A wrap of the biggest stories and best writing about the outdoors from New Zealand and around the world.

Two children, an eight-year-old boy, and an 11-year-old girl, wandered off from their campsite at Mavora Lakes on Saturday afternoon, getting lost in the dense bush and spending the night in heavy rain. They comforted each other and found refuge under a reassuring tree with ‘faces in the bark’.

Brent McLean, the father of the boy said when they realised the pair were not returning, they panicked. After authorities were notified a large-scale search was set in motion involving 40 people over 20 hours. “They brought helicopters, fire trucks, communication trucks, police trucks, everyone was there.” 

Sergeant Terry Wood of Police Search and Rescue said the children could hear search teams as they sheltered under a tree. “They huddled down under a tree that the little girl talked about having ‘faces in the bark’. Despite a really challenging night with the weather with lightning, thunder, heavy rain and snow, when we saw them they were looking after each other.” Read the full story in the Waikato Times.

Free-solo climber dies after falling hundreds of feet from ridge in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park

A 26-year-old woman from Boulder, Colorado, died after falling approximately 150 metres while free-solo climbing a ridge in the state’s Rocky Mountain National Park, the park said.

The unidentified woman’s 27-year-old climbing partner called park rangers to report his partner had fallen from Blitzen Ridge on Ypsilon Mountain.

Search and rescue team members reached the uninjured climbing partner Sunday night, though his location required them to request the assistance of the Colorado Air National Guard, the park said. A helicopter from Buckley Air Force Base was used to hoist the man out.

Free-soloing is a risky rock climbing technique in which climbers ascend without ropes, assistance or safety equipment – leaving them without protection in case of a fall. Read more on CNN.

Canterbury dark sky trail tipped to generate $45m

Protecting Oxford’s night sky could bring astronomical sums into the Waimakariri district, with neighbouring regions also ripe for visiting stargazers. An economic impact report commissioned by Enterprise North Canterbury says a dark sky reserve could generate $4.6 million of visitor spending in Waimakariri alone, as well as creating up to 24 jobs.

Enterprise North Canterbury business support manager Miles Dalton said the report was prepared by Benje Patterson, who has worked with the Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve in Tekapo.

‘‘There is a huge amount of potential for working with other districts to create a dark sky trail and ChristchurchNZ has shown an interest in funding the promotion of it,’’ Mr Dalton said.

The report said the prospect of a Canterbury dark sky trail, linking Oxford, Tekapo, Methven, the Saint James Conservation Area in the Hurunui district and Kaikōura, could generate $45.8 million to the region from dark sky travellers. Read the full story from the Otago Daily Times.

KMD Brands on track to hit $1 billion in sales

KMD Brands, the company behind Kathmandu, says it is on track to hit a record $1 billion in sales in its current financial year. 

KMD Brands said it had experienced strong sales growth across all its brands in the first three quarters of the financial year, despite softening consumer sentiment. It said trading in the fourth quarter had been more challenging amid cost-of-living pressures.

“With three weeks of trade still to come, we remain focused on delivering our key Kathmandu winter and Rip Curl Northern Hemisphere summer results while continuing to moderate our cost base for the year ahead,” group chief executive Michael Daly said. “We’re looking forward to delivering over $1b in sales at year-end – a first for KMD Brands.” Read the full story at Stuff.

Fossil hunting and towering cliffs on England’s Jurassic Coast

This four-day 51km hike on the Jurassic Coast in southern England is best known for its fossils, with the remains of some sea creatures and birds dating back 150 million years.

The section from Lyme Regis to Exmouth is part of the much longer South West Coast Path and is suited to anyone with a moderate level of fitness.

Walkers will be immersed in forest for some of the way, with cliffs on your right and the English Channel on your left. You can expect to be walking along cliffs and rocky paths for most of the way. Read more at Euronews.