In this episode of The Tramping Life, I explore one of the South Island’s best-known private tramps: the Kaikōura Coast Track.

This 26 km two-day route is run by a pair of local farming families and offers a rare combination of epic coastline, regenerating native bush, farmland, and peaceful accommodation for a maximum of a dozen walkers each day. Day one follows the coast and inland gullies to The Whare, while day two climbs to the 486 m summit of Skull Peak before returning to the Beach House at Ngaroma.

I share my experience walking it in April 2025, from zig-zagging across beaches shaped by the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake to the towering matai, kahikatea, and totara trees of Medina Gully. Along the way, I encountered spectacular viewpoints, quiet inland tracks, and the character-filled cottages that make the overnight stays so memorable.

Former Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage joins The Tramping Life to talk about her lifelong love of the outdoors, from building huts as a child to tramping the St James and the Old Ghost Road.

We hear about her earliest memories of wild Auckland gullies, mishaps with camp burners, and close encounters with karearea (NZ falcons). She reflects on her years in politics — the wins, frustrations, and the enduring fight to protect New Zealand’s landscapes from overdevelopment and invasive species.

Eugenie also shares her thoughts on the future of conservation, the lessons from the Jobs for Nature programme, and why ungulate and pig control are just as vital as predator-free efforts.

It’s a wide-ranging, thoughtful conversation about tramping, conservation, and what it means to truly care for the places we walk.

In this episode of The Tramping Life, I head to North Canterbury to tackle one of New Zealand’s classic multi-day tramps: the St James Walkway.

This 66 km route winds through the high country, taking in the Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve, the historic St James Station pastoral lease, and Lake Sumner Forest Park. Typically walked over 4–5 days, it’s a tramp of wide open valleys, beech forest, river flats, and two relatively low passes—Ada Pass and Anne Saddle—offering a sense of scale and solitude rare in the South Island.

I share my experience walking the track at the end of March, including the bush-lined river valleys, suspension bridges over Cannibal Gorge, and spectacular viewpoints from Ada Pass. Along the way I spent nights in huts ranging from the quirky triple-decker bunks at Cannibal Gorge Hut to the modern comforts of Anne Hut, spotting local wildlife and even the famous herd of St James horses.