A tramp in the Kaimai range a year and a half ago not only kicked off a friendship but a project for a blog.

Tammy Bruce and Anita Crosby didn't know each other very well when they did an overnight tramp to Te Reretukahia hut but Tammy says they realised they shared a lot of the same passions and values and were both looking for a project.

'We decided to set up www.forestfamilynz.com – an adventure blog in the hopes of inspiring other families to get out into nature by showcasing our wonderful walking and biking tracks locally and further afield.

'We are both parents. I have two boys who are eight and six and Anita has a son and daughter who are also eight and six.

'Being parents we understand the information parents are seeking. Questions like are there toilets, track times with kids, are dogs allowed, what's the track like etc, so we wanted to create a different way to explain to people about the trails.

'We tell amusing, informative or thought provoking short stories about our adventures with our kids and friends, then list the highlights and/or low lights, add in some great photos and occasional short videos of the trails to support all of this and hopefully inspire families in particular to take action and get out into nature.

'Our blogs link to our ‘track info', a page where you can go to and find all the track info in bullet point form so it's quick and easy to read,” says Tammy.

During their year and a half of running Forest Family NZ, Tammy and Anita have run two guided walks in the Katikati walking festival in February and another two in the Matariki festival where they took groups into Puketoki Reserve to view the glow worms.

'Events have been a great way to raise our profile. The best things so far have been people telling us they saw one of our blog posts and then checked out the walk or bike trail with their kids.

'We have lots of plans for Forest Family in the future, including more guided walks, and creating family adventure guide books.”

To follow the blog or for more information about the trails and walks, head to www.forestfamilynz.com