All the Great Walks are recommended.

Ben Gatting who lives in Queensland hiked them back-to-back to put together this article using three main criteria:

Admin/Logistics
Infrastructure
Scenery/Experience/X-factor

Paparoa is the most recent addition. Ben ranks it best.

Paparoa Trail
Tongariro Northern Circuit
Routeburn Track
Abel Tasman Coastal Track
Kepler Track
Hump Ridge Track
Milford Track
Whanganui Journey (canoe/kayak)
Lake Waikaremoana
Heaphy Track
Rakiura Track

I’ve done 4 of those myself. All excellent.

We ranked Tongariro Northern Circuit best. And named it one of the top 10 hikes in the world.

Click through to read the article:

All 11 of New Zealand’s Great Walks, ranked from worst to best

January 12, 2026January 8, 2026

Bump & Grind Trail, California

Stuart Green – Trailspotting.

• 3 mile loop
• Moderate | Gain 760 feet
• Palm Desert, CA | Southwest US

The Bump & Grind Trail delivers exactly on its name with an undulating mountainside ascent which thankfully eventually leads into a gentler return journey. This 3-mile loop sits on the hillside above Palm Desert, California providing elevated views over a desert expanse which abuts dramatically against a sprawling suburbia. …

January 9, 2026December 26, 2025

Tanzania From Above

Following my Kilimanjaro climb starting Feb. 14, 2026 — I’ll be travelling for a couple of weeks in Tanzania.

It looks spectacular.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

January 8, 2026January 7, 2026

Hiking Valley of Fire, Nevada

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles.

No A.I. was used in this post.

Less than an hour from Vegas is incredibly gorgeous Valley of Fire State Park.

We stopped by the new (and under construction) visitor centre

Ranger recommended Fire Wave and Seven Wonders Loop.

3.1km
57m elevation gain

We could decide whether or not to add the White Domes trail when we got to the turn-off.

From the parking lot, we had to decide which direction to hike. The signage is minimal in this park, for good and bad.

Most people seemed to be going clockwise (looking from the top) so we joined them.

It’s ALL good. Endless impressive desert vistas.

Temperatures moderate in early January. Winter is an ideal time to hike the Nevada deserts. This trail was busy with tourists.

(Note that I try not to post photos & videos of people without their permission.)

Slot canyons are almost always dry. But over Christmas / New Years 2025, this area had rains for several days. We had water in some of the canyons.

… Somehow we missed the turnoff to White Domes. Oops.

Next drove to Petroglyph Canyon via Mouse’s Tank Trail.

Here’s the Mouse’s Tank.

Finally we stopped at Atlatl Rock Viewpoint for lunch.

Stairs take you up close to some of the best petroglyphs in the park.

How did they get up there 40,000 years ago?

On the way out, we saw a large herd of Bighorn Sheep. They seemed entirely nonplussed by tourists.

We’re already planning future trips. The campgrounds here are excellent.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

January 7, 2026January 7, 2026

Sherpas of Everest on 60 Minutes

60 Minutes has much been in the news of late. New CBS News editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss pulled a segment on President Trump’s deportations just hours before broadcast. It was widely seen as political pandering to Trump. His move to deport people from the USA to the El Salvador prison CECOT, is likely a human rights abuse and potentially criminal.

If you believe in Freedom of the Press as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, know that the episode showed on Global TV Canada and was widely available around the world. By trying to protect the President, Bari Weiss ended up bringing even more attention to the potential criminal act.

BUT their feature on the Sherpas of Everest is quite good, bringing public attention to these important guides and porters.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.