Wilderness March 2023

EDITORIAL WE ARE SO FORTUNATE in New Zealand to have such an incredible hut network. There are more than 900 huts scattered around the country, smoothing so much outdoor adventure and offering a chance of escape into the wilderness, a place of reinvigoration, refreshment and nourishment for body and the soul. I’ve travelled far and wide and have yet to encounter anything like the huts we have here. In the European alps you’ll find often-glamorous refugios; Scotland has its basic bothies. But I’ve not been anywhere that can compete with the number, character and cultural significance of New Zealand’s backcountry huts. We are indeed fortunate to have had such organisations as the Forest Service, Department of Conservation, individual tramping, alpine and hunting clubs, and, lately, the Back Country Trust -…

GEAR REWARDS FOR WALK 1200KM MILESTONES My partner Roni introduced me to the Walk1200km challenge last year. We have since walked the Tongariro Northern Circuit (October 2022) and recently the Milford Track together (January 2023). We are doing it for pride - rainbow/queer visibility and mastery of physical/mental challenges orí the track. As a reward, we give ourselves hiking gear each month and at the end of completing the challenge. I am in my second year of Walk1200km and recently gifted myself an Aarn pack. Walk1200km is such a great idea - thank you for getting us all out there more. - Luca Fox IT’S EASY TO JUDGE On a recent Tararua Ranges tramp, I met Ivan Elliott and his wife Sinéad at Tōtara Flats Hut. We chatted over dinner…

Get your photo published here to receive a meal from Real Meals worth $17. Learn more about Real Meals at www.realmeals.co.nz.…

Swimming the south’s 344 LAKES A community of more than 200 South Island swimmers are hoping to float and freestyle their way across every lake in the South Island. The Southern Lakes Swimming Club (SLSC) believes the ‘dream’ to swim in all of the South Island’s 344 named lakes to be ‘near impossible’. But it has set the challenge for its club members. Otago’s Liana Smith is participating and will combine it with her passion for hiking to reach the more remote lakes on the list. Recently she plunged into Lake Unknown in Mt Aspiring National Park, which she reached after three days of solo climbing and scree-slope navigating. She’s no stranger to tough physical challenges. Last year she completed the ‘triple crown’ of New Zealand swims - Lake Taupo…

Wilderness is looking for a freelance part-time newsletter and social media editor to begin in early March. It’ a remote work opportunity that can be done anywhere there’s an internet connection. It is up to eight hours a week and involves writing Wilderness’s daily, weekly and monthly newsletters, sharing content on its social media channels as well as finding ways to be more engaging on social media to grow the magazine’s audience and presence. It requires a clever wordsmith who also has a genuine interest in the subject matter - tramping in New Zealand. Keen? Head to www.wildernessmag.co.nz to find the full job description and details on how to apply. www.gearshop.co.nz…

Complete the crossword and rearrange the letters in the blue squares to spell out the hidden solution. Send your answer, name and address, by March 19, to: wildernessword@lifestylepublishing.co.nz. All correct entries go in the draw to win one of three annual (six-issue) subscriptions to NZ’s leading lifestyle magazine, NZ Life & Leisure, each worth $63. Across Down Hidden solution: Part of mountain bike (9) February’s hidden solution: Lake Brunner…