Wilderness March 2026

TWO GREAT TALES of adventure and challenge in this issue have inspired me. In the first, Anna Watson writes of her visits to every hut in Tararua Forest Park (all 50 that appear on the topo map at least - see p34), and has rated them so you know which to add to your bucket list and which miqht be best avoided. The second is about Herbie Jarratt who, with his parents, completed an A to Z of hut bagging (see p16). Herbie started when he was two and finished at age four. After reading these stories, I couldn't help but think of missions I might set myself. I've settled on something much smaller: walking every track in Hunua Ranges Regional Park. It's local, and combined with Walk1200km it's the…

THE ORIGIN OF ‘CORNFLAKE’ FORESTS »The first time I heard of cornflake forests, I thought ‘how curious’ and ignored it. But the mention of it again in Emma Shuttle's ‘What's in my pack’ article (Jan/Feb 2026) piqued my interest and the search was on. In case other readers were as mystified as me, here are the results. Searching ‘cornflake forests’ online returns one relevant result: a 2024 Vancouver Sun interview with Dr Suzanne Simard, who is best known for popularising the ‘wood-wide web’ theory of mycorrhizal fungal networks. It seems the term ‘cornflake forest’ is a reference to the layer of crunchy leaves carpeting the forest floor. Hence New Zealand beech forests. And lo and behold when I search ‘cornflake’ on the Wilderness website, I find you got there first!…

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A new regional park is under development and will offer access to some of Banks Peninsula's stunning southern bays. The previous owners of the more than 500ha property wanted to ensure the land would be publicly accessible and conserved for generations to come, and have sold it to Christchurch City Council. “The property includes one of the country's most well-preserved historic whaling sites, the coastal headlands and cliffs serve as sanctuaries for native seabirds, and it offers significant potential for natural regeneration and restoration initiatives,” council head of parks Rupert Bool said. In partnership with Wairewa Rūnanga, council staff will develop a reserve management plan and operational guidelines that will be open for public consultation this year. In the short term, Bool said staff will build stiles and create poled…

From exploring the labyrinths of Okupata Caves by the light of glowworms to biking down Ruapehu's newest cycleway or flying into the Kaimanawa Mountains for a heli-hike, over 20 events were held across Tongariro National Park this summer for the community to engage with their local environment. The Mahi Aroha Summer Nature Programme, organised by Project Tongariro, has been running for more than 40 years. “It's about trying to lower barriers to get people exploring our amazing region,” said Project Tongariro CEO Kiri Te Wano. “It's also a really key conservation advocacy piece, as what you don't know about, you don't care about. “We are nothing without the land that we live on, so kaitiakitanga [guardianship] is integral to our work.” One summer event, linked to the Federated Mountain Clubs’…

Game animals can be hunted year -round in New Zealand. During the roar, rut and bugle period, from mid-March to the end of July, males are vocal and bold, and mature animals have impressive antlers or horns, and capes. In readiness for the roar, the New Zealand Game Animal Council recommends hunters follow the five P's of hunt preparation: 1 Plan for the best 2 Prepare for the worst 3 Provide your intentions 4 Positively identify your target 5 Pick the right animal More information for those participating in the roar can be found on the council's free online hunter training platform, ‘Better Hunting’. It provides tips from planning a hunt to safe river crossings, first aid and more. SHARING THE BACKCOUNTRY Hunters are one of the biggest users of…