from 2024 here in Aotearoa New Zealand

[DoughnutANZ]

Best wishes and long walks to all

 

[Takahiwai]

Happy New Year to you, and the folk of Aotearoa, where I grew up in a happy rural setting in Northland many a long year ago!

 

[Waka]

Happy to all you guys on the other side of the world.

Waka

 

[Harland2019]

Still 12 hours to go "up here" but Happy New Year to you and Ivar, the moderators, and all Forum members/readers.

 

[SongKhonGair]

Wow, what's it like in The Future?? It's still 2023 here in Thailand.

Happy New Year to all!

 

[TravellingMan22]

A

Wow, what's it like in The Future?? It's still 2023 here in Thailand.

Happy New Year to all!

Also in Thailand! Just seen the sun go down for the final time in 2023!

 

[truenorthpilgrm]

Bonne année from Brittany, France! Just arrived yesterday from Bali, with a pit stop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A lot more butter and pastry here

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Wow, what's it like in The Future?? It's still 2023 here in Thailand.

Happy New Year to all!

Damp

 

[backlasher]

I wish everyone a Happy New Year from Texas.

 

[David Tallan]

Happy New Year('s Eve) to all who read this.

 

[ivar]

Happy new year to the ones that that live "in the future", we still have a few hours left

 

[Rozenn]

Bonne année from Brittany, France! Just arrived yesterday from Bali, with a pit stop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A lot more butter and pastry here

Happy new year from
a breton pilgrim!!

 

[kiwi-couple]

Happy New Year to all from the Waikato, New Zealand. May we all be blessed in 2024.

 

[arfajajc]

Happy New Year from Waiheke Island, New Zealand! The future is brilliant!

 

[Ken & Liz]

Happy New Year from us to in the sunny Levin in Horowhenua. Its no longer we are walking the Camino next year as its already 2024. Hurry up April 3rd when we set out to walk from SJPdP to SdC then head to Le Puy for my 80th birthday and walk to SJPdP. Will get back to NZ early September. ÷)

 

[C clearly]

I'll be the last moderator of 2023, holding onto the past on the west coast of North America. Happy New Year!

[Actually, I am not alone - @trecile is in the same time zone as I am.]

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Damp

Although this morning here is a beautiful blue sky and the sun is shining. A fitting start to 2024.

 

[arfajajc]

Happy New Year from us to in the sunny Levin in Horowhenua. Its no longer we are walking the Camino next year as its already 2024. Hurry up April 3rd when we set out to walk from SJPdP to SdC then head to Le Puy for my 80th birthday and walk to SJPdP. Will get back to NZ early September. ÷)

I'm walking April 17 from SJPP to SdC! Buen Camino!

 

[Jenyat53]

Happy New Year from Waiheke Island, New Zealand! The future is brilliant!

Wow! We are Aussies from Canberra who are spending a quiet week on Waiheke to recover from a less than kind 2023.
We love your beautiful island and it makes my heart sing to know that there are other pilgrims ‘lurking’ nearby.
Happy walking in 2024 everyone!!

 

[Rozenn]

Happy New Year('s Eve) to all who read this.

ThanksDavid

 

[Becky 59]

Happy New Year from the Pacific NW, the last few hours of the last year!

 

[arfajajc]

Wow! We are Aussies from Canberra who are spending a quiet week on Waiheke to recover from a less than kind 2023.
We love your beautiful island and it makes my heart sing to know that there are other pilgrims ‘lurking’ nearby.
Happy walking in 2024 everyone!!

Welcome to Waiheke! There's pilgrims in them thar woods...

 

[tominrm]

I am planning to go to New Zealand in March, 2024 for a month. Plan to hike many tracks in North and South isands.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I am planning to go to New Zealand in March, 2024 for a month. Plan to hike many tracks in North and South isands.

March is the start of Autumn, the weather can be great in March especially over recent years when there has been a long drawn out Summer. However, Aotearoa New Zealand gets to be so green because it usually rains with regularity. When it rains you will encounter mud when you hike. March can also often be windy and often there will be a bigish storm.

