I’m the kind of person who eschews the limelight, so when I started thinking about Wilderness’s 30th anniversary, my gut instinct was to opt for a low-key way to mark the milestone. A few stories in the magazine should suffice. 

But it wasn’t long before I also realised that everyone who loves Wilderness, from staff and contributors to readers and advertisers, deserve more. It’s not every day a magazine turns 30. Indeed, it wasn’t that long ago that print was deemed ‘dead’. The rise of the Internet and social media was set to deliver the final blow to a medium in decline. I still meet people today who show surprise when I tell them I work in print media. Shouldn’t you be looking for work elsewhere, they say – though not in so many words. I think many people might be surprised to hear that Wilderness, as with many other print publications, has never come close to ‘dying’. Print is not dead; it’s adapting. 

So what better way to mark the 30th anniversary of New Zealand’s best outdoor magazine than by showing everyone that it – and me, my colleagues and all those who read it – is in fact full of life. We’re doing that by walking 1200km (3.3km/day) over the next 12 months –  and I hope you join us. We’ve printed a progress tracker with this issue to help keep you motivated. 

The Walk1200km challenge actually has its roots in the UK, where readers of Country Walking magazine are encouraged to walk 1000 miles. My old Wilderness colleague Matthew Pike works for Country Walking and put the idea to me after I told him I was looking to do something special for our 30th. Thanks Matt, it’s one of your best ideas.

So, after enjoying a trip down memory lane with our 30 best trips from the past 30 years, sign up to the Walk1200km challenge on the Wilderness website and do something truly remarkable over the next 12 months that will positively impact your body, mind and even your future. 

Because at the very least, staying fit and active will help you enjoy reading Wilderness for the next 30 years or so.