Wilderness November 2018

AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR, trampers from all over the world descend on New Zealand with one goal in mind: to walk the length of the country on the Te Araroa Trail. The trail is just seven years old but in that short period of time, it has gained a reputation as one of the best long-distance trails in the world. And being one of the newest, more people are attempting the 3000km walk every year. This year, it’s estimated numbers will top 1000 for the first time. Based on figures from last year, around 60 per cent of walkers will be Kiwis. So, do you think you’re ready to walk the trail? This month, we aim to help you answer that question. We’ve got interviews with women who have…

IRISH AND DUTCH NATIVES I WAS STAGGERED to read the comments by the Irish and Dutch trampers that ‘there are no natives’ in their home countries (‘Editorial’, September 2018). No natural woodlands, either. It’s sad, because it’s not true. In Amsterdam, I saw many great crested grebes. Also coots, various finches, wood-hens and waterhens. Sure, no endemics as we perceive them, but the Netherlands is part of a huge continent which does have endemic species. I spent two hours on the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland in the company of a birder and his scope a few years ago. Peregrines, choughs, puffins, razorbills, guillemots, kittiwakes – 15 native bird species in all. Ireland, being an island, does have a few endemics, mostly small; they have some pretty fair woodlands, too.…

GET YOUR PHOTO PUBLISHED HERE TO RECEIVE A TUB OF STORM LEATHER CREAM TO WATERPROOF, CONDITION AND SHINE YOUR TRAMPING BOOTS. Learn more about Storm at ampro.co.nz . Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz…

DOC IS PROPOSING a more hands-on approach to managing national parks which may change how Kiwis experience these places forever. The department is consulting on draft management plans for Aoraki/ Mt Cook and Westland Tai Poutini national parks to manage a swathe of new challenges. Both parks are facing unprecedented growth, catering for close to a million people a year. Climate change is also forcing a rethink around how people experience the country’s highest peaks. How DOC addresses these issues is likely to influence the plans for Fiord-land and Mt Aspiring national parks, which are overdue to be reviewed. Here’s what trampers need to know. MT COOK/AORAKI NATIONAL PARK The biggest change proposed is a park and ride for visitors heading to Mt Cook Village. With nearly a million people…

Aoraki/Mt Cook Park and ride: Running from Birch Hill to the national park White Horse campground redevelopment: To become a bookable tents-only campsite, possibly managed under a concession Hooker Valley Track: Create a loop track to manage visitor flows Tasman Lake outlet bridged: To provide access to Murchison Valley Westland Tai Poutini Gondola: Running from the valley floor to the glacier head to improve access Mt Fox hut: Developing an overnight tramp to Mt Fox, possibly with a privately-run chalet New multi-day tramp: Linking Okarito and Gillespies Beach Geothermal heating: Proposed for Welcome Flat Hut…

THE HISTORIC Hooker Hut will be rebuilt in Hooker Valley in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park next year, opening up a new overnight experience in the park. The 12 bunk hut was removed from the Hooker Valley in 2015 as it risked falling down the crumbling moraine wall. DOC Aoraki/Mt Cook operations manager Brent Swanson said the hut has been in storage in Twizel and DOC planned to re-install it near the Hooker Valley Track. Swanson said the hut could be installed about 30 minutes walk off the Hooker Valley Track, between the Mueller Glacier lake and Hooker Lake. “I think it will create a good experience for everybody,” Swanson said. The hut was built in 1910, when materials were taken up the Hooker Glacier via pack horse. Since then,…