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.
STEP BY STEP
Wilderness
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Your Trips, YOUR PIX • What did you get up to last weekend?
WALK SHORTS
I’m doing it! • Walk1200km participants share the reasons they are walking 1200km in 12 months.
What is Walk1200km?
I’M CELEBRATING WALKING PAIN-FREE • Anne Henley is doing Walk1200km to put her new hip through its paces.
WALK1200KM GEAR UP FOR GRABS THIS MONTH • Walk1200km participants can win these valuable prizes supplied by our partners. Make sure you’re registered www.wildernessmag. co.nz/walk1200km then answer the following questions.
WALKING OUR WAY TO A BETTER FUTURE • By ditching the car on some of your journeys, you’ll not only add to your Walk1200km distance, but you can help New Zealand meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.
RETURN TO RAKIURA • Rakiura Herzhoff has come back to the island with which he shares a name and is passionate about community-enhancing ecology and preserving culture.
PILES OF HUMAN EXCREMENT ARE RUINING THIS NATURAL WONDER • The rising popularity of Earnslaw Burn combined with the poor toileting habits of those visiting this area has created a human waste problem.
HOW TO BE A RESPONSIBLE POOPER
THERE’S SOMETHING MISSING FROM THE GREAT WALKS • Aotearoa’s Great Walks provide quintessentially diverse perspectives of the world. But can the same be said of the evening hut talks?
PEPEHA
TANIA’S PEPEHA
If I’d been able to will the iwi narrative into acknowledgement, I would have.
See more ... PASSES • The anticipation of crossing a mountain pass is matched by the trepidation at what lies beyond. These five passes should be on your life list.
A clear view from Clearview Spur • WAITAHA CATCHMENT, Westland
WILD TRIPS
TAWARAU FALLS LOOP TRACK, TAWARUA CONSERVATION AREA • A day trip to a striking waterfall in the little-known Tawarau Forest.
HUNTER’S HUT, MT RICHMOND FOREST PARK • A short drive from Nelson, this overnight trip provides quick access to stunning alpine ridgelines and the otherworldly landscapes of the mineral belt.
EASTERN WALKWAY LOOP, WELLINGTON • A diverse coastal loop track that delivers far beyond what its suburban location might suggest.
ZEKES HUT, HIHITAHI FOREST SANCTUARY • A small hut in one of only a few ‘forest sanctuary’ areas in New Zealand.
ROD DONALD HUT VIA HILLTOP, BANKS PENINSULA • The Te Ara Pātaka (Summit Walkway) runs from the Hilltop lookout to Kaituna Valley via the Rod Donald and Packhorse Huts. There are multiple access points and it can be walked in either direction.
OMEO GULLY TRACK, • Climbing to an isolated goldfield through a landscape of tors and tussock, the Omeo Gully Track provides expansive views and a gateway to the tundra-like tops of the Old Man Range.
NEVER SAY NEVER • THE LAKE MORGAN CIRCUIT ON THE WEST COAST INVOLVES THREE REMOTE HUTS A N D CHALLENGING RIDGETOPS AND RIVERS.
WILD FILE
WINNING IMAGES from the 2022 WILDERNESS PHOTO COMPETITION
A selection of finalists
TEARAROA THE PATHWAY NEW ZEAL AND
THE LONG PATH TO THE HEART • Is embarking on a long-distance journey like Te Araroa something best done with your better half, or is it a recipe for a break-up? Wilderness talks to three couples about their time on Te Araroa Trail
ONCE A THRU-HIKER, ALWAYS A THRU-HIKER • You live, breathe, sleep a thru-hike – it’s your life for three, four, six months. But even after it’s finished and you’re back in the real world, the trail’s tattoo...