If you wish summer could last forever, plan a few midweek microadventures. Photo / 123rf
If you wish summer could last forever, plan a few midweek microadventures. Photo / 123rf
A micro-adventure is short and sweet; an opportunity to visit your local surroundings without leaving a hole in your pocket. If you're looking to extend summer while the days remain long, slide off the sofa and out the front door.
Wellington
Now is the time to undertake the Wētā Workshop Costume Trail. To celebrate 20 years since the release of The Lord of the Rings, Wētā's special effects pundits have sprinkled a series of props and prosthetics across the city. From Wellington Airport to the Embassy Theatre, you have until March 31 to find every piece, including Sauron's mace and an original orc costume. Check out the trail map at wellingtonnz.com/assets/Weta-Costume-Trail-Map.pdf
Te Papa @ Twilight tours of the museum set off at 5pm. Photo / WellingtonNZ
Throw your towel into a backpack, hire a bike from Cycle Inn or Chaddy's Charters (or a fetching blue e-scooter from Blip scooter) and set off for a quick post-work skedaddle in New Plymouth. There are various beaches along the 13km Plymouth Coastal Walkway, all begging for you to rip off your work tie and have a swim. When stomachs inevitably start to rumble, pedal into Paris Plage for pizza and beer, before riding home under the glow of an absurdly good sunset. If you're after something more demanding, why not scale Paritutu Rock. Standing 156m tall, it's a near-vertical climb to the top, which should only take 15-minutes but does require both hands-free for some light scrambling – and a final leg-up using the attached chains.
Cycle along the 13km Plymouth Coastal Walkway, stopping at various beaches. Photo / Supplied
Ruapehu
Rather than spending the last of the summer nights watching Shortie under an electric fan, put some real wind up your armpits on the Ohakune Old Coach Road bicycle trail. This 15km, grade 3 track makes up part of the Mountains to Sea Ngā Ara Tūhono cycle route and takes between two and three hours to complete. If you're sans-bike, local companies have plenty to rent. Gracing the lower slopes of Mount Ruapehu, the trail originally formed a cobbled route for horse-drawn coaches - before revolutionary railway stole its purpose and the forest gobbled it whole. Horopito is your recommended starting point but bear in mind that it's 15km one way. If you don't want to double the workout and/or return in the dark on a track drenched in history and distant rattles of forgotten coaches (let's not sugarcoat this – optimum ghost territory), book a shuttle provider in advance.
Cycle the 15km one-way Ohakune Old Coach Road bicycle trail. Photo / Visit Ruapehu
Hurunui
Now is not the time to quit horsing around. With summer lingering for at least another month, it's the perfect time to start. Join Pukatea Horse Trekking & Adventures on historical St James homestead for a memorable horseback experience through mountain ranges, mixed beech forest, open river flats and tussock tops. The homestead, built in 1880, is a mere hop and a jump from Hanmer Springs, with guided treks forging a 1.5-hour route through some of the area's most rugged and unruliest terrain. Alternatively, if the sun's rapidly sinking and you're shy on time, Palomine Hanmer Horse Trekking offer 30-minutes pony rides complete with snacks for both horse and rider. The Pony Express Experience extends the pleasure to a full one hour or 90-minutes, and you needn't worry if you're a total novice, these handsome steeds will lead the way.
Taupō
What, just another 8pm sunset? Streaking the sky in a kaleidoscope of pink, purple and burnt orange hues. Oh, how complacent we get. Give it a few months and it'll be dark before you've fired off your last email. With that in mind, climb Mt Tauhara. A favourite with Taupō locals, the sunsets are worthy of applause. With the summit sitting at 1088 metres and at the end of a 2.5km ascent, this is no walk in the park, and if you're admiring the sunset from the top, you're going to need a head torch to get back down. Still, far-reaching views across the central North Island are worth every minute (allow 2-3 hours in total). Steep and challenging, water and snacks are essential, as is dressing correctly for the conditions - and as it's a culturally significant landmark for local Māori, respect every step.
Climb Mt Tauhara, a favourite with Taupō locals. Photo / Bare Kiwi
Hamilton
Anyone who isn't yet familiar with Good George beer, needs to crawl out from the rock you've been living under and pour yourself a cold one. Located in Hamilton, the original Good George bar and Good George Brewery is found in an old 1960s church on Somerset St. Gone are the pews and instead there exist great tanks of golden elixir. See and hear how the Willy Wonkas of the brewing world craft a moreish collection of cider, beer and gin with a one-hour brewery tour. Conveniently taking place at 5.30pm on weekdays, it's an easy after-work choice for workday joviality. Better yet, all tour attendees receive 20 per cent discount off the Good George menu, so you can give the oven a night off and pile into the garden bar for a Captain George fish burger - fried in Amber Ale batter, naturally.
The original Good George bar and Good George Brewery is found in an old 1960s church. Photo / Supplied; Facebook
Bay of Islands
Round up the family, friends or some unsuspecting workmates and head to Flying Kiwi Parasail in the Bay of Islands. With a 5pm departure time, in summer you can take to the skies for a 10-minute parasail with up to 12 other people on the same boat, taking it in turns to soar through the air on nearly 400m of line. Depending on who you want to share the view with, choose from a single, tandem or triple flight. Enjoy a bird's-eye view of the bay, scouring the water for anything from sailboats to dolphins. The entire experience takes roughly 90 minutes, finishing just in time for dinner. The office is on the main wharf in Paihia, conveniently close to Charlotte's Kitchen, where cocktails are enjoyed over the pier, the pizzas are legendary and the water views just as spectacular, albeit from ground level.
