Wilderness November 2015

THERE ARE SO many great tracks that lead somewhere spectacular, only for you to have to return the way you came. Lake Marian in Fiordland, Heaphy Track, Queen Charlotte Track, and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing to name but four. Look at a map and you’ll find dozens – hundreds – more. Even superlative tracks like the Milford and Routeburn are one way, requiring transport to and from either end. That’s why you’ve got to love loop tracks. They’re fantastically convenient, negating the need for tricky, time consuming or expensive car shuttling. Just head to the road end, strap on your pack and off you go – only to return to the exact same spot from another direction in a few hours or days. Convenience aside, it’s for another reason I…

TENURE REVIEW NOT COMPULSORY YOU WERE INCORRECT to state that pastoral leaseholders are ‘being forced by government to go through tenure review’ (‘From the editor’, October 2015). Tenure review is an entirely voluntary process and even if a lessee enters into the process, they are free to withdraw at any time. Whatever your views on the tenure review process, it is a fact that it has resulted in some outstanding outcomes for recreation and public access to the backcountry, particularly in the Southern Lakes and Central Otago. You could spend a lifetime and still not exhaust the new recreational opportunities that have been created over the last decade within an hour's drive of Queenstown and Wanaka. The reason all the Great Walks, huts and tracks are located down here and…

We asked readers what they prefer and why: camp, hut or bivvy. Here’s a sample of their responses: Mr 6 and Mr 8 always come with us now, so huts are easier. - Karen Hutchings Basic hut or bivvy, don't like the fancy ones. - Russell Pullar Don't get me wrong, I love the camp or bivvy options, but there is backcountry camaraderie in a hut. Meeting interesting people from different backgrounds and nationalities all brought together through a common love for the outdoors. - Terry Skudder Camp, love the whole outdoor experience! - Carolyn Vasta Definitely camp. Off track, away from the crowds and on the tops by a mountain tarn or stream. It's free and no bloody sandflies! - Richard Forbes Hut, but not too fancy. Getting too…

SEND YOUR PIX Get your photo published here to receive the Light My Fire ‘Pack-up-Cup’. This compressible 260ml cup keeps drinks warm and protected from dirt and bugs with its tight and secure lid. Just fold it out and fill it up. More details at ampro.co.nz. Last Weekend submission criteria at wildernessmag.co.nz…

TUTIN NO 1080 ALTERNATIVE A five-year project to determine whether the toxin tutin could be used as a viable alternative to 1080 as a pest eradicator has ended with disappointing results. Tutin comes from the native tutu plant and has been known to kill livestock, people and even circus elephants. But Shaun Ogilvie, a researcher at Lincoln University, has concluded male rats weren’t as susceptible to the poison as females, making it overall less effective than 1080. A lack of funding means tutu as a potential pest poison can’t be explored further for now. MARK SEDON ACHIEVES SIX YEAR DREAM Two years ago, Wilderness compared Hawea-based mountain guide Mark Sedon’s situation to that of the New Zealand America’s Cup team. Sedon had set himself the challenge of climbing the 18…

Congratulations to Georgina Cunningham and Andre Morelli. Their flag design was voted as New Zealand’s flag of the backcountry. We will soon see this design flown from Aoraki/ Mt Cook in honour of their success. Nearly 1000 readers voted and, of the six finalists, four were neck and neck right to the end, with different designs taking the lead, seemingly on an hourly basis. In the end it was Cunningham and Morelli’s design which reigned supreme by a handful of votes. The two aren’t strangers to this sort of task, working for Queenstownbased branding and graphic design company Swordfox. But Cunningham says she was delighted to have won and is particularly excited about the prize: “While it's nice to receive a prize or recognition for winning, having Adventure Consultants fly…