March 2024

Wilderness

New Zealand’s magazine of the outdoors

Wilderness2 min read
Outdoor Gear Is GETTING GREENER
EACH TIME WE ASSEMBLE the monthly gear guides, I notice the increasingly green tinge of the outdoor gear available – whether tents, boots, sleeping bags or clothing. I'm not referring to the colour, of course, but the greater use of recycled fabrics
Wilderness1 min read
Wilderness
EDITOR Alistair Hall alistair@lifestylepublishing.co.nz CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Kathy Ombler, Ricky French GEAR EDITOR Matthew Cattin ROVING EDITOR Shaun Barnett COPY EDITORS David Hall, Imogen Coxhead WALKSHORTS AND WALK1200KM Samantha Mythen and Ameli
Wilderness2 min read
10 Great Short Walks Through Ancient Forests
This short walk, suitable for buggies and children, leads to Tāne Mahuta, the oldest known kauri in Aotearoa. The tree's name translates to ‘God of the Forest’. Tāne Mahuta is 52m tall and is estimated to be more than 2500 years old. This track winds
Wilderness1 min read
Your Trips, Your Pix What Did You Get Up To Last Weekend?
Get your photo published here to receive a meal from Real Meals worth $17. Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz. Learn more about Real Meals at www.realmeals.co.nz. ■
Wilderness4 min read
LETTER of THE MONTH
When tramping with my family late last year on Robert Ridge (Nelson Lakes National Park), the signs warning of the dangers of exposed ridge travel forced us to stop and ask: were the conditions okay to proceed? Did we have the gear we needed? Could w
Wilderness2 min read
Walking Meditation: The Benefits Of Forest Bathing
Walking meditation is simple. Concentrate on your feet, your body and the ground beneath, then direct your mind to how it feels to walk. In Japan this is known as forest bathing or shinrin-yoku, a Japanese ecotherapy term. It dates to the 1980s and w
Wilderness2 min read
Check, Clean And Dry Your Tramping Gear
Thousands of rivers and streams cross New Zealand, so it's likely you'll get wet feet on many tramping trips. To reduce the spread of invasive species, it is important to check, clean and dry all tramping gear. DOC has recently requested that people
Wilderness3 min read
Walking After Injury
EVENTS DURING the last couple of years have changed Marie Mitchell's life. She lost both her parents, her husband's parents and then, following a skiing accident on Mt Ruapehu when she ‘ran out of talent’, she broke her back and came within a “hair's
Wilderness1 min read
#microchallenge 4-6 winners!
Complete the #microchallenges as these Walkl200km participants have done, and receive a Walk1200km badge. The best efforts receive a special prize from our partners! #microchallenge4 LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS Helen Howell climbed Mt Pirongia. “The mud qu
Wilderness2 min read
march 2024 #microchallenges
Each month three new #microchallenges are set to add interest and silliness to your kilometres. These three fun #microchallenges will help you better appreciate your surroundings and have fun on your walks. Our favourite six #microchallenge completer
Wilderness2 min read
The World At Our Feet
GREAT WILDLIFE encounters can come from studying the rocks and rotten logs by the side of the trail. So, slow down and look at the forest floor. You'll soon discover that within a mouldy old tree stump there are worlds within worlds – a multitude of
Wilderness2 min read
Saving A Taonga Of The Forest
Long revered as taonga, kauri hold deep cultural significance within Te Ao Māori as creators of life and providers of shelter. Amongst the most ancient remnants of our natural world, kauri age between 190–135 million years, and still remain a vital p
Wilderness3 min read
Tackling The Myths Around Ultralight Tramping
‘LIGHTER GEAR please’ is the call increasingly heard from outdoor enthusiasts. However, it's not a new call and light gear is a natural extension to better, more comfortable gear. And, as with most ‘new’ things, there are many myths around the viabil
Wilderness3 min read
Spoilt for CHOICE
THE TARANAKI CROSSING has been developed after a three-year, $13.3 million upgrade of tracks across the mountain's eastern flank. Funding came from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), which aims to foster regional economic growth. Meanwhile, according
Wilderness3 min read
See more… Coves
A ‘COVE’ IS a small bay connected to the ocean by a shallow or narrow entrance. Just as trampers value huts as places of shelter, so mariners value coves as havens to escape rough conditions at sea. Supper Cove, at the conclusion of Fiordland's Dusky
Wilderness2 min read
Toka Bivouac, Ruahine Forest Park, Manawatū
TOKA BIVOUAC faces east and has a lovely position in a subalpine basin on the Ngamoko Range. One of a few surviving ex-Forest Service S86 dog box-style bivouacs, it was built during the deer-culling era and is located on the tops of the Ruahine Range
Wilderness1 min read
Delightful Ridgeline Travel
AROUND MAKARORA are some great day walks and multi-day adventures. From the Fantail Falls car park, just 10 minutes’ drive from the settlement, cross the unbridged, chilly Haast River. A large orange triangle marks the start of the Brewster Track. Be
