Wilderness August 2016

LEARN FROM MISTAKES I THINK IT fair to say we’ve all made a few tramping mistakes in our time (‘Tramping mistakes to avoid’, p32). I’ve left my camera at home while on a work trip, had my boots freeze overnight, ruined a pair of boots by drying them too close to the hut fire, left countless items behind, including walking poles (twice). I once thought I was a super tramper and deliberately left the trail, opting for the obvious shortcut through the bush. It turned out to be the longest shortcut of my life. But as with many things, it’s OK to make mistakes. It’s how we learn. Speaking of mistakes, DOC has made a real mishmash of its handling of the Ngapunatoru Ice Plateau heli-landings saga. The Federated Mountain…

DON’T OVERLOOK PLANNING FOR DAY TRIPS THE MISADVENTURE OF two American tourists walking the Kapakapanui Track in Tararua Forest Park nearly resulted in a fatal outcome (Walkshorts, July 2016). This incident highlights a theme that is all too familiar in our islands, of people (both tourists and locals) taking on ambitious day trips and then finding themselves in dangerous predicaments. Mt Taranaki and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing are perhaps the two most prominent sites where such stories unfold. Like Kapakapanui, these tracks can easily be accessed and they offer the tantalising prospect of experiencing magnificent scenery and a summit experience, all within a few hours. But despite technically being achievable within a day, these walks demand good planning, fitness and respect for alpine conditions. DOC promotes safety information through the…

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…

Reading Wilderness by the warmth of a hut fire is one thing, but taking the magazine to Vanuatu to read beside a piping hot lava lake is taking things to another level entirely. Wellingtonian Brody Radford took his December issue of Wilderness on a 10-day expedition to Benbow Volcano on Ambryn Island late last year. He’s pictured just 100m from the lava lake. “It’s like looking at the sun,” said Radford of the molten lake. “You can only look at it for a couple of seconds – it’s just too hot.”…

They’re two bugbears that Te Araroa Trail walkers have repeatedly, if unfairly, come under fire for: not paying hut fees and not disposing of their toilet waste properly. Wilderness has reported on several instances where huts and tracks on the trail have become littered with human faeces and toilet paper. Anecdotally, readers have reported encountering groups of foreign trampers who don’t appear to have purchased hut tickets. But Te Araroa Trail Trust chairman Rob Wakelin said both these concerns are overblown, and it is not fair to blame Te Araroa Trail walkers for such issues. He pointed out that just 350 thru-walkers attempted Te Araroa in 2015-2016. He compared that to the millions of visitors overall to New Zealand: “It’s no news to anyone in the country that tourism is…

Outdoor retailer Hunting & Fishing celebrated its 30th anniversary in June. Andy Tannock opened the first Hunting & Fishing store in Palmerston North in 1986. Now, with 37 stores nationwide, it’s one of the biggest outdoor retailers in New Zealand. Chris Cameron, head of marketing, said the company plans to continue to diversify what they sell to keep up with the varied ways in which Kiwis experience the outdoors. “It’s about continuing to provide the best gear and advice for the unique conditions of New Zealand through product performance, comfort and safety,” he said, “while also understanding that activities in the outdoors go well beyond just the pursuits of hunting and fishing.” Tannock is retiring from the company this year, and general manager Trent Smith will take the reins.…