Tararua Fever

In this Scroggin episode of Tararua Fever we dive into a few of the more… non-essential matters of the Tararua Ranges.
From “Is it a bird of the Tararua Ranges, or is it my son?”, to Andrew Thompson absolutely sending it across the Northern Crossing on the way to a party (link below), and the legendary brass band gig recently held at Powell Hut by the Crash Bandihoots.
Along the way we also unpack a recent faux pas from one of our good friends — an incident we take deeply unnecessary and wildly over-dramatised exception to.
Finally, we wrap things up with the most important business: introducing the judge for our Tararua Fever photo competition and having a quick chat about what they look for in a truly great snap.
The photo comp is open for the rest of March, so keep those submissions coming in!

Find Ash's brilliant portfolio here - https://rockettdesign.myportfolio.com/exhibition-a-journey-of-colour
Andrew Thompson running the Northern Crossing – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCl18BQIQgg
Crash Bandihoots live at Powell Hut – https://www.facebook.com/reel/897096376578978

We’re back with our first full episode of 2026 — and the fever hasn’t eased.

We kick things off with Kent and I talking about one of the classic Tararua dilemmas: how hard it is to go deep into the range, touch the tops, and still leave enough time (and legs) to get out again. On paper it always looks doable. In reality… it’s the Tararua Ranges.

We’re then joined by Andrew Thompson, organiser of the Jumbo–Holdsworth Mountain Race, to talk about what it takes to move fast across some of the most iconic terrain in the range — and why the race keeps drawing people back.

For Walk ‘n’ Talk, we speak with Paulina Zack, who holds the fastest known time on Te Araroa and set a blistering pace through the Tararuas. We chat about endurance, mindset, and what it feels like to move quickly through terrain that most of us grind through slowly.
Different speeds. Different goals. Same hills. Same fever.

We wrap things up with a quick update on the Tararua Fever photo competition.

If you’d like to get in touch, flick us a message at: [email protected], or via our instagram and facebook.
 
Find out more about the Jumbo–Holdsworth Mountain Race here:
https://jumbo-holdsworth.co.nz

We’re back! Hope you’ve all been enjoying some good time out in the hills — and maybe catching a bit of Tararua Fever along the way.
On this quick Scroggin episode of Tararua Fever, Kent and I are just checking in to provide a small update on the photo competition and a look ahead at some upcoming interviews on the podcast.
Photo competition entries are open — send your favourite Tararua (and beyond) snaps in via [email protected],  Facebook or Instagram with a small description.
If you’re enjoying the show, give Tararua Fever a like or follow on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576349080277

We’re rounding out the year with a Scroggin-style episode of Tararua Fever.
Kent and I kick things off with a quick recap of the year that’s been for the podcast, reflecting on the season in a couple of minutes (give or take). We also announce a very loosely organised photo competition, so start sending through your favourite snaps from the Tararua Ranges and beyond — judges and prizes to be announced in the new year.
We’re then joined by Bevan Smith from the NZ Mountain Safety Council, who talks through some of the key do’s and don’ts for summer tramping, covering practical safety considerations for anyone heading into the hills over the break.
We wrap things up with a few thank yous to everyone who’s helped make Tararua Fever possible this year.
Thanks for listening, stay safe out there, and we’re looking forward to getting back into it in 2026.
🔗 Plan your next trip with Plan My Walk — the NZ Mountain Safety Council’s official trip planner: https://planmywalk.nz/

On this episode of Tararua Fever we’re looking at the Ladder in the Wilderness. That’s right — the peaks of the Tararua Ranges. We speak with two seasoned trampers about their experiences navigating the precarious nature of the steep ridgeline, and arguably the most remote ladder imaginable.

Kent and I then bring things back down to earth (somewhat) with Al and Knob of the Week, where another knob of the ranges is highlighted and some random facts explored. We enter Kent's Cooking Corner for the first time celebrating a signature dish, and we round things out by announcing the winner of the latest quiz question.

Jonty's blog: https://jontynz.com/
Jonty's podcast: https://www.thetrampinglife.com/