Wilderness2 min read
Frank Holman Memorial Track, Whangārei
The track has been improved with boxed staircases and the removal of dead and dying trees FROM THE SMALL CAR PARK at the south end of Russell Road (directly on the left off SH1), start walking up the clearly marked and well-maintained track into Coro
Wilderness2 min read
Sylvia Tops Loop, Lake Sumner Forest
IT'S A SIMPLE start to the Nina Valley: park at Palmer Lodge on SH7 and cross the road to the track which leads to Nina Hut. It's easy, undulating terrain, through beautiful beech forest, occasional grassy flats, a swing bridge and an enchanting rive
Wilderness2 min read
Nydia Track, Marlborough Sounds
LUSH REGENERATING native bush fringes the bay. Whai (stingrays) glide effortlessly beneath the shimmering surface, and koromiko and tūī fill the air with song. This is Nydia Bay, a sheltered haven in the Marlborough Sounds. The area was well known to
Wilderness6 min read
Tararua Dreaming
Mention the Tararua Range to veteran trampers and it will evoke memories of remote river gorges, steep spurs, goblin forest, historic huts and razor-sharp ridges. Storms sweep the tussock tops about 200 days a year, increasing the risk of hypothermia
Wilderness7 min read
TRAMPING to A HIGHER EDUCATION
The majority of university tramping club history in New Zealand harks back to the early twentieth century, when romantic notions of nature and a love of wild landscapes were common in early traveller journals. The University of Otago was established
Wilderness8 min read
With Modern Gear Comes A Modern Problem
Synthetic material – especially polyester and nylon – has shaped the outdoor and adventure industry we know today, with outdoor gear lauded for its performance and durability. It's tough, breathable, warm, waterproof, wind-resistant and lightweight –
Wilderness1 min read
Improve Your Backpack Tolerance
THE BEST WAY to get used to carrying a backpack is to pull one on regularly, not the morning your tramp begins. Wear a pack on your day walks, or around the garden. Even on short walks use your designated pack and fill it to mimic the extra weight yo
Wilderness2 min read
Deciding How Much Water To Take
DEHYDRATION IS insidious and serious. The condition develops slowly, and people can be badly affected before they realise what's happening, particularly as many of the symptoms are similar to other tramping-related conditions. Thirst and a dry mouth
Wilderness2 min read
What's in MY PACK
Josie Dixon is always fond of a good adventure with friends in the hills. She fulfils her need for a bit of speed by running some fast-packing trips, but if the week calls for a slower pace, she will never turn down a mountain hike! Here's what she t
Wilderness5 min read
Hiking Shoes
$299, 960G (M), 740G (W) Features: Merrell has been making its ‘mother of all boots’ for 15 years. It's the brand's best-selling shoe. This latest version promises out-of-the-box comfort with a soft and supple suede leather and mesh upper. It has a w
Wilderness3 min read
How To Extend The Rating Of Your SLEEPING BAG
FOR MANY YEARS I carried an unnecessarily warm sleeping bag on trips – be it summer tramping or winter mountaineering. And I know I'm not the only one who does so. As a teenager finance was the limiting factor: I (and everyone I knew) bought one bag
Wilderness2 min read
Gear Cupboard
Used by: Newsletter editor Justin Sprecher Used for: Four months At 250g, this mat is one of the lightest inflatables out there. It has an R-value of 2.0 and doesn't contain any insulation. I've used it down to 5° and was comfortable, but only just.
Wilderness1 min read
Whio To Be Released Into The Wild
March is whio awareness month, when young adult whio that have been raised in captivity are released into the wild. Whio are taonga, a treasured species to which Māori have strong cultural and spiritual ties, yet there are less than 3000 living in th
Wilderness4 min read
2024's GUIDE TO MULTI-DAY TRAMPING BOOTS
A perfect fit takes time to determine, and each brand will be slightly different. Try several models, and don't determine fit until the boot is laced correctly and you're standing up. Allow a little space for foot swelling and thicker socks. Tall cuf
Wilderness7 min read
2024's Guide To Sleeping Bags
There are two types of insulation: This is best for light weight and low bulk. Most down is now treated with a water-resistant coating to maintain loft and prevent clumping when wet. Most manufacturers use down that meets the Responsible Down Standar
Wilderness2 min read
An Enduring Private Trail
I met David at a wedding and we were married six months later. He brought me out to the farm, which is right at the end of the road, miles from anywhere, and I fell in love with it. We had our 50th wedding anniversary not so long ago and have had a w
Wilderness1 min read
Tramping As A Perimenopausal And Menopausal Woman
Cambridge personal trainer Caroline Webber found herself at a stage of life where she dreaded multi-day hikes and lacked enthusiasm and motivation for one of her favourite hobbies. It took her two years to realise that she was perimenopausal. “My lov

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