Wilderness

Each issue of Wilderness takes its readers to the most beautiful areas in New Zealand, whether by foot, mountain bike, sea kayak, raft, pony or dream.

WALKING IS DISCOVERY

Wilderness

LETTER of the MONTH

YOUR TRIPS, YOUR PIX • What did you get up to last weekend?

A NEW TOOL TO BOOK DOC HUTS

DOUBLE BREAK-INS FOR EARTH SEA SKY

BOUGIE THINGS TO TAKE TRAMPING

A SHARED PASTIME

WHEN WALKING IS AT THE HEART OF IT ALL • WALK1200KM HAS HELPED THIS PARTICIPANT RE-EVALUATE WHAT SHE IS CAPABLE OF.

GEAR TO HELP YOU WALK MORE THIS MONTH • These excellent kit ideas from Walk1200km partners will help make your walks more enjoyable and comfortable.

#microchallenge 16-18 WINNERS! • Complete the #microchallenges, as these Walk1200km participants have done, and receive an exclusive, can't-be-bought Walk1200km badge. The best effort in each challenge also receives a special prize from our partners!

Win with #microchallenges • In each issue, three new #microchallenges are set to add interest and silliness to your kilometres.

2026-2027 SHAUN BARNETT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS OPEN • Apply for a $1000 scholarship to achieve your tramping trip of a lifetime.

THE THREE TRIPS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE • Strategist and author Annette Lees shares the three trips that have had the greatest impact on her.

FALL GUY • How a series of mistakes led to a terrifying accident - and made this father a better tramper.

THE COACH STEPS ASHORE • Meet the tramper who has brought marine technology to the task of walking Te Araroa.

GREAT WALKS ARE THE PERFECT ULTRA-LIGHT FIELD TEST • You've read the online forums, done your research and selected your kit, and now it's time to tramp. But where? Almost by design, Great Walks are the perfect testing ground for your first ultralight setup.

WEIGHT SAVINGS START HERE • Feeling the strain of a heavy pack? These ultralight gear upgrades will have you moving faster and further for longer.

ARE SATELLITE COMMUNICATORS AND PLBS OBSOLETE? • With mobile phone service providers offering satellite connectivity in remote areas, and satellite-enabled devices like inReach providing two-way messaging on the trail, Wilderness asks if technology has caught up with the humble PLB.

CIRCLING THE SLEEPING GIANT • The volcanic scenery on Ruapehu's iconic Round the Mountain track is second to none.

WHICH PRIVATE WALK IS FOR YOU • Twenty-seven walks in New Zealand provide the chance to explore private landscapes with light packs and home comforts. Here's the highlight of each, to help you choose.

TAKE A WANDER • Cartographer and trackbuilder Gary Patterson shares his highlights of writing Wander, a new book describing 26 private walks.

WHY I HIKED A PRIVATE WALK • These trampers have discovered that private walks can be an intimate and accessible way to engage with the outdoors.

KEEPING IT LOCAL ON THE CHRISTCHURCH 360 TRAIL • URBAN WALKS LIKE CHRISTCHURCH 360 TRAIL PROVIDE A CONNECTION TO THE PLACES WE LIVE IN AND AN ADVENTURE CLOSE TO HOME.

HIGH-PERFORMING COMFORT FOR THE LONG GAME • Rab's Neutrino -6°C combines top-end materials with a long zip and relaxed fit in a mummy-shaped sleeping bag that's comfortable from coastline to snowline.

GEAR RADAR • New gear that's caught our attention this month.

THREE- TO FOUR-SEASON SLEEPING MATS

TRAMPER AND ULTRA-RUNNER PAULETTE BIRCHFIELD • Paulette Birchfield fits her trips around work, family and the often-fickle West Coast weather. She's an engineer with West Coast Regional Council, a Grey District councillor and a Les Mills instructor. “Coming from an ultra-running background, I like a challenge,” she says. “I try to wring as much as I can out of...