Certified wilderness weirdo Hazel Phillips tramping in Tongariro National Park and weirding out her tramping buddy Nate by asking him what he’d opt to have for his final meal. Photo: Hazel Phillips
A longtime dearth of whackos in the bush leads solo tramper Hazel Phillips to conclude that, statistically, she must be the weirdo. People often panic when they see a woman tramping alone. Once, at Lakehead Hut in Nelson Lakes National Park, I arrived in the dark by myself and was received with a moderate level […]
Harris Saddle and Routeburn Falls Hut, Mount Aspiring National Park
Dobson Loop Track, Tararua Forest Park
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Are solo trampers the weirdos in the wilderness?
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January 2023
About the author
Hazel Phillips
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Harris Saddle and Routeburn Falls Hut, Mount Aspiring National Park
Dobson Loop Track, Tararua Forest Park
Upgrading to ultralight without replacing everything
Subscribe!
Each issue of Wilderness celebrates Aotearoa’s great outdoors — written and photographed with care, not algorithms.Subscribe and help keep our wild stories alive.