Hopefully hunting for treasure
Armed with a GPS and some steely determination, Edith Leigh takes her family geocaching An earthy mushroom and compost odour fills my nostrils. Pine needles and wet leaves stick to...
Edith Leigh
Topping out 117 times
People collect all sorts of things, so why not peaks? And as Edith Leigh discovers, peak bagging is great way to get outdoors and see the country If Jon Povey...
No more winging it
Suicide mission or feel good ride? Edith Leigh cycles the 150km Otago Central Rail Trail with her 18-month-old daughter on the back of her bike “Hi.” “Hey. Good day for...
The stunning fun of going to work
Every time you lean back from your desk, stretch, and stare out the window, if you’re lucky enough to have one, do you dream of a mountain, river or bush...
Cosy hut in Manapouri
Shallow Bay Hut, Fiordland National Park It is only a one and half hour walk to the hut we intend to sleep in, yet my pack weighs over 25kg and...
Age has nothing to do with it
When it comes to tramping, age is no barrier and over-65’s who take to the hills can even expect to be sharper mentally and live longer The legs striding up...
From small things come big ideas
A mission to climb 100 peaks is just the motivation Don French needs to get outdoors For alpine climber Don French a small hut, bad weather and time to fill...
The future is now
Kiwi Ranger is a programme designed to connect kids with nature. Edith Leigh finds her inner child and discovers a new forest perfume and some unexplainable brown goo Have you...
An unmissable lake
Lake Marian, Fiordland National Park Deep in the Darran Mountains, sheltered in the bottom of a hanging valley, Lake Marian beckons as we climb steeply in a misty drizzle. As...
On your bike for a 2000km backcountry ride
There has never been a better time to take an off-road cycling holiday in New Zealand Cycling in New Zealand has hit boom time. Cyclists are so spoiled for choice...
DIY dehydration
Taste doesn’t have to be sacrificed to weight constraints when eating in the hills, as Edith Leigh discovers when she tries her hand at dehydrating her own tramping food My...
Camping with kids
Skills, Summer camping, Wild Families
Most kids love camping. There is something about wide open spaces and untamed wilderness that really speaks to children. But having a few tricks up your sleeve can save a...
Technology that can save your life
Lost or injured in the backcountry? You may think it could never happen to you, but then that sounds like famous last words. With mobile phone-sized personal locator beacons becoming...
Fat, salt, carbs, sugar
Weight watchers demonise them in everyday life, but in the backcountry fatty, sugary and salty foods are the difference to plodding along and blitzing the track brim-full of enthusiasm and...
Best Tramping Towns: #3 Wanaka
Edith Leigh speaks to Wanaka-based trampers who wouldn’t let wild elephants drag them away from the town. Ask any Wanaka resident if they can see themselves living anywhere else and...
Forever forest
Post Office Point, Manapouri The route to Post Office Rock in Manapouri is so little known that chances are even if you ask a local about it you’re likely to...
Action-packed navigation game
Rogaining combines adventure with navigation skills, fitness, a fearlessness of the dark and an ability not to get on each other’s nerves. Edith Leigh discovers why it is growing in...
Long Rhodes to recovery
A mountaineering accident that she was lucky to survive hasn’t prevented Heather Rhodes from returning to the mountains she loves, but the road to recovery has not been easy, she...
Bright young things
It’s not all tablets, video games and the internet for the next generation of New Zealanders. Edith Leigh finds many young Kiwis play an active role in conservation. In fact,...
A rocky graveyard
Harwoods Hole, Abel Tasman National Park / easy Marble blocks litter the track to Harwoods Hole like the carcasses of long dead, strange and forgotten animals. Sharp ribs still protrude...
Rebel with a cause
Erik Bradshaw won’t let age or large corporations stand in his way. When the public were told they wouldn’t be allowed to use an access road into a popular recreation...