Auckland Tramping Club (ATC) and the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club (HTMC) have had an association dating back to 2016, when Hawaiian Airlines commenced flights between Honolulu and Auckland. 

Flight attendant Jeanne Furukawa was an active member of HTMC and joined ATC to tramp with them whenever her schedule permitted. Since then the association has grown, and HTMC members join the ATC regularly for summer tramping in the South Island.

This year the ATC returned to Hawai`i for their third hiking adventure with the American club. 

Highlights included:

→ Hiking Oahu’s rocky coast to the north-west corner of Ka`ena Point. The point is enclosed in a predator-free fence (based on the one enclosing Zealandia), which protects the nesting Laysan albatross.  

→ Hiking Koko Crater with its huge rock arch. HTMC members had to set up safety ropes before the hike and remove them afterwards.

→ Paddling outrigger canoes (waka ama) off Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head.

→ The huge expanse of the lava fields of Kilauea Volcano on Big Island.

→ Hiking the Puu Oo Trail across rocky lava fields – described as ‘Rangitoto Island on steroids’ – with Mauna Kea looming above.

→ The night sky above Mauna Kea with a vertical Southern Cross in the southern sky and Polaris (the North Pole star) in the northern sky.