JANUARY 2021 NEW ZEALAND’S MAGAZINE

OF THE OUTDOORS SINCE 1991

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There’s more to
the town than
whale watching

    

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FROM AVALANCHE
PEAK TO BARKER HUT

NZ $10.95 INCL GST

 


FEATURES
42 When one peak is not
enough
Two Kiwi mountaineers share
their aspirations of completing
the 100 Peaks Challenge
46 Kaitiaki of the kauri
Workers on the frontlines of
kauri dieback share how the
disease will shape Auckland’s
recreation future
52 The year’s best destinations
Nine outdoor towns and regions
that look particularly good to
visit in 2021
58 GîČĿŠijēūƭċƥƙĿŠǜNjĿŠijƙūŕū
ƎƑūIJĚƙƙĿūŠîŕijƭĿēĚǛŠēƙĿŠēĚ-
cision clouding her enjoyment
on a solo tramp
60 The A to Z of wild camping
Foster a more symbiotic
relationship with the landscape
with the Wilderness guide to
Wild camping

REGULARS
4 Editorial
6 Pigeon post
Letters to the editor
8 Last weekend
What did you get up
to last weekend?
10 Walkshorts
News from the wild
14 Private walks
Kiwi walkers are helping New
Zealand’s premier private tracks
bounce back after a hard year
16 Wild access
An incredible service ensures
blind and low vision Kiwis
can access the outdoors in
all its forms
18 Wild comment
Is there a better way to
maintain tracks than by
machete or chainsaw?
82 Track Chat
George Gibbs explores the life
and work of his grandfather,
the pioneering naturalist
George Hudson
Cover: Great Barrier Island
makes our list of must-visit
destinations in 2021.
Photo: Todd Eyre
WAYPOINTS
AND TRIPS
20 See more…
lancewood tree daisy
Four places to spot this
striking subalpine plant
22 On the foot of a volcano
Holly Hut, Egmont National Park
24 Sunny side up
John Tait Hut, Nelson
Lakes National Park
26 Ultimate Arthur’s Pass
adventure
Barker Hut via Avalanche Peak,
Arthur’s Pass National Park SKILLS GEAR
28 Hidden harbour delight 64 The bear essentials 69 What’s in my pack
Golden Stairs Track, Hokianga Build core strength and Climber Paul Hersey
stability with the bear opens his pack
29 ¹ūƎƎĿŠij ūƭƥ ĿŠ ¹îƭƎƃ crawl exercise
¹îƭĺîƑîȡ ¹îƭƎƃ
70 Wild review
65 Wild cuisine Macpac’s Tempo rain jacket
30 Flat amongst the alps Roast pumpkin and 72 Gear guide
Shovel Flat, Mt Aspiring quinoa salad
National Park 72 Summer hiking clothes
66 How to prepare for 74 Gear for kids
32 Message in a barrel the rescue helicopter 76 Trail running shoes
Unearthing unique geological If a chopper is on the way,
and human history on a trip to here’s how to best prepare
Totara Flats Hut for the incoming rescue
38 Kaikoura unchained 68 Navigation
Riding the 45km Kaikoura Trail You’re not always where
in the whale watching capital you think you are
of New Zealand
3
 EDITORIAL
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JQYNWEM[YGCTG
HOW LUCKY ARE WE TO BE KIWIS? In a year
that kept so many indoors, Aotearoa sure dodged
DEXOOHWRUWZRLQ5H¿HFWLQJRQWKHGLI¾FXOW
year, I was thrilled to count more than 40 days spent
tramping, including three Great Walks and 13 new
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UHDGHUVGD\VLVDGLVDSSRLQWLQJHIIRUWEXWIRUPH
it’s a record – and all achieved despite lockdowns,
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I don’t think we appreciate how lucky we are, and
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cember, she set out to walk Te Araroa Trail, meeting
the locals, sharing huts and staying with trail angels
(see Walkshorts, p10). She says she was walking
IRUKHUIULHQGVRYHUVHDVZKRVHWKUXKLNHSODQVZHUH
cancelled by Covid.
'HVSLWHRXUJRRGIRUWXQHV.LZLVFDQEHLUULWDW
ingly lax with the pandemic. The contact tracer app
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community transmissions, and although it takes just
seconds to scan a QR code when entering a shop,
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by those protecting Auckland’s kauri.
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Council (p46), and boy do they have a tough job on
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tracks this summer and striking a balance between
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cleaning stations.
Some don’t believe in the science, and some
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LIWKLVDOOVRXQGVHHULO\VLPLODUWRWKHSDQGHPLFLW
LVEXWZLWKRQHPDMRUGLIIHUHQFHZKLOHPRVWSHRSOH
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dieback pathogen will die.
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serves as a reminder to get out and appreciate what
we have while it’s still there – you never know what’s
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E-newsletter
To get the latest in
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head to our website
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EDITOR Alistair Hall
alistair@lifestylepublishing.co.nz
DEPUTY EDITOR Matthew Cattin
matthew@lifestylepublishing.co.nz
ART AND DESIGN Pelin Hall
pelin@lifestylepublishing.co.nz
ROVING EDITOR Shaun Barnett
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Cherie Final
Cherie@lifestylepublishing.co.nz
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Andrea Cowan
subscribe@lifestylepublishing.co.nz
Phone: 09 5702 658
PUBLISHER David Hall
COLUMNISTS
Maddy Bellcroft, Heather Grady,
Pam Hutton, Sarah May Little,
Dave Mitchell
CONTRIBUTORS
David Caudwell, George Driver,
Kathy Ombler, Roy Sinclair,
Tania Gaffey, Rachel Davies,
Sue Dinkelacker, Ricky French,
Graeme Stevens, Paul Hersey,
+HDWKHU:KHODQ%HăWH0DQJXVH
Vanessa Hilton
Copyright
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in part or in whole without the written per-
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nor the facts stated in advertisements
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whilst all efforts will be made to ensure
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rate information. ISSN 1177-0171 / ISSN
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Wilderness is Published by
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Pakuranga, Auckland. PO Box 251566,
Pakuranga, Auckland 2140. Ph (09)570-
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7KHSUHKLVWRULFSRGRFDUSIRUHVWLVSHUKDSVWKHEHVW
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ists, it would have been lost to logging in the ‘70s.
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DQ\WLPHDQGWKHVDPHJRHVIRU:DLWRPR
With tourists gone and the highways empty, there
has never been a better time than now to check out
our backyard – just don’t leave it too late.
- Matthew Cattin
Deputy editor
4 January 2021
of the magazine’s various versions. The opin- 2658, Fax (09)570-2684.
ions expressed by contributors or columnists
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Email: subscribe@lifestylepublishing.co.nz ALFRESCO, FETCH!
FEEL THE DIFFERENCE
 PIGEON POST
Letter of
the month
A SPECTACULAR
PERCH INDEED
The story, ‘A spectacular perch’
(December 2020) kindled memories of
my first-ever climbing trip.
I joined my first climb in 1971 with
seven others from the Canterbury
University Tramping Club rather ap-
prehensively due to my limited outdoor
experience.
Weeks earlier, we had some alpine
instruction on one of the local ski fields
where I learnt to self-arrest, but we had
not practised any rope techniques so
I was relying on the experience of the
others.
It was an achievement for me reach-
ing Waimakariri Falls Hut with my
heavy pack – it was the camaraderie of
the group that got me there with con-
stant laughs and ribaldry, and of course
spectacular panorama at the Falls hut
on arrival which I well remember.
I wasn’t just carrying my axe and
crampons – I had decided to include a
bottle of wine, once I had worked out a
sharing technique. This was a plastic
part of a syringe which held 5cc and
would allow two or three squirts per
person. Clearly, nobody got inebri-
ated but the enormous merriment that
resulted would have given the impres-
sion that we all had drunk a bottle each.
The next day we made it to the top
of Mt Rolleston, though I felt I wasn't
carrying my weight, dangling at the end
of the rope. Sometime later I climbed
Rolleston via the Otira face without
ropes.
But it was the wonderfully-relaxed
first trip which started me out on a life-
long appreciation of the challenges
and rewards we can find in the moun-
tains along with the friendships that
come with it.
- Paul Bruce
Paul receives a Water-To-
Go 750ml Classic bottle
and filter worth $130
from www.watertogo.
co.nz. The filter removes
99.9999% of viruses,
bacteria, protozoa and
more from drinking water.
Readers, send your letter
to the editor to win.
6 January 2021
THE PROBLEM IS PEOPLE,
NOT POUAKAI TARN
The article, ‘Is Pouakai Tarn an asset
or a liability?’ (December 2020)
attempts to ask important questions
on what happens at this highly insta-
grammable spot. But to me, the story
heading is extremely problematic.
The tarn is not the issue, instead
people’s behaviour is risking harm to
the environment (a main point of the
article).
In my world view, Pouakai Tarn is a
living being. How can it be a liability
(or an asset for that matter)? While I
do not whakapapa to that part of the
motu, I know several people who do.
To them, it may be likened to asking,
“Was my mother an asset or a liabil-
ity” when what you really wanted to
explore was how your behaviour as
a child impacted your mother’s well-
being.
Ngā mihi o te kōanga – springtime
greetings.
- Dot Dalziell
REPRESENTATION
OF YOUNG PEOPLE
I wanted to thank Alex Tilby-Adams,
the young writer whose incredibly
well-written letter ‘Misguided comic’
(Pigeon Post, December 2020) I’ve
just finished reading.
Her kind and thoughtful response
and consideration of the representa-
tion of young women in the bush is
awesome.
I’m an outdoor educator and spend
much of my time in the bush running
Duke of Edinburgh journeys. I had a
giggle at the comic and shared it with
some instructing friends of mine, but
in hindsight, Alex is completely right.
We should be encouraging young
people of all backgrounds to come
out and enjoy and explore the bush,
learn to appreciate the outdoors’
ability to relax and destress our
overwhelmed brains, and develop a
healthy hobby for years to come.
Shot, Alex, you're awesome.
- Chelle Thomson
MONEY-SAVING WEATHER PROTECTION
My recent tramp on the Old Ghost Road inevitably included the good
old West Coast rain. I’d purchased a $2 yellow plastic raincoat prior
to departure in preparation for the inevitable rain. It saved the day!
Worn under my old un-waterproof raincoat, it kept my thermal top
and torso 100 per cent dry.
Who needs to spend big dollars on waterproof clothing when the $2
shop can provide it all. I’m also recycling it for the next wet adventure.
PRE-BOOKING CAMPSITES
RUIN SPONTANEITY
I continue to be amazed how DOC
keeps coming up with ideas which
directly impinge upon our freedom
to explore and enjoy our wonderful
country.
Gradually more and more huts,
and now campsites, are being add-
ed to the booking system. DOC says
this is a good thing; of benefit to us.
What on earth is DOC doing by
making many of their wonderful
campsites, theoretically, only use-
able if you pre-book during the ‘peak
season’, which is from October 1 to
April 30 – the whole spring and sum-
mer season?
I’ve not seen anywhere on DOC
information sources that you can
still use the old kiosk system. I can
understand booking might be nec-
essary in some sites in January, but
the rest of the year?
As I write this, my wife and I
are sitting at DOC’s Orari Gorge
campsite in Canterbury, having not
booked and therefore (presumably)
likely to be ejected by the ranger,
should he or she show up. There’s
a sign at the entrance telling us how
to pre-book. Amazingly, we actually
have a feeble internet connection
and possibly might be able to book
but wait, there’s the ‘book-in kiosk’,
complete with forms so we popped
our money in there and, hopefully,
all will be well.
When on holiday, we tend to wan-
der day by day, dependent on the
weather, to campsites from which
we can go tramping, mountain bik-
ing or trout fishing. Thus, we might
meander up the Eglington Valley,
never knowing which site we may
end up at. As far as I can see (with
limited internet), all the Eglington
campsites have to be pre-booked. Is
there cell phone coverage up there?
I fear this is the ‘thin end of the
wedge’ and gradually more and
more huts and sites will require pre-
booking. Please DOC, NO!
- River Howe
- Diana de Beus
 LAST WEEKEND

Your Trips, YOUR PIX

What did you get up to last weekend?

Fel icit y Bri ce, 4, and her mu m

Alic e tra mp ed the Mt Som ers
Wa lkw ay in Can ter bur y

Kate Dawkings tackled the

Tongariro Northern Circuit

Garry and Sheena

Russell took in
spectacular views
from the Paparoa
Track Great Walk Shannon Wickes walked
the Greenstone-Caples Track

Keith Earl walked the Sylvester Lakes

Track in Kahurangi National Park

8 January 2021
 ulla r ove rni ght ed
Ma rk Sut her lan d and Da ve Sco
Par k
at Tri ang le Hu t, Rua hin e For est

Helen Thornborrow,
Frances Tilly and Megan
Holland loved the view
from Awapoto Hut, Abel
Tasman National Park

Paul O'Dea found

“sensational” views
from the summit of
Mt Oxford, Canterbury

St ef an ’s sis te rs
Fa ir we at he r (le ft ) in tr od uc ed
St ef an an d Ka te os t Ro ad
id ge t to tr am pi ng on th e 85 km Ol d Gh
N ico le an d Br

Get your photo published here

Zach and Lucy Blundell climbed the ‘Stairway
to Heaven’ on the Paekakariki Escarpment Track
to receive $30 Silva Pocket
Thermo Compass for accurate
wayfinding and temperature-sussing.
Learn more about Silva compasses
at e.ampro.co.nz. Last Weekend
submission criteria can be found
at wildernessmag.co.nz

9
 WALK SHORTS

KIWI DISTRIBUTOR COMMITS

TO SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Kawatiri
Coastal
Trail

WEST COAST BUILDS ANOTHER CYCLE TRAIL

NEW ZEALAND GEAR GLVWULEXWRU 2XW¾W
ters is aiming to become carbon neutral.
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Lowe Alpine, to be carbon neutral and net
zero by 2030, meaning they will reduce car
bon emissions and balance any remaining
emissions through carbon credits. Achiev
ing net zero means the company will not
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gasses into the atmosphere than it neutral
ises with actual carbon removal.
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ronmental initiatives should continue all the
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tion to delivery.
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all we can to be net zero by 2030,” he said.
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aren’t doing the same, it’s largely a point
less exercise and you’re just relying on
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a 100 per cent renewable and carbon neu
tral power supplier, and any replacement
vehicles will be hybrids.
It has already changed to compostable
courier bags and removed as much plastic
DVSRVVLEOHIURPWKHVXSSO\FKDLQ
A NEW, FAMILY-FRIENDLY cycle trail
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ing to the region’s advanced mountain
bike trails.
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and wends its way through wetlands,
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was ridden or walked by several hun
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the proposed walking and cycling her
itage trail that will link Westport with
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Cape Foulwind, Tauranga Bay and
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coastal landscapes and mining and
settler history.
Local retailers and tourism opera
tors said it will appeal to a wider range
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Road and Paparoa Track.
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tracks and head home, they don’t
hang around and they don’t bring
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port bike shop Habitat Sports. “The
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rently enjoy trails like the West Coast
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They like to stop and visit breweries
and wineries and local attractions.”
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er Jed Findlay plans to expand his
shuttle service to encompass the
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really complement the West Coast
Wilderness Trail,” he said. “We can
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the trails together. People can come
to the Coast and have a really good
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options.”
The remaining eight trail sections
are scheduled to be completed by
June 2022. The trail has been built to
New Zealand Cycle Trail guidelines
IRUDJUDGHWUDFN
- Kathy Ombler

KIWI YOUTUBE STAR BEGINS TE ARAROA

THRU-HIKING FILMMAKER Elina Osborne has set off on Te Araroa.
The west-Aucklander, who became popular on YouTube for her videos of the Pacific Crest
Trail, started from Cape Reinga in late November and is loving the experience so far.
“I feel like I am gaining so much more of an appreciation and awareness of Aotearoa, and
feeling more connected to it,” she said.
Osborne was initially hesitant to walk Te Araroa because of its reputation for road walking.
“It’s a poor excuse but it was a roadblock for me, as well as knowing it was in my home
country, it meant it was on the priority list, but lower down,” she said.
Osborne hasn’t taken for granted the fact she’s doing a thru-hike during a pandemic.
“Since Covid, and not being able to go anywhere, now is the best time to do it. I almost feel
like I am hiking it for all the thru-hikers whose hikes were cancelled this year,” she said.
“Sometimes you have moments where you realise people can’t even walk up to a stranger
where they are right now, but we are meeting trail angels and talking to strangers on the
Elina
Osborne
street without masks.”
sets off Osborne is trialling an unreleased lightweight pack from Macpac, designed specifically
from Cape for the Te Araroa. “They wanted me to give them feedback on this awesome product they’re
Reinga releasing next season – I was stoked,” she said.

10 January 2021
 WHEELS IN MOTION
A new wheelchair promises to open up access
to many tracks and trails for those who cannot
explore them on foot. By Roy Sinclair
Peter Thompson
with his ViMo
wheelchair which
allows users
to more easily
access
the outdoors
“HERE IT IS,’’ wheelchair designer
Peter Thompson says. “Have a seat
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lurching ride. The previous day I had
taken a tumble and was nursing a
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adjusts as the wheelchair negotiates
the undulations. The ride is smooth
er than I could have imagined.
Thompson, a mechanical engi
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essential to get outdoors but a con
ventional wheelchair was too cum
bersome.
“Getting out in the environment
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Ginny,” Thompson says. “We want
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the occasional riverbed. We needed
something I could push easily while
not giving Ginny a jarring ride.”
Ginny’s situation spurred him on.
He surmised his innovation would
need to be designed with the car
egiver in mind as opposed to the
person sitting in the wheelchair.
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ing to happen.
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“It would need to be lightweight,
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last point is essential to enable it to
be stowed quickly in a vehicle during
rain.’’
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Ocean Signal Rescue Me 406
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the back. The wheels can be quickly See website for current pricing
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door use.
Features needed to be limited to
save on weight.
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has developed an electric motor ac
cessory. Some components are man
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Through an occupational thera
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Bradley loves the outdoors but lives
with motor neuron disease.
Soon, she was out visiting the
beach and exploring local trails.
2017 & 2019
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Thompson. “She was being pushed
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ear grin.” FOR CURRENT SALES AND PROMOTIONS
Thompson patented his invention
9L0R°YLWDOLW\LQPRWLRQ°DQGLVZRUN www.gearshop.co.nz
LQJ ZLWK '2& WR WULDO WKH ZKHHOFKDLU sales@gearshop.co.nz
on the Abel Tasman Coast Track and 0800 432 774
WKH$OSV2FHDQF\FOHWUDLO
Limited time only. While stocks last.
Prices subject to change without notice.
11

Complete the crossword and rearrange the letters in
Wilderness the blue squares to spell out the hidden solution. Email
WORD your answer, name and address, by December 18, to: Across
wildernessword@lifestylepublishing.co.nz. 1. Wears new tramping
boots until they become
supple and comfortable (6,2)
6. Chance of danger -
wilderness activities involve
a degree of this (4)
8. Not fresh - by end of
tramp, socks may be this! (6)
9. _____ Track - tramping track
in Fiordland National Park (6)
10. High mountains in NZ's
South Island (4)
11. What flood waters do to
surrounding terrain (8)
12. Much needed retreat into
wilderness away from urban
life (6)
14. Location in dense bush will
not be this even on fine day (6)
16. _____ Spit - long narrow
strip of sand at northern end
© PAM HUTTON 2018 | WWW.PUZZLEBEETLE.CO.NZ
of Golden Bay (8)
19. Snow ____ - this helps
you walk on deep snow (4)
20. The _____ - another name
for Orion star constellation (6)
21. Unpleasantly damp - like
atmosphere in cave, maybe? (6)
22. Turakirae ____ - promon-
tory at Palliser Bay near
Wellington (4)
23. Material such as stones
Play the digital crossword and sand deposited at
online at wildernessmag.co.nz bottom of stream (8)
12 January 2021
RAIL
LIFE
Down
2. Walks in relaxed way for
pleasure in countryside (7)
3. Book to consult when plan-
ning next wilderness trip? (5)
4. _____ Walkway - 13km
ridgeline walk in Wellington (7)
5. Native NZ palm tree (5)
6. Persuaded reluctant friend
to join you in wilderness
adventure?! (5,2)
7. Perspire profusely with
active effort (5)
13. Let rescue services know
they were needed, eg (7)
14. Joined two pieces of
rope together - could be
handy in wilderness (7)
15. Annual outdoor
endurance race (7)
17. Colour of clear unpolluted
sky on sunny day (5)
18. Strenuous effort _____
well-deserved rest (5)
19. Large group of flying
insects (5)
Hidden solution:
Small songbird you
might hear in forest (9)
December’s
hidden solution:
The Pinnacles
 Sponsored
by Panasonic
2021 Wilderness
PHOTO COMPETITION
Have you got what it takes to be the Wilderness Outdoor Photographer of the Year?
Entries are now open and you’ve got until March 4, 2021, to submit your best images.

