Wilderness readers are a fascinating bunch, and this column is where we get to meet you all.

Subscriber Mark Hillman and his friends have been hiking the trails of Aotearoa for the last 20 years. 

After completing one of those hikes and toasting their adventure at Amisfield Vineyard, the group of six men, now in their 60s, asked their waitress what they should name themselves.

“She quickly replied, ‘Supertramp NZ’,” says Hillman. “We thought that was appropriate considering the age of all the members of the group and what we undertake each year.”

The first track they did was the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, and each year since they have come together to complete a tramp. This March it was the Paparoa Track. At the end of each trip they get a T-shirt with the name of the walk printed on the back as their souvenir. 

Hillman said his most memorable tramp was the Dusky Track. “We had crossings over gullies with water up to our necks and had to carry our packs above our heads. Plenty of mud and challenges in finding the route in the bush,” he said. 

A keen reader of Wilderness, Hillman’s favourite section is Wild Trips. “It provides great reading of the lesser-known hike options around New Zealand,” he said. “There is so much out there yet to be done!”

– Do you know a subscriber worthy of being profiled – yourself, even? Email: editor@lifestylepublishing.co.nz