Wilderness December 2016

25 YEARS OF WILDERNESS THIS SUMMER, I’M loading up the car, bikes on the back, and heading to Hawke’s Bay where I’ll be introducing my daughter to the 200-odd kilometres of cycle trail crisscrossing the region. It’s something a bit different to the tramping trails we might normally be hitting, but as far as walking in the Hawke’s Bay goes, it’s fair say the region is not the North Island’s answer to Fiordland. One of the benefits of swapping boots for bikes is that a trail which would be, perhaps, a little boring if you walked it, can be done in a fraction of the time on a bike, compressing distance and time to create a more thrilling experience. That’s my hope at any rate. For my daughter, at least,…

FELLOW TRAMPER SAVES MEMORIES Over labour weekend, two friends and I tramped Mt Pirongia. It is a challenging tree-rooted, muddy and steep track. Coming down, I was taking photos of my friends and the boggy track. As I went to take a photo, I realised my camera was missing. My friends continued on, while I dropped my pack and retraced my steps to the last photo taken and then carefully searched as I made my way back to my pack. No luck. Consoling myself with the thought that it had been a great tramp, and it wasn't really a tragedy, I finished the tramp. I was mostly disappointed for not having downloaded recent holiday photos from Germany. Two days later, my son Shaun sent me a message: ‘Mum, can’t believe…

SEND YOUR PIX 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…

TONGARIRO VISITORS URGED TO TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORT The Department of Conservation at Tongariro National Park has had second thoughts on installing pop-up car parking at the access roads to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. DOC considered the idea after Labour Weekend when a long line of cars was parked along the Ketetahi and Mangatepopo roads. But now DOC’s Tongariro National Park operations manager Paul Carr is favouring a different approach and is advising visitors to start taking established public transportation from nearby hubs, such as Whakapapa and National Park villages. Three years ago, Carr said it was far more common for people to opt for public transport over driving in, but he says the increase in campervans and self-drive visitors has skyrocketed. In addition, better weather forecasting means everyone knows when…

The Te Aaroa Trail officially opened five years ago, and since then, almost 800 peope have attempted the 3000km route. Most start the trail at Cape Reinga in spring, finishing roughly five months later at Bluff, the trail’s southern terminus. The exact number of thru-hikers is tough to pinpoint, but Te Araroa Trail CEO Rob Wakelin tells us it’s grown from just 30 in 2011 to roughly 350 in 2015. This year, Wakelin says he expects up to 500 walkers, based on those who have joined the Te Araroa Facebook group and general word of mouth. This season, we’re following eight trampers as they embark on the journey of a lifetime. Hailing from all over the world, many have traded in their 9-5s for a stripped-down routine: sleep, eat, walk,…

THE KINGFISHER (kotare) is one of New Zealand’s best known birds; almost everyone will recognise the hunched silhouette waiting patiently on a power line or other elevated perch over an estuary or mudflat, ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey. They are present on all three main islands, but are encountered more frequently in the North Island. Existing in both coastal and inland freshwater habitats, the kotare can be found in a wide range of forests, river margins, farmland, lakes, estuaries and rocky coastlines – anywhere there is water or open country with adjacent elevated perches. Their stand out physical feature is their green-blue (almost iridescent) back. The female is greener, while the male has a tinge of blue. The undersides of both are a beige-yellow. They possess a broad black…