Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i Wilderness

MENTION VAN LIFE and you could be forgiven for thinking about people who travel a country in a rented vehicle, parking up in reserves and fouling the nearby bush. While that is one aspect of it, there’s a lot more to this worldwide movement that has seen more and more people shunning, at least temporarily, bricks and mortar homes and choosing to live in their custom-converted vans and busses. And as we discover in our feature on p64, van life is well and truly entrenched in New Zealand. With the cost of housing out of reach for many first-home buyers, I can see why the freedom of living in a vehicle is attractive. Park up nearly anywhere you like (as long as you are self-contained) and move on when you’re…

WHEN I FIRST STARTED TRAMPING in the Tararua Ranges in the late 1980s, Aokaparangi Biv had a bad reputation. It was known to be damp, poorly located and hard to find. Worst of all, it was not even on the nearest track, which climbed from Mid Waiohine Hut to the summit of Aokaparangi (1354m) in the central part of the range. That largely changed when DOC made the enlightened decision to build a new hut at a better site in 2008, with support from the Horowhenua Hunting Club. Although small, ‘hut’ is a much better description for the comfortable, fully-insulated shelter which has capacity for two, plus a boot room, water tank and deck. Situated near the bushline, high above the Waiohine Valley, about 250m below the summit of Aokaparangi,…

THE TUTUKAKA COAST has been described in National Geographic as one of the top-rated coastlines in the world, and one of the best spots to view it is from Kukutauwhao Island, at Tutukaka Head. The island is accessed on the Tutukaka Lighthouse Track, though there is no actual lighthouse on the island, just a solar powered beacon. From the car park, the track leads through lush grass, studded with native trees planted by students from nearby Ngunguru School. After about 500m, we reached the high point of Tutukaka Reserve and enjoyed great views of the various bays inside Tutukaka Harbour and of the coastline. Just past this point, we came to steep wooden steps leading to a sandy beach with rock pools at the base of some rock outcrops. At…

BRANCHING OFF ONE OF THE BUSIEST SITES in Haast Pass, the Blue Valley Track is a comforting reminder of how you can still find a track to yourself, even if you have to queue to get there. Not as well-known as the neighbouring Young and Wilkin valleys, the Blue River Valley features lush moss-covered beech forest leading to an alpine valley framed by snowcapped peaks and idyllic camping sites. The track starts from the Blue Pools car park, just as SH6 transforms from dry tussock country into lush beech forest. The car park was packed when we arrived and, donning large packs with tents and camping equipment, we got more than a few strange looks from the hordes of tourists as we ambled on the broad and gravelled track towards…

THE YELLOW-CROWNED PARAKEET (kakariki) belongs to the Cyanoramphus family which includes five other similar-sized green parrots. They were once very common throughout New Zealand but are now rare or uncommon in most places on the mainland. Conservation status Endemic species classified as ‘not threatened’. FEATURES Kakariki are small, forest-dwelling parrots with long tails and an identifying yellow crown on the front of their heads. The bill is bluish-grey in colour with a black tip and sharp cutting edge used for splitting open seeds. Between the bill and the distinctive yellow crown is a narrow crimson band. Capping off these red and yellow colours are some blue feathers on the leading edge of the wings and a red spot on each side of the rump. Both sexes are about the same…

Don’t blame the backcountry It was sad to see Debby McColl (‘Te Araroa under pressure in Tararuas’, February 2018) blaming Tararua tracks and huts for negative feedback from Te Araroa trail users. Let’s be clear about the track McColl is referring to: The Tararua main range is backcountry. It is rugged and remote, with often wild and uncompromising weather. There are no easy escape routes. Existing facilities are appropriate for a backcountry experience. Users should expect to find minimally-maintained routes that may be rough and muddy, and should know how to navigate treefall. Backcountry huts are small and basic; users should be prepared to sleep on the floor (and have been doing so for decades without complaining). Perhaps the problem is actually with the expectations and capabilities of those walking…

