Via Ferrata Aotearoa Inc.

12/03/2026

It's been a while since we posted on Facebook. Had to recover from the pre-xmas building rush. The new Cliff Conqueror route had a great start! First logbook filled, many people challenged :-) It's certainly a step up from the Cliff Traverse - but that was intentional.

Andrew and Till got the feedback that the ladders in Conqueror are a bit scary because they feel wobbly. We decided to stiffen them. Quite a job! We are adding stainless steel bars on both sides and run 16 mm threaded bar through every rung. Just the drilling of the holes took 6 hours! Recently we managed to fit the first two bars to the top ladder. Lower ladder coming soon.

10/01/2026

GEAR HIRE NOW NZ$10

From Monday, 12 January 2026, the price for gear hire from the Ngarua Caves shop will increase from NZ$8 to NZ$10.

The hire gear is owned by the Via Ferrata Club, while Ngarua Caves is an independent business that manages the gear hire operations on the Club’s behalf. Of the NZ$10 hire fee, NZ$7 covers the handling and operational costs charged by the Ngarua Caves shop, and NZ$3 is a non-profit wear-and-tear contribution to the Via Ferrata Club to help replace equipment when required. The full amount is payable at the shop when the gear is collected.

The increase in the handling fee from NZ$5 to NZ$7 was necessary due to the growing scale of the operation. With 50 gear sets now available for hire, the workload involved in managing and maintaining the equipment has increased significantly, and the adjustment helps ensure the shop can staff the service reliably.

Find all the details about hire gear here:
https://viaferrata.org.nz/via-ferrata-takaka-hill/hire-gear-submenu/

21/12/2025

NEW "CLIFF CONQUEROR" ROUTE NOW OPEN!

We are proud to announce that now - after we hung off the cliff for several months on a daily basis - the new "Cliff Conqueror" Via Ferrata route on Takaka Hill is now open to the public! We made it just in time for the holiday season!

The new route should only be attempted after climbing the "Cliff Traverse" route which is easier and less exposed. Only climbers that felt confident there should proceed to the "Cliff Conqueror" route.

The new route features two twin-wire bridges, two outward-leaning ladders, and the iconic Gearshop Skybench — an unforgettable perch where your feet dangle high above the sheer cliff below.

Check out our website for more details and images:
https://viaferrata.org.nz/

11/12/2025

Over the winter season we built a proper stand for more climbing gear at the Ngarua Caves shop. We have now received all the additional Via Ferrata sets (harnesses, lanyards & helmets) and bumped up the number from 14 to 50. So, there is plenty available for the busy season ahead of us! Rental cost is unchanged at NZ$ 8.

08/12/2025

Our Via Ferrata project was featured in Seven Sharp on TVNZ 1 prime time last week! A well-made 5-minute piece and a great promotion for what we do.

Here's a replay for all those that missed it:

December 2025: A 5-minute TV feature from the "Seven Sharp" news show introducing the non-profit Via Ferrata Takaka Hill project, its volunteers and the new ...

03/12/2025

Our Via Ferrata project is featured in Seven Sharp on TVNZ 1 tonight at 7 pm. Tune in!

02/12/2025

It wasn't cheap, it wasn't quick - but here we are: We got the first official road signs up that point to a Via Ferrata in New Zealand!

27/11/2025

The last few days we piggybacked on NZTA daytime road closures of Takaka Hill Highway. The road was closed for resealing works and we made use of this opportunity to kick down a bunch of loose rock that we had identified while building the new Cliff Conqueror route. It was a successful mission. This won't only make our new route safer but also the State Highway underneath it!

17/11/2025

Here's a short video with impressions of the last few days working on the cliff.

We are working on the new "Cliff Conqueror" route almost every day now! There are still challenges to overcome and quite a lot of work left to be done by our volunteers, but it may still happen that we can open this before Xmas! Fingers crossed!

24/10/2025

WELCOME TO NEW ZEALAND'S MOST INACCESSIBLE PUBLIC BENCH!

The new Via Ferrata Route "Cliff Conqueror" on Takaka Hill that leads to it isn't quite ready yet but we had fun finishing the last details of the "Gearshop Skybench" today! Enjoy view's across Golden Bay next summer! Thanks to the Gearshop for sponsoring all the parts!

21/10/2025

"COOLEST FREE ADVENTURE ACTIVITY IN NEW ZEALAND" - The Motor Caravanner magazine that is distributed to tens of thousands of members of the NZMCA features a nice article about our Via Ferrata in its current edition. I dare to share images here as parts of their text were copied from our website :-)