6JG ECVGIQTKGU

 
OUT THERE

HUTS AND WILDLIFE
For the wilderness photos that make
CAMPING \RX JR ´ZRZµ :KHWKHU WDNHQ IURP D Whether it’s birds, insects,
&HOHEUDWH WKH XQLTXHQHVV RI mountaintop or deep in the bush, plants, trees or a lone deer
1HZ=HDODQG KXW OLIH DQG it should be a view to savour and or chamois captured in the
ORFDWLRQV RU VKDUH WKH SHUIHFW WKH EHVW SKRWRV ZLOO IHDWXUH mountains, send us your best
camping scene. trampers, climbers, kayakers, VKRWV RI 1=µV ¿RUD DQG IDXQD
bikers – anyone enjoying
New Zealand’s wilderness.

6JG RTK\GU

O ERALL WINNER
The ph ographer who takes the
image juddged to be the best entry
will win a Panasonic Lumix G85 with
12-60mm lens worth $1199.
Weather and dust proof
design make it the perfect
outdoor companion.
SECOND PRIZE THIRD PRIZE
The second-place getter will The third-place getter
receive a Panasonic FZ300 camera will receive the $599 Pana-
valued at $849. This weather-resist- sonic TZ90 travel camera
ant all-in-one camera features with 30x zoom.
a 25-600mm lens.

*QYVQGPVGT
(PDLOHQWULHVLQGLYLGXDOO\WRSKRWRFRPS#OLIHVW\OHSXEOLVKLQJFRQ],QFOXGHWKHFDWHJRU\
\RXµUHHQWHULQJ\RXUQDPHDGGUHVVDQGDFDSWLRQIRUWKHLPDJHDORQJZLWKWKHFDPHUDVHWWLQJV
)LQGIXOOHQWU\GHWDLOVLQFOXGLQJLPDJHFDSWLRQUHTXLUHPHQWVDQGFRPSHWLWLRQWHUPVDQGFRQGLWLRQV
at www.wildernessmag.co.nz – keyword search ‘2021 Wilderness photo competition’.

TIPS
Follow these tips to give yourself the best shot at winning.
1. In the entire history of the Wilderness photo competition, there
has only been one person to win a category with a photo taken on
a mobile phone. For your best chance of success, we recommend
you use your digital camera.
2. You can enter multiple images, but you should only include one
image per email entry.
3. The best photos tell a story – human or animal elements can
bring personality, colour and excitement to an image.
4. Dare to be different. Every year we get dozens of images of kea,
the Kepler Track, Mueller Hut and Aoraki/Mt Cook. Find unique
places and subjects, or frame classic vistas in new ways.
5. We use dozens of entries to illustrate stories in future issues
of the magazine (which we pay for). This means the best photos
ɭơ˫ơƃʋ ʋǠơ ƃȶȥʋơȥʋ ȶlj ʋǠơ ȟŔnjŔ˖ǫȥơ ŔȥƎ ɽǠȶʠȍƎ Źơ ʋŔȇơȥ ǫȥ ʋǠơ
great outdoors – not your garden. (House cats and lupins are out;
huts, rock wren and mountains are in).
13
 PRIVATE WALKS
KIWIS PICK UP
SLACK ON
PRIVATE TRACKS
New Zealand’s premier private
ƥƑîČŒƙ ĚNJƎĚƑĿĚŠČĚē î ēĿIJǛČƭŕƥ NjĚîƑȡ
but Kiwi walkers are helping them
bounce back. By Matthew Cattin
AS WITH MOST in the tourism sector, Shaun
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something thousand dollar” a year job to
guide hunters around the 7000ha Island Hills
Station in North Canterbury. Business had
been good – until it wasn’t.
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DV .LZLV LQ WKH KXQWLQJ VHDVRQ , KDG ERRNHG
out the whole period – and then I lost all the
bookings,” he says.
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would be unsustainable, and something had
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the decision was made to reopen the station’s
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Country Track.
First opened in 2003, the trail was a popu
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“I spent six months building a new section by
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Bookings have been “steady”, but they could
be better.
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people nervous about booking something in ad
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people can’t turn up, or they can’t get on a plane
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the blue,” he says. “You also have a guarantee
RIVHFXULW\DQG\RXµUHQRWJRLQJWRKDYHVRPH
¾OWK\ SLJ KXQWHUV OLNH PH LQ WKH EXQN EHVLGH
you.”
14 January 2021
Island Hills Station Walking Track was opened in
response to New Zealand’s COVID-19 border closure
Banks Track – the EVEN WITHOUT she says.
private walking experi
ence on Canterbury’s
INTERNATIONAL Sally Handyside has
noticed a hesitation
Banks Peninsula – also WALKERS, THE with advanced book
had a challenging year,
spokeswoman Char SEASON HAS LQJV IRU WKH .DLNRXUD
Coast Track, which
lotte Gibbs says. SEEN NUMBERS runs through her and
When lockdown hit, KXVEDQG'DYLGµVSURS
the track’s season was WELL UP ON THE erty.
cut short by two months.
“We had given the
PREVIOUS YEAR. “They’re not pouring
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track an enormous mar and April, but I’m as
NHWLQJ SXVK LQ $XVWUDOLD MXVW EHIRUH suming it’s because no one knows
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RI$XVVLHERRNLQJV³*LEEVVD\V DEOH WR ¿\ WR$XVWUDOLD E\ WKHQ³ VKH
²:HUHIXQGHGHYHU\ERG\LQIXOODQG says.
we hope eventually they will rebook, In previous seasons, around 30
but it did cost us dearly – we were SHUFHQWRIZDONHUVRQWKHWUDFNKDYH
YHU\ QHDUO\ IXOO\ ERRNHG IRU 0DUFK EHHQLQWHUQDWLRQDO°ZLWKKDOIRIWKRVH
and April.” FRPLQJIURPDFURVVWKH7DVPDQ
(YHQZLWKRXWLQWHUQDWLRQDOZDONHUV When lockdown hit, the couple had
however, the 2020/2021 season has WRUHIXQGDURXQGZDONHUV
seen numbers well up on the previous “It’s just what everybody had to do,
season. though some people kept their money
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they can’t go anywhere else, they are, .LZL ERRNLQJV ° PDQ\ IURP WKH
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wood,” Gibbs says. season, but Handyside says she’s not
*LEEVEHOLHYHVWKHUXVKRI.LZLVZLOO ZRUULHGDERXWZKDWWKHIXWXUHEULQJV
be unsustainable, and says it’s “in “We’re in our 70s now, and we just
credibly important” the international do it because we love meeting people
walkers return in the long run. and it’s a nice way to share our beau
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 3
YEAR
WARRANTY

EXTENDED TO A 3 YEAR WARRANTY

*

Includes all Lumix Cameras, Lenses, and Camcorders

*Effective for all purchases from 1 April 2018.

 WILD COMMENT

Conservation
AS TRAUMA
Is there a better way to
maintain tracks than by
machete or chainsaw?
By ¹ĄŠĿîHîIJIJĚNj

I’D LIKE TO TALK TRAUMA. 7KHNLQGRIWHQ

VHHQWUDFNVLGH7UDXPDPDQLIHVWLQJDVEXVK
maintenance and driven by the impulse to
EHQGEUHDNDQGVDFUL¾FHVRPHWKLQJVHHP
ingly inanimate to create walking space.
We could coin it ‘conservation trauma’,
VWHPPLQJ LURQLFDOO\ IURP FRQVHUYDWLRQ FXW
ting.
I took the photo illustrating this story on
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trails – Te Ahumairangi Hill, which contains
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space but it is much more than that to the
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7DUDQDNL:KƖQXLNL7H8SRNRR7H,ND,WZDV This cut to a mamaku is more
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to the coast. Te Ahumairangi was a place
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DQG PDXUL IURP WKH KLOOµV VLJQDWXUH QRUµZHVW
ZLQG,WµVDVLWHRIKLVWRULFDOVLJQL¾FDQFH environment that it was made and meant
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TRACK mamaku growing gloriously across the trail,
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ing mamaku.
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sons, tilling, toiling, blowing their blowers and
maintaining all the things – or so they think.
TO LOOK Ultimately it comes down to what is budg
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But track maintenance doesn’t need to OR FEEL and expensive. Still, it’s hard to argue that
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PHQWWKHDUWLVWU\RIWKHDUERULFXOWXULVWRUWKH TRAUMATIC. KDFNKDSS\UHDOO\GRHVQµWFXWLWIRUZKDWµVHV
sentially trauma touted as tiakitanga (preser
master bonsai shaper. Consider the care, the vation, protection, restoration).
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With this in mind then, I wonder how much
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tenance rather than conservation trauma
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to their own.
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importantly, continuing to contribute to the best legacy rests in doing the same.

16 January 2021
Banks Track
Akaroa

bankstrack.co.nz

A multi day walk over the volcanic hills of Banks Peninsula.

Cliff tops, secluded ocean bays, lush forest, tree ferns,
waterfalls and birdsong. Penguins and NZ fur seals.
*D]H LQWR RXU PDJQLߔFLHQW QLJKW VNLHV
 WILD ACCESS
ALISTAIR HALL
LISTENING TO
the outdoors
An incredible service ensures blind and
low vision New Zealanders can access
the outdoors in all its forms. By Alistair Hall
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a crucial connection to, and participa
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18 January 2021
listening to a narrated outdoor magazine
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WUDFNVEXW*LO¾OODQTXLFNO\ SXVKHV EDFN
“Why do people read Wilderness? Is it
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them, they can go tramping. There are
blind swimmers, there are blind runners,
there are blind trampers.
Just because people’s
eyes don’t work doesn’t
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is munted and that’s VQVJKPMDNKPFPGUU
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learnings when you KUCPKORGFKOGPV
FRPH DQG ZRUN KHUH rious like the sunset or
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mind is as sharp as
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a sighted person – perhaps more.
“It’s a mistake to think that blindness
is an impediment to anything other than
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on a walk through the wilderness and
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Bruce Hopkins narrates
content, including Wilderness,
for members of the Blind Low
Vision New Zealand library
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they would hear the noise or the change
in noise and hear the birds, they will
probably be paying attention to sounds
that you and I would not even register.
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son with them, that person can describe
what they are seeing.”
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tion’s recording booths and is currently
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Through the Eyes of a Foster Child.
“He’s amazing, but, oh my god, what
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sanity package.”
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Te Araroa Trail to convey the dramatic
scenery or trials and tribulations de
scribed in the articles.
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they’re on a mountainside and get
ting hammered by the
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this is exhausting and
tiring and you’re over it.
When it’s something glo
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voice as well.”
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azine that isn’t narrated,
is the advertising. “We’re
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matter how cleverly it’s disguised,” Gil
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zon’s Alexa, where library members can
use voice commands to request their
desired content.

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 WAYPOINTS
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The lancewood tree daisy is a striking subalpine shrub,
renowned for its toughness. By Shaun Barnett
SHAUN BARNETT/BLACK ROB N PHOTOGRAPHY
WHILE IT WAS a bivouac that
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lasting impression will always be
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tling leathery leaves and the sag
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in the breeze.
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Sunday Biv, situated at the eastern
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Lancewood Tree
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– Olearia colensoi, more usually
known as leatherwood. Anyone
Mt Riley circuit,
who has battled through a thick
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know just how tough a tree daisy
can be. In contrast, the lancewood
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impenetrable bands, and unlike
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1- Kapakapanui Circuit,
Tararua Forest Park
This summit rises in the Tararua
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kanae and is a popular destination
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low at 1102m, the summit is open
with panoramic views over the main
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below the tops.
2- Moa Park,
Abel Tasman National Park
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above the Abel Tasman coast. As
well as lancewood tree daisy, the
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plants, dominated by an open area
RI WXVVRFN (DVLHVW DFFHVV LV IURP
&DQDDQ 'RZQV RQ WKH 0RD 3DUN
Track, which takes 2hr. Alterna
tively, it can be reached on the Abel
Daisy on the
Mt Sunday- Tasman Inland Track.
Mt Richmond
3- Mt Sunday Circuit,
Mt Richmond Forest Park
7KLV HQMR\DEOH FLUFXLW EHJLQV IURP
'DYLHV 5RDG QHDU WKH 2QDPDOXWX
Reserve and camping area, and
takes about 8hr – so can be tackled
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VWHHSO\WKURXJKIDPLOLDUEHHFKIRU to move beneath it. The wrinkled ZLWK D VWD\ DW 0W 6XQGD\ %LY WZR
est, but as I gained altitude this
was replaced by a surprisingly
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(Olearia lacunosa) – a small tree
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and mist only added to the appeal.
leaves are like small concave ves
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spring, the plant produces white
4 2
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The lancewood tree daisy grows
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Walter Travers. In 1864, he collect
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RI WKH URXWH LV LQ IRUHVW EXW WKHUH
are some exposed rocky outcrops
1
3 QHDUWKHVXPPLWVRI0W5LOH\DQG0W
Sunday.
4- Lodestone,
Kahurangi National Park
The Lodestone Track is an enjoy
able circuit starting at the Flora
car park. It climbs steadily through
EHHFKIRUHVWWRWKHVXPPLWRI/RGH
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dered through more as I tramped
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20 January 2021
ed leaves above Lake Rotoroa – in
the mountain range now named
DIWHUKLP
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to see this striking endemic plant.
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lancewood tree daisy en route. From
the summit, the circuit descends to
Flora Hut to join the Flora Track to
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© 2020 Petzl Distribution - Sam Bié

NEW YEAR, NEW COLOURS

ADJAMA / LUNA
Climbing and mountaineering harness with adjustable leg loops, for single
and multi-pitch climbing, available in a unisex version (ADJAMA) and
a version specifically designed for women (LUNA). www.petzl.co.nz

For stockists contact: Ph: 03 434 9535 sales@spelean.co.nz www.spelean.co.nz

 WAYPOINTS


Holly Hut, Egmont National Park

Holly Hut can be reached by several routes and

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22
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and Pouakai Circuit, as well as a thrilling
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trampers.
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9LVLWRU&HQWUHRQWKH+ROO\+XW7UDFN
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ally shrinking tree cover, eventually emerg
ing onto an exposed saddle. This is a good
place to assess the weather, as there is little
shelter now until the hut.
The track cuts an ascending line across
the mountain’s slopes, crossing valleys and
VOLSV EHQHDWK GUDPDWLF FOLIIV %RRPHUDQJ
Slip, which previously made the track inac
cessible, is a sobering reminder that the vol
cano’s many tracks are on borrowed time.
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Track, the trail descends over 200m to the
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The current hut is the third to occupy the
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There are three bunkrooms and solar WILD FILE
lighting provides novel convenience, though
LWµVKDUGWREHDWWKHOLJKWRIWKHJORZLQJ¾UH Access North Egmont
A detour to Bells Falls will tack on over Grade Easy-moderate
DQKRXURIVWDLUVWRWKHGD\µVWUDPSWKRXJK Time 3hr
LWµVWKHPRVWLPSUHVVLYHZDWHUIDOOLQWKHSDUN Distance 7.77km
The track is challenging at times as it sidles Total ascent 739m
DURXQG7KH'RPHGHVFHQGLQJPXGG\URRWV Accommodation
DQGVWDLUVDQGHPHUJLQJGRZQVWUHDPRIWKH Holly Hut
IDOOV ($15, 32 bunks)
While nearby Pouakai Hut bursts at the Topo50
p mapp BJ29
J
seams every weekend, visitors to Holly Hut
may be lucky enough to have a room – or
even the whole hut – to themselves. Find the map and route notes for this
- Matthew Cattin trip at www.wildernessmag.co.nz
 
John Tait Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park
JOHN TAIT HUT LV QDPHG DIWHU D 6FRWV
PDQZKRHPLJUDWHGWR1HZ=HDODQGDIWHUWKH
Second World War and joined the Nelson
Tramping Club. It was largely thanks to his
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SOHWHGLQ
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WKH7UDYHUV9DOOH\QRZSDUWRI1HOVRQ/DNHV
National Park. Rangers George Lyon and
Bruce Postill set about constructing a larger
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the old site.
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unique to Nelson Lakes.
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24
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The hut is easily reached on the Upper
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PRUH VLJQL¾FDQWO\ WR 8SSHU 7UDYHUV +XW DQG
Travers Saddle.
'HVSLWH WKH HDVH RI DFFHVV WUDPSHUV
are advised to take care during the winter
months, and not to linger on the signposted
DYDODQFKH SDWKV -RKQ 7DLW +XW LWVHOI DOPRVW
got wiped out by an avalanche in 2008, when
DFRORVVDODPRXQWRIWUHHVZHUH¿DWWHQHGRQO\
PIURPWKHGHFN0RVWRIWKHORJVKDYHQRZ
rotted away, although the scar remains as a
reminder that these mountains are the mighty
Southern Alps.
- Shaun Barnett
 WAYPOINTS

WILD FILE
Access St Arnaud
Grade Easy-moderate
Time To Lakehead Hut
(28 bunks) 2-3hr. To John
Tait Hut (27 bunks) 4.5hr
Distance 22.9km
Total ascent 757m
Accommodation Lakehead
Hut ($15, 28 bunks), John
Tait Hut ($15, 27 bunks)
Topo50 map BS24, BS24

