Celebrate the uniqueness of New Zealand hut life and locations, or share the perfect camping scene. For the wilderness photos that make you go ‘wow’. Whether taken from a mountaintop or deep in the bush, it should be a view to savour and the best pho

We found the plastic barrel buried in the long grass near Sayer Hut. It was one of those 55 gallon drums (designed for shipping liquid food products) you see everywhere: in the back of warehouses, as rainwater containers, lashed together to make pont

RECENTLY I WITNESSED two examples of confirmation bias which reminded me how easily this can happen and its potential consequences. In the first case, a group misidentified their location on the map. The features around them looked like the point on

AS WITH MOST in the tourism sector, Shaun Monk experienced some “nervy” times in 2020. Shortly before the country plunged into lockdown, he threw in his “one-hundred-and-something thousand dollar” a year job to guide hunters around the 7000ha Island

Renowned New Zealand mountaineer Bill McLeod reckoned that if you couldn’t eat it or abseil off it, what was the point of carrying it. While trying to follow this philosophy, writer and former outdoor retail store manager Paul Hersey found that packi

I’D LIKE TO TALK TRAUMA. The kind often seen trackside. Trauma, manifesting as bush maintenance and driven by the impulse to bend, break, and sacrifice something seemingly inanimate to create walking space. We could coin it ‘conservation trauma’, ste

Massive earthquake uplift may have transformed the rugged Kaikoura coastline, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the spectacular backdrop of the often snow-capped Seaward Kaikoura Range. With a scenic easy bike trail roaming the land between coast

Features: This is one of the lightest three-layer jackets available, made possible by offering a bare minimum of features. It uses Pertex Shield fabric – a waterproof nylon outer with the latest in air-permeable nanofibre membranes. It’s fully seam-s

IT’S THE MOST AMAZING publishing service you’ve never heard of. Each month, Blind Low Vision New Zealand narrates hundreds of pages of written content, loads it all to CD and posts it to its more than 12,000 members – all of whom have impaired vision

Synthetic materials tend to dominate as they are lightweight and quick-drying, wicking moisture away from the skin. Elastane blends are also common, which help ensure a tighter fit without restricting movement. Breathable and quick-drying polyester c

WHILE IT WAS a bivouac that attracted me to Mt Sunday, my lasting impression will always be the forest of twisted limbs, the rattling leathery leaves and the sagging strips of bark, which fluttered in the breeze. I’d chosen an overnight trip to Mt Su

Don French could never resist the call of the mountains. As a kid growing up in rural Masterton, hours were whiled away staring out the window and memorising the rolling summits of the Tararua Range – his schoolwork forgotten. “I was never going to b

Polartec Micro Fleece, 100% recycled material, bluesign-approved, half zip for temperature regulation, raglan sleeves, thumb loops. 160g. www.macpac.co.nz Recycled NanoPro fabric, 100% seam taped, roll-up hood, pack pockets, double storm flap, DriCl

RESTING ON THE MOSSY slopes of Mt Taranaki, Holly Hut is a popular pitstop for trampers on the Round the Mountain Track and Pouakai Circuit, as well as a thrilling overnight destination suitable for beginner trampers. The hut is accessible from sever

A good fit is vital to keeping your foot stable over uneven terrain. It is also essential for comfort: while some models might stretch and soften once they are broken in – and even while you are using them as they adjust to swelling feet – a shoe tha

What do you remember of your grandfather? My memory is of snippets as picked up by a 5-8 year-old who had the opportunity to meet up at his house when my mum, his daughter, was paying a visit for a meal or perhaps my father was mending a broken obse

JOHN TAIT HUT is named after a Scotsman who emigrated to New Zealand after the Second World War and joined the Nelson Tramping Club. It was largely thanks to his efforts that the first John Tait Hut was completed in 1951. But within 25 years that ori

Like great lungs, the Waitākere and Hunua ranges straddle the heart of Auckland to the east and west – though they both have very different stories to tell. With its broad back of black sand, wild Waitākere extends from suburbs to sea and provides Au

THIS TRIP IS an absolute must for anyone ready to be challenged over varied terrain, including tracks, scree slopes and boulder-covered river beds. It starts on the popular Avalanche Peak Track in Arthur’s Pass, and, while well defined, its steepness