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.

Want a lighter pack? Carry a bivvy bag

Wilderness

PIGEON POST

CYCLING in Samoa

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

Rats outwit eradication efforts on Ulva Island

Backcountry Trust launches volunteer recruitment drive

Cash up for grabs for youth award trips

‘Heaving’ wasp nest an unwelcome find in hut

Kiwi guiding company heads back to NEPAL

WILDERNESS WORD

I'm doing it! • Three families doing Walk1200km share their reasons and experiences

Walk1200km photo competition • Walk1200km participants are being motivated every weekend to visit new and amazing places in order to boost their weekly distances. Here are some of the best photos received in the quarterly Walk1200km photo competition.

FROM EVEREST TO AOTEAROA • Tsewang Nuru Sherpa grew up near Everest and sees similarities between efforts to reduce rubbish on the world's highest mountain and in New Zealand.

RETHINKING THE FUN FRAMEWORK • Every tramper can identify with Type 1 and Type 2 fun, but is it time to rethink the paradigm?

FOLLY ON THE ICE • Inspired by the tales of other readers' memorable nights published in the May issue, a hunter recalls his own near-miss during a storm in Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park.

See more … IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JULIUS VON HAAST • Born 200 years ago, Julius von Haast was responsible for the (re)naming of many backcountry landmarks.

BEYOND BELIEF

MATAKETAKE HUT, WEST COAST • Take a historic cattle track to this brand new hut, built by the Andy Dennis Trust and maintained by the Backcountry Trust.

CROWN PEAK TRACK, ARROWTOWN • Dominating Arrowtown's eastern skyline is Crown Peak (1735m). The summit rocks can be seen for miles and there are many routes to reach them, including this trip from the town itself.

BURN HUT LOOP, TARARUA FOREST PARK • Burn Hut, the northernmost hut in the Tararua Range, is on a scrubby subalpine loop to nowhere. But the hut more than makes up for the scrappy track.

NORTH EGMONT SUMMIT TRACK LOOP, TE PAPAKURA O TARANAKI • A great half-day walk on Taranaki Maunga with a bit of everything - goblin forest, tussock and spectacular views of the mountain and surrounding ring plain.

ST JAMES RANGE CAMPING, ST JAMES CONSERVATION AREA • The St James Range offers numerous opportunities to climb high and camp beside a mountain tarn with exceptional views over valleys and the Spenser Mountains.

A TRIP CALLED PERSE-VERANCE • TICKING OFF THE SQUIGGLY TRACKS ON A MAP, ONE BY ONE, LED THIS TRAMPER TO DREAM UP HER BIGGEST TRIP YET: A MULTI-DAY TRAVERSE OF THE RICHMOND RANGE.

Untamed Subantarctic • AN EXPEDITION TO NEW ZEALAND'S SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS REVEALS A LANDSCAPE SHAPED BY VOLCANIC ACTIVITY, WIND AND COLD. YET FLORA AND FAUNA THRIVE HERE IN NUMBERS THAT ASTOUND.

CAN YOU SEE THIS ORANGE TRACK MARKER? • Eight per cent of men and 0.5 per cent of women have a colour vision deficiency, which means they struggle to discriminate red from green, yellow and orange. What does that mean for navigating in the backcountry?

BIVVY THE BEAUTIFUL • THEY'RE NOT PERFECT AND OFTEN A TENT IS SUPERIOR, BUT SLEEPING IN YOUR OWN WARM COCOON DIRECTLY BENEATH THE STARS HAS ITS ATTRACTIONS.

4 GREAT BIVVY SPOTS • Peter Laurenson picks his four best bivvy sleeps (to date). All offer flat ground and stunning panoramic views for enjoying sunsets and sunrises.

GIVE IT A TRY! • Want to travel lighter and faster? Pack one of these bivvy bags.

FATHER'S DAY GIFT GUIDE • GIFT IDEAS FOR OUTDOOR...