Samantha Mythen

2 weeks ago | wildernessmag.co.nz | Samantha Mythen

If you blink, you may just miss him. He’s speedy, he’s infamous, he’s had a song written about him, and he’s just become the oldest person to hike Te Araroa in the 2025 season. At 82 years old, Ernst Schweizer didn’t plan on breaking any records. He’s just a fella who loves a big hike. Schweizer “knocked the bastard off” and touched the Stirling Point signpost on March 20. He had set out from Cape Rēinga on November 2. “I surprised myself,” he said.

2 weeks ago | wildernessmag.co.nz | Samantha Mythen

Nick Allen has dedicated his life to challenging the notion that a neurological diagnosis is the end of one’s ability to get outdoors. This year he is climbing 52 peaks higher than 1000m. In his mid-20s Allen was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder and confined to a mobility scooter. He spent the next five years in rehabilitation, eventually climbing a 6000m peak in the Himalayas.

2 weeks ago | wildernessmag.co.nz | Samantha Mythen

Outdoor enthusiasts around the world will celebrate International Day for Biodiversity on May 22. This year’s theme is ‘Harmony with nature and sustainable development’. Aotearoa’s rich biodiversity of more than 80,000 endemic species has been threatened by the introduction of invasive species such as gorse and possums. Here are three ways you can celebrate the day and protect our biodiversity:1. Find your local Predator Free 2050 group and go out trapping.

2 weeks ago | wildernessmag.co.nz | Samantha Mythen

After a hiker died on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in March, a rāhui was put in place by local iwi Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro from March 22 to March 26, and hikers were asked to consider alternative walking routes. A man in his 50s collapsed while walking the crossing. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and he died a short time later. A rāhui is a common Māori custom and is a physical and spiritual protection mechanism.

2 weeks ago | wildernessmag.co.nz | Samantha Mythen

The popular walking track connecting Stony Bay and Fletcher Bay at the northern tip of Coromandel Peninsula may soon re-open. A 670m section of the Coromandel Walkway was closed after Cyclone Gabrielle devastated the region in 2023, when landslides made parts of the track impassable.