Natalie Looyer recently completed a PhD on the history of rock climbing in Aotearoa, from the 1960s to the Paris Olympics. What drew you to this project? There is so much literature about mountaineering and tramping in Aotearoa but not much about rock climbing. It’s like mountaineering’s scrappy little sibling. As a rock climber, I saw […]
About the author
Leigh Hopkinson
Wilderness deputy editor Leigh Hopkinson spends the weekends in the hills with her whānau and weekdays as a journalist and editor. She has a Graduate Diploma of Journalism from the University of Canterbury. A keen tramper, rock climber and newbie mountaineer, she has written for magazines and newspapers on both sides of the Tasman. She’s originally from the West Coast and now lives in Ōtautahi Christchurch.
The 2026 Wilderness Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition
Otamatapaio Hut, Oteake Conservation Park
Dirt bike trial on Tongariro Northern Circuit gets approval
Adventurer and author Dunc Wilson
A majestic coastal walk
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