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3 weeks ago | 
wildernessmag.co.nz | Justin Sprecher
A wrap of the biggest stories and best writing about the outdoors from New Zealand and around the world. The Tongariro Northern Circuit will not be opening as usual this season, but walkers can look forward to a brand new Oturere Hut in years to come. This means the Great Walk experience is off the table for the 2025-26 season. However, the tracks remain open and trampers can still book the other huts on the circuit individually. Those bookings are expected to open in July.
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1 month ago | 
wildernessmag.co.nz | Justin Sprecher
A wrap of the biggest stories and best writing about the outdoors from New Zealand and around the world. The Department of Conservation says Waikato’s Nikau Walk, on the northeastern side of Pirongia Forest Park, needs vital improvements including “tree pruning and upgrading the track surface, both of which will improve the walk for visitors and make it easier and safer for DOC staff”.
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1 month ago | 
wildernessmag.co.nz | Justin Sprecher
A wrap of the biggest stories and best writing about the outdoors from New Zealand and around the world. Ten gold bracelets, 17 cigar cases, a powder compact, a comb, and a whopping 598 gold coins: The items are all part of a mysterious stash, found by chance by two hikers in the northeastern Czech Republic. The cache is worth at least $600,000, but its origin is unclear.
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1 month ago | 
wildernessmag.co.nz | Justin Sprecher
A wrap of the biggest stories and best writing about the outdoors from New Zealand and around the world. It’s that time of year, the annual pilgrimage of trampers to DOC’s booking website in hopes of securing a limited spot on a Great Walk. DOC is switching to a two-week staggered rollout this year. It’s likely to troubleshoot booking issues that have plagued their system in the past before the most popular tracks open up.
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1 month ago | 
wildernessmag.co.nz | Justin Sprecher
A wrap of the biggest stories and best writing about the outdoors from New Zealand and around the world. A weka who inadvertently hitched a 300km ride to Christchurch has been returned to the West Coast via a one-way bus ticket. Kim Ranger and partner Ian stopped at Berlins campsite near Inangahua over Easter weekend, where the weka took advantage of an open door and climbed into their ute, hiding among dog blankets. When they returned home, Kim saw the weka in the footwell.
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1 month ago | 
wildernessmag.co.nz | Justin Sprecher
A wrap of the biggest stories and best writing about the outdoors from New Zealand and around the world. Is this finally proof that famed Fiordland moose is real? Annie-Pier Bourgeois, Antoine Beauchamp and Chanel Sabourin-Dubois were on their third day on the Kepler track when they came across a large animal near the bank of the Iris Burn River. Mr Beauchamp said when they approached, the animal was scared into the bush. They decided to cross the track and look for it.
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2 months ago | 
wildernessmag.co.nz | Justin Sprecher
A wrap of the biggest stories and best writing about the outdoors from New Zealand and around the world. The popular Hooker Valley Track in Mt Cook/Aoraki National Park has been closed after heavy rainfall over Easter weekend. The Department of Conservation said the second bridge on the track was already suffering from riverbank erosion and with the rain at Easter and the prospect of more heavy rain and snow this winter, it has decided to close the bridge permanently.
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2 months ago | 
wildernessmag.co.nz | Justin Sprecher
A wrap of the biggest stories and best writing about the outdoors from New Zealand and around the world. For the first time, mountain rescue teams in England and Wales were called out every day of the year in 2024. Callouts in Scotland topped 1,000 for the first time. Rescues jumped by 24% between 2019 and 2024, according to data from Mountain Rescue England and Wales analysed by Ordnance Survey and shared exclusively with the Guardian.
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2 months ago | 
wildernessmag.co.nz | Justin Sprecher
A wrap of the biggest stories and best writing about the outdoors from New Zealand and around the world. Fourteen years, two landowners, three agencies, hundreds of emails – and still free public access to a Marlborough conservation area remains closed off. It started with a trespass complaint way back in 2011. Police called for action, as they worried someone would get hurt. In 2014, local DOC staff declared they would make it a priority.
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2 months ago | 
wildernessmag.co.nz | Justin Sprecher
Distance 7.50km Total Ascent 880m Time Car park to Sunrise Hut, 2–3hr; to Top Maropea Hut, 1–1.5hr Grade Easy/Moderate Accom. Triplex Hut (standard, 12 bunks), Sunrise Hut (serviced, 20 bunks), Top Maropea Hut (basic, 4 bunks) Access North Block Road Map BK36 GPX File Top Maropea Hut (gpx, yo 45 KB) Your device does not support GPX files. Please try a different device.
