Wilderness June 2024

TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK is my favourite park in New Zealand. Mostly that’s because it’s the most accessible from Auckland, where I live. But also because I’ve had so many exceptional experiences there from childhood through to last year. I’ve skied, tramped, climbed, camped, cramponed, glissaded, cooked, tested gear, boiled the billy and more in all four corners. So it was with a real delight to put together the story about walking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (TAC) at night (see p38). Here is a novel experience that I have not yet had: a midnight to dawn walk through the incredible volcanic landscape with almost no one in sight. However, it seems it truly is impossible to have the TAC ‘all to yourself’ these days as the author encountered another couple at…

HAVE WILDERNESS, WILL TRAVEL Coming to you live from Kathmandu, Nepal! My mum, sister and I have been on the Mardi Himal trek for Mum’s 65th birthday. I finished Te Araroa on March 1 so didn’t have to adjust to real life for too long. I bought a copy of Wilderness at Auckland Airport and thought the coverage of Te Araroa (April 2024) was great. It provided many different perspectives and represented the diversity of hikers on the trail. I liked the piece on the 10 different types of hiker – I’m ‘the butterfly’ and ‘the lightweight backpacker’ (and no, I don’t have a trail name). I carried the magazine with me through Nepal and it was great to share with hikers, guides and porters. It’s now sitting in a…

SPONSORED Whether you’re into short walks, challenging tramps, scaling peaks, riding down mountains or the thrill of the hunt, all outdoor enthusiasts are invited to join Adventure Voice, NZ Mountain Safety Council’s (MSC) new research community. Adventure Voice will help MSC learn more about the motivations, attitudes, behaviours and actions of people who love to play in the great outdoors. It will help improve its educational resources, safety information and campaigns. Everyone with an interest in outdoor recreation is encouraged to sign up – no matter the level of experience or ability. Joining is free and as a member you’ll have a say on a range of outdoor topics via short online surveys. In return, there will be regular updates on research findings and every month members will be entered…

Get your photo published here to receive a meal from Real Meals worth $17. Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz. Learn more about Real Meals at www.realmeals.co.nz.…

WALK SHORTS » Matariki, the Māori New Year, is when the star cluster (also known as Pleiades) appears in Aotearoa’s early morning sky. It will be celebrated on June 28 this year. Māori traditionally celebrated Matariki after harvesting winter crops. It’s a time to remember and honour those who have been lost since the last rising of Matariki; to celebrate the present, to give thanks for what we have and to look forward to the coming year. One Māori myth has the cluster representing a whaea or mother – Matariki – and her six daughters. Although the Matariki cluster contains hundreds of stars, only nine are visible to the naked eye. To find the constellation, look to the north-east horizon, search for Orion’s Belt or Tautoru, then shift your gaze…

» Tongariro Alpine Crossing’s unique Ngarotopounamu Emerald Lakes are once more shimmering blue and green after being cleared of an invasive weed. For years the lakes’ shores and shallows have been smothered by the invasive Juncus bulbosus, a native Eurasian and North African weed that was introduced to New Zealand over a century ago. DOC rangers have conducted weed control around the lakes since 2019, and weed density is now down to undetectable levels. This is a win, not just for biodiversity but for hapū and others who value the iconic Ngarotopounamu. DOC supervisor Danial Van der Lubbe said monitoring will continue to ensure the weed does not grow in the lakes again. “The next step for us is eDNA testing of the larger Blue Lake for Juncus – we…