Wilderness

Each issue of Wilderness takes its readers to the most beautiful areas in New Zealand, whether by foot, mountain bike, sea kayak, raft, pony or dream.

EDITORIAL

Wilderness NZ

LETTER OF THE MONTH

Your Trips, YOUR PIX • What did you get up to last weekend?

WALK SHORTS

PHOTO COMPETITION • Have you got what it takes to snap the Wilderness Outdoor Photo of the Year? You have until March 4, 2022, to submit your best images.

I’m doing it! • Walk1200km participants share the reasons they are walking 1200km in 12 months.

JOIN US IN WALKING 1200KM AND YOU COULD WIN! • Walk1200km participants can win these amazing prizes supplied by our partners. Make sure you’re registered www.wildernessmag.co.nz/walk1200km then answer the following questions.

Walking can help women through menopause • The research is clear, regular walking can help women cope with some of the symptoms of menopause.

The gear experts • Living Simply is Auckland’s premium independent outdoor retailer. With over 35 years experience at its Newmarket store, you’ll be looked after by a team of gear experts who love the same outdoor activities as you.

BEST FOOT FORWARD • What you wear on your feet can be the difference between completing your trip in comfort or ending it in misery. Katrina Megget seeks advice from Te Araroa Trail walkers on hiking shoes or tramping boots

In her father’s FOOTSTEPS • ELKE BRAUN-ELWERT WAS AT A CROSSROADS: JOIN THE FAMILY GUIDING BUSINESS OR LEAVE THE MOUNTAINS TO WORK IN SCIENCE. HER FATHER’S SUDDEN DEATH SET HER ON A CAREER IN THE MOUNTAINS.

WHAT I LEARNT PADDLING AROUND RAKIURA • In circumnavigating Rakiura by sea kayak, Blake Hornblow realised it’s not enough to just be in tune with weather and nature. You also need a purpose beyond the adventure.

See more ... SADDLES • Crossing a saddle from one catchment to another is a highlight of any tramping trip. Here are four saddles worth venturing to.

DEALING WITH THE DEVIL • DEVIL’S DEN BIVVY, Lake Sumner Forest Park

WILD TRIPS

PFEIFER BIV VIA WAHAROA SADDLE, ARTHUR’S PASS NATIONAL PARK • High in a picturesque alpine basin sits one of the lesser visited gems in Arthur’s Pass: two bunk Pfeifer Biv.

WILD FILE

MT TE KINGA, WEST COAST • A stunning podocarp forest walk leads to the summit of Mt Te Kinga where there are 360-degree views of the Coast.

CROSBIES HUT VIA TE PURU TRACK, COROMANDEL FOREST PARK • Perched high in a clearing with sweeping views over the Coromandel Range, Crosbies Hut is an upper North Island gem not to be missed.

WAIOPEHU HUT, TARARUA FOREST PARK • Waiopehu Hut makes for an accessible and easy Tararua overnighter that offers sweeping views.

IRON WHARE, KAWEKA FOREST PARK • An overnight tramp to the oldest hut in Hawke’s Bay.

WILD FILE

MEG HUT VIA CROWN RANGE RIDGE TRACK, PISA CONSERVATION AREA • The eastern ridge of the Crown Range provides a picturesque gateway to the Pisa Range offering mountainous views of the Queenstown and Wānaka regions. This route is popular with mountain bikers and hikers.

A world away • THE AOTEA TRACK IS FAR FROM THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST CITY AND IT’S BURSTING WITH BIRDLIFE AND ADVENTURE.

Cantilevered and ancient • Dave Mitchell combines the cantilevered fun of the Lake Dunstan Trail with the gold mining relics of the Cairnmuir Mountain Trail for a thrilling loop between Clyde and Cromwell

EVERY PACK TELLS A STORY • WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT OUR PACKS? MARK WATSON WOULDN’T HAVE WALKED TE ARAOA, CLIMBED AORAKI/ MT COOK OR DONE ANY NUMBER OF OTHER TRIPS

Nights to remember • SHAUN BARNETT HAS SPENT A FEW NIGHTS INTHE...