Wilderness April 2026

I'M NO AI BOOSTER – in fact for all manner of reasons I'm downright worried about where we're being led with this technology. But reading the story about the massive conservation gains in South Westland (p34), where hundreds of thousands of hectares of bush is being made predator free, has helped me see the good use that AI can be put to. The predator control advances of just a few years ago are now described as ‘low-tech’. Gone are the chewcards used to figure out which predators were around. Motion-sensitive trail cameras that might have been checked once every six weeks and required hours to sift through the footage are also on the way out. In their place we have kea-proof AI-powered thermal cameras that photograph the heat signature of…

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER ON THE OLD GHOST ROAD Thank you for the Old Ghost Road 10th anniversary issue (December 2025). It prompted me to walk the trail in January. Would you believe it, I had the great pleasure to meet Marion (Weasel) Boatwright on the trail with his wife Carol. Marion is the visionary who made the dream a reality. I spent each evening in the huts hearing incredible stories of the building of the Old Ghost Road. What good, kind people they are. Marion and Carol also played at the Rough and Tumble Bush Lodge at the end of the trail. Amazing. Guitar, violin, harmonica. They intend to play there often, so you may well get a treat if you are at the lodge. If the walk is on…

Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz. GET YOUR PHOTO PUBLISHED HERE TO RECEIVE A MEAL FROM REAL MEALS WORTH $18. LEARN MORE ABOUT REAL MEALS AT www.realmeals.co.nz.…

SCAN THE QR CODE TO DOWNLOAD THE TRIP TO YOUR PHONE A string of rocky summits rises above the roar of traffic on the Lewis Pass highway, their lofty peaks flanked by steep tussocky terrain and unstable scree. Reaching the summit of The Apprentice (1678m) and Mt Technical (1870m) requires two adventurous scrambles not more than four hours from the road. The Lewis Tops Track is located opposite the St James Walkway car park on SH7, a stone's throw from Lewis Pass itself. A stiff 90-minute climb through beech forest brings you to open tussock tops and breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks: Spenser Mountains in the north, the serrated tops of Victoria Forest Park in the northwest, and the crumbling profile of Mt Technical as it looms ever closer.…

The recipient of the inaugural Shaun Barnett Memorial Scholarship has been chosen. Twenty-nine-year-old Erin Hewetson will receive the $1000 scholarship to help her undertake a five-day tramp on the Hollyford Track in which she will retrace the steps of her Nagi Tahu ancestors. “I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to embark on an adventure to follow in the footsteps of my Ngāi Tahu ancestors, who would have used the Hollyford Valley as a route for trading pounamu,” Hewetson said. “This will be the longest backcountry journey I have undertaken and I am excited to push the limits of my comfort zone to learn more about myself and practising self-reliance in the wilderness.” Hewetson will use the trip to explore and document her dual identity as a pākehā and Ngāi…

Te Araroa Trail has grown and developed exponentially over the past 12 months, says Te Araroa Trust executive director Matt Claridge. That includes more walkers, more infrastructure projects and greater community engagement. “A growing area of interest for us is the increase in New Zealanders on Te Araroa. Over one third of registrations this season are New Zealanders, up from just under a quarter last season.” Claridge attributes this to cheaper registration for Kiwis than internationals, and more positive associations with the trail, which he says the trust has worked hard to foster. An international hiker's registration fee, trail pass and maintenance contribution are now bundled together and cost $1350 for the full thru-hike, compared to $310 plus an optional donation for locals. Final statistics for the 2025–26 season are…