If you have any flexibility with dates then my recommendation to people is to visit in February, my favourite month weather wise. The kids have gone back to school at the end of their Summer break at the end of January. Any parents lounging around in late Summer with their kids have gone back to work and as a result most popular holiday spots are no longer overcrowded. In addition February probably has the most sunshine hours and the least rain with the calmest days.

That aside, I am sure that you will enjoy yourself whenever you come

If you want some company on any of your hikes then I recommend Meetup.com to you as there are lots of different groups doing one day and multi-day hikes during February and March. Just note that in ANZ we call hiking "tramping" and you can spot a real Kiwi from a recent immigrant by their insistence on calling the activity tramping.

If you prefer your own company then that is of course also possible. Please be aware that while we don't have any wild animals to create problems or dangers while you tramp that you should always check the weather forecast when you tramp. The topography and narrowness of the country means that the weather can change from high Summer temperatures to below freezing in the mountains within a matter of hours. Every year, incautious people die while tramping because they have not prepared for a predicted weather change.

Don't miss the Tongariro Crossing, claimed by many to be one of the top ten one day "hikes" in the world.

Another favourite of mine and many others is the Abel Tasman coastal track, a multi-day tramp at the top of the South Island.

Of course, there are countless others.

The Department of Conservation, otherwise called DOC are a good source for information on tracks, see https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-r.../things-to-do/tracks/abel-tasman-coast-track/ for example.

Happy tramping

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Wow! We are Aussies from Canberra who are spending a quiet week on Waiheke to recover from a less than kind 2023.

Way, way back I stayed a few days at a hostel on Waiheke Island for some quiet on my last week on a long stay in NZ. I had the place to myself until the weekend when a troop of Boy Scouts came to stay. The quiet ended but in compensation the leaders invited me to all their meals which the scouts prepared. The meals were unique with delicacies like green milk and blue mashed potatoes; they had brought lots of food coloring and saw no reason to bring it back with them.

 

[tominrm]

March is the start of Autumn, the weather can be great in March especially over recent years when there has been a long drawn out Summer. However, Aotearoa New Zealand gets to be so green because it usually rains with regularity. When it rains you will encounter mud when you hike. March can also often be windy and often there will be a bigish storm.

If you have any flexibility with dates then my recommendation to people is to visit in February, my favourite month weather wise. The kids have gone back to school at the end of their Summer break at the end of January. Any parents lounging around in late Summer with their kids have gone back to work and as a result most popular holiday spots are no longer overcrowded. In addition February probably has the most sunshine hours and the least rain with the calmest days.

That aside, I am sure that you will enjoy yourself whenever you come

If you want some company on any of your hikes then I recommend Meetup.com to you as there are lots of different groups doing one day and multi-day hikes during February and March. Just note that in ANZ we call hiking "tramping" and you can spot a real Kiwi from a recent immigrant by their insistence on calling the activity tramping.

If you prefer your own company then that is of course also possible. Please be aware that while we don't have any wild animals to create problems or dangers while you tramp that you should always check the weather forecast when you tramp. The topography and narrowness of the country means that the weather can change from high Summer temperatures to below freezing in the mountains within a matter of hours. Every year, incautious people die while tramping because they have not prepared for a predicted weather change.

Don't miss the Tongariro Crossing, claimed by many to be one of the top ten one day "hikes" in the world.

Another favourite of mine and many others is the Abel Tasman coastal track, a multi-day tramp at the top of the South Island.

Of course, there are countless others.

The Department of Conservation, otherwise called DOC are a good source for information on tracks, see https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-r.../things-to-do/tracks/abel-tasman-coast-track/ for example.

Happy tramping

Kia Ora! I wish I knew these things when I first planned my trip. I am going to see if I can change my plans and the extra cost of re-arranging. I am learning a lot about New Zealand lately. Thanks.