Wilderness December 2025

IN THIS ISSUE we celebrate the amazing achievement that is the Old Ghost Road. The route was first surveyed in the 1880s, but construction was abandoned until 2007 when Marion Boatwright, who then owned Rough and Tumble Lodge, discovered the original survey map. That sparked a dream to create a walking trail to connect the settlements of Lyell and Seddonville. From one man’s vision the dream spread to encompass first a community, then the imagination of volunteers and even the nation. Over 100,000 people have walked or biked the trail in the 10 years since it was completed in December 2015. Though half are trampers, it is also considered a world-class mountain biking experience and attracts bikepackers from around the world. Its success is something to be celebrated, so starting…

THE REAL COST OF PRIVATISATION I had been aware of ‘The Allure of Private Walks’ (November 2025), as I am an active tramper with colleagues and friends who struggle now to lug a full pack on a multiday trip but are fortunate enough to have the money to pay for private walks. I was not aware, however, of how much this private network of tracks has grown. Your 14-page feature attempted to explain some other parts of the ‘allure’. You can visit coasts and hills otherwise out of bounds. City folk see modern farming up close. We can witness the conservation efforts of certain farmers. No food or bedding to be carried. Have a hot shower, wine or beer. And while most of the private walks have eye-watering prices, we…

Get your photo published here to receive a meal from Real Meals worth $18. Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz. LEARN MORE ABOUT REAL MEALS AT www.realmeals.co.nz.…

Recording interviews with his laptop perched on an ironing board in his accommodation in Fiji, Jonty Crane is celebrating tramping in New Zealand with his new podcast, ‘The Tramping Life’. “I fell in love with podcasts about a year ago and was surprised by how few covered tramping,” Crane said. “Suva is a pretty sleepy place, and this has given me time to create ‘The Tramping Life’. It has also been a way to stay connected with home while dreaming about future trips.” Crane said he was inspired to start the podcast as a way to give back to the tramping community. When he first moved to New Zealand from the UK in his late twenties, he had little tramping experience. His first multi-day tramp, the Routeburn Track, had him…

Each Monday we poll readers on topical outdoor issues and all things tramping-related. Here’s a summary of our latest polls. Do you think the government should keep outdoor education as part of the secondary school curriculum? Yes: 90% No: 10% Would you ever tramp a private walk? Yes, I like the idea of tramping with a bit more luxury: 39% Nope, not my thing: 26% I already have: 35% What do you think of DOC’s suggestion to add all serviced huts and some standard huts to the booking system? Yes: 34% No: 6% Stop cutting budgets and fund the department properly: 60% Have you ever booked a hut and arrived to find it full and your bunk, or someone else's bunk, unavailable? Yes: 34% No: 66% Polls are published each…

A dual-use tramping and mountain bike track connecting Reefton township with the Globe Progress Mine site in Victoria Forest Park has been opened. The 11km track winds steadily uphill through Ngāi Tahu forestry land, with sweeping views of Reefton and the Inangahua River, before continuing into native beech forest. Six new tracks have been created and opened across the motu in the last year, four of them at Globe Hill. Visitor advice manager at the Department of Conservation Lynnell Greer said DOC rarely builds new tracks. DOC partnered with OceanGold to build the Globe Hill tracks. This is compensation for the recreational opportunities that were previously inaccessible in the area due to mining.…