Tabla de contenidos para September 2024 en Wilderness

Every walk is a great walk. I've just come back from a trip to Crosbies Hut in the Coromandel Peninsula, which involved terrific amounts of mud. Not Rakiura North West Circuit levels of mud, but enough to make us well and truly sick of the sight and smell of it by the time we reached the hut. But despite that, you can't tell me it's not a great tramp. On the way I spied Table Mountain through a clearing in the bush. That particular ‘mountain’ was the scene of New Zealand's worst tramp (I should know, I did it – see the January 2014 issue). The suffer-fest that walk became is what makes it great (trust me on that, because you definitely do not want to go there). At Crosbies…

WALK SHORTS Te Araroa Trust has teamed up with DOC to develop a trail pass for walkers for the 2024/25 season. The accommodation pass costs $195 and includes access to 71 huts and campsites on conservation land plus a 20 per cent discount on 10 bookable huts. For Te Araroa walkers, it effectively replaces the Backcountry Hut Pass and the use of hut tickets. “Walkers have mentioned it would be easier to have one pass, and we've nearly got that now,” says Te Araroa Trust executive director Matt Claridge. “It ensures that those who aren't inclined to pay are in the minority. With an effective product in place, that behaviour is actively discouraged.” Claridge said the pass needs to be bought at the same time as registration and must be…

It's been a tough day. Knees ache and shoulders are stiff, there's the tent to set up, and then a brew and relaxation. But … bzzz bzzz: namu! Sand-flies! They've arrived, but they can be kept at bay. 1. The most expensive repellants don't necessarily yield the best results. West Coasters swear by a homemade concoction of 50 per cent Dettol and 50 per cent baby oil. 2. Head nets are good but need to be held away from your face so the sandflies can't bite through the fabric. Wear the net over a bucket hat and tuck it into your collar. 3. Cover as much skin as possible in clothing. Light coloured is best. Merino gloves are good in the warmer months as they're lightweight and breathable. 4. Moving around keeps namu…

Three bridges on popular trails near Wānaka are being renovated and will hopefully be open for summer. The bridges to Rob Roy Glacier, the Blue Pools and Makarora River are currently closed. At the height of summer, the Blue Pools Track normally copes with an average of 550 people a day, and the Rob Roy bridge – the only way to access the Rob Roy Glacier Track – carries around 180 people. Unfortunately, walkers have been ignoring the bridges’ load-limit signs, and this has prompted DOC to make doubly sure the bridges are safe with increased visitor numbers. The Makarora bridge was at the end of its life. According to DOC Central Otago operations manager Nicola Holmes, the work is a significant undertaking. All three bridges have been subject to…

TUNNEL POINT, perhaps the most isolated spot on the Auckland mainland, offers a wild yet peaceful - place to camp. This rewarding 20km link-up begins on the gravelled Karamatura Track, which gently climbs the valley. After approximately 1.5km there's a short detour to the Karamatura Falls. This is the last water until Whatipu. After 1.8km along the Karamatura Track there's a plethora of steps. The track eventually flattens off and leads through clusters of kiekie, nīkau and ponga to a boardwalk protecting several large kauri. This is the trip's highest point - 410m. Follow the boardwalk to the left onto Donald McLean Track, which meets Pūriri Ridge Track after roughly 30min. View-hunters can take a small side trip to the summit of Te Rau o te Huia Mt Donald McLean…

GREAT WALKS An entire industry has developed around providing transport for Great Walk trampers, runners and cyclists. We're talking shuttle vans, water taxis, car relocations, flights, secure storage, and packages that encompass all the necessary transport, food and hut booking logistics. In using these services you also help to support the local economy. Booking early is crucial, says Nepia Tauri at Fiordland's Tracknet Transport in Te Anau. “It is amazing how many people forget to organise the transport section of their trip after booking the huts so far in advance. Holiday times are particularly busy.” Tauri also urges people to add a day or two after their walk to unwind and enjoy the local area. “Te Anau is a great base for enjoying Fiordland. We frequently meet people rushing to…

SOUTHLAND'S Hump Ridge Track is a three-day, 61km subalpine loop over historic viaducts and along the coast. It was built by the Tūātapere community in response to a logging ban and opened in 2001. In 2019 it won a bid to become New Zealand's newest Great Walk, and DOC has since invested $7.9 million to bring it up to Great Walks’ standard. The track is still run by a community trust, and this year it will open its first Great Walks season on October 25. Have prices increased? Pricing for a Freedom Walk package is unchanged for 2024–25: $395 for two nights in an 8-sleeper shared room or $445 in a 4-sleeper shared room. However, prices of Prime and Guided packages have increased to $995 for three days. What has…

AN AORAKI PLAN W I'm writing about Ruataniwha Conservation Park, which seems to be a forgotten reserve among trampers or one that is overlooked by those more keen to explore the highlights of Aoraki Mt Cook National Park. Access is about 10km up the Aoraki Mt Cook Highway from Ōmarama (SH80), at a hard-to-see DOC sign on a steep roadside bank. A path leads through tussock and mānuka with glorious photo opportunities of the Main Divide, Lake Pūkaki and the wider Mackenzie Basin. Easy trails lead into a beech forest remnant with abounding birdlife. Continuing for a couple of hours to an old snow fence and then a low saddle (Ostler Fault), you will find views of the upper Twizel River (known as Duncan Stream) with Baikie Hut down the…

