Wilderness September 2017

THE TONGARIRO ALPINE Crossing is fast becoming the most congested, messiest, smelliest track in the country. I wish that were an exaggeration, but when DOC rangers find 16 piles of human faeces in a two hour period, and local iwi spend two days carting away dozens of bin liners full of rubbish, it’s more of an understatement. What has happened here? The proliferation of concessionaires dropping walkers off by the bus load at roughly the same time, doesn’t help. DOC is hamstrung: it’s not able to prevent people walking the track, so instead it tries to manage the problem by installing more toilets – perhaps the tramping equivalent of building more roads to prevent traffic congestion instead of encouraging people off the roads in the first place. This coming summer,…

Courage in turning back AFTER READING SHAUN Barnett’s article, ‘Into the Forgotten’ (August 2017), I wanted to applaud the courage it took for Barnett to both share with his group the concerns he had about the crux of their route to the Olivine Ice Plateau, and the ultimate decision he made to not carry on. Most trampers and mountaineers know that ‘gut feeling’ you get when viewing a suspect route – for me it’s a combination of both awe and fear. What I learnt from Barnett’s article is that truly experienced and inspirational trampers and climbers are able to openly share with others their thoughts and concerns regardless of their reservations about how they might be perceived by others. I will not forget this article when I inevitably face my…

Your trips, your pix What did you get up to last weekend? Get your photo published here to receive an Opinel No.5 folding knife worth $20. Learn more about Opinel at ampro.co.nz. Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz…

THE TONGARIRO ALPINE Crossing will be better managed this summer, although it’s unlikely there will be any major management changes in place. DOC’s regional director of operations, Allan Munn, said there is “a whole bunch of things being put together with caution”. “There are some problems that we need to sort out now and some things that can be done without undue haste,” he said. “We’re going to manage the toilets better – we need to have the right number in the right place and keep them clean and tidy. We’re going to manage the track better, ensure systems around safety are in place and we will manage the car parks better by having more people on the ground. “Our long term objective is to manage that walk in a…

How do New Zealand springs compare to those elsewhere in the world? I think we're in the top three countries in the world for hot springs, alongside Japan and Iceland. Not surprising considering we're located on the Pacific Rim of Fire. Which is your favourite backcountry hot spring? Welcome Flat Hot Pools. I lived and worked there for five years as a hut ranger and volunteer coordinator. It's reached on a What’s it like to travel the country in search of hot springs? Well, someone’s got to do it! Part of why I love hot springs is that you get to go on amazing adventures – not only in New Zealand, but around the world. I’ve met so many people and visited places I would never have gone otherwise –…

IT’S A SIGNIFICANT milestone for any Te Araroa Tramper: marking the end of their journey with a photograph of themselves beneath the AA signpost in Bluff. One sign on the post is particularly significant, as it points to Cape Reinga where their adventure began. But Wilderness reader Earl Hasse reckons he’s spotted a major gaffe. He says the sign pointing to Cape Reinga and another sign pointing to Wellington are mixed up. Hasse said if he had completed the Te Araroa Trail, he would look back over the length of New Zealand raise his arms and without crossing them, point one to the starting point at Cape Reinga and the other to Wellington, at the end of the North Island. “According to all the maps I have seen, this would…