Photo: Diana Ward
Visit this standout tramp for its coastal views, lush bush, protected wetland, black-sand beach and ingenious track design.
The track was closed in 2018 to manage the spread of kauri dieback and to repair storm damage, but it has now reopened creating more options for walkers near Auckland.
Missed yesterday’s feature? Learn how E-bikes are transforming NZ cycle trails.
Quiz
The Rees-Dart Track is a Great Walk.
A: True
B: False
Scroll to the bottom of this email for the answer…
Current Issue - July/August 2026
Shine a light on Cape Brett - Northland’s best weekend walk, discover winter magic in the high country, embark on a loop of Rakiura’s untamed south-west, six mapped trip reports, gear guides and dozens more articles!
Featured Book
Under the Weather
This must-read book untangles how we know what the future holds and why it matters to our everyday lives. It looks at NZ’s increasingly frequent natural disasters, warming and acidifying waters, the creep of rising sea levels, and the ways that the changing weather will affect our agriculture, lifestyle, food security and economy.
Subscribers get a 10% discount.
What is the Conservation Amendment Bill?
Photo: Neil Silverwood
The Conservation Amendment Bill, introduced by the government in May, proposes significant changes to the way New Zealand’s conservation land is managed. Rather than protection, the Government seeks to repurpose the Act towards development.
Most of New Zealand’s natural areas, mountains, lakes and rivers, and tramping tracks and backcountry huts, are in public conservation land. If the Bill is passed, there could be major repercussions for public access and outdoor recreation.
Recipe: Savoury seed butter
Any kind of nut or seed butter is a dangerous thing to pack - it tends to magically ‘evaporate’ within a few days. This variation is for an energy-dense, nutritionally-rich spread.
Photo: Maddy Bellcroft
Profile
Prep time: 15 min
Makes: 3/4 cup
Ingredients
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tsp coconut oil
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp salt
Pinch (generous) of garlic powder
Pinch of black pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 180℃. Place seeds on tray and bake until roasted (5-8min), watching closely as they burn quickly. Place hot seeds in a (good quality) high-powered blender along with coconut oil and process until consistency is smooth and runny, adding a little extra coconut oil if needed. Stop blender, scrape down sides with a spatula and then add remaining ingredients. Blend and taste, adding extra salt if desired.
This will keep in the fridge for at least a month or two.
Poll results
On Monday we asked Wilderness Daily readers which weather app they find the most reliable.
The results are in:
27% - YR
21% - Metservice
15% - Windy.com
14% - More than one app
13% - Metvuw.com
9% - NIWA
1% - Earth Nullschool
Here is a selection of comments from readers:
“I am very happy with forecasts from MetService but do use the MetVuw website to look at the charts and make my own analysis ”
“YR are able to pinpoint more precisely than the Met Office our second choice. For example they are able to give us the forecast for the Dart Hut which was very useful when doing the Rees Dart Circuit.”
“Usually use multiple websites to get the general trend. MetService 3 day forecast is normally pretty bomb proof.”
“Metservice and Niwa. I always compare both.”
Have a question you want to ask your fellow Wilderness Daily readers? Send us an email at [email protected]
Quiz answer
Answer B - False
Want to receive fewer emails? Did you know you can select the days of the week you receive Wilderness Daily? Update your preferences here.
