RELIVING THE REAL FIRST CROSSINGS

IN HIS BOOK UPRISING, tramper Nic Low brings alive the walking culture of pre-European Māori who had spread throughout the South Island and traded with one another from coast to coast. All the crossable passes had been used and named for centuries before Europeans claimed ‘first’ crossings and naming rights.

In an interview on the shore of Lake Wānaka, Low discussed the importance of reinstating Māori names to peaks and passes and how doing so would provide a better tramping experience for everyone. He also shared a vision of how tramping might have evolved in New Zealand – and how it might yet – if the land deals had been honoured.

You’ve retraced the footsteps of your Ngai Tahu ancestors over all the major passes of Kā Tiritiri o te Moana – the Southern Alps. What