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Gerhard Mueller and explorer Charlie Douglas built this cairn on the remote Olivine Range in 1885. Photo: Geoff Spearpoint

The secret life of rock cairns

Features, Wild heritage

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By Ricky French

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May 2023

View more by author

By Ricky French

Rock cairns have been used for centuries to mark routes and guide travellers – even here in New Zealand. And if they could, they’d have some good stories to tell.

I was a 12-year-old in 1990 when I set off with my uncles and cousin to tramp the Tararua Northern Crossing. We began just east of Levin, and the trip did not get off to a good start. We followed the Ohau River, looking forward to a leisurely lunch at South Ohau Hut on the […]

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May 2023

About the author

Ricky French

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Features, Off the Beaten Track, Shaun Barnett

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Women thriving outdoors

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