Photo: Jo Stilwell
The Lindis Pass area is known for its dramatic high-country landscapes and sweeping vistas. This day hike isn't along a formed track, but the route follows a distinct tussock-covered ridgeline and is straightforward.
The views are extensive and include the peaks of The Remarkables, Tititea and Mt Earnslaw to the south, and Mt Bath and Aoraki Mt Cook to the north.
Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Size doesn't matter: meet the couple on a quest to climb every knob in NZ.
Quiz
What is another name for the waterbird called pūtangitangi?
A. Dotterel
B. Oystercatcher
C. Paradise shelduck
Scroll to the bottom of this email for the answer…
Current Issue - May 2026
Trips with mum, visit the new Brass Monkey Hut on the Lewis Pass tops, two Wilderness gear experts explain why they're bucking the ultralight trend, mapped trip reports, gear guides and dozens more articles!
SKILLS CHECK: How to clean your hiking footwear
You can see the difference a good clean and application of a reproofing agent makes. Photo: Chris Williams
Up mountains, through rivers, in mud – tramping footwear doesn’t have an easy life. Leave your boots or shoes caked in mud and they’ll deteriorate quite quickly. Whether you have burly leather boots, lightweight trail shoes or something in between, the key to making them last and perform well for the thousands of kilometres they’re capable of is cleaning.
The process consists of two parts: the clean, and the reproof. Part one is about removing dirt and grime (and the odours that result); part two is about rejuvenating the water repellency of the footwear.
Featured Book
Off The Beaten Track: Hunting Tales from the NZ Back Country
Told with equal measures of humour and heart, and punctuated with stunning location photography, this book is a must-read for both hunters and adventure seekers alike.
Subscribers get a 10% discount.
Tramping calendar
See our list of upcoming tramping events and activities across the motu. Have an event you want to feature? Email us the details!
TODAY: DOC Great Walk Bookings open
Location: Online from 9:30 am and 12 pm
Dust off the tramping boots and warm up those clicking fingers - bookings for DOC’s Great Walks, huts and campsites for the 2026/27 season open from 12 May. More info.
14-16 May: OTNZ Basic Navigation and Compass Skills
Location: Wenderholm Regional Park
This course is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to be able to navigate using a Topo50 map and ground features on well-marked tracks in areas typically open to the general public. More info.
17-19 May: Electrify Queenstown
Location: Tahuna Queenstown
Talks, workshops, and experiences covering advances in electrification and renewable energy. Test out new electric things, speak to leaders in the space (i.e. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts), tour an electric home and more. More info.
Various dates across April, May & June: Banff Mountain Film Festival
Location: Across the motu
Get ready, Aotearoa! The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour — the biggest annual fundraiser for the New Zealand Alpine Club — is back this April to July 2026.
Ski big mountain lines in Norway after losing a leg. Attempt a daring first descent of Mount Robson's legendary South Face. Journey by packraft through Alaska's Brooks Range in search of an Arctic mystery. Follow two fathers dragging their two-year-olds through the Swiss Alps on mountain bikes and MORE. Don't miss out — secure your tickets today at banff.nz
30 May: Book launch - Trailblazers - A History of the Nelson Tramping Club (1934 - 2026)
Location: Elma Turner Library, Nelson
This is the story of a bunch of Nelsonians exploring their backyard, and in the process, finding joy, adventure and camaraderie. Among the day-walks and epic climbs are tales of aircraft crashes, missing trampers, romances, inter-club rivalry, as well as the building and maintenance of a dozen backcountry huts. Ninety-two years later, these trampers are still marking tracks and restoring huts. Written and presented by Ray Salisbury. More info.
13-14 June: Bush Skills for wāhine
Location: Whakamarama area, Bay of Plenty
Learn valuable skills for enjoyable and safe tramping and meet women with similar interests! More info - contact [email protected]
20 June: Searching for trampers
Were you a keen tramper? Were you a Rangiora Tramping Club member.
Please get in touch. We’d love to celebrate our 50th birthday with as many past and present members as possible. Email: [email protected]
Quiz
Answer C - Paradise shelduck
Pūtangitangi, or the paradise shelduck, is similar in appearance to a small goose. It is found widely throughout NZ, with a noted increase in population and distribution since the 1990s. Both plumage and call differ distinctively between male and female.
Quiz provided by Pam Hutton/PuzzleBeetle.
Want to receive fewer emails? Did you know you can select the days of the week you receive the Wilderness Daily email? Update your preferences here.
