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.

FABULOUS PHOTOS - AND THE FIVE PASSES

Wilderness

LETTER of the MONTH

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

ERNIE, A TE ARAROA LEGEND

A peak CHALLENGE

COROMANDEL WALKWAY REPAIRS BEGIN

RESPECTING THE END OF A LIFE IN THE MOUNTAINS

CELEBRATING THE BIODIVERSITY OF OUR GREAT OUTDOORS

A few of our favourite walks • What makes a walk special? We invited Walk 1200km participants to share their favourite outings. The brief was simple: describe any walk that has stood out since embarking on the challenge. Their choices reveal some of the many things that make a walk special.

GEAR TO HELP YOU WALK MORE THIS MONTH

#microchallenge 04-06 winners! • Complete the #microchallenges, as these Walk1200km participants have done, and receive an exclusive, can’t-be-bought Walk1200km badge. The best effort in each challenge also receives a special prize from our partners!

May 2025 #microchallenges • In each issue, three new #microchallenges are set to add interest and silliness to your kilometres.

DOES YOUR WATERPROOF JACKET HAVE TO BE GORE-TEX? • Waterproof gear is becoming ever more waterproof, and the ability of membranes to ‘breathe’ is increasing.

WHY THE RIGHT SOCKS CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR ADVENTURE • When setting out on long-distance tramps or a quick escape into the wilderness, it’s boots, layers, and packs we think about. But there’s another essential that can make or break your trip: socks.

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK: IT’S FOR EVERYBODY • Exploring new terrain need not be the realm of high-performing athletes. We can all get amongst it.

THIS FOREST GEM IS A RARE FIND • The red- and yellow-crowned kākāriki are emerald gems in the native forest crown.

ARE WE THERE YET? • How far can children walk and how much can they carry? We find out.

HAPPY VALLEY • Tauherenīkau Valley, Tararua Forest Park

FORGOTTEN HUTS • Old trampers never die, they just trail away. What happens to old huts when they pass their use-by date? Wilderness visits a handful of old huts that have been renovated or repositioned at new spots to be ready for their own twilight years.

2025 WILDERNESS OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR WINNERS • Fresh takes on old huts, breathtaking traverses and birds on the hunt – this year’s competition has it all.

High Fives in Aspiring • The classic Five Passes circuit has it all: remote terrain, challenging climbs, satisfying mountain views and the chance to overnight in a spacious rock biv.

Echoes of THE WILD • Anna Watson grew up listening to her mother Adrienne’s stories of tramping in Fiordland. One trip, to remote George Sound Hut, seemed like a challenge worth repeating.

MOTHER’S DAY GIFT GUIDE • Gift ideas for every outdoor woman - mother or not.

SECRET HUTS ON RUAPEHU’S SOUTHERN SLOPES • Two men built huts on Ruapehu to avoid conscription during World War Two. Could their huts be found, nearly 80 years later, near a tangled and trickling mountain stream?

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR INSULATED JACKET • Clean your insulated jacket properly and it will last for years.

COLD ILLNESS • Cold temps, wetness, and wind, combined with inadeguate fueling & hydration, poor trip planning and medical conditions can all lead to progressive Phases of cold illness and injury, no matter the season.

DECISION POINT: WHERE TO CROSS A RIVER • You come to an unbridged river, consider it carefully and decide it is safe to cross. What should you consider?

WHAT’S IN MY PACK • Fiona McConnochie, organiser of solo tramping weekends for...