Find the map and route notes for this

trip at www.wildernessmag.co.nz
WILD
TRIPS

Barker Hut sits

beneath moun-
tains and glaciers
at the head of the
BEATE MANGUSE

White River

Ultimate Arthur’s Pass adventure
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THIS TRIP ISDQDEVROXWHPXVWIRUDQ\RQH
ready to be challenged over varied terrain,
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covered river beds.
It starts on the popular Avalanche Peak
Track in Arthur’s Pass, and, while well de
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stunning and on a bluebird day summiters
will be rewarded with extensive vistas over
the national park.
Avalanche Peak is the last point marked
ZLWK '2&µV RUDQJH SROHV OHDGLQJ WKH ZD\
From there, the route heads west, towards
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Crow River. This is the only gully that leads
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ORVLQJDURXQGP/DUJHERXOGHUVFORVHU
WRWKHYDOOH\¿RRUVORZHGRXUGHVFHQWEXWLW
DAVID NORTON
Since the river is deep at some spots, take
care to choose the best crossing place.
There’s a good place at the bend in the river
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Carrington Hut is large and provides
convenient access to many incredible sin
JOHDQGPXOWLGD\KLNHVVXFKDVWKH7KUHH
Passes Route, Waimakariri Falls and Julia
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indicates the direction to Barker Hut. The
URFN\ WUDFN JRHV RQ WKH WUXH ULJKW RI WKH
White River, passing the Clough Cableway
which spans the river and is best used only
LQHPHUJHQFLHVEHFDXVHLWLVH[WUHPHO\GLII
icult to operate.
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7KHUHµVRQO\DFRXSOHRIIDLQWWUDLOVDQGLWLV continue on this side through the tussock
EHVWWRORRNIRUWKHPRVWVXLWDEOHZD\GRZQ grass and over rock slips.
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WILD FILE
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crossed and the trail continues to Crow Hut. atop granite rock beneath the White Gla Access From Arthur’s
This bright and cosy hut is a welcome moun FLHU$ GH¾QHG WUDLO ZKLFK OHDGV WR WKH KXW Pass Village
WDLQ UHIXJH DQG WKH SHUIHFW SODFH WR UHVW LV HYHQWXDOO\ HQFRXQWHUHG DW WKH ERWWRP RI Grade 7ǫlj˪ƃʠȍʋ
DKHDGRIWKHQH[WGD\µVORQJZDON WKHPDLQEOXII Time To Crow Hut
This second leg covers some demanding 7KHKXWZDV¾UVWEXLOWLQE\WKH&DQ via Avalanche Peak,
terrain – primarily rocky riverbeds and a cou WHUEXU\0RXQWDLQHHULQJ&OXEZKLFKVWLOORS 5-6hr; To Barker Hut,
SOHRIULYHUFURVVLQJV HUDWHVLW+RZHYHUDIWHUEHLQJEXULHGE\DQ 7-8hr; Barker Hut to
From Crow Hut, stay on the true right DYDODQFKH LW ZDV UHEXLOW LQ  LQ D VDIHU Klondyke Corner and
RI WKH ULYHU XQWLO WKH PLGSRLQW RI WKH YDOOH\ location. The entire White River is consid SH73, 8hr.
where a track marker indicates a crossing HUHGXQVDIHWRZDONGXULQJZLQWHUDQGHDUO\ Distance 25.3km
SRLQW WR UHDFK WKH RSSRVLWH EDQN$IWHU DQ spring, as there are numerous avalanche Total ascent 2306m
RWKHU NP RI WUDYHO WKH ULYHU LV UHFURVVHG paths in the valley. Accommodation Crow
DQGWKH:DLPDNDULUL9DOOH\LVHQWHUHG+HUH %DUNHU +XW LV PRVWO\ XVHG DV D EDVH IRU Hut ($5, 10 bunks),
the route turns west on its way to Carrington mountaineering missions and provides ex Carrington Hut ($15,
36 bunks), Barker Hut
Hut. FHOOHQW DFFHVV WR 0WV 'DYLH 0XUFKLQVRQ
($7, 10 bunks)
,IWKHZDWHUOHYHOVDUHORZLWµVEHVWWRVWD\ Harper and Wakeman. There is plenty to
Map BV20
RQWKHWUXHOHIWRIWKH:DLPDNDULULDQGUHVLVW keep trampers interested too, with spec
WKHWHPSWDWLRQWRIROORZWKHWUDFNWKDWJRHV tacular views to three glaciers and down the
WR&URZ+XWRQWKHRSSRVLWHVLGHRIWKH&URZ White River. Find the map and route notes for this
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WILD
TRIPS

Views of Whangape
Harbour on the way up
Hidden harbour highlightss to the ridge track
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THE GOLDEN STAIRS Track is named
IRUWKHPDVVRI\HOORZ ¿RZHUV WKDW JLOG WKH
NRZKDLWUHHVRQWKHVKHOWHUHG KLOOVLGHV RI
Whangape Harbour.
Pawarenga Road, narrow and un
sealed, skirts Rotokakahi River, passing
WKH VFDWWHUHG EXLOGLQJV RI WKH WLQ\ VHW
WOHPHQW EHIRUH HQGLQJ DW WKH EHDFK :H
parked beside the marae and admired
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V &KXUFK VWDQGLQJ RQ D ULVH tokakahi Rivers wind into the mountain
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local community.
The Golden Stairs Track isn’t easy to
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to three metres in height. Hiding here is a
small sign at knee height.
7KH WUDFN IROORZV WKH VLGH RI WKH KDUERXU
DQG FURVVHV DQRWKHU VWUHDP EHIRUH ]LJ
zagging steeply up to a ridgeline. There
DUH DPD]LQJ YLHZV IURP KHUH EDFN LQWR WILD FILE
the harbour where the Awaroa and Ro
Access From the south,
ous interior. Below, Whangape Harbour take the Hokianga
ferry to Kohukohu and
VWHHSVLGHGFOLIIV follow Kohukohu Road
Alongside the track are kowhai trees along The Twin Coast
clustered on the landward slopes. The Discovery Highway
EULJKW \HOORZ RI WKHVH QDWLYH ¿RZHUV LV D through Broadwood
pretty – and unusual – sight amongst the and Pukemiro, then
JUHHQ RI WKH EXVK$ERYH7XDSHNH 3RLQW turn left at Pawarenga
Road. Alternatively,
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take the West Coast
ZKRPDLQWDLQVLWLIDQ\RQHLVXQNQRZQ can look down at the harbour entrance.
Road from Kohukohu
However, it is a great walk and we were Breaking waves show how treacherous
to Panguru, then turn
glad we persevered. the harbour would have been to the sail right into Runaruna
7KH ¾UVW SDUW LV DORQJ WKH EHDFK SDVW LQJ VKLSV DQG VWHDPHUV WKDW FDPH LQ IRU Road which leads to
the marae and some old baches. Today NDXUL $W OHDVW IRXU VKLSV ZHUH ZUHFNHG Pawarenga Road
LWµV VWLOO DQG TXLHW WKHUH EHLQJ QR VLJQ RI here. Grade Easy
the once busy timber mill that supplied ,WLVSRVVLEOHWRZDONIRUDERXWNPWR Time 3hr return
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There’s a promising uphill trail at the
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It starts, as a local had told us, near where
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a stream empties into the harbour. The
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views down the coast and inland to the Total ascent 3490m
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are glorious. Find the map and route notes for this
- Heather Whelan trip at www.wildernessmag.co.nz
 On the summit
rocks of Tauhara
Topping out in¹îƭƎƃ
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JUST TO THEQRUWKHDVWRI/DNH7DXSƿDQGOLWWOHPRUHWKDQD
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mant lava dome that rises high above the surrounding area.
This impressive maunga has caught my eye many times on
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low markers up a steepish grazing hill to the treeline. Then, it
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and township.
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q1i¤
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mit. At times, hands are required to grasp a
ZHOOURRWHGWUHHWUXQNWRKDXOXSDVWHHSHUVHF Access From Wherever your next
WLRQRUWRVWHDG\RQHVHOIZKHQFRPLQJGRZQ Mountain Road, adventure is about to
$IWHU DERXW  PLQXWHV WKHUHµV D PRUH off SH5 east of the lead you, we’ve got the
PDWXUH VHFWLRQ RI WKH IRUHVW IXOO RI ODUJH DQG junction with
gnarled trees hanging with thick spongy moss òqࠀ ȥơŔɭ þŔʠɢɓ
goods to keep you
and bright green lichen. Around this point, the Grade Easy-moderate going.
WUDFNYHUJHVDVPDOOEDEEOLQJFUHHNIRUDIHZ Time ࠁࡲࠄ࢚ࠂǠɭ ɭơʋʠɭȥ
PLQXWHVEHIRUHYHHULQJLQWRWKHIRUHVWDJDLQ Distance 2.9km Est. 1998 Back Country
The thick bush gives way suddenly to a clear Total ascent ࠄࠂࠀȟ Cuisine specialises in
ing and the summit trig station where walkers Topo50 map BG36
a range of freeze-dried
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products, from tasty
up the wide valley corridor towards Rotorua
and across the central North Island, dotted meals to snacks and
Find the map and route notes for this
ZLWK SDWFKZRUNV RI JUHHQ IDUPODQG FRXQWU\ trip at www.wildernessmag.co.nz everything in between, to
URDGVDQGOXVKIRUHVWV keep your energy levels
+HDGLQJ VRXWK DORQJ D ZHOOZRUQ WUDFN up and your adventures
IRU P WKHUHµV D FROOHFWLRQ RI ODUJH SLFWXUHVTXH ERXOGHUV wild.
perched along the ridgeline. Here, the view is even better than
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7DXKDUD LV D EHDXWLIXO VKRUW ZDON ZKLFK LV HDVLO\ UHDFKHG backcountrycuisine.co.nz
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WKH VXQULVH RU VXQVHW IURP WKLV VWXQQLQJ VSRW LV QRZ RQ P\
bucket list.
- Vanessa Hilton

29
WILD
TRIPS

ABOVE: With beech forest and

alpine streams, meadows and

Flat amongst THE ALPS

S mountains, the trek to Shovel
Flat offers a great deal of variety;
BELOW: The clearing at Shovel
5JQXGN(NCV/V#URKTKPI0CVKQPCN2CTM Flat has incredible views of the
peaks of Mt Aspiring National Park

ON A RIVERSIDE sandwiched between

VSHFWDFXODU SHDNV QHDU WKH KHDG RI WKH
:HVW0DWXNLWXNL9DOOH\6KRYHO)ODWRIIHUV
an accessible campsite to experience the
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begins the steep climb towards French
Ridge and Liverpool huts.
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utes the track passes the swingbridge to
the Rob Roy Glacier Track (check access
DVWKHWUDFNKDVEHHQFORVHGIRUUHSDLUV
and continues up the valley, revealing
LPSUHVVLYHYLHZVRIWKHJODFLHU5RE5R\
3HDNPDQG/RZ3HDNP
 The track continues along the valley floor,
with peaks either side rising to more than
2000m, and crossing a few small streams.
It slowly follows a bend in the valley, reveal-
ing even more impressive views of Mt Barff
(2252m) and Mt Bevan (2030m) at the valley
head.
After about two hours, the historic Cascade
Hut is reached – a rustic corrugated iron four
bunker, built on the edge of the beech forest in
1932. The hut is owned by the New Zealand
Alpine Club and is generally locked, but can
be booked and accessed with a door code.
Aspiring Hut is about 30 minutes further.
The iconic stone 29 bunker is also owned by
the Alpine Club. Replete with a large dining
area with a fire, gas stoves, a block of flush
toilets, north-facing windows and two bunk
rooms, it’s a homely spot and popular with
families. The challenging Cascade Saddle
route also begins here.
From the hut, the trail leaves the 4WD track
behind and enters beech forest before cross-
ing a swingbridge high above Cascade Creek.
The track gradually climbs, crossing an-
other swingbridge over Rough Creek, before
mounting what appears to be an old scree fan
now covered in forest.
Soon the forest thins
again, revealing the
large riverside clearing of WILD FILE
Shovel Flat.
There is a number of Access
good campsites on the Raspberry Flat
riverside. It’s best to car park
avoid camping near the Grade Easy
valley wall, which can be Time 3-4hr
prone to avalanches. Distance 12.4km
We camped near the Total ascent 429m
end of the clearing and Topo50 map CA11
cooked dinner as the sun
lit the glaciated peaks
above. Find the map and route notes for this
trip at www.wildernessmag.co.nz
We could just make out
French Ridge Hut and the
peak of Mt Aspiring pok-
ing above Mt French.
To the east, the Christopher Johnson Gla-
cier loomed above, waterfalls cascading down
from the ice and flowing to a stream beside
our campsite.
We retreated into our tents early, avoiding
the clouds of sandflies that had descended
but poked our heads out one last time to
watch the surrounding peaks turn orange in
the sunset.
- George Driver

31
 OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

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32
The grassy expanse of Totara Flats.
The site of the old hut is at top left

33
 OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
W
e 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 ware-
houses, as rainwater containers, lashed
together to make pontoons, but this was
the first time I’d seen one buried in the
backcountry.
There were 14 of us on this tramp,
including six children. It was the largest
party any of us had ever tramped with,
spanning three generations of family
and ages ranging from 10 to 65. I’m not
sure if it was strength of numbers, but
we seemed to be developing a knack of
stumbling upon strange, half-buried ob-
jects and uncovering historical artefacts.
Wrestling the barrel free from the
clutches of the grass, we stood it upright
and opened the lid. Inside, it appeared
to be nothing special – a cache of some
sort. We carefully removed packets of
food and other provisions. It held the
standard tramping fare: noodles, baked
beans, ropes and billies, a small bottle
of rum. Someone must have stashed a
few supplies to return to at a later date.
We started repacking the barrel before
one of the kids picked up something truly
remarkable. It was a front-page from
The Evening Post, the Wellington daily
newspaper that pressed its last copy in
2002. But this was no random front page.
The full-page photo was one of the most
recognisable images in history: New
York’s World Trade Centre tower explod-
ing in debris, like a volcanic eruption. The
34 January 2021
headline shouted America Under Attack.
The date was September 12, 2001.
We suddenly got the idea to look at
the use-by dates on the food. They all
expired between 2001 and 2003. In the
interests of the investigation, I opened
the bottle of rum and took a swig. Twen-
ty-six eyes stared at the newspaper, try-
ing to comprehend why this famous front
page was stashed in a plastic tub in the
Tararua Ranges, undisturbed for nearly
20 years. Who put it there, and for what
reason? Was it a time capsule? Or just
a coincidence? And why had the person
never come back? It was just one of the
mysteries we would hope to unravel on
a tramp where we would find the ex-
traordinary in the ordinary, where relics
of the past would be revealed time and
time again and where we would make
constant new discoveries in a place we
thought we knew so well.
Totara Flats Hut is a popular weekend
destination in the eastern Tararua Range.
Accessible in a few hours from Holds-
worth Road end or the Waiohine Gorge,
the hut is a large, modern, lodge-type
affair sleeping 26 people and nestled just
above the Waiohine River, with swim-
ming holes just metres from the front
porch. It’s a favourite summer haunt for
families and offers a variety of routes to
the more rugged interior of the ranges,
such as Neil Forks Hut at the foot of the
Main Range and the famous Tararua
Peaks. It’s also part of one of the range’s
classic riverside tramps, from Holdsworth
to Kaitoke, which spans 36km of the
Waiohine and Tauherenikau rivers.
I’ve been coming to Totara Flats
Lunch time
at Sayer Hut;
OPPOSITE: The
astounding
newspaper
headline,
preserved in a
barrel since 2001
since I was a teenager. It’s a special
place. The flats themselves are vast,
grassy meadows on the western ter-
race of the Waiohine. Stands of totara
and mānuka clump on the borders and
the track meanders in a benevolent,
dreamlike fashion, passing countless
cosy camping spots and deep swimming
holes. It’s one of the prettiest walks in
a mountain range more known for its
toughness than its beauty.
Several incarnations of Totara Flats
Hut have stood, not always on the same
spot. The first hut opened in 1948, not
far from the location of the current hut,
near the Waiohine’s confluence with
Totara Stream and separated from the
grassy flats by a short section of bush.
The second hut opened in 1973 in a
different position on the flats proper. I
remember going there in the 1990s and
thinking what a perfect location it was,
wedged in a sheltered, lofted corner,
the glowing, golden expanse of To-
tara Flats flowing from the door, toetoe
nodding their heads in the breeze. The
hut was removed in the early 2000s
for fear the ground underneath might
crumble and wash away in a flood,
making the current hut the third – and
by far the most lavish – incarnation.
Every tramp from Waiohine Gorge
starts by crossing the famed swing-
bridge, nearly 100m long and suspended
40m above silver, rounded rocks and
the shimmering river. It has an almost
ceremonial feel, like crossing a threshold
into the adventure true, or arriving on an
empty island, cut off from the mainland.
Our vast party (which seemed more like
 SUMMER
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a rather misshapen army) spread out over what must

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sulting in a noticeable kink in their
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cally notable his abrupt drop was. *2018 Awards not conducted

As we tramped through Totara Flats, I noticed

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35
 OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
as a kid, now replaced with larger, more
functional but often more soulless updates
– Waitewaewae, Maungahuka, Kime,
Arete, Totara Flats – and it struck me how
ephemeral tramping experiences can be.
The atmosphere of any hut changes on
any visit depending on many variables:
who’s staying there, what the weather is
like, how you’re feeling. But you don’t ac-
tually need a new hut to foster a new ex-
perience. I’ve found that huts I revisit don’t
often look or feel like I remembered them.
They are new each time. The famous
saying goes that you never cross the
same river twice. But it’s more likely you’ll
never visit the same hut twice, even if it is
the same hut. This tramp more than any
other brought with it a sense of renewal.
There were new discoveries and new
experiences around every corner, even
if we were going over old ground.
On our first night, we had a party. Miles
was turning 10. We strung streamers from
the walls, blew up balloons and prepared
the birthday cake. We sat around the
outdoor fire in our sleeping bags. The
sky faded deep blue to black and the fire
crackled and shot out specks of embers
that blazed intensely for a second then
burnt out in front of our eyes like shooting
stars. The bush faded away to nothing
and the whole world contracted until it
was just the glowing fire-lit faces of our
family, silent for the first time all day, the
only sound the rustle of the river and the
occasional hoot of a ruru.
Mist perched on the canopies in the
morning. The great thing about lay-days is
you can get properly acquainted with your
36 January 2021
surroundings rather than rushing to pack
up and leave. A few of us spent the morn-
ing trying to find an unofficial track up a
spur called High Ridge, which gives alter-
native access to Powell Hut. We crossed
the swingbridge over the Waiohine but
instead of following the track up Totara
Creek, we turned left and picked our way
through the bush looking for clues. We
found something better. A faint track led
us to the ruins of what must have been
an old bridge across the Waiohine, a few
hundred metres upstream of the current
swingbridge. We crossed the river and
found the corresponding ruins on the other
bank. When had this bridge existed and
what happened to it? I’d never heard of it.
After returning from the tramp, I asked
around and got the answer courtesy of
Tararua tramping legend John Rhodes,
who found a reference to the bridge in a
2002 book written by tramper and author
Peter Jagger. The 90m suspension bridge
was built by the army in 1960-1961.
The bridge lasted less than five years.
In 1965, it was destroyed by gale force
winds and ended up in the river. It was
replaced initially by a cableway and finally
by the bridge that swings proudly today.
Our afternoon excursion took us back
through the golden flats then across the
Waiohine to Sayer Hut, my favourite hut
in the ranges. Built in 1909, it’s the oldest
remaining hut in Tararua Forest Park,
lovingly maintained by the New Zealand
Deerstalkers Association and glowing
with rustic character. If I had my way, we
would have stayed here – as I have many
times before – but with only six bunks it
didn’t quite have the occupancy for our
sprawling party. Instead, we lit the outdoor
fire, lay in the sun, cleaned the jaunty
‘SPEEDBOATS’ sign that hangs under
the gable, before preparing the sports
field for cricket.
Yes, cricket. I had tramped in with a
plastic cricket bat strapped to my pack,
so of course I was determined to use it.
It’s fair to say the groundsman had curat-
ed a green wicket. The grass was about
three feet high. We improvised a roller
from a log and the game got underway.
A stunning hook shot sent the ball flying
for six into the deep undergrowth, and it
was during the hunt to retrieve it that the
blue barrel was unearthed.
We found no sure answers as to its
provenance during the tramp but an
explanation was offered by Wilderness
roving editor Shaun Barnett, who says
he’s almost certain the cache would have
been planted by a Palmerston North
tramper named Tony Gates, who died
in 2013 and who was known for stash-
ing supplies near huts he liked. “I recall
him telling me he had one near Sayer
Hut,” Barnett wrote in an email, adding,
“Tony would not have been overly worried
about food being past its use-by date!”
So, in a sense, the blue barrel was a
time capsule. I’m glad we left it there,
stuffed with provisions, each packet of
noodles and can of baked beans tell-
ing the story of a colourful and coura-
geous tramper who came here, liked
what he saw and yearned to come back
for a different view of a familiar world.
I know the feeling.
The Waiohine River is full of
gorgeous swimming holes
WILD FILE
Access Waiohine
Gorge Road end
Grade Easy
Time Waiohine
Gorge to Totara
Flats Hut, 4-5hr
Distance 10km
Accommodation
Totara Flats Hut
(26 bunks),
Sayer Hut
(6 bunks)
Topo50 map BP33
ind the map and route notes for this
trip at www.wildernessmag.co.nz
 R IS TC H U R CH ’S PR EM IU M IN D EP EN D EN T
CH HOP
O U TD O O R A N D PA D D LE S

w w w. f u r t h e r f a s t e r. c o . n z - 03 338 1774 - 57A Buchan Street

 MOUNTAIN BIKING

KAIK O U R A
UNCH A I N E D

Dave Mitchell
heads to the whale
watching capital
of New Zealand
to ride the 45km
Kaikoura Trail