Accidents and incidents happen unexpectedly in the outdoors. The difference in outcome relies on being prepared. Johanna Verheijen from First Training has helped many people to avoid incidents. Here are her most important tips: 1. Always carry a personal locator beacon (PLB). Don't stash it in your backpack, and know how to use it. Hire one if you don't own one – they are inexpensive and can save lives. 2. Always carry spare clothing (it's not just for yourself, your patient might need it, too). 3. Carry enough personal medication for extra days in case you're held up by bad weather or with an injured person awaiting evacuation. Include Panadol or similar, anti-inflam-matory meds and aspirin. Carry it in a labelled drybag so someone else can find it if necessary. Check the…

THE GIFT Linden Eagles worked at Wellington High School in the 1990s alongside geography teacher Don MacDonald, who had been at the school since the late 1970s. “Don played the bagpipes and tramped a bit,” she said. “He was well liked by his students.” “In the lead-up to his retirement, he was clearing out his storage room and came to the staffroom and said, ‘Linden, you do a bit of tramping: what say you take this’.” He gave her a folded map in a zip-lock bag. Eagles initially thought she might be able to take it tramping. Then she looked at it. Map of part of the Tararua Range was old and well-used, falling apart along the folds. It was approximately A1 in size and appeared to be a print…

CONS TRACK begins near the walkway to the popular Devils Punchbowl Falls but quickly reveals itself to be a more challenging option. The track climbs through Canterbury beech forest to the bushline about 500m above. Pale lichens adorn tree trunks and sunlight can stream through the open canopy. The incline is relentless and there is mud and tree roots underfoot, but the thundering falls may just be heard over the heaving of stressed lungs. Above the bushline the trail threads around bluffy sections, keeping west of Ptl287, before trending toward the main ridge that leads north to Mt Cassidy. Watch for cairns and markers and be mindful of rockfall hazard. There is a good ground trail through the trickier bits. Take a moment to appreciate the surroundings, too: the view…

RAKIURA TRACK A circuit walk from Oban township. A taxi is an option for the first 5km of road to Lee Bay, and in summer there's a regular water taxi to Port William. Boat access to North Arm Hut is tide-dependent. Flights (20min) or ferry (one hour) will get you to and from Rakiura Stewart Island. HUMP RIDGE TRACK This circuit starts and finishes 22km from Tūātapere (85km from Invercargill and 100km from Te Anau). Shuttles are available from Invercargill and Te Anau to Tūātapere, along with bus transport from Tūātapere to the track start (daily in summer). A pre-walk overnight stay in Tūātapere is required to link with these services. Helicopter shuttles and pack-portage are available to the first hut, Okaka Lodge. (Hut bookings follow a one-way, anti-clockwise direction.)…

THE PAPAROA TRACK Jessica Lockhart is a Canadian journalist based in Australia. Her first Great Walk was the Paparoa Track, which she started the day it opened in December 2019. WHY THE PAPAROA? I had a chance to experience the track on opening day and to be one of the first to sleep at Moonlight Tops Hut. I didn't start hiking until my late 20s, and although I’ d done a few guided multi- day treks, I wanted to upskill with an unsupported overnight tramp. The Great Walks were ideal as I could carry less and had the added security of hut wardens. MY EXPERIENCE ON THE TRACK … The Paparoa is renowned for incredible views of the surrounding ranges, including to Aoraki Mt Cook on a clear day. I…

Get your photo published here to receive a meal from Real Meals worth $17. Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz. Learn more about Real Meals at www.realmeals.co.nz.…

Aotearoa's 11 Great Walks usually take two to six days each to complete, but one woman is attempting to complete the lot within 11 days. Bridget Johnson, creative arts associate professor and artist by day, has spent the last few years training as an ultrarunner and has completed several 100km races and achieved the fastest recorded time for a route encompassing the Tongariro Northern Circuit and Round the Mountain Track. She has found inspiration in the feats of other ultrarunners, such as Andrew Robinson and Jordan Pratt, who both completed 10 Great Walks in 10 days, and Brooke Thomas, who achieved the fastest known time on Te Araroa. “These athletes have shown it's possible. I'm keen to take the opportunity to push my comfort zone and seek adventure,” says Johnson.…

GREAT WALKS It's hard to get lost on the Milford Track, but you'll still want to take a map. There's the trusty Topo50 CB08 Homer Tunnel paper map. Or you could take a digital map on your GPS or phone. Or, how about… a song? In the 1920s and 30s, Pākehā historian and ethnographer James Herries Beattie travelled the South Island by train and bicycle visiting Ngāi Tahu elders to record customary knowledge. He was notorious within the tribe for asking up to a thousand questions. Beattie was talking to an old hākui (grandmother) one day and mentioned he'd heard reports of a Māori route between Te Anau and Milford, which he'd assumed to be false. “She very considerably surprised me by giving me the Māori name of Sutherland Falls,”…

CAPACITY Gear is getting lighter and it's possible to cram all you need for an overnight hut-based trip into a 28-litre pack. Most overnight packs are between 35 and 50 litres, with the larger packs also suitable for longer trips or those where a tent is carried. Rab Muon 50 $549.95 A streamlined pack for fast and light trips. It has a removable lid, close-fitting TRI-FLEX carry system with a wraparound harness, shaped lumbar pad and supportive hip belt. There are front and side pockets, a hiking pole carry system, and it's hydration compatible. Fabric 100D high tenacity nylon with Spectra Ripstop (85% recycled) Capacity 50L Weight 995g. www.outfitters.co.nz POCKETS A front stash pocket or bungee system can store quick-access items like a rain jacket. Other pockets could include: stretch-mesh…

Jade Downing is an outdoor enthusiast from Colorado who has been enjoying off- and on-track tramping in New Zealand. She has walked the South Island leg of Te Araroa and bagged more than 100 huts since being here. “I prefer economical gear that is durable and versatile enough for New Zealand's various environments,” she says.…