Wilderness November 2019

EARLIER THIS YEAR, I received a string of letters from readers sharing dismay at their experience of the Lake Waikaremoana Track. Unreliable water taxis and shuttle services, huts and tracks in disrepair. In short, not the ‘Great Walk’ experience they were expecting. Even before these letters began arriving in my inbox, Wilderness had been trying to talk to Tūhoe to get an update on when a closed section of track on the walk, which had been damaged by a landslip, would be reopened. It was a frustrating and ultimately fruitless exercise as no-one at Tūhoe was able or willing to comment. For those unaware of the current state of play in Te Urewera, DOC no longer manages Te Urewera or the Lake Waikaremoana Track. That role has fallen to Tūhoe after the…

PIRONGIA PROOF OF 1080 EFFECTIVENESS In regard to Kevin Hague’s request for trampers to speak up on the benefits of 1080 (‘Trampers need to call time on 1080 myth’, August 2019), a friend and I started off-road running on Mt Pirongia in 1997. We have run the same track throughout the year and started at the same time in the early evening – a time of day when one would expect to hear the evening chorus of birds. But the reality was that the forest was silent, except for the hissing and growling of possums which were a common sight bounding off the trail and into the trees. It was not until around 2007 that we saw the first of the signs saying that 1080 was about to be used on Pirongia. In…

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DOC BOOKING SYSTEM UPDATE SEES PRICE SPIKE DOC HAS OPENED the summer season with updates to their online booking system and price increases for some of the backcountry’s most popular huts. Ten DOC campgrounds and five huts – including Liverpool, Aspiring and Woolshed Creek huts – have been added to the online booking system and 15 huts have increased in price. DOC Booking Services manager Ross Shearer said the booking system increases safety by giving visitors the assurance of a bunk. “It ensures people are not pushing it to reach their destination early and taking unnecessary risks to do so,” he said. The huts will remain open and unlocked to all, and shelter in a storm is “guaranteed'', Shearer said. “Safety is our number one priority – if you're out on the track and the weather…

FOR TWO MONTHS, solo sea kayaker Scott Donaldson’s colour palette consisted almost entirely of blues and greys. During his record-setting crossing of the Tasman Sea, his most consistent company were two tropical fish, dubbed Ringo and Donk for their habit of bashing their scaly heads against his hull. Some days saw fleets of dolphins and lazy albatross glide across his path, or stroppy sharks following his paddle strokes. And some days it was just Donaldson, alone on the Tasman Sea with his thoughts. “The biggest challenge for anybody is that sensory deprivation – the lack of input,” Donaldson says. “It’s a key difference between going solo in the bush and having a stint at sea. “I was good for a week, then two weeks, but by week three it started setting in, because the brain…

I WASN’T SOLD ON sleeping bag liners until I slipped into a silken dream of my own for the first time. Since then, my no-frills liner has become an indispensable part of my sleeping kit, and I’ve come to use it more than my down sleeping bag due to its versatility across four seasons. In summer, I use it camping in the humid far north with my unzipped sleeping bag thrown over like a blanket, and in winter it adds a valuable layer when the mercury takes a dive. In tropical Tonga, it kept nocturnal nasties from biting, while adding the perfect amount of insulation. To naysayers, a liner is a luxury item that adds unnecessary weight to your pack. To converts, liners are a versatile piece of kit, adding comfort and extending the life…