The fun starts on the single-track

section alongside the Hapuku River

38 January 2021
 MOUNTAIN BIKING

Whale-watching wall art

The Seaward Kaikoura Range provides a
spectacular backdrop to the Kaikoura Trail

0
DVVLYHHDUWKTXDNHXSOLIWPD\KDYH
WUDQVIRUPHGWKHUXJJHG.DLNRXUD
coastline, but one thing that hasn’t
changed is the spectacular backdrop
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.DLNRXUD5DQJH:LWKDVFHQLFHDV\ELNHWUDLOURDP
ing the land between coast and mountain, it’s no
wonder I keep coming back to this amazing place.
:HEHJDQWKH.DLNRXUD7UDLOIURP6RXWK%D\
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benched nicely between SH1 and the sea. We rode
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SLQHSODQWDWLRQEHIRUHKHDGLQJLQODQGMXVWEHIRUH
UHDFKLQJWKH.RZKDL5LYHU

40 January 2021
 The Kaikoura Cycling Club has been busy digging
their way from the sea to the base of Mt Fyffe on the
Kowhai River's true left bank, creating a trail that mean-
ders in the nicest possible way through a mix of tower-
ing pine, eucalyptus, mānuka and beautiful broadleaf
natives with flowering kowhai trees, fuchsias and tree
ferns. On this gentle uphill, there were plenty of great
views to the snow-capped Seaward Kaikoura Ranges
and the picturesque mixed open farmland that follows
the valley surrounding the Inland Kaikoura Road.
After 15km of superb trail, there’s a gravelly inter-
section where a large stop bank, protected by huge
boulders, leads to the Mt Fyffe car park. If you have the
energy and inclination, you can continue to the car park
to hike the Hinau Walkway – an amazing bush trail full
of wild ferns and prolific birdlife.
The marked bike trail heads east on the gravelled
Postmans Road which eventually becomes tar-sealed.
Turning onto Mt Fyffe Road, the trail heads north onto

‘ONE OF THE EPIC

gravel where there’s a short climb up Topline Road, or
you could ride further up to the spectacular Mt Fyffe

50 HIKES
Forest Walk. The lower slopes are full of tree fuchsias
while the upper part of the track passes tall totara,
matai and rimu. It’s a steep but good trail to stretch
your legs on. OF THE WORLD’
At the end of Topline Road there’s a surprising - Lonely Planet 2018
single-trail link to the exclusive Koura Bay Golf Resort
and subdivision. We exited via Koura Bay Drive trying PERFECT FOR THOSE
not to leave any muddy tyre prints, and hung a left onto WHO WISH TO WALK THE
Bay Paddock Road and out of sight onto Grange Road,
which turns to gravel and joins up with the Hapuku TRACK INDEPENDENTLY.
River. This is where the fun starts and the single-track We can even assist with water
takes hold. The trail follows the river east through transportation to ensure your
regenerating native forest, past the Puhi Puhi River
walk is memorable and enjoyable.
confluence under the SH1 road bridge and out to the
coast on an amazing section of superbly-crafted trail.
The trail hits the coast after crossing the main trunk
line on Lovers Lane and this is where we
ate our lunch while a train full of rocks
trundled by, shaking the ground.
The route back into Kaikoura initially WILD FILE
takes the Old Beach Road but it's worth
heading to the very end of Hapuku Road to Access The loop
check out the beautifully-restored Hapuku starts from South Bay,
Co-operative Dairy company building. Kaikoura and is
Old Beach Road curves around the well signposted
coastline with the railway on its east side Grade 2, easy-inter-
and only deep blue sea beyond. It’s a mediate

BAY OF ISLANDS
Time 3-5hr
rugged slice of coast where swimming
Distance 45km
gets the thumbs down but the whales like
Total ascent 480m
it a lot. The bike trail eventually leaves the
Map The trail is
p 0800 633 255
road and heads under the train tracks onto
a dune trail lined with tall sand grasses,
marked on the local e info@russellinfo.co.nz
town map available
tussock, lupins and sedges. from the i-Site www.capebrettwalks.co.nz
We eventually popped out at the famous
Kaikoura Whaleway Station with a leisurely
cruise through town and a café stop before Find the map and route notes for this
closing the loop back to South Bay. trip at www.wildernessmag.co.nz

41
WILD CLIMBING

The challenge
of A LIFETIME
 Kiwi mountaineers Don French and
Ben Gibbins share their aspirations of
completing the 100 Peaks Challenge.
By Matthew Cattin
D
Mt Sefton, 3157m, in Aoraki/Mt Cook on French could never resist
National Park is on the 100 Peaks Challenge the call of the mountains.
As a kid growing up in rural
KERENSA CLARK
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 be in the first 15,
I had no academic prowess, and no skills
in the arts,” he remembers.
“But when I went tramping, I found I
could walk up hills just as well as any
other kid, and that fed me to a certain
degree.”
French followed his daydreams to his
first summit in the seventh form – “play-
ing hooky” to climb Mt Taranaki. He
discovered he was “quite good” at it – a
reinforcing moment for a teenager who
didn’t quite fit anywhere else.
“I was a farmer’s boy from a hill coun-
try farm in eastern Wairarapa – being on
steep hills was something I was comfort-
able with,” he says.
Now 62, French’s mental map of the
Tararua Range has expanded to include
most significant peaks in Aotearoa, all
learned and memorised not from his
desk, but from the summits themselves.
When, in 1991, the New Zealand
Alpine Club celebrated its centenary with
the 100 Peaks Challenge, French had
already climbed nearly 30 peaks on the
list.
The listed summits are neither the
highest nor the hardest in the country,
but rather a challenge to encourage
people into the hills.
Three decades on, however, no
climber has bagged all 100.
With just two summits left, French is
closest – but it’s proving difficult to knock
the final peaks off.
Poor snow conditions turned him away
from an attempt on the West Coast’s Mt
Green, 2837m, and 2557m Mt Unicorn
has proved as elusive as its namesake.
“You’ve got 26 pitches of climbing, so
it’s possibly the longest rock climb in the
country, as far as pitch climbing goes,”
French says.
THE 100 PEAKS
CHALLENGE
The 100 Peaks Challenge was
created by the New Zealand
Alpine Club to mark its 100th
anniversary. The club’s 1990
bulletin stated the goal of the
challenge was to provide a wide
spread of peaks both geograph-
ically and in difficulty to chal-
lenge members of all abilities.
The list includes 19 peaks over
3000m, a combined elevation
total of 258,000m and the aver-
age mountain height is 2588m.
The lowest peak included is
Mt Hector (1529m), one of the
highest peaks in the Tararua
Range.
He’s had six attempts at Mt Unicorn,
but equipment failures, dehydration and
psychological factors have all stood in
the way of the goal.
“One of the things about mountaineer-
ing is you can never assume the moun-
tain will be ready for you – you quite
often have to go back,” he says.
Turning back can be tough for climb-
ers, French says, but it has become
easier over time.
“If you turn around, you will have the
pleasure of returning to the environment
another time – the challenge will be
there a second time,” he says.
Though French says he’ll wait until his
mother dies before he reveals his own
near misses, accidents do happen, and
his analysis of errors is generally saved
for the safety of the pub.
“When you’re climbing, you’re focused
and you put the danger off to one side –
you don’t want it to corrupt the way your
brain works and take over your head,”
he says.
French says the fact he’s still climb-
ing makes him lucky. In mountaineer-
ing, consequences are weighty, and
not everybody comes home.
43
 WILD CLIMBING
CLIMBING MOUNTAINS IS HARD
AND IT BLOODY WELL HURTS,
BUT IT’S A MATTER OF FOCUSING
AND OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO
ACHIEVE YOUR OBJECTIVE.”
Wellington climber Simon Bell, 33, was
tackling his 68th ascent of the challenge
when he disappeared on Mt Earnslaw
in January 2015. French was the last
person he had contact with.
“There have been a few [deaths]
over the years, and it hurts every time,”
French says.
“Simon was working very hard before
he went missing, and I respected his
energy and enthusiasm.”
French has since climbed Mt Earnslaw
and Bell’s disappearance wasn’t far from
his mind.
“I had mental pictures of his decision
making going through my mind, trying to
figure out what could have happened,”
he says. “One thing I keep learning, and
keep getting reminded of, is that we are
insignificant when it comes to nature.
We are little ants climbing the side of a
skyscraper.”
For French, ticking off peaks is more
than getting to the summit.
“There’s all the other things; fitting it
all together, the travel, the planning, the
research, putting together the team, the
comradeship and exploration, wondering
if I’m up to it and if I can get around the
difficulties and make the right decisions,”
he says. “Climbing mountains is hard
and it bloody well hurts, but it’s a matter
of focusing and overcoming barriers to
achieve your objective.”
As he gets closer to ticking off the
list, French feels a sense of loss for the
places he leaves behind – as he may
44 January 2021
Climber Don
French is two
summits shy of
completing the 100
Peak Challenge
– Don French
never have reason to go back.
“It’s like saying goodbye to a friend
at an airport,” he says.
As the years go by, the average
height of his summits decreases and
he’s not as flexible as he once was,
though French still has a lot of climb-
ing left in him, and finishing the list
will come as a relief.
“In some ways, I feel like I’ve got to
an annoying point where I just need
to get over that hump and move on to
other things,” he says.
But even after a lifetime of mountain
climbing, French remembers and treas-
ures every summit.
“Those memories never go away.
Life is about stacking memories, and
each climb has a whole series of emo-
tions and stories to go along with it,”
he says.
Mountaineer Ben Gibbins is sur-
prised when he hears how close
French is to completing the list. “Two
left?! I knew he was close, but I didn’t
know he was at 98,” he says.
Gibbins is 36 – half French’s age
– and he’s a third of the way through
the list.
He started in 2015 and has set
a cracking pace – despite working
fulltime as a storeman at an engineer-
ing company.
“Getting things to align is often dif-
ficult – you’ve got to have a climbing
partner, a weather window, and you
need to get time off,” he says.
THE CHALLENGE
OF A LIFETIME?
It’s been three decades since NZAC
released the 100 Peak Challenge, yet
it remains uncompleted by any climber.
What makes it such a formidable list,
and why is it so difficult to tick off all 100
peaks?
Don French says the difficulty is clear
when you crunch the numbers. “If it
takes a week to do each trip, and you
have to attempt each trip at least twice
on average, work out how many days
are involved there,” he says.
Wilderness did, and it amounts to
1400 days of expeditions dedicated to
the list – or 3.8 years. But why does it
take so long to climb a peak?
“It’s not simply a matter of going in and
climbing – you’ve got to get to the right
place on the right day with the right con-
ditions,” French says.
In New Zealand, where the words ‘sta-
ble’ and ‘weather’ are seldom paired, this
is easier said than done. Consider Fiord-
land, for example, where it rains 200
days a year. There are four peaks to be
climbed there, so pack a rain jacket and
pray for a weather window.
In other parts of the world, such as the
USA and Europe, “it’s a different game,”
French says.
“It’s a luxury in that climbs are well
documented, and you’ve got stable
weather during summer periods so you
can start tackling pretty serious climbs.”
For some of the peaks listed in the
challenge, French says he could count
the number of mountaineers who had
summitted before him on one hand,
and very little information exists on the
ascent routes.
On some of the more remote peaks
listed, access can require days of off-
track bush bashing before the climb
proper can even begin, and climate
change is putting some summits further
out of reach.
“It’s getting more and more difficult,”
Ben Gibbins says. “Erosion and reced-
ing glaciers are making access difficult
and time-consuming, and walking into
places like the Tasman is horrible.”
French and Gibbins both started
climbing young enough to be able to
achieve the list within their lifetimes, but
even though he had 30 peaks under his
belt when the list came out, it’s going to
come down to the wire for 62-year-old
French.
“My objective was that it would be good
to get it done by 65, but those peaks are
getting bigger and steeper,” he says.

Like French, Gibbins’ first summit was
Mt Taranaki.
“I grew up on a dairy farm there and
dad took me when I was pretty young –
maybe 10,” he says.
He didn’t do any significant climbing
until he moved to Christchurch in 2006,
and was “blown away” by the hiking in
the area.
“Hiking through the high country and
seeing all those beautiful mountains
makes you want to go climb them, so
I got into rock climbing which led into
mountaineering,” he said.
The 100 Peak Challenge isn’t Gibbins’
first list challenge – in 2014/15, he com-
pleted the 52 Peaks Challenge, climbing
52 named mountain peaks over 1000m
in 52 weeks.
“Once I had done that, I decided I’d
like to do another list – something more
technical,” he says.
“I came across the 100 Peaks Chal-
lenge, and saw that lots of the climbs
aren’t that hard and technical – there is
some easy stuff there – so I started there
and decided to work my way up,” he says.
Ben Gibbins has summited 33 peaks
listed in the challenge since 2015
As Gibbins progresses, the summits –
and particularly the approaches – become
more difficult.
“I’m getting to the point where I’ve done
all the ones I can do in a weekend, and I’ve
ticked off a lot of the easier ones, so the
climbs are becoming harder, and I’m hav-
ing to go further into the mountains which
requires more than a weekend,” he says.
“It’s part of New Zealand mountaineer-
ing – you have to walk a long way to get
into these places – you’re lucky if you get
to walk along DOC tracks.”
Like any climber, Gibbins has had his
GETTING THINGS TO fair share of failed missions, including at-
tempts at Mts Aspiring, Brewster and Bath
ALIGN IS OFTEN DIFFICULT – all peaks on the list.
– YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE
“It’s heartbreaking sometimes – you put
in a lot of effort, time and energy, and you
A CLIMBING PARTNER, might get close, but if you want to finish
the list you have to be able to come back,”
A WEATHER WINDOW, he says.
Gibbins aspires to be the first climber
AND YOU NEED TO to knock off all 100 peaks, and given the
GET TIME OFF.”
nature of climbing, there’s no reason he
couldn’t be.
–Ben Gibbins It all hinges on one elusive Unicorn.
45
MATTHEW CATTIN

of

The kauri is one of the

largest trees in the
world – Tane Mahuta
is the tallest living tree
outside of California

Workers on the frontlines of the kauri dieback pathogen share
how it’s been, how it’s going, and what hope we still have
of protecting our precious taonga. By Matthew Cattin
L
ike 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 Auckland its best bid for rugged
beauty and isolation. The range is a haven
for walkers and home to fiercely proud locals.
It is also suspected to contain the most heavily
infected kauri forest in Aotearoa.
The Hunua Range lies less than 50km away
as the kererū flies. At 12,000ha, it makes up
Auckland’s largest forested terrain and con-
tains the majority of the city’s ever-worrisome
water supply. Swathes of kauri still exist in
the park, stoic survivors of the logging days,
and survivors still of the pathogen plaguing
the neighbouring Waitākere. To the best of
scientists’ knowledge, and against the odds,
Hunua Ranges Regional Park remains kauri
dieback free.
Adrian Wilson is one of many tasked with
keeping it that way. At Auckland Council, he
is responsible for the compliance elements of
the dieback response; essentially steering the
public clear of diseased kauri and cracking
down if they stray from the approved tracks.
It’s a relatively new role within the council
and was developed to manage those who pay
no heed to signage or fences and walk tracks
that have been closed to protect kauri. Wilson
says if you’ve heard locals are the worst of-
fenders, it isn’t hearsay, it’s fact.
“The vast majority is locals who know the
rules, and there is certainly a sense of entitle-
ment there. Some say they don’t believe how
it’s spread, some don’t care how it’s spread,
and if they turn up to see a track is closed,
they jump the fence,” he says.
“It’s a bit of a contradiction as to why people
are living in such a beautiful place if they want
to seek to put it at risk.”
Science tells us that more than two-thirds
of infected kauri in the Waitākere Ranges
are within 50m of public walking tracks,
but despite the facts, excuses flow thick
and fast when walkers are confronted
where they shouldn’t be.
“Some people’s reasoning is beyond belief,
and the frustrating part is that there’s an awful
lot of tracks still open or being upgraded, with
more opening all the time,” he says.
WILD CONSERVATION
“There is plenty to see and do; why do people
need to walk on a track with dying kauri trees
and risk spreading it to other parts?”
Because dieback is invisible to the naked eye,
enforcing compliance can be difficult, and as
with COVID, non-believers don’t perceive the
risk until it’s too late.
“But the thing about COVID is that most peo-
ple survive it,” Wilson says. “Once trees have
kauri dieback, they do not survive – that’s it.
Finished. One thousand-year-old trees gone –
no going back.”
As kauri dieback is visible under a microscope
and in symptomatic trees, Wilson proffers that
offenders don’t actually disbelieve the science
at all – they simply ignore it.
“I think the underlying reason is because they
want to try and justify breaking the rules, be-
cause the rules affect their freedom,” he says.
Kauri dieback was first discovered on Aotea/
Great Barrier Island in 1972, though it was
wrongly identified as a different pathogen. In
2006, it was first documented as a new spe-
cies, and by 2008 it was declared an unwanted
organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993.
The pathogen, called Pythophthora agathi-
daca, lives in the soil where it infects kauri roots,
damaging the tissues that carry nutrients and
water in the tree and eventually starving it to
death.
A decade on and the mighty kauri was
declared a threatened species. A vote by
Auckland Council saw the Waitākere Ranges The upgraded
Omanawanui Track
forest closed in February, 2018, and rahui
near Whatipu will
were placed on many forests holding kauri.
reopen in 2021
AUCKLAND COUNCIL
47
 WILD CONSERVATION
AUCKLAND COUNCIL
With so much at stake, compliance is taken
seriously and in a landmark case, an Auck-
land man was prosecuted late last year for
breaching the bylaws – the first such case to
go before the courts. Though a verdict hadn’t
been reached at the time of print, Wilson was
hopeful of a conviction for the three trespass
charges issued against the defendant.
“It will send out a strong message that we’re
serious – it’s not just a fluffy education role,”
he says.
Overall, Wilson believes compliance is
improving. The majority of people using the
Waitākere and Hunua regional parks do stick
to the open tracks, and those who breach the
bylaws regardless likely won’t go undetected
for long, especially the locals, who are identi-
fied quickly.
“We have overt cameras monitoring activity
in car parks, and the ability to place covert
cameras in the forest to detect breaches,”
Wilson says.
Cars parked near closed tracks are also re-
corded, and footprints leave clues as to where
more surveillance is required.
Maintaining the spread may be the only way
to save kauri if a cure isn’t found, and Wilson
knows the importance of his role in the jigsaw
puzzle of the pathogen.
“I’m not out there to cure it – the scientists
can do that – but in the meantime, we do eve-
rything we can to preserve them,” he says.
In the last decade, senior parks ranger Stu
Leighton has noticed a marked increase in the
number of people wanting to get out and enjoy
Auckland’s regional parks.
“It’s wonderful to see people connecting and
valuing the access they have, but being able
to access the forests is a privilege and some-
thing we need to have protocols and rules
around,” he says.
With more walkers and fewer tracks open,
there are fewer opportunities to spread out,
and several popular Waitākere tracks are
recording huge numbers.
48 January 2021
LEFT: Auckland Coun-
cil’s Adrian Wilson says
most rulebreakers in the
Waitākere Ranges are
“When people walk a track, they only see
locals; RIGHT: Waitākere
Ranges’ Spraggs Bush
their individual impact, which is small – but
Track reopened in July 2020 multiply that by 300 to 400,000 people a year,
with a new boardwalk to and that tiny impact of an individual can have
protect kauri a big impact,” Leighton says.
“The area has soft clay and high rainfall,
so the natural surface of the track can really
deteriorate.”
Leighton looks after track building, a job that
requires a metre by metre inspection of tracks
to assess the number and size of present
kauri, the topography and hydrology – how
water moves across the site. No two tracks
are the same, and there is no one-size-fits-all
formula for track upgrades, he says.
A safe track is designed to protect vulner-
WITH ALL able kauri roots. It should be dry underfoot,
boardwalked or raised, and it should avoid
THE STARS crossing kauri drip zones – the space directly
below a tree’s extended branches. Workers
ALIGN- follow rigid protocols to ensure minimal impact.
ING, WE “We’ve had to figure out ways that work-
ers won’t be moving contaminated soil, so all
WILL HAVE gravel or material has to come from clean,
approved sources,” he says.
THE FULL All gear and tools have to be cleaned and
HILLARY inspected before entering a site, and full
cleaning is repeated between kauri zones
TRAIL OPEN separated by streams or gullies, to ensure the
soil around roots doesn’t mix.
IN LATE There’s more to keeping kauri healthy than
quarantining trees, Leighton explains.
SUMMER “The disease doesn’t operate in isolation, so
2022 the more we can do to protect the health of the
forest, the better, as they’re already under a lot
of pressure.”
If kauri have their roots damaged by walk-
ers, or are suffering from a drought, they
become more vulnerable to the pathogen.
Leighton is happy with how track upgrades
are progressing, and says by the end of sum-
mer 2021, “decent lengths” of the 75km Hillary
Trail will be open – including the Omanawanui
and Pururi Ridge tracks.

