Letter of the month

Make yourself smile

I am from the prairies of Winnipeg, Canada – almost smack dab in the middle of the country. I didn’t grow up with tramping, but after moving to Aotearoa in 2014, it is something I now love. I began with small day tramps and soon multi-day hikes became my idea of fun.

I knew I wanted to walk Te Araroa the minute I heard about it. I thought, ‘If I can walk for one day, I can walk for two, if I can walk for two, I can walk for three.’ I asked for a sign that I should put work on pause and hit the hills. And a sign from the universe came. 

I was showering, conditioning my hair, scrunching my eyes shut as soap suds dribbled near them. With eyes still closed, I threw my recently conditioned and shedded hair at the shower wall to save it from the drain. When I opened my eyes, there it was. The sign: New Zealand’s iconic bird. A clump of hair plastered to the wall with a large curved back, big rotund body and telltale beak. A kiwi. 

I towelled off and promptly asked for time off work. 

As the journey of 3000km neared, I decided that I’d do a simple thing for myself so that, on the trail, I could feel a tiny moment of glimmer each day. But what? I bought a standard rectangular abrasive sponge to clean my pot and bowl, and decided that a rectangle sponge would bring me no joy on the daily scrub … but a heart-shaped one? Yes please. And so, my heart-shaped dish sponge was born, in part to make me smile and in part to shave off a few measly grams. 

From then on, and especially when I was in the thick of my journey, every time I washed some bits of dehydrated food from my pot, I would smile at the silly sponge in a curious shape. 

So, my advice to others, on a trail or as you wander through this wondrous life, is to do something little for yourself that makes you smile. Whether it’s writing notes and putting them in your bounce boxes, adorning your shoelaces with Pandora charms or cutting your sponge into a love heart, make yourself smile. 

– Bobbi-Jo Burkitt

Bobbi-Jo receives a topographical map-themed placemat or coaster set valued at $90 from www.westcoasters.co.nz. Readers, send your letter to the editor for a chance to win.

Internal budget blowout

I was surprised at the cost of the hut in the article ‘Pouakai Hut to receive a $17.8m upgrade’ (March 2025). From my 40 years in the construction industry, the numbers just didn’t stack up. A bit of research revealed that this was actually the budget for the full Taranaki Crossing upgrade. The hut rebuild is $2.4m. I can accept that!

– Peter Davis

– Quite right Peter, we did mix up the numbers. We apologise to readers for the confusion. – AH

Go bulk with Go Native

‘Which tramping meal is for you?’ was a great article. I will be trying some of the meals reviewed. 

Some information was missing: the Go Native range is also sold in bulk packs with either mashed potato or rice sachets; they’re really good. The bulk 10-pack is super good value at $13.90 per meal and there’s a large range of meals to choose from. I’ve been using Go Native for two years now without any fails. My go-to.

 – Maurice Gilling

Bird on board

I thought you might like this photo of a cheeky South Island robin helping my friend Kathryn Knightbridge read her Wilderness magazine at Upper Gridiron Hut, Kahurangi. What a special moment in a magical spot.

– Emma Gregg

Hubbard’s a fave

Reading ‘Which tramping meal is for you’ (April 2025) reminded me of when my wife and I walked Te Araroa a few years back. By the time we reached Southland, my favourite breakfast and dinner was Hubbard’s Outward Bound cereal sprinkled with milk powder, protein powder and topped up with water. Very tasty, lots of carbs and protein – and best of all it’s light to carry and doesn’t need cooking or heating.

– Mark Williams

AI for trip planning

As a cabinetmaker, my favourite tool is my 16oz hammer.

As a tramper, I would say my favourite piece of kit is my Aarn pack. However, I may have a contender for that – and it’s not even a piece of   kit I would take with me!

I am planning to walk the Kaimai Range from south to north. The DOC brochure narrates the trip from north to south, so I copied that into ChatGPT and asked it to reverse the trip. I was very impressed with the accuracy of the result. Next, I asked ChatGPT for a report when completing the tramp over four days. The resulting plan was provided in 36 seconds, and it was a better and more detailed plan than I had deliberated over for some time.

This is now a regular tool in my kete (kit) that I will use as part of my safety planning process.

– Terry Beech