Mt Herbert Track

According to the DOC walking track classifications Mt Herbert Track is an intermediate walking track in the Banks Peninsula area. MT Herbert Track is a 5-6 hour return from Diamond Harbour with a highest point of 919m. It is an exposed track on farm lands and is closed from the 15th August - 15th October because of lambing season. Be prepared for any whether for there is a saying that goes ‘Failing to prepare is preparing to fail’ so check the forecast. The length to MT Herbert Track’s highest point depends on where you start.  From Diamond Harbour it is 7.4  km, or from Orton Bradley Park it will be 7.5 km.  There are other ways to do the MT Herbert Track just do some research. Other starting points shouldn't be to hard to find. If you're starting from Diamond Harbour you can drive round. You can  put a bit more adventure into your journey by taking a ferry from Littleton.


We chose to take a ferry from Littleton to Diamond Harbour because it's much more fun than driving. To get to the start of MT Herbert Track you have to walk up along the road. Before long you should see a sign to your right. Be careful the sign is easy to miss. The track starts of in a little bit of bush and quickly opens up into a small beach before climb into more bush. You will have to cross a few roads and at the last road crossing you have to walk a wile down the road before you reach the other side of the track. Eventually the track will open up into farmland so you need to cross styles. After crossing a few styles you will come across a gully and if you go strait up the gully you come across a big water-tank. That means you don't have too far to go. After a while you will come across two paths. The one on the right will lead you to the shelter, while the other one will lead to the highest point.


On the way down it is definitely worth getting an ice cream because you have worked so hard to get to the top and deserve a treat.

Mt Nimrod Track

Mt Nimrod Track is a thirty-two kilometre drive from Timaru. It is located in the Hunter Hills. Mt Nimrod Track has a length of 4.59 km and a highest point of 646m.

Mt Nimrod Track is averagely a 3-4 hour loop. (I smoked it in one and a half hours). You will need moderate to high fitness level because Mt Nimrod Track is an advanced tramping track.  There is one river crossing and if you travel five minutes upstream you will come to an amazing waterfall that bounds through a hole in the rocks. In my opinion the waterfall is a must see!

Mt Nimrod Track starts out in the car park then you climb into the bush. Eventually the bush opens up into the grassy mountain tops where you can see the beautiful coast. Later you climb down through more bush to a river. You can choose if you want to see the waterfall (by going five minutes up stream) or go straight to the other side of the river and continue walking. I chose to walk five minutes up stream to see the waterfall so I had to be careful of slippery rocks. Once I had got a good look at the waterfall I crossed the river and climbed up a steep slope to the highest point.

On the way to the highest point is a real rock scramble and the rocks can be really slippery when they are wet. After I got past the rock scramble I made a quick descent down the ridge to the car park.

Why walking is important

Walking is important because it keeps you fit and healthy. Furthermore if you couldn't walk you would have to crawl or run everywhere. I really don't think that would be fun. The other thing you need for walking is gear. You don’t want to be walking in bare feet do you?

What you need for walking /tramping

• Warm comfortable clothes in several layers. The weather can change quickly in NZ so be prepared. 
• Sturdy shoes or tramping boots. Otherwise you would be wearing uncomfortable shoes.
• Food and snacks. You won’t last long without this.
• Water eg drink bottle or hydration pack. This resource may be supplied from taps at at overnight camps just make sure you boil it first though.
• Rain jacket and warm jersey. (A down jacket would be great if you had one).
• Sleeping bag. (Only if you are staying over night).
• Survival blanket/bag. You just don't know when it might get cold.
• First aid kit. You never know when something's going to happen so it’s better to be prepared.
• Whistle. For if you get lost.
• Torch. So you can see at night.
• Hat and sunscreen. Sunburn is nasty so don't get burnt.
• Insect repellent. Mosquito and sandfly bites are really annoying so keep them off.
• Toilet paper. You might just get busting.