In this issue we celebrate the amazing achievement  that is the Old Ghost Road. The route was first surveyed in the 1880s, but construction was abandoned until 2007 when Marion Boatwright, who then owned Rough and Tumble Lodge, discovered the original survey map. 

That sparked a dream to create a walking trail to connect the settlements of Lyell and Seddonville. From one man’s vision the dream spread to encompass first a community, then the imagination of volunteers and even the nation. Over 100,000 people have walked or biked the trail in the 10 years since it was completed in December 2015. Though half are trampers, it is also considered a world-class mountain biking experience and attracts bikepackers from around the world. 

Its success is something to be celebrated, so starting on page 34 you will find a 16-page feature about the trail: the origin story; reasons for its popularity; reminiscences from those who have walked, ridden or run the trail; plus lessons for future trail builders who might want to follow in the footsteps of those who made the OGR a reality. Get amongst it and add it to your bucket list. 

If you enjoy reading this issue of Wilderness and are not a subscriber, I’d like to ask you to consider supporting us this Christmas (and if you are a subscriber, consider purchasing a magazine or subscription as a gift for a loved one). It’s only through the support of readers like you that we can produce the magazine and pay the writers and photographers who make these pages worth reading.

Each issue is a celebration of New Zealand’s unique tramping culture – whether about the Old Ghost Road or any of the countless other trails we feature. You won’t find these stories anywhere else because they take time, trust and skill to tell.