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

Greg and Lynda Banks recently celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary, but their journey began even earlier. The couple met at Fairy Falls in Auckland’s Waitākere Ranges while on their first tramp with West Auckland Tramping Club. 

Banks, now a semi-retired electrician living in New Plymouth, has been a tramper for most of his life.

“I like being in the outdoors,” he said. “Sometimes it is not the end location; it is the people I am with. Tramping, biking, climbing or even kayaking, most of my outdoor activities are with my wife.” 

He’s also a life member of Taranaki Alpine Club, and has been a member of both Pukekohe and Nga Tapuwae o Tanetua tramping clubs. 

Banks said one of his favourite trips was flying into Mason Bay on Rakiura Stewart Island, where he spotted kiwi and walked out to Freshwater Hut. 

He reads Wilderness to learn about the tramps others have done, which inspire his own adventures. The gear reviews are also useful. 

“There is so much enthusiasm for the outdoors out there, and it is shown in Wilderness,” Banks said. 

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