Letter of the month

I am excited to renew my Wilderness subscription after 20 years away.

I just had a little weep at the beautiful article ‘Back to school’ (March 2026), about Duke of Ed students. My sons are both doing DoE and I can 100 per cent confirm the author’s views on how respectful, resilient and curious they are. How lucky we are to have these young people in the world, as excited and motivated by the outdoors as we once were many years ago. As a ‘gold DoE-er’ from the 90s, I am so happy it’s still a part of school life.

I am setting off on an exciting journey to Aotea Great Barrier and I will think of all the articles and advice I have read in your publication and online.

– Diana Glenie

– Diana receives a pair of Salewa Puez Mountain Spikes worth $169.90 from www.bobo.co.nz. Readers, send your letter to the editor for a chance to win.

Jollie memories of mustering

I took particular interest in the Green Point Hut trip (March 2026). The name is derived from the green spur that is visible from the lower valley, near Jollie Hut. That hut was built about 1912 and Green Point soon after.

I farmed Braemar Station from 1970 and drove up the valley to this hut every spring in a 1943 army quad with six musterers and 25 dogs, while we mustered merino wethers out of the valley for shearing. Above the waterfall upstream from the hut, chukar gamebirds could often be heard calling.

In August 1979, 600mm of rain fell in the upper reaches of the Jollie valley in 36 hours and washed away 30m of river bank, leaving the hut teetering on the edge of a 5m cliff. With the help of the NIWA team in Tekapo, we dragged the hut away from the river with two 4WD trucks. Shortly after, we poured a concrete floor and later extended the hut. Further floods have eroded the river bank almost back to the hut’s present site, but the hut is partly protected by a huge glacial rock upstream. 

More stories can be found in the Braemar Station book, written by Duncan and Carol Mackenzie.

I flew in to the hut in 2023, 53 years after my first visit, and was pleased to see it was in good condition (you still have to watch your head on the low doorway).

I was not surprised by the number of people in the hut books who are enjoying this beautiful valley.

              – Duncan Mackenzie

DoE provides opportunities for all

Both of my kids did Duke of Ed (‘Back to school’, March 2026) and seeing them cope with, and even enjoy, the hiking gave me the confidence to then book the whole family on the Kepler Track. That went so well we did the Milford Track last year and will keep working through the Great Walks and other hikes with the family.

It is a wonderful scheme and provides invaluable learning opportunities for our young people and even their families!

– Sarah Blong

Searching for the South Island kōkako 

I just subscribed to Wilderness again, after years of absence. How excited I was when I saw the kōkako article (‘Natural history’, March 2026). I thought surely you would mention the hunt for the South Island bird also, but no, just a ‘probably’ extinct. 

Down here, those of us who are in the mountains a bit know it is not extinct. I heard one on the St James Walkway. I was sitting on a long drop at 7am on August 1, 2019, and this bird must have been a short distance away in the beech forest. You will never forget if you hear a kōkako. Ever since, I have followed the trust of orange wattle chasers (South Island Kōkako Charitable Trust).

There have been confirmed sightings. I shared my own encounter with the late Ron Nilsson from the trust, who was superb to talk to and knew the areas where there were possible sightings or accounts of hearing the bird’s song. 

Thanks for your energy keeping this magazine alive. It has changed quite a bit, a tad too many adverts, but since I like gear shops and reviews of good-quality tramping equipment, I forgive you.

            – Franziska Schmidlin

Walking inspo

I wanted to write to say how inspiring I’m finding the Walk1200km challenge.

It’s so satisfying to walk to new places, clocking up the kilometres and working towards the goal of 25km a week. The sense of achievement and wellbeing, the fabulous walkers you meet along the way – it’s all so rewarding.

Thanks to all involved in continuing to drive this excellent challenge.

Here I am at The Pinnacles in Coromandel Forest Park on another walk.

– Raewyn Tanner

A great day out

Stewart Island is a place everyone in New Zealand should visit at least once in their lives (but not all at once).

One trip missed in the feature ‘Rakiura’s 10 best day walks’ (December 2025), and one I had been hanging out for, is the plane ride from Invercargill to a beach landing in Mason Bay and walk to Freshwater Hut, where a water taxi can take you back to Oban. 

In April last year my wife and I did it and we loved it so much we spent another four days on the Island to do another couple of walks.

– Peter van Hout