Stu Leighton looks after track
rebuilds at Auckland Council
“Optimistically, with everything going
swimmingly and all the stars aligning, we
will have the full Hillary Trail open in late
summer 2022,” he says.
While the Hillary Trail appeals to a
hardier minority of park users, public en-
gagement has shown people want three
‘L’s in their local walking tracks, regional
parks manager Rachel Kelleher says.
“They want ‘links’ to iconic destinations
and other tracks, they want ‘length’ and
they also want ‘loops’,” she says.
Trying to find the right balance of
tracks to keep every park user happy
isn’t easy, but Auckland Council’s
Waitākere Ranges track re-opening plan
is making good progress, with many
popular tracks re-opened, or under con-
struction.
A major challenge has been in trying
to please those focused on one favour-
ite track. “We try to look at providing an
equitable range of recreational opportuni-
ties across a geographic area – not any
one person’s favourite track, but a safer
option that provides the same kind of
experience,” Kelleher says.
In Waitākere forests, there are areas
of heavy infection and others of pristine
kauri – both of which are largely still out
of bounds for walkers. Add the resilient
Hunua Ranges Regional Park to the mix,
and you’re left with a job requiring vastly
different management approaches for
each location. The priority is stopping soil
from moving along the network.
“We have areas that are non-diseased
so we need minimum movement within
the forests, and in and out of the forests,”
Kelleher says.
Public views on dieback management
range from those who think the emphasis
should be on limiting all forest activity to
those who believe there should be no
intervention at all – let the trees fall where
they may.
Kelleher says the council’s approach is to
act on the best information available to man-
age the disease and do it in a way that recog-
nises recreation and conservation elements.
While keeping the parks closed would be
the safest option for kauri, council strikes
a balance for the sake of public recreation,
implementing good hygiene stations and
restricting access where necessary.
“We’re dealing with something we don’t
have all the answers for, so we put strategies
in place that minimise risks,” she says. “You
could draw comparisons to wearing masks
and good hand hygiene – they’re all things
you know will help with COVID, but you also
know they can’t 100 per cent guarantee you
won’t get exposed.”
Due to the long latency period of the
pathogen, Kelleher says it may take some
time before the benefits of the track closures
are seen – the same way COVID cases were
expected to climb after New Zealand went
into lockdown.
“Trees can appear healthy when they’ve
got the disease, and it takes some years for
symptoms to be expressed, so visual surveys
may not pick it up,” she says.
“It’s realistic to expect there will be an
increase in disease prevalence.”
Biosecurity team manager Lisa Tolich
admits it can be tiring to work in a field with
no foreseeable light at the end of the tunnel.
“One of the things I need to remind myself
to do is reconnect back to the ngahere (for-
est), and remind myself why we are here,”
she says. “When you’re confronted with the
devastation of a canopy collapse or you’re
MATTHEW CATTIN
Boots should be cleaned of
soil before they are disinfected
HOW CLEAN IS CLEAN?
Cleaning your boots is one
of the most effective protec-
tions against the spread of
kauri dieback, but how clean
are we talking?
DOC research has shown that
people are very good at differ-
entiating clean and dirty boots
at the extreme ends of the
spectrum – for example, shiny
and new versus covered in
mud. But when shown moder-
ately dirty boots, people found
it harder to distinguish.
To be safe, boots should be
scrubbed clean of all soil.
“Removing visible soil with the
brush deals with the bulk of the
risk,” biosecurity team man-
ager Lisa Tolich says.
The second step – spray-
ing with disinfectant – is also
vital, although it isn’t effective
if pathogen spores are embed-
ded in soil.
After disinfection, boots should
be dried before moving on.
49

WILD CONSERVATION
Lisa Tolich is responsible for
Auckland’s kauri dieback strategy
out in a healthy kauri area, you see how
important they are to the ecosystem.”
.DXUL LV D NH\VWRQH VSHFLHV PHDQLQJ WKH\
VHWWKH WRQH RI WKH IRUHVW DURXQG WKHP
6FLHQWLVWV RIWHQ XVH WKH WHUP ´NDXUL HFRV\V
WHPµLQVWHDG RI NDXUL EHFDXVH RI WKH QXPEHU
RIVSHFLHV WKDW GHSHQG RQ WKH JLDQWV
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“It’s not just about losing one species –
it’s losing much more than that.”
There are many unanswered questions
about kauri dieback, including where it
RULJLQDWHGIURP
“It may have been recently, within the last
100 years, and there’s a theory that it may
have come over during the world wars, when
New Zealand was looser with its biosecurity
control, but there is also thinking that the
timeline could be longer, and it may have
been here earlier,” Tolich says.
Regardless, something has changed in
recent times to make the pathogen more
SUROL¾FWKRXJKVFLHQWLVWVGRQµW\HWKDYHWKH
answers.
7ROLFKVD\VLWPD\EHWKHUHVXOWRIEURDGHU
problems.
“Imagine we drew a triangle and put in one
corner the host, our kauri, in another corner,
WKHSDWKRJHQNDXULGLHEDFNDQGLQWKH¾QDO
corner, environmental pressures,” she says.
²(QYLURQPHQWDOSUHVVXUHVFDQEHDUDQJH
RIWKLQJVSHRSOHFOLPDWHFKDQJHVWRFNSUHV
sures, pests… but they can all collectively
LPSDFWRQWKHKRVW,I\RXµYHJRWVWRFNJUD]LQJ
against kauri or people tramping on their roots,
\RXµUHDIIHFWLQJWKHWUHHµVKHDOWK
²,QDQRWKHUZD\VXPPHUGURXJKWVIROORZHG
E\DSHULRGRIUDLQFUHDWHVLGHDOFRQGLWLRQVIRU
the pathogen, which becomes more virulent.”
50 January 2021
Rachel Kelleher says it’s hard to please everyone
ZKHQUHRSHQLQJWUDFNVLQWKH:DLWƗNHUH5DQJHV
$VZLWK&29,'VFLHQWLVWVDUHIRUFHG
WRSOD\FDWFKXSZLWKWKHDOUHDG\
SUHYDOHQWSUREOHPDOOWKHZKLOHIDFLQJ
SUHVVXUHVRISXEOLFVFUXWLQ\
“Some people think it’s taking a
ORQJWLPHEXWWKHUHLVDQDZIXOORW
RIZRUNWRGRWU\LQJWRJUDSSOHZLWK
the disease. Look at how long it’s
WDNHQVFLHQWLVWVWRJUDSSOHZLWK+,9³
Tolich says.
Another similarity one can draw is
KRZLQ¿XHQWLDOWKHSXEOLFFDQEHLQ
UHGXFLQJWKHVSUHDGRIWKHSDWKRJHQ
²%LRVHFXULW\1=WDONVDERXWRXU¾YH
million biosecurity champions, and
LWµVQRGLIIHUHQWKHUH°\RXFDQSXW
mitigation in place and invest in com
PXQLW\JURXSVEXWLWUHTXLUHVDOHYHORI
behaviour change,” Tolich says.
And just as Tolich needs to escape
once in a while into a healthy ngahere
IRUDEUHDWKHULWµVLPSRUWDQWWROLYHZLWK
a sustainable and positive mindset.
“We don’t want to get lumped into
DVLWXDWLRQZKHUHSHRSOHWKLQNRIWKH
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want to protect,” she says.
²,WµVDERXWSURWHFWLQJKHDOWK\IRUHVWV
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AUCKLAND COUNCIL
GIANTS OF THE PAST
$ PRQVWHU NDXUL QDPHG .DLUDUX
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measured, and was mistaken
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years old, the mammoth tree
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Forest, Northland, with a girth
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The legendary Great Ghost
was a ginormous kauri near
Thames, though it was never
reliably measured. It was said
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the Waipoua giants, a large
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Forest stood near Whitianga
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Eileen Schwab

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 WAYPOINTS

2021
DESTINATIONS
There’s never been a better time to explore Aotearoa and
these nine destinations look particularly good in 2021

K
iwis are a funny bunch. We’re desperate to explore the far-flung reaches of Nepal or
Europe on an OE, but when it comes to seeing our own backyard, we stick to the familiar:
the Hooker Valley Track, Roy’s Peak or the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
Here at Wilderness, we reckon there’s great satisfaction in stumbling upon hidden gems
like these nine destinations.
SHAUN BARNETT/BLACK ROBIN PHOTOGRAPHY

52 January 2021
 1 Adventure island
Aotea/Great Barrier Island,
Auckland
An under-appreciated underground
Waitomo, King Country

KĀKĀ WHEEL OVERHEAD, croaking as they

alight in the pōhutukawa. Ablaze with crimson
flowers, the tree’s gnarled limbs overhang the
sea. White-sand beaches with wild surf in the
east; rocky, forest-fringed harbours in the west.
Inland rise monolithic rock faces, the eroded stubs
of an ancient volcano, surrounded by vast forest
swathes, including kauri. These are just some of
the delights I’ve experienced on Great Barrier
Island during my three visits.
Free of mustelids, Aotea hosts impressive bird-
life including rare species such as pāteke (brown
teal), kākā and black petrels. Some 12,300ha of
the island is protected as Aotea Conservation
Park, established in 2015.
Great Barrier is just a 30-minute flight from
MATTHEW CATTIN

Auckland, yet it seems few Aucklanders go there

to tramp – despite a range of tracks – plus two
large huts. The largest settlement is Tryphena,
where the Auckland ferry docks, while the airport
The Ruakuri Walkway packs the best
is at Claris. Once there, you can hire a car, or bits of Waitomo into a 45min loop
book a shuttle, and choose your adventure.
Akapoua, Medlands Beach, Whangapoua,
Whangaparara and the exquisite Harataonga
Beach all have camping areas, and among doz- ALONG WITH HOBBITON and he gushed. With Punakaiki-like
the Coromandel Peninsula’s pancake rocks, caves, tunnels
ens of day walks, perhaps the best options are
Cathedral Cove, Waitomo is a and rugged bush, he wasn’t
the Dolphin Bay Track (3hr return), the Old Mill
rite of passage for international far wrong. Combine it with the
Track (2hr return), the Harataonga Coastal Walk-
tourists before they cross Cook 75min Waitomo Walkway for an
way (4-5hr each way) and Coopers Castle Track
Strait. Though its caves are excellent half-day experience
(2.5-3hr).
absolutely worth the hype, the from the village.
For longer tramps, try a
region has earned a reputation For family-friendly short
Little Barrier Island and three day variant of the Aotea
as a sinkhole for tourist dollars, walks, head west towards
Port Fitzroy from Track which begins from
which pre-COVID would stream Marokopa and explore the
Hirakimata/Mt Hobson Aotea Road, climbs through
in by the busload. Mangapohue Natural Bridge (a
Windy Gully to the 621m sum-
These days, the village is as dramatic 17m limestone arch)
mit of Hirakimata/Mt Hobson
quiet as the caves that put it on Piripiri Cave and the beautiful
which has views overlooking the western har-
the map, and there has never Marokopa Falls – the most sce-
bours, Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island and nic in the region.
been a better time to explore its
the Auckland isthmus. A descent leads down to hidden gems. For longer adventures off the
Mt Heale Hut (20 bunks), perched beneath the On a recent trip, I enjoyed a beaten path, trampers would do
spire of its namesake mountain. By spending two quiet tour through two incred- well to tackle the Tawarau For-
nights, trampers can enjoy the lush forests and ible cave systems, taking in the est tracks, around half an hour
cascading streams on a circuit of the South Fork toothy stalactites, ancient moa west of Waitomo Village. The
and Kaiaraara Tracks. On the final day, take the bones and glowworms bright Tawarau Falls Loop Track, when
Peach Tree Track to Whangaparapara Road, with enough to read by. But you combined with the walk to Dou-
a soak at the Kaitoke Hot Springs en route. don’t have to spend any money ble Falls, creates a challenging
The western harbours of Port Fitzroy and to have an underground adven- day walk including river cross-
Whangaparapara make excellent sea-kayaking ture here. ings and limestone bluffs. The
destinations, while the exposed eastern shoreline The Ruakuri Walkway is an Gorge Track, meanwhile, could
offers a lot less shelter and requires a lot more excellent place to start. Before easily be confused for the Poro-
experience. walking the 45min track, I spoke rari River section of the Paparoa
For mountain-biking, try the Forest Road Track to an excited Australian visitor Great Walk, with its dramatic
between Port Fitzroy and Whangaparapara. who’d just completed it. “Mate, karst landscape, ferns and river.
- Shaun Barnett it was amazing – just like Avatar,” - Matthew Cattin

53
 WAYPOINTS
Humble giants
MATTHEW CATTIN
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a stunning wetland clearing – and Waiatiu Falls also
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chance to see kiwi, ruru and glowworms.
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4
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Palmerston North
WHEN I MOVED to Palmerston North a few
years ago, I realised there’s a catchphrase
people use to justify why they live there: ‘It’s
a great place to get to other placeV IURPµ
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oughly true; Palmy is generally less than
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Napier, New Plymouth. It’s accessible to the
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was, and even Taranaki and Ruapehu.
Palmy’s major attraction for the intrepid
tramper is the Esplanade and Riverside
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a newly hewn dirt path to the Linton Military Camp.
A short distance out of town there’s the spectacularly-
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former glory but a 12km track still runs high above it on the
southern side. You’ll see a wind farm and scenic lookouts
en route. A car shuttle is still possible via the Saddle Road
between Ashurst and Woodville.
Te Araroa runs right through Palmy, so watch out for
long-distance trampers walking through at pace. Shorter
walks can be had on the Bledisloe tracks at Summerhill
– and the nearby historic buildings of the Massey Univer-
sity campus are worth a visit, especially when the cherry
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top destination for those wanting to get their heart racing.
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trampers.
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For a town known for being a good place to get to other
places from, it’s not bad if you actually stick around.
- Hazel Phillips

54 January 2021
 Kapiti Island
can be seen on
the dramatic
Paekakariki
Escarpment Track

5
WHERE SEA AND
MOUNTAINS MEET
Kāpiti Coast, Wellington

THE KĀPITI COAST forms a narrow strip of

land sandwiched between the Tasman Sea

MATTHEW CATTIN
and the Tararua Ranges and takes its name
from the dominant feature on the horizon:
Kāpiti Island.
The island has a fascinating history from
being a fortress for Te Rauparaha, a whaling
station, and a native bird sanctuary, and no
visit to the Kāpiti Coast would be complete
without a trip there. As one of the country’s
first wildlife sanctuaries, it is home to many
rare bird species, as well as a number of na-

6
tive reptiles. Two companies offer day trips
(Kāpiti Island Eco and Kāpiti Island Nature
Tours) or you can stay overnight for a good

THE END OF THE ROAD

chance of seeing little spotted kiwi in the wild.
On the mainland, walkers and trampers
have plenty of options, including Te Araroa,
which passes through the region – notably
the Paekākāriki Escarpment Track. When it
opened in 2016, the track exceeded all ex-
pectations, and has since drawn tens of thou-
sands of walkers. Perhaps it’s no wonder; the
track offers expansive views of the coastline,
an airy sense of height, and enough steps
(over 400) to provide a decent cardio work-
out as it traverses steep slopes between the
towns of Paekākāriki and Pukerua Bay. Train
stations at both ends make it super-accessi-
ble. Allow 2.5-4hr each way.
Rising behind the township of Waikanae,
Kapakapanui (1102m) is an outlier peak
with an exceptional viewpoint of the Tararua
Range. The summit makes for a demanding
day walk (allow 7-8hr) or more leisurely over-
night trip, with a stay at Kapakapanui Hut (six
bunks).
Further inland, Ōtaki Forks is the main
western gateway for Tararua Forest Park
and a great place to take the family camping.
Several rivers converge, all of them boasting
swimming holes and opportunities for tubing.
For trampers, Ōtaki Forks is the start of many
multi-day trips, including the famous Southern
Crossing and Tararua Peaks.
- SB
Karamea, West Coast
IN A LITERAL SENSE, Karamea is a true
destination. By road, there is only one
way to get there – a 90 minute drive
from Westport, sidling around the
gnarly Radiant Range and up the rug-
ged coast. It’s a quiet cul-de-sac of a
town that nobody passes through – if
you’re there, you’re there for a reason.
Karamea will be familiar to tramp-
ers as the southern end of the Heaphy
Track, and I couldn’t imagine a more
suitable place to ease trampers back
into civilisation. At its back, Kahuran-
gi National Park rises out of the sea
mist, and to the west, the Tasman Sea
drives a barrage of driftwood onto the
shores. The last census put the popu-
lation below 400 residents and the lo-
cals are about as removed from the rat
race as it’s possible to be.
Getting there is half the fun. A visit
to the abandoned remains of Dennis-
ton – a depressing and dangerous coal
mining settlement – gives an insight
Moria Gate is a
highlight of the
Ōpārara Basin
to the hardy folk who called the area
home, and the easy Charming Creek
Walkway, accessible via Ngakawau or
Seddonville, is worth a nosey.
From Karamea, a trip to the Ōpārara
Basin is essential. The Ōpārara Arch is
the largest limestone arch in Australa-
sia, and quite unlike anything else in
New Zealand. With hanging flora, moss
and stalactites, the nearby Moria Gate
is equally impressive, though much
smaller. Watch out for cave wētā and
the endangered Nelson cave spider,
New Zealand’s largest.
Longer walking options include the
5hr Fenian Track, which links the Fe-
nian Road car park with the Ōpārara
Basin via impressive caves, or sections
of the Heaphy Track to the north.
Pro tip – check the hours of Kara-
mea’s gas station before your petrol
light comes on to avoid a white knuck-
le drive back to Westport.
- MC

55
 PAT BARRETT
WAYPOINTS

Akaroa Harbour
from Summit Road

7
Day trippers paradise Fine views await those
ZKR FOLPE /DNH +ƗZHD¶V
Banks Peninsula, Canterbury Grandview Mountain

GEORGE DRIVER
ON A FINE, clear day, especially in spring or
summer, the view from the Summit Road is
supreme. How could it not be? With those roll-
ing green meadows swooping down through
bushy gullies to the tantalising sparkle of the
ocean, Akaroa Harbour is rimmed with bluffs
and headlands, seabirds soaring above on
coastal breezes, and a limitless horizon curv-
ing toward the sky beyond the hills.
Banks Peninsula and its many bays and har-
bours are the day-trip-capital for Cantabrians,
Most of the walks accessible from the road are
doable within 30 to 90min, particularly those
that scurry to the top of the many volcanic tors
that jut from the landscape.

