Wilderness January 2022

WE ALL KNOW what New Year fitness and health resolutions are like. You get a few weeks into the year and those resolutions start to fade as the excesses of the holidays become a distant memory. It’s also harder to commit to your goals if you’re on your own, with no one offering encouragement. But, what if there was a health and fitness resolution you could make alongside hundreds – nay, thousands – of others? One that would help you build up a habit of walking at least 3.3km (40-minutes) every day for at least 12 months but perhaps for the rest of your life. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? That’s exactly what the Wilderness Walk1200km challenge is doing – helping people become more active. Just turn to page 18 to see real-life examples…

RELIVING PAST TRIPS The ‘30th Anniversary Issue’ (October 2021) brought back tramping memories. I recalled an exhausting tramp to Kapakapanui on which we almost succumbed to heatstroke; I remembered my late dad’s fondness for Cone Hut and my first multi-day tramp. My then-boyfriend planned a crossing for us that started at Field Hut and ended at Totara Flats a couple of days later. We were both inexperienced and hadn’t been near the Tararua Peaks before. When we arrived at the chain ladder (it really was a chain ladder in 1980), we looked down it and agreed it was probably about three-metres long. I was terrified but agreed to go down first. To steady my nerves I decided to count the rungs! By the time I counted 70, I was too shocked to be…

Get your photo published here to receive a Victorinox Escort keyring pocket knife worth $22. Learn more about Victorinox at e.ampro.co.nz.…

TONGARIRO GREAT WALK HUT TO BE REBUILT The aging Oturere Hut on the Tongariro Northern Circuit Great Walk is set to be rebuilt and expanded. A DOC spokesperson said the 51-year-old hut is nearly at the end of its life and “isn’t at the Great Walks standard”. “It was fit for purpose in 1970 but no longer meets the demands put on it by serving both hut users and campers,” the spokesperson said. DOC is contracting an architect to design a replacement for the 26 bunker but DOC wouldn’t comment on how much the new hut would cost. However, tender documents show the budget is around $1 million and construction should start in March 2023 and be completed by the end of June. The new hut would be expanded to 30 bunks and be…

Due to the growth of the Wilderness Walk1200km challenge, we’re looking for one or more freelance journalists to help spread the workload and contribute monthly stories to Wilderness. The primary role is to collate and write the magazine’s Walkshorts section. The role requires a ‘nose for news’ and the ability to find interesting stories about hut refurbishments, people doing interesting things outdoors, access challenges and so on. We also need a regular to contribute to our Track Chat page – turn to p98 of this issue for an example. Finally, there are hundreds of interesting people participating in the Walk1200km challenge and we want as many of them profiled as possible. If you’re keen for a long-lasting monthly writing gig with prompt payment for your services, email editor@lifestylepublishing.co.nz with an introduction to yourself that…

I’m chasing a goal Sarah White says she likes chasing a goal, so, not content with the Walk1200km challenge, she upped the target to 1560km. Wellington librarian Sarah White says she likes “ticking boxes and having a goal”. Last year she visited 55 backcountry huts to mark her 55th year, so when she heard about Walk1200km she latched onto the new challenge. “I respond well to checking things off and having a goal in mind,” Sarah says. To mark her 56th year, she plans to walk 1560km – 30km a week – and has been exploring her backyard in Eastbourne. “I’ve always done a lot of walking, but it’s definitely an incentive to do more weekend trips. It’s a great incentive to get more active and get fitter.” She’s been building up the kilometres by hopping…