On the steep ascent from Waihianoa River. Photo: Matthew Cattin
THE WILD PODCAST
Circling the sleeping giant
You can also listen to this episode on Spotify.
The volcanic scenery on Mt Ruapehu’s iconic Round the Mountain track is second to none.
It’s a trail of two halves. East and west, sunrise and sunset, a circumnavigation of the North Island’s mightiest maunga. Round the Mountain is the most challenging of Tongariro National Park’s multi-day routes, the lower, larger half of the figure-eight track network surrounding the iconic trio of volcanoes.
Matthew Cattin wrote up his trip for this month’s Off the Beaten Track feature. We also caught up with him for our latest episode of the Wild Podcast.
Missed Friday’s feature? Oturere Hut opening delayed, the 4.5kg tramping setup with no plastic, kākāpō population reaches new milestone and more in last week’s The World Outdoors.
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This month in tramping history
Skydiving plane crash at Fox Glacier
4 September 2010
A small plane crashed soon after taking off from Fox Glacier airstrip, killing all nine people on board. The aircraft was piloted by 33-year-old Chaminda Senadhira and carried four skydiving instructors and four foreign tourists. The plane caught fire on impact, and a firefighter who was first to arrive on the scene found no sign of life. The official investigation concluded that the converted agricultural plane was unbalanced and overloaded.
Current Issue - Oct 2026
Circling NZ’s sleeping giant, 22 walks across private land, applications open for the 2027 Shaun Barnett Memorial Scholarship, ultralight gear reviews, gear guides, the best places for field testing your lightweight kit and dozens more stories in our latest issue.
Photo of the week 📸
After breaking her collarbone, Mila (7) wasn’t sure she would be able to complete the Tongariro Alpine Crossing as planned. But her mother, Clare Knox, says Mila smashed it, with a little bit of help from big brother Jesse (9) and a whole heap of determination.
This photo was submitted as part of our monthly Last Weekend feature. Each month we publish reader submitted photos in the mag and online. If your photo is published you’ll received a Real Meals meal worth $18!
Email [email protected] with your submissions.
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