Along the Summit Road from Hilltop, you
can climb through native forest in Montgomery
Park Reserve, then drive down to beautiful Pi-
geon Bay, visit Hay Reserve, historic Annadale
Homestead (booking required), and head out
on the Pigeon Bay Walkway to Wakaroa Point.
Continuing along the Summit Road there’s
a side road at nearly every saddle dropping
seawards to visit a remote bay and settlement
like lovely Little Akaloa or historic Okains Bay
and its excellent museum. Akaroa Harbour is
named with the charming French-themed town
of Akaroa where the French landed and almost
claimed New Zealand for France.
A half day could be spent here sampling its
mixture of cafes, shops, historic landmarks
and easy walks or taking the famed Black Cat
harbour cruise out to the heads.
With time and planning you could also do
the three-day Banks Track which begins just
out of Akaroa and heads up and over the hill-
top to the ocean bays to the east. It’s popu-
lar, spectacular, has varied wildlife, and visits
many remote bays and farms. At the head of
ȇŔɭȶŔqŔɭŹȶʠɭǫɽ¶ȥŔˁơáơȥǫȥɽʠȍŔࢗŔɢůɽǫʋơ
– plus beautiful French Farm and Wainui Bay
and the wild Bossu Road back to Little River.
- Pat Barrett
8
Lakeside and
mountaintops
gîŒĚOĄDžĚîȡ~ƥîijū
3(2, /ǐ>,( is often overlooked as a
destination because spectacular Lake
Wanaka is so close by.
However, this deep and strikingly
beautiful lake is notable not just for the
serried ranks of schist mountains that
dominate its shores but also for the
many isolated and memorable walks
and mountain biking trips that can be
enjoyed around the shore and along the
Haast Pass Highway.
I especially like this part of Otago
as it begins to feel much more like wil-
derness New Zealand, away from the
main towns and highways, where the
journeys into the hills contain a palpa-
ble sense of isolation and endeavour.
Take the Hunter Valley, a major feeder
of the lake running for 40km into the
mountains within which is a plethora of
tramps and pass-hopping adventures.
You’ll need time for this one, at least 4-5
KH`Z^P[O[OLILZ[HJJLZZILPUNVɈ[OL
Haast Highway.
Closer to Lake Hawea township is the
Te Araroa Trail which heads over Breast
Hill past Pakituhi Hut to the Timaru Riv-
er. Farther up the lake on the eastern
side is the beautiful Dingle Burn Valley
and huts, and a mountain bike trail all
the way to the lakehead.
South of town is the short, steep hike
to Grandview Mountain – an excellent
viewpoint – while on the western shore
is the hike to Isthmus Peak, 1386m, and
the skyline traverse to Lake Wanaka – a
fantastic trip that can also be done by
bike.
At The Neck is road access to Kidds
Bush camping area and the track into
Sawyer Burn and Sentinel Peak.
The wilderness experience at Lake
Hawea has endless opportunities.
- PB

56 January 2021

9
FROM FOREST TO GRANITE AND SEA
Piopiotahi/Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park
THE JOURNEY TO Piopiotahi/Milford Sound is as memo-
rable as the destination. My first experience left such an
impression that it cinched my desire to one day live and
work in Fiordland. Perhaps it was along the Avenue of the
Disappearing Mountain that I left my heart or perhaps it
slipped out beneath the waterfalls of the Homer Cirque.
Whatever the case, it is a place worth visiting time and time
again – and more so now that tourist hordes and associ-
ated bus traffic are absent.
The two-hour drive from Te Anau to Piopiotahi/Milford
Sound provides many opportunities for long and short ad-
ventures, whatever the weather. Like any good theatre, the
experience is improved by a bit of suspense. Top tip – if it’s
raining don’t fight it; embrace it! Thundering waterfalls at
every turn or fresh snow on the peaks is like chocolate on
top of already delicious ice cream.
With a few hours up your sleeve, you can enjoy sweeping
mountain views in fine conditions or the power of Fiordland
in a storm on a short walk. If the weather allows, consider
CRYSTAL BRINDLE
Sea kayaking is one way to view
the 1600m peaks of Milford Sound
reaching Lake Marian (3hr return) for a grand setting that
feels a world away. Or, if walking steeply uphill isn’t your
thing, go for a stroll along Gertrude Valley to marvel at the
sheer granite walls that make Fiordland famous.
Ultimately, when Mitre Peak comes into view as you
round the bend into Piopiotahi/Milford Sound, you are
transported into a scene that graces many postcards yet
has a beating heart that can only be felt in the flesh. If you
want to feel smaller than ever, hop into a kayak and paddle
beneath the 1600m walls of the fiord or simply go for a walk
along the Milford foreshore (especially good at low tide).
Spending the night in Milford enables you to begin the
day like no other. Wake up on a cruise vessel anchored in
the fiord and savour the quiet of the expanse before dawn.
Or sleep in the forest-surrounded Milford Sound Lodge and
hop on a boat the next morning for a short trip to the base
of Lady Bowen Falls for a singular up-close experience of
the falls.
- Crystal Brindle
57
 SOLO TRAMPING
Facing doubts
in FLYING SOLO
As a professional guide, Rachel Davies is used to making decisions to get
her group safely through a hike. But on a solo trip where she had to make
decisions for herself, she found doubt clouding her decision-making
I FEEL COLD as raindrops seep
through my hair onto my neck and, with
icy fingers, I grip my hiking poles tighter.
I’m watching the sun flare red with the
last light of day, illuminating the clouds
rolling over the peaks but I’m not seeing
the hut I’m so desperately searching for.
“Just over the next peak; it’s just
over the next peak,” I tell myself and
push on, trying not to stumble from the
cold and exhaustion, and also from the
beautifully distracting sunset.
What got me here? I’m not injured or
lost but potentially close to both. I’m an
outdoor guide and teach decision mak-
ing and risk management for a living.
So which choices led me to be in such
a potentially hazardous scenario?
The decision-making processes we
go through in the wilderness can seem
58 January 2021
logical. We reflect on influences of risk
such as time of day, weather, energy
level, terrain, experience, and group
members. If these pieces start going
wrong – when they become what guides
call ‘lemons’ – we have to decide how
many can be juggled before the situa-
tion becomes dangerous. James Raffan,
a Canadian adventurer and author,
introduced the Lemon Theory in 1987
as a tool for measuring risk, and it can
be helpful for quantifying very subjective
factors.
Hiking along the ridgeline, I was jug-
gling the late time of day, rain and cold,
decreasing energy, the steep and rough
trail, and being by myself. Just as jug-
gling is a precarious art, so is deciding
when these risk elements become too
much to handle.
At last, despite
the doubts on
the way up, the
hut materialised
in the final light
of the day
My experience has taught me how
to balance many outdoor elements; I’m
competent at navigation, know how to
properly dress for adverse weather, and
how to move through difficult terrain safe-
ly. But rewind a few hours, and as I sat on
a mossy stump, halfway to the treeline at
4pm, there were two key elements that
factored into my risk assessment: my
experience itself and being alone.
People are used to making choices
with others. We debate where to eat
dinner with a partner, what project to
push forward with colleagues, and who
to be dating with our friends. While we
all make small choices by ourselves, we
conference with others for big decisions.
The same is true in the outdoors. If
you’re used to tramping with a group of
friends, a tramping club, or your partner,
it’s unlikely you’ve ever made many deci-
sions alone on where to go or when to
turn back. We all huddle around the map
and gab about how hungry we are and
how much our feet hurt. Where was that
next hut? Or we stop at a trail junction,
convincing our friends “we just have to
get to that peak today”. Your practise
in weighing the options could be very
limited if you typically go along with the
pack, letting others lead the way.
But because I’m always the leader
and make all the decisions, I suddenly
realised I might have a false sense of
my own ability. I’m an outspoken group
member when I’m with friends and I’m
employed to be in charge when work-
ing outside. I went into the mountains

THERE’S
CERTAINLY
AN AIR OF
ROMANTICISM
AND DRAMA ABOUT
GOING OUT ALONE
AND TOUGHING ABOVE: There’s a
romanticism to hiking
IT IN THE WILD, alone and testing
yourself in nature;
BUT ALSO LEFT: There’s also
GREAT FEAR doubt

with a sense of security in my expertise,
but had failed to realise I’m not used to
making decisions by myself, for myself.
So, why is it so different? Well, to
start, there’s a whole different crop of
lemons – the lack of help in a medical
emergency being the big one. If I stared
at the sunset too long and tumbled off
the ridgeline, it would be a long time
before I was found. But while risk itself is
heightened when solo, it was the change
in the decision-making process itself that
I did not anticipate.
Making decisions for a group of people
requires balancing others’ needs. When
I lead a group, I’m constantly thinking
of how everyone is feeling, if they’re
tired, hungry, or upset. How have they
managed terrain like this in the past? Are
they a slow-moving group or fast-paced?
I think about how they’ve faced adversity
before and whether they’re likely to deal
positively with more risk. But I rarely
make decisions based on my own well-
being. If I’m tired, I push through for the
group. If I know I can make a summit,
but the group can’t, I turn around.
Sat on the mossy stump, contem-
plating forging ahead to the ridgeline
or turning back to a hut in the valley,
I found myself feeling uncertain. If I was
leading a group, I would turn around,
no questions asked. It was getting far too
late and damp, and I was in unfamiliar
terrain. But since I was by myself, the
temptation to push my limits outweighed
those risks. I’d had friends do this tramp
in a day, why couldn’t I? There was the
ego.
Chatting with an old colleague and
long-time solo tramper, Keegan Plant,
he agreed that ego is often the biggest
challenge for his solo decision making.
“No one’s there to keep me in check,
to tell me that what I’m doing is dumb,”
he told me.
He also observed how experienced
trampers can get into trouble when
complacency kicks in.
The hut eventually materialised and a
wave of relief warmed through my body.
There is heightened risk when alone in
the wilderness and the decision-making
processes are challenging – so why do
we even bother? There’s certainly an air
of romanticism and drama about going
out alone and toughing it in the wild, but
also great fear. That’s why stories like
Wild, 127 Hours, and Into the Wild gain
so much popularity but also criticism
when things go wrong.
It’s easy to criticise the decision-mak-
ing of those who go out alone, but there
is so much to learn from doing it. Many
outdoor programmes teach young peo-
ple how to balance risk by putting them
out by themselves. Outward Bound, one
of the oldest outdoor education pro-
grammes in the world, still keeps solo
time as a part of every course to teach
reflection and comfort in solitude. Learn-
ing to make decisions by yourself is a
valuable skill not only for the wilderness
but in everyday life.
The safe outcome of my solo tramp
was a mixture of a little luck and the
skills I have. I feel much more comfort-
able in the backcountry than the city, but
I have been reminded that there is still
an incredible amount to learn when I’m
out there by myself.

59
 WILD CAMPING

The A to Z of
WILD CAMPING
Tired of cramped campgrounds and keen to foster a more symbiotic relationship
with the landscape? Here’s the Wilderness guide to wild camping. By David Caudwell

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knowing where you’re going to end IROORZLQJFRQWRXUVWRQDYLJDWHXS
hoiheri (or lacebark) soothes gastro-
XSWKHćH[LELOLW\RIEHLQJSUHSDUHG DQGGRZQVWHHSWHUUDLQ,IFOLPELQJD
intestinal complaints; huika can be
to camp anywhere creates VWHHSURFNVWUHZQKLOOLQWKHUDLQIRU
ground into a poultice and used to
VSRQWDQHRXVH[SHULHQFHV instance, watch for where the water
ʋɭơŔʋɽơɢʋǫƃˁȶʠȥƎɽࡲ‘ȥȶˁˊȶʠɭ˫ȶɭŔࡲ
UXQVPRVWQDWXUDOO\DQGVORZO\7KLV
It could be invaluable.
ZLOORIWHQLQGLFDWHWKHHDVLHVWURXWH

D usk deadline

F
$LPWREHVHWXSDQGVHWWOHGDQ
KRXURUWZREHIRUHGXVN%HRQWKH GO WITH THE FLOW
lookout for potential wild camps from If it’s horizontal hailing and you can
lunchtime onwards, in the morning
VRPHWLPHVLIFRQGLWLRQVVRXU
IRST AID KIT EDUHO\ VHH \RXU KDQG LQ IURQW RI
\RXUIDFHWKHQVWD\SXW3ODQVPHDQ
Tailor your kit to the area you’re QRWKLQJLQWKHIDFHRIQDWXUH
H[SORULQJ,IWKHUHDUHVDQGćLHV

EMERGENCY BEACON
carry pawpaw cream or calamine

7DNHD3/%LWFRXOGVDYH\RXUOLIH
ORWLRQWRHDVHWKHLWFKLQJRIELWHV
JUST GET ON WITH IT
Learning to laugh in the pimpled face
RI DGYHUVLW\ LV HVVHQWLDO HVSHFLDOO\ LI
you’re up to your waist in water or
with no sight of a clear way through the

Heightened awareness I ngenuity

,ZDVWZRGD\VLQWRDVL[GD\
EXVK:LOGFDPSLQJEUHHGVUHVLOLHQFH

Of emotions, of physicality, of tramp in Mt Aspiring National

QHJDWLYH EHOLHI V\VWHPV :LOG
FDPSLQJ VWULSV HYHU\WKLQJ EDFN
:KR DUH ZH ZKHQ RXU WHQWV DUH
clinging to a mountain ridge in the
H\HRIDWHPSHVW":LOGFDPSLQJLV
D MRXUQH\ WKURXJK ERWK H[WHUQDO
DQGLQWHUQDOWHUUDLQ
3DUNZKHQP\WHQWSROHVQDSSHG
,UHSDLUHGLWE\PDNLQJDVSOLQW
with a peg and sock, and then
KEEP FIRE SMART
-qF-‘čá࢔þ¶࢔7þF%čòqbzèF
placing rocks inside my mattress INFORMATION BEFORE
EDJDVDFRXQWHUZHLJKWWRHDVH
HEADING OUT.
SUHVVXUHRQWKHSROH

60 January 2021
 LISTEN TO THE
WEATHER
Check the forecast before
leaving home and change
SODQVLIQHFHVVDU\,QWKHÀHOG
keep an eye on the
horizon for impending
weather events. Be aware of
SUHYDLOLQJZHDWKHUSDWWHUQV
sudden wind changes.
6XUUHQGHUWRFRQGLWLRQV
don’t try to control them.
O rientation
8VHDPDSIRURIIWUDFN
ZDONLQJFDQEHGLIĆFXOWWR
QDYLJDWHFRPSOH[WHUUDLQRYHUVKRUW
GLVWDQFHV$ODUJHUVFDOHDOORZV\RXWR
use gradient lines more accurately
WRSLQSRLQW\RXUZD\RXWRIDZKLWHRXW
DVZHOO$OZD\VNQRZ\RXU
SUHFLVHORFDWLRQ
Q
UIET NIGHT’S SLEEP
Take earplugs. They won’t quieten all
noise but they will take the edge off.
Include items in your supplies that
will help you feel more alert after a
bad night. Coffee, surplus energy bars,
cacao in your muesli.
UNDERGROWTH INTUITION
Take the path of least resistance.
Listen for trickling creeks as it
may be easier to walk up the guts
of one if the bush is relentless.
Retrace your steps if it gets too
WKLFN,I\RXRYHUFRPPLWFRQVXOW
WKHPDSSLFNDSRLQWDQGWUDYHO
in that direction. This could mean
WDNLQJDEHDULQJHYHU\ÀYHPHWUHV
SLFNLQJRXWGLVWLQFWLYHYHJHWDWLRQ
EHHOLQLQJWRZDUGVWKDWDQGWKHQ
repeating the process.
X MARKS
THE SPOT
&RPPLWDQGEHFRQĆGHQW
LQ\RXUGHFLVLRQPDNLQJ
No trace
MOVING MEDITATION
I strained my IT band on the first day of RESPECT THE LAND AND OTHER
a seven-day tramp in Fiordland. From WILD CAMPERS. DISCARDING RUB࢔
then on I had to walk in a specific way BISH RUINS THE LANDSCAPE AND
as a sharp pain jolted my IT band every DIMINISHES THAT PIONEERING FEEL,
time I walked on the outside of my foot. WHICH IS INCREASINGLY MORE
I was so present by the end of the hike, PRECIOUS IN A WORLD BRIMMING
never before having devoted so much WITH BODIES.
awareness to every footstep. It changed
the way I walked.
PITCH
)ODW JURXQG LV D ZLOG FDPSHUèV QLUYDQD EXWLWPD\DOVREHWKHZRUVWSODFHWR
FDPS , ZDV FDPSLQJ RQ &RZ 6DGGOH LQ 0W$VSLULQJ1DWLRQDO3DUNZKHQD
PRQVWHU VWRUP KLW 0\ DZQLQJ ćRRGHG ,èGFDPSHGRQDćRRGSODLQDQGZDV
IRUFHG WR UHSLWFK PLGVWRUP 'RQèW FDPSDWWKHORZHVWSRLQW,GHDOO\WKHUH
VKRXOG EH D VOLJKW VORSH IRU ZDWHU WR UXQRIIVR\RXGRQèWJHWERJJHG
T racks from animals
R Keep an eye out for animal trails
oaming in
ZKHQWKHJRLQJJHWVVFUXEE\7KH\
the uncomfortable
Convenience can dull the senses.
FDQSURYLGHDQHDVLHUURXWHEXW
don’t follow a track too far if it
Walking in torrential rain can be VWDUWVGHYLDWLQJIURPWKHGLUHF
invigorating. Who are we when tion in which you’re supposed to
things get uncomfortable? EHKHDGLQJ.QRZZKHQWRJHWRII
Wild camping will show you.
&KDQFHVDUHWKHUHZLOOEHDQRWKHU
WUDLOJRLQJLQWKHULJKWGLUHFWLRQ
S ECLUSION
To sit in silence away from
HYHU\WKLQJDQGHYHU\RQH
WATER
Find a site close to water, even
if it’s just a puddle. Look for
rocks, which sometimes accumu-
LVDSV\FKRORJLFDOUHVHW late water pools down the sides.
,WèVQRXULVKLQJIRUWKHVRXO Carry a water filter. Check the
map for water sources emanat-
ing near mountain summits –
it’s the freshest water there is.
VISTAS
Watch sunsets and sunrises
over vast, deserted landscapes with
no manmade structure in sight –
all from the awning of your tent. Z OOM OUT
ADOPT A MACROCOSMIC
PERSPECTIVE; ALWAYS THINK
OF THE BIGGER PICTURE. FOR
Y OU NEVER KNOW
(PEUDFHXQFHUWDLQW\(YHQLILWèVGXVN
EXAMPLE, BEWARE OF CAMPING
BENEATH TREES WHOSE
there’s a storm approaching and you BRANCHES COULD POTENTIALLY
SPEAR YOUR TENT. ALWAYS LOOK
VWLOOKDYHQèWIRXQGDSLWFK$QRSHQ
FDOPPLQGLVPXFKPRUHDEOHWRĆQGD FOR POTENTIAL HAZARDS.
VROXWLRQRYHURQHWKDWèVSDQLFNLQJ
61
 
 





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63
 s k s

Here’s how to do
the BEAR CRAWL
FITNESS
1. Begin by activating your lower
abdominals – gently draw your navel
towards your spine, creating a hollow
to tighten the muscles which support

THE BEAR your back and initiate other muscles

to add support. (You could use a

ESSENTIALS
stick, as pictured, to ensure you keep
your spine straight and prevent your
hips from swaying from side to side
The bear crawl exercise builds as you crawl.)
core strength and stability, and
it may come in handy in wild
weather. By Graeme Stevens

THE BEAR CRAWL utilises several

muscles at one time and by using
muscles together, you can create
greater stability, strength and endur-
ance.
My partner and I called on this
movement on a Tararua ridgetop
recently when we were exposed
to fierce winds and couldn’t stand
upright. The bear crawl allowed us to
move across safely.
This exercise also strengthens
the glutes, hamstrings, and back
muscles – the extensor muscle
group responsible for keeping us
erect when we become fatigued
and there’s a temptation to hunch
your back and take the load on your
shoulders.
2. On all fours, with hands placed
under the shoulders, reach forwards
with one hand and the opposite leg,
and then repeat alternating between
right arm/left leg and left arm/right leg.
During locomotion, keep the hips from
swaying as you move.
3. Keep knees low to the ground and
your back parallel. For an extra chal-
lenge, try going in reverse.
4. Complete three 10m crawls.
THE SUPER BEAR
For better balance, try the super
bear exercise:
1. Activate your lower abdomi-
nals as with the bear crawl.
2. Crawl as above, but extend
your arms and legs straight in
front and behind you as you go.
3. Try completing a bear crawl
for five steps, then extend oppo-
site limbs in a super bear for five
reps, then repeat.
- Graeme Stevens is a movement coach

64 January 2021
 Recipe
1kg pumpkin
1 cup uncooked quinoa
½ cup olives Dressing
½ cup sundried tomatoes, sliced ½ cup balsamic vinegar
Large handful of rocket or spinach 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
½ cup almonds 1 clove garlic, minced
WILD ¼ cup walnuts ¼ cup olive oil
CUISINE 1 large leek or onion
1 tsp honey
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Roast pumpkin

MADDY BELLCROFT
and
quinoa salad
Ditch the dehydrator and carry
in this pre-prepared salad for
a fresh start on your tramp.
By Maddy Bellcroft

TO HELP BREAK UP the

monotony of crackers and
chutney I like to take some-
thing a bit different for the first
lunch of a tramp. This recipe is
one to make at home the night
before so it’s ready to go for
the next day.

