Letter of the month

Waikaremoana, a unique cultural experience

A friend and I walked the Waikaremoana Track in Te Urewera recently. 

I have seen comments, both online and in letters to Wilderness, about the state of the walk and can only talk about what I saw. The lake and the track still have damage due to Cyclone Gabrielle, and large amounts of silt and weed at the lake edge make swimming tricky. The huts with no wardens are tidy and functional, and the two huts with wardens are immaculate. There are certainly challenges with possum and rat control. We had no problems with water taxis.

The wardens we encountered were incredibly friendly, welcoming and warm. They talked about how they are building a new experience that will make Waikeremoana a Great Walk with a point of difference, especially its connection to the whenua and its wairua, the local iwi and hapū and their tikanga. Wardens talked about how the trees are their tamariki and mokopuna, and how being in Te Urewera is about your hauora, and all is taonga. 

We experienced a traditional welcome through a simplified pōwhiri, and we were invited to speak of our whakapapa and our connections to those who came before us. Finally, there was a beautiful waiata. A warden extended manaakitanga by building a cosy fire, keeping hot water ready for drinks/food, and sharing kai from his own garden.

Personally, I think the best is being done with what’s available in a very remote area with limited access and a limited workforce. People are striving to make this walk a unique experience, and that will take time.

– Karen Casey

– Karen wins a Dermatone Skin Protection pack worth $129 from www.colorado-traders.co.nz. Readers, send your letter to the editor for a chance to win.

PLB worth its weight

We would like to share our appreciation and thanks to the rescue services who came to the aid of one of our group recently. 

Fleur, Tracy and Esther were walking the Travers–Sabine circuit. While descending from Travers Saddle, Fleur slipped and broke her ankle. The logistics of the other two trying to evacuate her were not trivial, so Tracy and Esther made her comfortable and activated their PLB. 

The system swung into action. Esther’s partner Guy received a phone call from Maritime NZ to confirm the PLB was where it was expected and details of the members and intentions of the group. A helicopter was dispatched from Nelson. 

Within an hour of the accident Fleur was on her way to Nelson Hospital where she spent a couple of days before heading home to Auckland. The other two finished the walk in the traditional way.

Our profound thanks to Maritime NZ, the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter and Nelson Hospital. 

It is comforting to know the system works as it should, and our experience demonstrates the value of carrying a PLB. We think every tramper should; if you can’t afford to buy one, they can be hired.

– Fleur Bracey, Tracey Laga, Esther Hancock and Guy Coulson

Skirting the issue

I would have been happy to receive any of the gifts shown in the Mother’s Day Gift Guide (May 2024), but one other item could have been included: a walking skirt. I wear my skirt for tramping in New Zealand and in the European Alps and much prefer it to shorts. 

Advantages of a skirt are:

• You can pee without taking off your pack

• You get cool air around the nether regions

• There are no inside seams to cause chafing

• You can hitch or tuck it up while crossing rivers

• Mine has two big pockets in the front that I can access easily without undoing my pack’s hip belt.

A disadvantage is some restriction in stepping up occasionally, but hitching up the skirt solves this rare problem.

Try a skirt, ladies – you might give up your tramping shorts.

– Catherine Holmes 

Walk fits the bill

We recently visited Waiorongomai Hut in Remutaka Forest Park (published in the June 2023 issue). 

It fitted the bill of being somewhere none of us had been before yet not too far from home, and a good length for a day walk with a bit of adventure thrown in (roped sections and some river crossings). It’s a good trip for those in the Wellington region looking for a change from the Tararua Range: an enjoyable walk and a tidy little hut that even had camping chairs to relax in.

– Zoe Cooper

‘Perfect’ walk to Mt Brown Hut

A perfect weather forecast was all the excuse I needed for a solo trip to Mt Brown Hut (from the July 2021 issue). ‘Hands required in places’ proved to be true and rātā roots were well used for both ascending and descending. It’s a stunning location with views in all directions and it’s worth saving some energy to climb beyond the hut, towards Mt Brown itself.

I slept under the table as the four-bunker sheltered eight that night. 

– Joy Bryant

– Zoe and Joy each receive a meal from Real Meals. Readers, when you do a trip that has been published in Wilderness, let us know to receive your prize, too.