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

The Mueller Hut Route in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park has reopened for day hikers after the route was temporarily closed for three days because the toilet tank at Mueller Hut was nearing capacity. 

DOC Aoraki/Mount Cook Operations Manager Sally Jones says the tank had filled up faster than anticipated due to higher-than-anticipated visitor numbers. DOC manages a network of more than 2000 toilets nationally, many in remote locations, including Mueller. 

Despite the reopening, RNZ highlighted two calls for a “culture change” around the funding of tracks. Local business EZE director Wayne Campbell suggested a virtual honesty box to help fund the upkeep of walking tracks around Aotearoa. He said his “simple user-pays system allows visitors to go up to the start of a track, scan a QR code on their phone and then pay a small donation or fee to use the services”.

Charlie Hobbs, who has been guiding in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park for more than 30 years, also told Checkpoint more people, should pay to access popular tracks to help pay for facilities. 

“Poor DOC at Mount Cook, they’re overrun, they’ve got budget cuts, they’re getting no money and there’s no income for them to look after these tracks … When you go to national parks and other lands in other countries, people don’t mind paying for the service and it helps the local organisations or the DOC organisations pay the way, help pay the fees. It’s quite sensible really, isn’t it?”

Although there was a statutory law meaning national parks had to be free, Hobbs suggested that could be changed or other ways of paying a fee could be found, like charging for parking. He believed a reasonable fee could range anywhere from $5 to $20.

SAR report from USA reams out unprepared hiker

A 22-year-old hiker, Cole Matthews, set out to climb Mount Washington in New Hampshire despite forecasted winds of 145kph and temps of -47C. He called emergency services after falling and injuring himself on the mountain. 

It took rescuers 11 hours to reach Matthes and they even needed to ask the Mount Washington Cog Railway to fire up a historic steam engine and haul them uphill to his approximate location. When they found Matthes in an emergency shelter he was suffering from hypothermia. 

What’s notable is the report from New Hampshire Fish and Game does more than just the usual recounting of the rescue, it goes on to scold the hiker for being underprepared. “Matthes called for a rescue after making these poor choices and putting himself in a situation that placed 11 other lives in danger in order to save his. Even though the rescuers complete these heroic tasks with humility and passion there is still never-ending concern as to why inexperienced solo hikers continue to push on.” Read the full report from New Hampshire Fish and Game.

The six-month hiking trip that cured burnout

Exploring the 3,500km Appalachian Trail in the USA proved the ultimate reset for workaholic writer Sarah Drumm.

The inspiration for the trip came when Drumm realised a drastic change was needed to recover from their overwhelming feelings of work-related stress, aka burnout. 

The Appalachian Trail is no small undertaking. It snakes along America’s east coast, through 14 states, with an elevation change roughly equivalent to climbing Mount Everest 16 times. Known as the Green Tunnel, it traverses the forested ridgelines of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, the grassy meadows of Virginia and the notoriously rocky footpaths of Pennsylvania.

Drumm says it took a month of hiking to stop compulsively opening the email app on their phone and scrolling Twitter. By the second month, the anxious knot in their stomach had unwound. Removing work from the equation for six months gave them the mental space needed to contemplate what they wanted out of life. Read the full story from The Times.

Six of the best hikes in and around Sydney

BBC Travel published a story earlier this week highlighting the six best hikes around Syndey. From the iconic Bondi to Coogee walk to coastal camping on the Royal Coast Track, these hikes will take you to secluded beaches, rainforest oases and bushland swimming holes.

The six top hikes are:

• Bondi to Coogee (6km) – Best for beach culture
• Manly Scenic Walkway (10km) – Best for harbourside bushland
• Jerusalem Bay Track (250km) – Best for fit adventurers
• Overcliff/Undercliff Track (3.5km) – Best for mountain hiking
• Jibbon Loop Track and Aboriginal Carvings (5km) – Best for Aboriginal heritage 
• Royal Coast Track (30km) – Best for coastal camping