Wilderness

IT’S A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATE, but finally you’re receiving the long-awaited May magazine. I hope it’s been worth the wait – I certainly think so. I thank you for your patience and, more importantly, for your support. I know everyone has had a tough ri

Get your photo published here to receive a SOL survival blanket worth $19.80. It weighs only 100g, but will reflect 90% of radiated body heat. Learn more about SOL at e.ampro.co.nz. Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz

THE MONTH of lockdown has been a trying time for all sectors of the outdoor industry. Bivouac marketing manager Andrew Powell said the level 4 lockdown halted all operations for the retail chain, but all staff has been retained. “I’m proud that Bivou

Thank you to Nikki Slade Robinson and others who contributed to ‘Return to the trail’ (April 2020). Hearing other women’s stories is inspiring and encouraging. In late October 2018, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. When my surgeon asked me if I ha

THE 110KM SECTION of the Te Araroa Trail that runs beside the Pelorus River, over the Richmond Range to St Arnaud is special to me. I have twice been able to walk my dog Pippin over this track and with landscapes that run from lush river valleys to r

FIRST, IT WAS the incredulous stares, then came the same question, repeated over and again by almost everyone Ieva Laucina met on the Te Araroa Trail: “Is this all you have?” You might have asked it too had you met Laucina, who hails from Latvia and

AN UNPRECEDENTED month, which kept shops closed and trampers indoors, brought plenty of news – some good, some bad – to New Zealand’s outdoors community. As the country shifted from level 3 to level 4, Kiwis were urged to stay indoors, and leave only

The Snow White is an enchanting name for a large glacier draining the Snowdrift Range. Located in the Olivine Wilderness area of Mt Aspiring National Park, the glacier is beautiful and lonesome, much like Grimm’s heroine, Snow White. However, the Sno

LIKE MANY introduced species, the Californian redwoods of Whakarewarewa Forest have found stronger roots in New Zealand than in their habitat of origin. First planted here in 1901, the sky-scraping giants quickly surpassed even the grandest kauri tre

t’s not every day you come I across a six-bunk hut just minutes after leaving your car. The sign on the khaki-coloured, Forest Service-era hut read ‘Frew Hut’. But we were miles from Frew Saddle in the Hokitika River and the country around us was far

HIKERS FROM the Northern Hemisphere often find New Zealand’s evergreen native forests both a source of interest and, sometimes, a disappointment. Where are the golden colours of autumn, the bare starkness of winter leafless trees, and the bounteous f

WELCOME TO THE INAUGURAL WILDERNESS 100 – AN ANNUAL LIST OF THE BEST TRIPS IN THE COUNTRY. As you’d expect with such a list, we’ve applied careful thought and discussion, and consulted experts, as to which tracks, huts and peaks should be featured. B

I DON’T TRUST my ability to get eggs safely to their destination in my pack – often because it is dropped off my shoulders with gusto and then sat on while I eat lunch. This recipe uses chickpea flour instead of eggs and is packed with vitamins, mine

Horopito – also known as the pepper tree – packs a mean punch, and can be used to liven up your hot choccy and set your nose running. Slowly boil one cup of water and two scrunched horopito leaves in your billy, add one heaped teaspoon of cocoa powde

NOW MORE than ever you should be shopping locally. I have a vested interest in what I am going to ask you. I own a small business that imports and distributes outdoor adventure product. I employ eight staff, four in a single retail outlet and four, i

A simple and spacious shelter which utilises your tramping poles, paddles or sticks as tentpoles. Provides shelter from wind, and spacious cover from rain. A good option for forest camping. Use two prusik knots to pull the tarp tight on the ridgelin

“DO YOU BOYS KNOW YOU’RE BREAKING THE LAW?” In the cold light of morning, I guess it was obvious. Bleary-eyed and cloudy-headed, we three tired musicians fronted up to the council worker, feeling guilty he’d been called out to work early on a Sunday

A durable, versatile helmet suitable for climbing, mountaineering, caving, canyoning and more. The design, sizing and headband harness allow it to be worn with a ponytail. Designed to protect against lateral, frontal and rear impacts. Available in wh

THOSE WHO usually go on day walks or overnighters often feel they don’t need to learn any navigation skills. But looking through search and rescue incidents will reveal just how wrong this attitude can be. Here’s what you should be doing for every wa

FELIX GALLOWAY just broke his personal speed record for a 12-metre climb. “Write it down, 59.88 seconds,” he urges, pointing to the notes I’m writing. Very soon he’s back with a huge grin. “You have to change it, I just did 58.95 seconds.” Later that

As well as being Wilderness’ roving editor, Shaun Barnett is a renowned tramper and Wellington-based writer and photographer. “I’m fortunate to be able to make a modest living out of writing and photographing the outdoors,” he says. “What I carry i

What inspired you to enter the podcast world? I was listening to a few other excellent history podcasts and eventually wondered if there was one on New Zealand. I thought there had to be one – we’re a small nation, but not small enough that surely s

$99.99 200 lumens / 50m range / 50g Features: This lightweight lamp has an internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery that provides 3hr of burn time on its highest 200-lumen setting, and 40hr on its lowest 5-lumen setting. It recharges via micro U

ZONED INSULATION is a growing revelation in the world of sleeping bags, and it makes a world of sense. Down is a near perfect insulator, but it has a major downside, if you will excuse the pun: when compressed, whether by weight or moisture clumping,