Prof ile
Prep time 20
mins Method You can’t beat fresh
hour
Cook time 1 food on a tramp

Serves 3-4 Preheat the oven to 180℃, peel the pumpkin and cut it into bite-
Cost $8-12 sized chunks. Place it on a roasting tray with two tablespoons
of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45min or
until the pumpkin is soft and golden.

While the pumpkin is roasting, cook quinoa as per packet

instructions and set aside. Slice leek or onion and sauté in two
tablespoons of olive oil until soft. To make the dressing, place all
ingredients in a blender and mix until well combined. In a large
bowl, place sautéed leek, olives, sliced sundried tomatoes, nuts,
rocket, quinoa and roast pumpkin. Pour dressing over salad and
mix well. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Transfer into an airtight container and store in the fridge until

you leave. For freshness eat the same day you take it out of the
fridge and keep cool if possible.

65
 How to prepare
for THE RESCUE
HELICOPTER
If a chopper is on the way, here’s how to best prepare
for the incoming rescue. By Susan Dinkelacker

Even with the helicopter on

the way, there are things
you can do to speed your
rescue

Clock in
,I \RX FDQ VHH WKH KHOLFRSWHU XVH WKH
clock system to let the pilots know where
you are. Imagine a clock dial superim
SRVHG RYHU WKH KHOLFRSWHU$VVHHQIURP
above, the helicopter always points to
WZHOYH R
FORFN ,I WKHKHOLFRSWHULVKHDG
SUSAN DINKELACKER

LQJ VWUDLJKW DW \RX WHOO WKH SLORW ²,µP DW

WHEN SOMEONE needs rescuing, it’s
DOO JR JR JR (DFK PHPEHU RI D W\SLFDO
IRXUSHUVRQ KHOLFRSWHU UHVFXH FUHZ KDV
D SUHDVVLJQHG WDVN WKH WZR SLORWV SODQ
WKH ¿LJKW DQG FDOFXODWH KRZ PXFK IXHO
will be required; the winch operator and
medic install harnesses and gear. Then
V\VWHPVDUHFKHFNHGDWHDPEULH¾QJLV
held and within minutes, the helicopter
launches.
,I\RX
UHWKHRQHZKR
VFDOOHGIRUKHOS WR RFFDVLRQDOO\ FKHFN IRU FHOOSKRQH
KHUHµVKRZ\RXFDQHQVXUHDQHI¾FLHQW
helicopter rescue.
GOT your PLB?
YH
$3/%LV\RXUEHVWEHWIRUDTXLFNUHV
cue. Switch it on and leave it on until
help arrives. Leaving it on allows the
chopper crew to zero in on your loca
WLRQ 5HPHPEHU WR VZLWFK LW RII RQFH
you’ve been assisted.
V VRPH GLVWDQFH IURP WKH SDWLHQW ZLQFKLQJ EH DZDUH RI EUDQFK IDOO GDQ
Phone it in
,I \RX GRQ
W KDYH D 3/% WKH QH[W SKRQHFRYHUDJHH[SHFWDFDOOIURPWKH
EHVW RSWLRQ LV \RXU VPDUWSKRQH ,W
OO KHOLFRSWHU DV WKH\ JHW FORVHU ([SODLQ LQJDVWURQJGRZQZDVK'LUHFWRWKHUVWR
EH ZRUWK \RXU ZKLOH WR EHFRPH IDPLO
V FRQGLWLRQ DQG DV PXFK VWD\ ZHOO FOHDU ,I WKH KHOLFRSWHU VXIIHUV
LDU LQ DGYDQFH ZLWK KRZ WR ¾QG \RXU
GPS coordinates on your phone. For
example, on Android Google maps,
press and hold an unlabelled spot on
the map, and a red pin will appear.
The GPS coordinates will show in the
search box at the top.
,I \RXµUH OXFN\ \RXµOO KDYH FHOOSKRQH
coverage where the incident has oc
curred, otherwise, someone will have
to run to higher ground in order to call
111. For this reason, it makes sense
turned out to be someone waving an
coverage when tramping in rugged
terrain.
Clear THE WAY
With the helicopter on its way, scout
DURXQG IRU DQ RSHQLQJ LQ WKH IRUHVW
canopy. A clearing on high ground
ZLWK DQ RSHQ YLHZ RI WKH VN\ HYHQ LI
LW
ZLOO JLYH WKH EHVW FKDQFH IRU \RX WR
EHVHHQIURPWKHDLU,I\RXKDYHFHOO
places as much air as it weighs, caus
WKH SDWLHQW
descriptive detail as you can about
where you are.
\RXU WZHOYH RµFORFN³,I\RXVHHWKHULJKW
KDQG VLGH RI WKH KHOLFRSWHU GHJUHHV
VLGHRQ WHOO WKH SLORW ²,µP DW \RXU WKUHH
o’clock”.
STAND OUT
2Q D VHDUFK LQ WKLFN EXVKQHDU:KDQJD
rei Heads, I only spotted the patient
because a single spindly tree was being
YLJRURXVO\ VKDNHQ 0RYHPHQW UHDOO\
FDWFKHV WKH H\H (QURXWH WR DQRWKHU
bush rescue near Waitangi, I noticed
VRPHWKLQJ ¿DVKLQJ IURP PLOHV RXW ,W
emergency blanket over their head, scat
tering sunlight in all directions. At night,
with the pilots using night vision goggles,
VKLQH \RXU ¿DVKOLJKW$W DOO WLPHV NHHS
ZDYLQJHYHQZKHQ\RXDUHVXUH\RX
been seen – you look very, very small
IURPDERYH
Heads up
When the helicopter is overhead and
ger. There will be a surprising amount
RI ZLQG JHQHUDWHG ° WKH KHOLFRSWHU GLV
DPHFKDQLFDOIDLOXUHLWPD\KDYHWRODQG
suddenly.

66 January 2021
Beam me up, Scotty
The medic will always accompany the
patient as they're winched to the heli-
copter. People who have been rescued
this way say that having someone "on
the wire" helps reduce the psychological
stress of what can be a terrifying experi-
ence. As they reach the helicopter door,
it helps if the patient remains as relaxed
as possible and passively allows them-
selves to be swung around and pulled
inside the cabin.
Stick the landing
Landing the helicopter is more efficient
than winching. Pace out an area of at
least 30m2. The larger and more open
the area the better. It's important to look
all around to check that there are no
wires in the vicinity or loose objects that
may blow around. Flat ground is best,
and on a hill rather than a dip to give the
main rotor blades maximum clearance.
It's okay if the tail hangs over an edge,
as long as the wheels (or skids) have a
firm, flat place on which to perch.
To indicate where the helicopter
should land, stand slightly upwind of the
landing zone with your back to the wind
and your arms extended out in front of
you. Aircraft usually land into the wind
A PLB is your which will mean it will fly towards you.
Once the helicopter gets close, move
best bet for clear but stay where the pilots can still
keep eye contact with you. If you need
a quick rescue. to point something out, exaggerate your
body language by using your whole
Switch it on body. If you see something that would
make the landing unsafe, wave the heli-
and leave it on copter off by making big Xs above your
head using sweeping arm movements.
until help arrives. Once the helicopter has landed, re-
member to keep your movements slow
and predictable – this is no time to rush.
Do not approach the helicopter while
the rotors are turning unless specifically
directed to do so by a member of the
crew.
- Susan Dinkelacker is a captain on the
Northland Rescue Helicopter and a member
of the Whangarei Tramping Club.
67
 NAVIGATION
YOU’RE NOT ALWAYS
WHERE YOU THINK YOU ARE
Trampers often incorrectly confirm their position because it’s where they believe they are.
It’s called confirmation bias and can cause a lot of problems.. By Heather Grady
Avoid confirmation bias by discussing your
route with the group and matching the features
on the ground to those on the map
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 mis-
identified their location on the
map. The features around them
looked like the point on the map
where they thought they were.
Further up the hill, there were
several points where the features
looked similar. Because they had
mis-identified their first point they
mis-identified each subsequent
point based on time travelled from
the previous point. Even though
they expected to reach the top in
10 minutes, they kept on climbing
for a total of 25 minutes.
68 January 2021
How did this happen?
The group had taken a longer route around
the base of the hill before climbing up to
the first mis-identified point. The time
taken from the base was about what they
expected to take to the map feature, but
most of that time was detouring. They had
not considered a key clue to their location
– height gained from the base.
This error could have been avoided by
considering all the clues available to them
including elevation gained and time spent
travelling along the route they took.
It is helpful to know what a climb of 100m
feels like. Practise it on a hill of which you
know the height. Knowing what it feels like
will help you decide if you have climbed
that far.
Remember to factor in the twists and
turns of the trail and its ups and downs
when considering time taken. Have a
watch and note the time whenever you do
a map check. Estimate how long it will take
to the next point of interest.
XAVI COSTA LOSA
In the second case, the group mis-iden-
tified a track junction where there was a
track not marked on their map. This was
compounded by a sign indicating a loop
walk, only it wasn’t the loop walk they were
intending to hike. They became confused
by subsequent terrain that didn’t fit with the
map for where they thought they were.
This error could have been avoided by
considering all the clues available, includ-
ing time spent walking and elevation
gained. In addition, the new track was too
small to be the track they wanted to take
– which was the main track in a populated
area.
To avoid confirmation bias, consider all
the clues available to you including time
taken, elevation gained, matching map to
ground features. Include other clues like
size of track, even vegetation and track
surface. Look for features that don’t fit your
expected location.
- Heather Grady is an instructor with
Outdoor Training New Zealand
 WHAT’S IN
MY PACK
hÜƛī ¯ƥƘƳ÷ż
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 packing for a backcountry trip almost became a fetish.
Ɂ¹ĺĚƙĚēîNjƙȡƥĺIJƭŕŕNjȡĿƥɄƙŞĚŕŕūDžĚēƥūŞūƑĚūIJîŞĚîƙƭƑĚēǛNJîƥĿūŠȡɂĺĚƙîNjƙȦ
While Hersey’s trips are generally with a mountaineering objective in mind, much of the gear he
carries is also suitable for tramping. “The main difference is that climbing kit is heavy and takes up
ŞūƙƥūIJƥĺĚƎîČŒȦ¹ĺĚƑĚIJūƑĚȡĚDŽĚƑNjƥĺĿŠijĚŕƙĚŠĚĚēƙƥūċĚŕĿijĺƥDžĚĿijĺƥċƭƥƙƥĿŕŕēūƥĺĚŏūċȦɂ

SHELTER
I have an MSR Hubba PACK
Hubba NX. It’s not much I use either the Cactus High
cop in high winds and Summer (no longer made
LV¿GGO\WRSLWFKEXWLW¶V FOOTWEAR by Cactus) or the CiloGear
lightweight and spacious An unfortunate experi- WorkSack. Both are robust
with two separate ence with frostbite a few but light enough, and allow me
vestibules. My winter years back taught me to to store extra closed cell foam
climbing tent is the single never scrimp on decent in the frame backing in case
skin Rab Latok Mountain, footwear. I use running of an unscheduled night out.
or the lighter Black Diamond shoes for the approach
First Light if the weather to a climb and then
forecast is bomber. either a pair of Scarpa
Charmoz (for summer
climbing) or Scarpa
SLEEPING GEAR Phantom with a built-in
I sleep as cold as I can. While gaiter for winter use.
this means carrying a less bulky
sleeping bag, it also encourages
me to get up and get get moving
when the temperature dips be-
fore sunrise. I favour a synthetic
sleeping bag and the Marmot
Pounder Plus works well enough
even when wet. I’ve recently
ɽʋŔɭʋơƎʠɽǫȥnjŔȥǫȥ˫ŔʋŔŹȍơFˉɢơƎ
Synmat because I’m getting old.

CLOTHING STOVE ESSENTIALS

The best climbing raincoat
I’ve owned is the Berghaus
Mount Asgard Smock.
Earth Sea Sky comes
a close second with the
heavier Zeal jacket. I also
love Earth Sea Sky’s Silk
Weight top on a hot day
and Icebreaker socks.
Rather than carrying a bulky
mid-layer, I focus on thinner
pieces that are multi-use.
In summer, the MSR
3/%¿UVWDLGNLWKHDG-
áȶƃȇơʋèȶƃȇơʋǫɽ˪ȥơ࡫
lamp and spare batteries,
but in winter
map, camera, a walking
I upgrade to the MSR
pole to combat the
Windburner because
it’s far superior at
inevitable decrepitude of needed. When tramping, I might
melting snow and ice.
ageing knees and a roll of
Leukoplast – enough tape
¿[HVPRVWEUHDNDJHVWR sachets of tuna. Climbing, I rely
kit or body.
FOOD AND
HYDRATION
CLIMBING GEAR
I enjoy Back Country Cuisine A technical climb
freeze-dried dinners and bulk
usually requires two
them up with couscous if
half-ropes, a harness, helmet,
two ice tools, crampons and
take ‘luxury’ food items like various paraphernalia for
cheese, crackers, salami and protection on rock, ice and
snow. Murphy’s Law dictates
mostly on One Square Meals, that if you leave it at home
Gu Energy Gels, and Nuun to save weight, you’ll need
Electrolyte Hydration Tablets. it on the climb.
0650XJ0DWHFRIIHH¿OWHULV
my alpine-start best friend.
69
 WILD
REVIEW

FIRST LOOK review

PÜìƖƇƣxƥıƖĺ
I
OI
Y

Features:  7KLV LV RQH RI WKH OLJKWHVW WKUHHOD\HU

MDFNHWV DYDLODEOH PDGH SRVVLEOH E\ RIIHULQJ D EDUH
PLQLPXPRIIHDWXUHV,WXVHV3HUWH[6KLHOGIDEULF°D
ZDWHUSURRIQ\ORQRXWHUZLWKWKHODWHVWLQDLUSHUPHD
EOHQDQR¾EUHPHPEUDQHV,WµVIXOO\VHDPVHDOHGDQG
KDVDUROODZD\KRRGZLWK9HOFURDGMXVWPHQWEXWQR
GUDZFRUGV7KHUHDUHRQO\WZRSRFNHWVDQH[WHUQDO
zippered chest pocket and an internal mesh pocket
ZKLFK GRXEOHV DV D VWXII VDFN $ ZDLVW GUDZFRUG
NHHSV LW WLJKW DQG KHOSV WUDS ZDUPWK $ VWRUP ¿DS
dome closure just below the neck allows the jacket
At A Glance WREHIXOO\XQ]LSSHGEXWUHPDLQLQSODFHZKHQPRYLQJ
Ultra light, super IDVW3/5
packable, unique
venting option Fit: 7UXHWRVL]HLW¾WVZHOODFURVVWKHVKRXOGHUVDQG
KDQJVWRMXVWEHORZWKHZDLVW7KHUHµVJRRGIUHHGRP
Hood doesn’t RI PRYHPHQW DQG WKH VOHHYHV GRQµW ULGH XS ZKHQ
cinch tight, arms are outstretched. The hood is on the loose side
no hand pockets
which means in windy conditions it can be pushed
EDFN IURP WKH IRUHKHDG 4/5
Comfort: ,WµVVROLJKWLWµVKDUGO\IHOWZKHQZRUQDQG
WKDQNVWRWKHKLJKO\EUHDWKDEOHPHPEUDQH,PDLQ
WDLQHG D FRPIRUWDEOH WHPSHUDWXUH HYHQ RQ KXPLG
IRUHVWWUDLOV5/5

In use: 7KH ¾UVW WKLQJ WR QRWH LV WKH MDFNHW LV
GHVLJQHGIRUIDVWSDFHGDFWLYLWLHVOLNHWUDLOUXQQLQJ
and mountain biking. But those hikers attracted by
LWVOLJKWZHLJKWZLOODOVR¾QGLWSUDFWLFDO,ZRUHWKH
jacket on several bush walks and bike rides dur
LQJ ODWH ZLQWHU DQG VSULQJ DQG , GH¾QLWHO\ PLVVHG
WKH KDQG SRFNHWV ZKHQ XVLQJ LW IRU KLNLQJ LQ FROG
conditions.
7KHMDFNHWµVEUHDWKDELOLW\DQGZDWHUSURRIFUHGHQ
tials are impressive. In Tongariro, icy and heavy
UDLQIHOODQG,UHPDLQHGSHUIHFWO\GU\°DQGZDUP
However, on one blustery walk where squalls threw ŠÜīƛƥ͞It’s pricey for a
the rain at me horizontally, the hood did not stay minimalist jacket, but it does
LQSODFHDQGH[SRVHGP\IDFHWRUDLQ:KHQELNH the job of keeping you dry and
riding, I experienced the same problem – the hood comfortable during a range of
could not be adjusted tightly enough to keep it in activities. 4/5
place in windy conditions.
7KHMDFNHWµVOHQJWKLVSHUIHFWIRUULGLQJUHPDLQ
LQJIUHHRIP\WKLJKVDQGWKHVQDSFORVXUHZKLFK
Š÷ōƊƏƣŚ͞ As a running jacket
or multi-sport garment it’s
DOORZHGPHWRIXOO\RSHQWKHIURQW]LSEXWNHHSWKH lightweight perfection but for
jacket in place, proved to be the ultimate in ventila trampers, it’s missing a few
WLRQDQGIDUVXSHULRUWRSLW]LSV essentials like pockets and
,WµV VXSHU SDFNDEOH VWXI¾QJ LQWR LWV SRFNHW DQG hood drawcords. 4.0
taking up next to no room in my pack, making it
simple to take everywhere I went. 4/5 - Alistair Hall

70 January 2021
 BE INSPIRED

COLM KEATING
Explore t r ails near and far

* Day trips
Weekend getaways
Multi-day tramps
← Hut bagging

Download maps
and route notes

More than
610 TRIPS
to choose from
www.wildernessmag.co.nz
 WILD
GEAR

2021 SUMMER
HIKING
CLOTHES
This summer’s hiking clothes are all about
keeping the wearer comfortable in scorching
temperatures – they’re breathable, quick-drying,
stretchy and offer high UPF sun protection.

