Writer Jonty Crane has done plenty of tramps over the years, but like most people it isn’t something he does every weekend. For him, the longer the gap or the more ambitious the plan, the more those uneasy thoughts seem to grow.
Tramping involves genuine uncertainty, so a degree of apprehension is understandable. The key is to learn how to manage those thoughts so they don’t overwhelm the experience.
Missed yesterday’s feature? Enjoy 360-degree views of Lake Wānaka without the crowds from this track.
Quiz
Silberhorn / Rangirua is NZ’s fifth highest peak. How tall is it?
A - 3,300m
B - 3,514m
C - 3,853m
D - 4,023m
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
Tongariro National Park: An artist’s field guide
With 400 illustrations, this is a field guide of rare quality for this spectacular park, home to one of the world’s most popular walks, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
Subscribers get a 10% discount.
Recipe: Veggie fried noodles
This is a great meal for the first night of any trip or anytime you don’t mind carrying fresh veggies.
Profile
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1-2 packs of noodles (enough to serve 2)
1.5 tbsp of olive or coconut oil
2 tsp sesame oil
1 small onion, diced
2 clove garlic, minced
2.5 cups fresh veg of choice, finely sliced (I like using a mixture of cabbage, mushrooms, carrot and red pepper)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Topping ideas: fried salmon, chicken, tofu or egg.
Method
Cook noodles as per packet instructions, drain and rinse with cold water to stop them cooking and set aside. In a large pot, heat olive and sesame oil and fry onion for 3min over medium heat.
Add garlic and sliced veggies and stir fry for 8-10min until veggies start to soften.
Add noodles, soy sauce, sweet chili, apple cider vinegar and sesame seeds and cook for a couple of minutes until any moisture has evaporated and noodles are heated. Taste and add extra seasoning if desired.
Transfer to bowls and top with one of the suggested topping ideas or enjoy as is.
Poll results
On Monday we asked Wilderness Daily readers along with your tramping, do you also participate in other outdoor activities like biking?
The results are in: 72% of you said yes, bring on all the outdoor sports. 22% of you stick just to tramping. 6% say they haven’t, but would love to try more outdoor sports in the future.
Here is a selection of comments from readers:
“Love to combine bike with walk activities. Love the latest edition with bike tracks.”
“My hubby and I are the support crew for our daughter's surf lifesaving competitions.”
“I'm becoming somewhat ancient at 85 but I am still riding my e-bike for shopping, and exploring places… I continue to ride a motor scooter but have to behave myself… We need to continue to take risks as we get older, with some understanding and based on a skill set learned over the years.”
Have a question you want to ask your fellow Wilderness Daily readers? Send us an email at [email protected]
Quiz answer
Answer A - 3,300m
Want to receive fewer emails? Did you know you can select the days of the week you receive Wilderness Daily? Update your preferences here.





