New Walking Festival Set for April

5/02/10

New Walking Festival Set for Launch – The Central Plateau Walking Festival

It was on a school trip to Mt Ruapehu that a teenaged Sir Edmund Hillary first encountered the mountains. He was captivated by this experience, and a life-long passion for mountaineering and outdoor adventure began.

 The Central Plateau has long been regarded as offering a richness of walking and tramping opportunities for New Zealanders and people from around the globe. With the jewel of the Tongariro National Park, New Zealand’s oldest National Park and a dual World Heritage Area providing a captivating environment for walking - it seemed natural that a walking festival would evolve at some stage.

Cue the inaugural Central Plateau Walk Fest from 9-11 April 2010 hosted by the Park Travellers’ Lodge, National Park Village. With twenty different walks on offer throughout the three days the festival will offer an eclectic mix of adventure, discovery and socialization for a wide variety of ages.

Festival Spokesman, Grant Watson said “after nearly a year researching the potential of this concept we are really excited at the prospect of bringing a dynamic event to an area that is renowned for walking and the outdoors”. Watson said the festival would offer some unique twists compared to traditional walking festivals.

For entry and information go to the Central Plateau Walk Fest website www.nzwalkingfestival.com.