Kamala Hayman is The Press editor, a mother of two, and loves the outdoors, despite being directionally challenged and risk-averse.

“While my day job is office-bound, I get my outdoor fix most weeks from trail running and recently completed my first ultra, the Tarawera 50. I also enjoy cycling, tramping and getting to the top of things, and I’m grateful for the South Island’s abundance of achievable trails and peaks.”

Deputy editor Leigh Hopkinson spoke with Kamala about the three trips that have changed her life.

Missed yesterday’s feature? We looked at seven overseas trails Wilderness writers think you’ll love.

Which organisation was set up to support native forest restoration in NZ?

Scroll to the bottom of this email for the answer…

New Zealand’s 1:50,000 scale topographic maps are the most detailed maps available for the backcountry. With a refined combination of colour, contour and symbology, these maps convert the three-dimensional world into two dimensions, providing a comprehensive illustration of the terrain and its features, both natural and cultural.

Despite digital mapping options becoming more widely available, paper maps remain a key navigational aid and provide an overview that cannot easily be matched by screens.

See our list of upcoming tramping events and activities across the motu. Have an event you want to feature? Email us the details!

Various dates across April, May & June: Banff Mountain Film Festival

Location: Across the motu

The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour — the biggest annual fundraiser for the New Zealand Alpine Club — is back until 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. Find tickets at banff.nz

20 June: Rangiora Tramping Club 50th anniversary

Were you a member of the Rangiora Tramping Club? Please get in touch with the club as it would love to celebrate its 50th birthday with as many past and present members as possible. Email: [email protected]

21 June: Public Plantings with the Summit Road Society

Location: Linda Woods Reserve, 9am-1pm

The 233ha property, located between the Avoca and Horotane Valleys, is being developed into an open space for the community to enjoy. Help nurture, care for and develop the reserve on this planting day. More info.

27 June: Mahoe-nui Winter Planting

Location: Sumner / Evans Pass, Christchurch, 9–11:30am

Community native planting day on the Port Hills. Includes steep terrain restoration work and post-event refreshments. More info.

28 June: Stories behind some of Aoteaora’s most interesting plants

Location: Otari Visitors Centre, 2pm

Why is speargrass so sharp? Why does the parapara have such sticky seeds (hint, little birds beware). Join Te Papa science researcher and evolutionary biologist Lara Shepherd on an exploration around Ōtari’s plant collection, she’ll reveal all sorts of fascinating facts about our native species. More info.

2 July: Outdoor Training New Zealand Auckland Branch meeting

Location: Point Chevalier Tennis Club, Auckland

The Auckland branch of OTNZ has an active committee, a manageable course schedule, and holds two monthly evening meetings to introduce new topics of interest and engage with the wider membership. More info.

2 July: Winter Hiking and Staying Safe in the Outdoors

Location: MD Outdoors, Nelson, 5:30-7:30pm

Special guest, Gideon, is a full-time practical risk management trainer with over 25 years spent operating in remote and demanding conditions.

The evening's discussion will leave you more confident, better prepared, and ready to take on winter backcountry travel. More info.

4-5 July: Outdoor Training NZ Survival Confidence

Location: Waitakere Ranges Regional Park

This two-day practical course is designed to provide participants with basic bushcraft survival skills (what you would need if you become lost in the New Zealand bush), including survival priorities and how to build a bivvy. More info.

17-18 July: MD Outdoors Nelson Film Festival

Location: Nelson

The film festival will be filled with door prizes, giveaways, competitions and epic films to inspire you and your family. Saturday night screening includes the awards night to announce the winners of this year's competition!

21 July: State of the Snowpack #1

Location: Further Faster, Christchurch, 6:30-8:30

State of the Snowpack Aotearoa is several evenings over winter, of honest, practical avalanche intelligence from people who spend their winters digging pits, reading terrain and keeping others safe. Local professionals will break down what's happening in the Craigieburns, Arthur's Pass and surrounding Canterbury ranges — not in textbook terms, but in the kind of plain language that helps you make better decisions when you're standing at the top of a slope. More info.

Answer B - Trees That Count

Trees That Count is an environmental charity dedicated to native forest restoration throughout NZ. Through a nationwide network of projects and partnerships, it promotes biodiversity and mitigates climate change by planting millions of native trees across the country.

Quiz provided by Pam Hutton/PuzzleBeetle.

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