WILD HUTS
So, what is the temperature of the times at popular huts that aren't dotted along the Great Walks? Pre-Covid days saw a preponderance of young Europeans and North Americans, then, while New Zealand was off-limits to overseas visitors, lots of Kiwis made trips with their children to the more accessible huts. Now, the balance seems to be swinging back to young overseas walkers as New Zealand families trundle off on holiday to the Gold Coast or Fiji.
Some of today's trampers seem to be lacking in backcountry experience. I struggle to understand how someone can set off on an overnight trip with no sleeping bag or evening meal, but it happens. I have an indelible memory of chatting to an exhausted young Israeli, slumped beside his tent consuming the cold contents of an outsized can
