Paul Hersey high on the North Buttress of Mt Hopkins. Photo: Kynan Bazley

From an overseas expedition to Kyrgyzstan to trips here in Aotearoa, mountain climber and author Paul Hersey shares the three trips that have had the greatest impact on him.

🌟 Bonus: Listen to Paul discuss these three trips in The Wild Podcast, attached to the story.

Missed yesterday’s feature? Frosty mornings, fire-warmed huts and long shadows. Writer Victoria Bruce finds the Marlborough high country is transformed by winter, with different stories to tell.

Quiz

The Ruahine Range is home to the North Island’s second highest non-volcanic peak at 1,733m. Which peak is it?

  • A - Hikurangi

  • B - Wharite

  • C - Ohuinga

  • D - Mangaweka

Scroll to the bottom of this email for the answer…

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Recipe: Teriyaki mushroom dumplings

Make these dumplings ahead of time, then freeze them so they defrost in your pack ready to be cooked on the first night.

Photo: Maddy Bellcroft

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  • Prep time: 30 min

  • Cook time: 5-8 min

  • Serves: 3

Ingredients

  • 1 packet thin dumpling wrappers

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 tsp sesame oil

  • 1 cup diced mushrooms

  • 1 cup grated tempeh or tofu

  • 1 cup diced broccoli

  • 1 large clove garlic, crushed

  • 1 small chilli, finely chopped

  • Half tbsp grated fresh ginger

  • 2 tsp soy sauce (plus extra for serving)

  • 3 tbsp teriyaki sauce

Tip: For an extra special treat, you can make dessert dumplings with sliced banana and chunks of dark chocolate.

Method

In a pan, sauté mushrooms and tempeh in olive oil and sesame oil for 3-4min. Add broccoli, garlic, chilli, and ginger and cook for a further 5min. Add soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and stir through. Remove from heat and allow to cool (now is your chance to watch a clip on how to fold dumplings).

Take a tablespoon of the mixture and place into the centre of the dumpling wrapper and pinch edges together – dampen your hands if they are not sticking. Continue until all the filling is used up. Place dumplings in plastic container with a little sheet of baking paper between layers then freeze.

To cook, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and half a cup of water in a frying pan. Place dumplings in batches of 5-10 into pan and cover with lid, steam fry for 3-5min until slightly opaque and golden on the bottom, make sure you move them about with a spatula while they cook as they like to stick.

Repeat process, topping up water and oil each time until done. Eat immediately dipped in a little soy sauce.

Poll results

On Monday we asked Wilderness Daily readers how many of our 75 trampers’ peaks they’ve summited.

The results are in: 65% of you have climbed 0-10, 30% have summited 10-30 peaks, 3% have climbed between 30 and 50, and only 1% have climbed more than 50.

You guys better get cracking!

Have a question you want to ask your fellow Wilderness Daily readers? Send us an email at [email protected]

Quiz answer

Answer D - Mangaweka

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