FIRST SECTION OF NEW GREAT WALK OPENING THIS YEAR The first section of the Paparoa Track Great Walk is set to open later this year, as workers strive to complete the track by April 2019. Construction of the $10 million, 55km track started in July last year. Contractors have completed about 8km of track. Construction has also begun on two new huts and one of four large bridges has been built. DOC communications advisor Jose Watson said the department plans to open a 16km section of track later this year but could not commit to an opening date. The section of track starts at the Punakaiki end and leads to the new 20-bunk Pororari Hut, which is currently under construction. 30 CONTENDERS FOR NEXT GREAT WALKS DOC has released a…

Hi my name is Roger and I’m a recently retired shearer from Taupo. I grew up in a family of keen fishermen. As kids, my cousins, brothers and I didn’t have a choice; you fished or you kept quiet and read a book. My dad and uncles would grab any opportunity to get away from the farm and head down to the lake for a few hours, or the South Island for a long weekend. We not only fished all over New Zealand, but Dad would organise annual trips to other parts of the world in search of a "big one". Growing up on a dairy farm with two older brothers had is pluses and its minuses. As the youngest, I was always the last when it came to hand…

NESTLED IN a beautiful basin on the lower slopes of the Smyth Range on the West Coast, Scamper Torrent is a four bunk Forest Service hut. Although infrequently visited, it can be reached in a (hard) day from the road end and has a wonderfully isolated feel. Access up the Waitaha Valley is now along the north bank and there’s no public easement over the private land, so you must keep between the fenced farmland and the river. This means you’ll often be walking along the fenceline, or in the riverbed, but for a decent distance there is an excellent farm track. The Permolat group has marked a track over a low bush knoll, thick with kiekie and supplejack, which avoids bluffs where the river cuts in tight. At Macgregor…

An early summer front had dusted the peaks surrounding Maling Pass in snow, and drizzly clouds hulked over the Waiau Valley. But, despite the uninspiring weather, I felt the familiar stir of excitement that heralds the start of a trip into unfamiliar terrain. The parents of my partner, Theo, had been envisioning this trip for more than a decade. Our planned loop would encompass three mountain passes, the almost mythical Blue Lake, and the untracked reaches of the Upper D’Urville Valley. Finally, the trip Julie and Andy had been dreaming about was coming to fruition. The Waiau Valley offered easy river travel. We wove through stands of beech forest and open grassy clearings until the rust red roof of the new Waiau Hut appeared through the trees. Despite being completed…

Therm-A-Rest Questar 20 $549.99 (regular) Use: Three season Temperature rating: 0°C (comfort), -6°C (limit), -24°C (extreme) Weight: 1038g Filled with 540g of 650-fill Nikwax hydrophobic down which dries three times faster than untreated down. SynergyLink straps integrate the bag with a mattress, preventing roll-off, ‘ThermaCapture’ seams trap body heat, foot-warmer pocket, ripstop polyester shell and lining. EN13537 rated.www.ampro.co.nz Montane Alpinist -12 $899 Use: Four-season Temperature rating: -5°C (comfort), -12°C (limit), -31°C (extreme) Weight: 1168g Technical mountain bag with water-repellent upper and ripstop bottom. Shaped to taper and curve around legs and shoulders to reduce cold spots, vertical chest prevents cold spots and down migration, roomy footbox allows wearing of thick socks/boot liners. 670g of 800-fill goose down, EN13537 rated.www.furtherfaster.co.nz Rab Mythic 600 $1699.95 Use: Four-season Temperature rating: -5°C (comfort), -12°C…

AFTER A LOT OF tramping recently, and a lot of thinking while tramping, I realised I’ve developed a philosophy of tramping. Say what? It’s just one foot in front of the other, isn’t it? Well yes, and it’s not like you can get it wrong. But I realised I’d developed a way of tramping (and a way of thinking about it). The crux of my philosophy is that slow and steady wins the race. I tell myself this to make myself feel better about being a bit slow and unfit. But it’s true: setting a pace that I can sustain all day means I’m more likely to make a good time overall. I find I need fewer sit-down-pack-off breaks and also fewer catch-my-breath-feellike-I’m-going-to-die breaks. I don’t exhaust myself, so I…

