Climbing over the Raglan Range from the Hellfire into the Misery. Photo: Sam Harrison

Somewhere over the rainbow

Off the Beaten Track

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Sam Harrison

Sam Harrison is a chocolate addict who tramps on the side and can’t resist a bit of type II fun.

By Sam Harrison

In the seldom-visited Raglan Range, Sam Harrison finds dreamy tramping through forested valleys and tussock tops

Glacial lakes, lush beech forest and snow-capped mountains have endowed Nelson Lakes National Park with a reputation for supreme beauty. Few, however, venture a short way over the St Arnaud Range, crossing the Rainbow Road into the Rainbow and Leatham conservation areas. These seldom-visited places hide beautiful bush-clad valleys with names like Hellfire and Misery, […]

About the author

Sam Harrison

Sam Harrison is a chocolate addict who tramps on the side. When he’s not in the bush he can be found pushing paper for a government department in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Sam graduated from the University of Otago in 2021 with a Bachelor of Law, a Bachelor of Arts, a large student loan and a love of all things tramping. He is easily identified in the hills by his oversized camera and his distinctive knack for finding type II fun.