MATERIAL

Synthetic materials tend

to dominate as they are
lightweight and quick-drying,
Patagonia Airshed wicking moisture away from
-Ŕɢ ࢼࠅࠈࡲࠈࠈ the skin. Elastane blends are Marmot Aerobora Short
Breathable and quick drying also common, which help Sleeve Shirt $99.95
polyester cap made for HQVXUHDWLJKWHUÀWZLWKRXW Quick-drying moisture-wicking
high output sports. restricting movement. AirExchange polyester fabric, UPF25
87% recycled material, sun protection, chest pocket. 180g.
bŔǫɭ þɭŔƎơ -ơɭʋǫ˪ơƎ ɽơˁȥࡲ www.marmotnz.co.nz
60g. www.patagonia.co.nz

POCKETS

Multiple pockets
are common,
but too many
can add weight
and more seam
friction without
providing extra
utility. Stick to
The North Face what you need.
Rab Kinetic Paramount Craghoppers Zippered pock-
Rab Torque Pants Convertible Pants ets keep items
Alpine Pants Nosilife Pro
$229.95 ࢼࠀࠅ߿ Convertible like keys and
$329.95 Alpine pant, four way òȍǫȟ ˪ʋ࡫ ˖ǫɢ ȶljlj ȍơnjɽ࡫ ɽȥŔɢ
Stretch waterproof pants, mois Trousers $199.95 cards secure.
stretch, contrasting knee front with partial elastic
ture-wicking inner, ceramic print Łǫɢ࢚ȶljljȍơnjɽ࡫˪ʽơɢȶƃȇơʋɽ࡫
reinforcement panels, slim waistband and internal
overlays in high wear areas, low Nosilife insect control,
˪ʋ࡫ ȍơnj ˖ǫɢ ˁǫʋǠ ǫȥʋơɭȥŔȍ drawcord, secure zip
ɢɭȶ˪ȍơˁŔǫɽʋŔƎǿʠɽʋȟơȥʋ࡫˖ǫɢɢơƎ moisture control, drying
gusset, lower hem boot pocket, crotch gusset,
expanding ankle closure, knee loops, sunglass wipe, draw-
loops, three zipped pockets. artciulated knees, quick
articulation. 280g (m), 245g (w). ƃȶɭƎǠơȟŔƎǿʠɽʋơɭɽࡲࠂࠃࠄnjࡲ
ࠂࠇࠄnjࡲ ˁˁˁࡲȶʠʋ˪ʋʋơɭɽࡲȥơʋࡲȥ˖ drying and with durable
ˁˁˁࡲȶʠʋ˪ʋʋơɭɽࡲȥơʋࡲȥ˖ ˁˁˁࡲȶʠʋ˪ʋʋơɭɽࡲȥơʋࡲȥ˖
water repellent. 340g.
www.thenorthface.co.nz

72 January 2021
 Craghoppers Nosilife
Women’s Adventure II
SS $129.95
Ripstop fabric, NosiLife
ǫȥɽơƃʋƃȶȥʋɭȶȍ࡫òábࠃ߿ऋ࡫
odour control, moisture-
wicking fabric, cooling collar,
drying loops, sunglasses
wipe, three pockets.
ࠀࠃࠄnjࡲˁˁˁࡲȶʠʋ˪ʋʋơɭɽࡲȥơʋࡲȥ˖
Marmot Women’s
Avision Jogger $139.95
Casual hiking pants with
AirExchange fabric for
breathability and quick-
drying, stretch fabric, wide
elasticized waistband and
cuffs, side stash pockets,
zippered side leg pocket.
220g. www.marmotnz.co.nz
INSECT REPELLENT FABRICS
Some fabrics are
treated with permethrin
to incapacitate
insects that land
on the fabric.
Macpac Eclipse Short
Sleeve Shirt $119.99
Stretch blend fabric,
bluesign-approved, Polygiene
odour control, button-up
front, two buttoned chest
pockets, raised collar for sun
ɢɭȶʋơƃʋǫȶȥ࡫ɭơȍŔˉơƎ˪ʋࡲࠀࠂ߿njࡲ
www.macpac.co.nz
Rab Women’s Helix
Pants $159.95
Quick-drying, stretch
fabric climbing pant,
knee articulation, regular
˪ʋ࡫čábࠂࠄऋ࡫ɭȶȍȍ࢚ʠɢ
leg, two hand pockets,
zipped thigh pocket, two
rear patch pockets. 251g.
ˁˁˁࡲȶʠʋ˪ʋʋơɭɽࡲȥơʋࡲȥ˖
Macpac Drift Skort $129.99
Two-part design with inner
shorts and outer wrap-around
skirt, recycled stretch fabric,
quick-drying, bluesign-approved,
čábࠄ߿ऋ࡫ʋˁȶǠŔȥƎɢȶƃȇơʋɽ࡫ɭơŔɭ
zipped pocket, webbing waist
belt. 230g. www.macpac.co.nz
The North Face Men’s
Dome Short Sleeve
Shirt $120
Lightweight and breathable
nylon stretch-woven fabric,
snap front with button and
shockcord top button, chest
pocket, gusseted cuff, hanger Patagonia Women’s
ȍȶȶɢ࡫čábࠄ߿ऋࡲࠀࠄࠈnjࡲ Quandary Shorts $89.99
www.thenorthface.co.nz Quick-drying stretch shorts, four
ȍȶˁ࢚ɢɭȶ˪ȍơɢȶƃȇơʋɽ࡫ȟơʋŔȍ࢚ɽȥŔɢ
closure, hidden drawcord, belt
ȍȶȶɢɽ࡫˖ǫɢɢơɭơƎ˫ˊࡲࠀࠃࠁnjࡲ
www.patagonia.co.nz
Longs or shorts
Trousers and long-sleeve
shirts and tees provide
more sun protection and
warmth. Zip-off trouser
legs are versatile but
will be slightly heavier.
Marmot Limantour Shorts
$149.95
Softshell shorts with four-way
REINFORCEMENT ɽʋɭơʋƃǠ࡫7ĭè˪ȥǫɽǠ࡫čábࠄ߿ɽʠȥ
PATCHES OF protection, zippered cargo and
back pockets, cinch cord waist,
THICKER MATERIAL reinforced seat and pockets.
ON HIGH-WEAR 390g. www.marmotnz.co.nz
AREAS, LIKE KNEES
AND BOTTOM,
WILL INCREASE
THE LIFE OF
A GARMENT.
WATER
Montane Terra Pants RESISTANCE
$159 Clothing treated
Cordura patches in high-
with a durable
wear areas, articulated
knees, tailored waist with water repellent –
repairable button fasten- DWR – will help
ing, removable webbing
it repel show- Rab Calient Shorts $159.95
belt, hand pockets, zipped
pull-out security pocket, ers and improve Water-resistant and quick-dry-
ǫȥnj࡫čábࠂ߿ऋ࡫ƎȶʠŹȍơɽȥŔɢˁŔǫɽʋ-
mesh-lined thigh vents, the comfort and
ŹŔȥƎ࡫˖ǫɢɢơƎ˫ˊŔȥƎɭơȟȶʽŔŹȍơ
ɢɭơɽɽɽʋʠƎŔȥȇȍơŔƎǿʠɽʋ- warmth of the item. belt, zipped thigh pocket and
ȟơȥʋ࡫čábࠃ߿ऋࡲࠂࠃ߿njࡲ
two zipped hand pockets. 205g.
www.furtherfaster.co.nz
ˁˁˁࡲȶʠʋ˪ʋʋơɭɽࡲȥơʋࡲȥ˖
73
 WILD
GEAR

SUN PROTECTION
The ultraviolet protection
factor (UPF) measures the
amount of UV light that
passes through fabric. A UPF
rating of 40+ or more should
SURYLGH VXIÀFLHQWSURWHFWLRQ
during summer.
NEW GEAR
FOR YOUNG
TRAMPERS
Kids don’t always have
to have their older sibling’s
hand-me-downs. The same
quality gear that parents use,
and that young trampers can use
as they grow, is available at an
affordable price.

Marmot Women’s Cabrillo

Long Sleeve Shirt $109.95
Climbing shirt with quick drying
Nanowick technology to wick
away sweat, raglan sleeves,
stretch fabric, UPF 50, drop tail
hem. 175g.
www.marmotnz.co.nz

¡Ŕɭȟȶʋþȶˁơɭþơơࢼࠅࠈࡲࠈࠄ
Quick drying recycled polyester fabric
for minimal heat loss paired with cotton
for comfort, crew neck, graphic logo
at front. 160g. www.marmotnz.co.nz

ODOUR Macpac Tui Fleece

CONTROL Pullover $79.99
Polartec Micro Fleece, 100% recy-
Anti-odour cled material, bluesign-approved,
half zip for temperature regulation,
treatments suppress raglan sleeves, thumb loops. 160g.
the bacteria that www.macpac.co.nz
cause smells and
Earth Sea Sky
allow garments
Lightweight Polartec
to be worn longer
Power Dry T $99.90
Recycled polyester bi-component between washes
fabric, wicks moisture, quick-
Ǝɭˊǫȥnj࡫ɭơȍŔˉơƎ˪ʋ࡫ȟŔƎơǫȥ
New Zealand, multiple colours.
110g. www.earthseasky.co.nz

Montane Dart Marmot Women’s

T-Shirt $50
Dual-layer construction
Apex D-Fuse fabric,
wicking pique knit next
to the skin, Polygenie
ȶƎȶʠɭƃȶȥʋɭȶȍ࡫˫Ŕʋ
ȍȶƃȇơƎɽơŔȟɽ࡫čábࠃ߿ऋࡲ
107g (m), 88g (w). www.
furtherfaster.co.nz
Beta Tank $79.95
AirExchange performance fabric
for quick-drying and moisture-
wicking performance, racerback
detail, shirttail hem for
increased coverage. 90g.
www.marmotnz.co.nz
Marmot Kids Precip
ECO $179.95
Recycled NanoPro fabric, 100% seam
taped, roll-up hood, pack pockets,
ƎȶʠŹȍơɽʋȶɭȟ˫Ŕɢ࡫7ɭǫ-ȍǫȟơ࢚ȍǫȥơƎ
chin guard Angel-Wing Movement.
205g. www.marmotnz.co.nz

74 January 2021
 Macpac Rockover
Convertible Hiking
Traverse Mahia Pants $89.99
òȍơơɢǫȥnj %Ŕnj ࢼࠅࠈࡲࠈࠈ Stretch blend fabric,
Mummy style sleeping bag with bluesign approved,
internal pocket, cram bag with ɩʠǫƃȇ Ǝɭˊǫȥnj࡫ čáb ࠄ߿ऋ࡫
compression straps, 10ȓ comfort zip off lower legs with
rating, left and right zip options. colour coded zips,
ˁˁˁࡲǠʠȥʋǫȥnjŔȥƎ˪ɽǠǫȥnjࡲƃȶࡲȥ˖ extendable inner
waistband, hand and leg
ɢȶƃȇơʋɽ࡫ ɭơȍŔˉơƎ ˪ʋࡲ ࠁࠀ߿njࡲ
www.macpac.co.nz

Marmot Kids Trestles 30 $134

Mummy-style synthetic bag with ana-
ʋȶȟǫƃŔȍȍˊɽǠŔɢơƎljȶȶʋŹȶˉ࡫ࠂ7ŔƎǿʠɽʋŔŹȍơ
hood, interior stash pocket, fold-down
second zipper for ventilation and easy
access, EN Tested. For children under
152cm. 1080g. www.marmotnz.co.nz

LOWA Approach GTX Mid Jr $240

Versatile boot for light on-trail tramping
or everyday wear. Features a split leather
and fabric upper, supportive DynaPU
midsole, Gore-Tex lining, Lowa Trac Lite
rubber outsole. 430g. www.lowa.co.nz

Osprey Ace 50 $349.99

Northside Snohomish
Kids Waterproof $129.99
All-weather hiking boot with
moisture-wicking lining, gusseted
tongue keeps debris out, abrasion-
resistant toe guard, heel stabiliser
and multi-directional rubber outsole.
www.northside.co.nz
LOWA Robin GTX Lo Jr
$200
Lightweight multifunctional
slip-on shoe with dracord lac-
ing, Gore-Tex lining, fabric and
suede upper, Dyna PU midsole,
monowrap sole construction
with stabiliser and anti-slip
rubber outsole. Multiple colour
options. 360g. www.lowa.co.nz
ĭǫʋǠࠀࠁƃȟȶljʋȶɭɽȶŔƎǿʠɽʋŔŹǫȍǫʋˊŔȥƎ
extendable Fit-on-the-Fly hipbelt,
the pack grows with its user. Ventilated
Airspeed harness, zippered sleeping
bag compartment, hydration reservoir
sleeve, multiple pockets, rain cover,
tool holders, 7-12kg load capacity.
1680g. www.southernapproach.co.nz

75
 WILD
GEAR

FIT

2021 TRAIL
$JRRG¾WLVYLWDOWRNHHSLQJ\RXU
IRRW VWDEOH RYHU XQHYHQ WHUUDLQ
,W LV DOVR HVVHQWLDO IRU FRP

RUNNING
IRUW ZKLOH VRPH PRGHOV PLJKW
VWUHWFKDQGVRIWHQRQFHWKH\DUH
broken in – and even while you

SHOES
are using them as they adjust
WRVZHOOLQJIHHW°DVKRHWKDWLV
XQFRPIRUWDEOHIURPWKHVWDUWZLOO
UHPDLQXQFRPIRUWDEOH

Lightweight trail running shoes are
built to cover long distances, fast.
- Alistair Hall
7RRGT
8VXDOO\PDGHIURPTXLFNGU\LQJ
and super light synthetic materi
DOV([SHFWSOHQW\RIPHVKSDQ
els and a breathable lining to
KHOSNHHSIHHWFRRO

MIDSOLE
Technical midsoles are made
RYAN DOMINICIS

IURP YDULRXV VKRFNDEVRUELQJ

materials that also help rebound
and propel the user through their
VWULGH 0LGVROHV RIWHQ LQFOXGH
a plate to protect the under
IRRW IURP VWRQHV DQG RWKHU WUDLO
debris.

HEEL TO
TOE DROP
7KLV LV WKH KHLJKW GLIIHUHQFH
between the heel and toe and
FDQ EH DQ\ZKHUH IURP PP
0mm. The less heel drop, the
more minimalist the shoe will be.

1WVUQNG
:LGHVSDFHGGLUWVKHGGLQJOXJV
are common. But don’t just look
IRU VKRHV ZLWK WKH PRVW OXJV °
PDQXIDFWXUHUV XVH D YDULHW\ RI
rubber compounds to provide
WUDFWLRQ ZKLOH DOVR RIIHULQJ D
ORQJODVWLQJWUHDG

TOE BOX AND HEEL

$ UHLQIRUFHG WRH ER[ ZLWK V\Q
thetic overlays will protect toes
IURP EXPSV ,W VKRXOG EH ZLGH
enough to allow toes to spread
out during runs. The heel needs
to be cupped securely to prevent
it moving about and blistering.

SIZING
$JRRGUXOHRIWKXPELVWREX\D
VKRHKDOIDVL]HODUJHUWKDQ\RXU
UHJXODU VKRHV DQG LI \RX SODQ
on doing ultra distances, think
about getting at least one pair
WKDWLVDIXOOVL]HODUJHU°IHHWFDQ
swell up to two sizes over these
longer distances.
 1
1- HOKA ONE ONE EVO
MAFATE 2 $329.95
For rugged trails and featuring MATRYX fab-
ric and a breathable vamp, Vibram Mega-
grip rubber outsole with aggressive 5mm
lugs, gusseted tongue, compressed EVA
midsole and rubberised foam base, early-
stage Meta-Rocker, sculpted arch pods for
medial control, 4mm drop. 582g (m), 502g (w).
www.hokaoneone.co.nz
2- SCARPA SPIN ULTRA $289.99
Award-winning shoe for moderate to ultra-
distance runs. Breathable mesh upper with
an external TPU cage for support, Sock-Fit
construction, stretch textile lining, TPU toe
cap, dual-density EVA midsole and Vibram
Megagrip outsole, 6mm drop. 540g (m), 500g
(w). www.southernapproach.co.nz
3- HOKA ONE ONE STINSON
ATR 6 $299.99
For rugged trails and featuring a broad high
volume CMEVA midsole, engineered mesh
uppers with recycled yarn, plush heel col-
lar, TPU-reinforced toe cap, late stage Meta-
Rocker, closely spaced 4mm lugs, 5mm drop.
664g (m), 556g (w). www.hokaoneone.co.nz
4- THE NORTH FACE ULTRA
TRACTION FUTURELIGHT $270
For technical trails and featuring a breath-
able and waterproof Futurelight mem-
brane, supportive mesh upper, no-sew
TPU rand and heel counter, eco-friendly
OrthoLite Hybrid footbed, FastFoam mid-
sole system, EXTS outsole with alternating
lug heights, 4mm drop. 678g (m), 602g (w).
www.thenorthface.co.nz
5- HOKA ONE ONE CHALLENGER
ATR 6 GTX $269.95
All terrain shoe with textured TPU toe,
compression-moulded EVA foam midsole,
early-stage Meta-Rocker, dual-layer mesh
upper, recycled yarn, internal heel counter
minimises heel-lift, podular EVA outsole
with rubber overlays, 5mm drop. 558g.
www.hokaoneone.co.nz
6- THE NORTH FACE ULTRA
ENDURANCE XF $240
For technical trails and featuring dynamic
air mesh upper, no-sew TPU toe cap and
midfoot overlays, gusseted tongue, eco-
friendly OrthoLite Hybrid footbed, XtraFoam
midsole system, EXTS outsole with dual-
density 3mm lugs, 6mm drop. 640g (m), 514g
(w). www.thenorthface.co.nz
7- INOV-8 TRAILTALON 290
$229.99
Designed for long-distance runs with
ƎŔɢʋơɭ˪ʋ ʋơƃǠȥȶȍȶnjˊ ˁǠǫƃǠ ŔƎŔɢʋɽ ʋȶ ʋǠơ
foot swelling on longer runs, shock-absorb-
ǫȥnjáȶˁơɭbȍȶˁȟǫƎɽȶȍơ࡫ƃȍȶɽơ࢚˪ʋʋǫȥnjǠơơȍ࡫
wide toe-box, rubber toe, gusseted tongue,
Tri-C Sticky outsole, 8mm drop. 580g (m/w)
www.southernapproach.co.nz
77
 Experiencing
a Great Walk
HAS NEVER
BEEN EASIER!

Once you have booked your hut tickets

it’s time to book your: Accommodation,
Transport, Secure Car Park and Car Relocations
Take our shuttle for FREE parking,
FREE shower and FREE bike transport!

Visit www.paparoagreatwalk.co.nz
or call 03 7311894

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81
 TRACK CHAT

A LIFETIME
OF DISCOVERY
Entomologist Dr George Gibbs has explored the How important was his work to
life and work of his grandfather, George Hudson, science in New Zealand?
the pioneering naturalist who amassed perhaps He was a pioneer. The lasting
the largest private collection of New Zealand YDOXHRIWKLVVRUWRIFRQWULEXWLRQLV
insects, and published seven books with more in the data that is obtained about
than 3100 illustrations. By Matthew Cattin WKHVWDWHRI1HZ=HDODQGµVIDXQDDW
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cies were already declining, oth
What do you remember of your HUVDUULYLQJIURPRYHUVHDV+HZDV
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had the opportunity to meet up gists should concentrate on the
at his house when my mum, his ORZODQG IRUHVW KDELWDW EHFDXVH LW
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I ADMIT THAT In his view, the mountains would
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or at Paekakariki where he would
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INEVITABLY people may be seeing his
illustrations?
the house he showed me drawers TURNED OUT His seven books are rare collec
RIKLVIDYRXULWHLQVHFWV7KHHYHQW TO BE AN tors’ items today and because the
that really stuck in my memory was
WKHGD\DW%XWWHU¿\&UHHNZKHQKH
they wanted to know was what lived
there, on these islands remote in
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toppled into a pool and spent the WKH 6RXWKHUQ 2FHDQ 7KH ELUGOLIH LQJWKHWUXHTXDOLW\RIKLVDUWZRUN
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woollen underwear, something I to be given names. That was his methods we can now achieve per
KDYHQHYHUVHHQEHIRUHRUVLQFH role and he never deviated. The IHFWLRQ 6R LQ WKLV QHZ ERRN \RX
trouble with insects is their diver are seeing them exactly as they
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in life? Zealand, there are well over 100
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WRRN P\ UHVHDUFK LQWR KLV OLIH WR proposed the introduction
UHYHDOWKHIXOOH[WHQWRIWKDWWRPH +LV¾HOGWULSVLQ1=PXVWKDYH of daylight saving time?
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LQHYLWDEOH +H KDG IRVWHUHG WKDW The term ‘wilderness’ applied quite RI WKH UROH RI FORFNV LQ RXU SHU
interest every time I saw him. He literally in his time. He had a spe FHSWLRQ RI WLPH$V ZH NQRZ IURP
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RIWKHSDVVLRQ,LJQRUHGWKHKLQWV expedition to a high country loca An Exquisite what we do. But when he sug
when at school, but when it came tion. His collecting gear was bulky Legacy is gested it to reduce the consump
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itably turned out to be an insect.
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New Zealand?
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82 January 2021
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mouse got into his drying racks
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larger insects.
the Wilderness HQRQ LQ VXPPHU LQ  LW ZDV
store. ridiculed. The suggestion arose
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Lyell Range, Old Ghost Road