News that DOC is considering 30 options for the next two Great Walks sparked debate on the Wilderness Facebook page last month after readers were asked which option they preferred: Brien Liisa Lampen-Smith: How about a new area of the country that needs some more infrastructure spent on it, and could do with an upturn in the local economy – put in a new track from Tokomaru Bay to Opotiki for example. Pete Griffin: Kauri Coast Walk. Auckland needs more options and Northland needs tourism dollars. And it’s far enough away from traditional tramping destinations that those selfishly moaning that there are too many tourists in the hills shouldn’t have reason to complain. Diarmaid Coffey: Two North Island ones hopefully – definitely need more huts near Auckland. I’d say it'll…

They were once the haunt of goats; now they are profiled here simply because they’re excellent places to visit. ON CAPTAIN COOK’S SECOND VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND in 1773, the famous navigator released goats at the Marlborough Sounds, hoping to establish a wild population. Later visitors released more, intending them as a food source. Goats were just one of several hoofed mammals that European settlers introduced to the Antipodes. Agile, adaptable and with iron-hard constitutions, goats adapted well and became widespread. So much so, they became problem pests in many forests. Fortunately though, because these animals like to congregate in herds, controlling them is easier than deer. Not surprisingly, many locations bear the name of goat. New Zealand has a Goat Island, Goat Hill, Goat Spur, Goat Creek, Goat Rock,…

HAD YOU BEEN AN AUCKLAND resident just before the Second World War, the problems of city living would not have revolved around traffic, house prices and crime. The greatest threat to your security would have been the possibility of a German cruiser sneaking into the Waitemata Harbour and lobbing shells over Motutapu, potentially destroying the city. Walking along the access road to Stony Batter on Waiheke Island, I soon understood why the site was chosen for the lynchpin defences of Auckland City. The views not only stretch south to the Firth of Thames and Hauraki Plains, but in all directions from Cape Colville to Cape Rodney. The farmed area is mottled with an arrangement of andesitic boulders, creating a curious landscape, interspersed with grazing sheep. The boulders, which give rise…

TUCKED INTO A LITTLE CORNER of a high country valley, beneath the towering flanks of the Mt Somers Range, is an archetype of the rustic musterer’s hut. Manuka Hut is easy to reach along a poled route from nearby Lake Emily – a modest body of water boasting an attractive wetland and grand views of the Alps. It makes a perfect family tramp, especially one to take my daughter, Dominique, on. She has Down Syndrome, which puts many tramps beyond her capabilities. If you have a 4WD you will be able to drive almost to Lake Emily from the Hakatere-Heron Road, saving about 45 minutes walk, otherwise cars can be left just off the road. Once at Lake Emily, the route continues along the vehicle track which climbs gently onto…

ANOTHER WEEKEND IN THE HILLS, another round of mac’n cheese… or not. Combine a little creative thinking with some time spent scouring the supermarket shelves and your tramping meals will be the envy of the hut. Check out the international aisle This is where you’ll find goodies such as dried mushrooms, pre-made curry pastes and coconut milk powder. Add some freeze-dried peas and par-boiled rice and you’ve got yourself a tasty Thai or Asian curry for dinner. Add something luxurious While you might turn your nose up at mac’n cheese, there’s no denying it’s quick to make and a good source of carbohydrates. Make it special by adding a small amount of a luxury ingredient such as a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, a tablespoon of basil pesto or a handful…

I wake at dawn, roll over, and pull back the curtain just enough to see the smoke rising from a nearby campsite. It’s nearly 7am, which means it’s time to move. We’d stealthily spent the night in a full campground in Yosemite National Park, one of the most visited places in North America: each year, four million people travel to the iconic park. And at least several thousand are fellow van-dwellers, who, like us, made the pilgrimage to one of the most incredible natural wonders in North America. I crawl over Callan and make my way to the driver’s seat. Callan stays under the covers as I drive out of the campground and over to our favourite Yosemite hang-out: the Church Bowl picnic area. We’d been living in our van…