Working with Ngāti Waewae, DOC and Buller District Council, OceanaGold has developed the new public recreation area as a legacy project. It opened in September 2025 and includes over 33km of multi-use tracks - including this 17km day trip.

The shared cycle and walking track that explores the old mine site starts from the car park at the end of Rosstown Road, a pleasant 20-minute walk from Reefton Visitor Centre.

Missed yesterday’s feature? We went on a mission to find Aotearoa's enigmatic forest diva.

One of the most sought-after and beloved pack brands at Further Faster, Aarn Packs, has been part of a University of Canterbury study: ‘Backpack Design and Walking Gradient Effects on Gait Kinetics and Kinematics’ – or how your backpack affects the way you walk – by Tim Grigg, Dr Sibi Walter and Dr Natalia Kabaliuk. 

The study examined how a walker’s gait differs when wearing an Aarn Pack with front balance pockets compared to a traditional backpack, where all weight is on the back, and no pack at all. Study participants walked on various treadmill gradients to see how their gait changed across the different packs/no pack and gradients. The two main focus points were forward lean or lumbar extension, and the centre of pressure or where and how their foot hit the ground in their stride.

The study found that when wearing an Aarn Pack, the forward lean and centre of pressure were very similar to how a person would walk without a pack on, while the traditional pack resulted in a greater forward lean and adjustments to balance when walking.

The conclusion: an Aarn Pack allows you to walk more naturally than a traditional back-loading pack. This tallies with what our customers say: “It doesn’t even feel like you’re wearing a pack!”

If you’re in for some academic reading, you can check out the study here. 

And you can find the full range of Aarn Packs here. 

Which river is the South Island's longest river?

Scroll to the bottom of this email for the answer…

Try this filling meal that’s light on the wallet and in the pack.

Cook the pasta until almost al dente.

Drain the water from the pot, leaving just enough to get a thick sauce out of the tomato paste.

Add the tomato paste and stir. Once the sauce is smooth, add the tuna, olive oil, garlic and onion. Season to taste with mixed herbs. Simmer for another 1–2 minutes to warm all ingredients.

On Monday we asked Wilderness Daily readers if you use tramping boots or trail runners when hiking.

The results are in: 72% of you prefer tramping boots while just 28% go for trail runners.

Here is a selection of comments from readers:

[Boots] “Good, solid, reliable. got nothing against trail runners and may change over to them at some point but boots just have the strength and support that I like.”

[Runners] “Been a trail runner convert for a couple of years now. Lighter, better grip on gnarly terrain and they dry out much quicker.”

[Boots] “Tramping boots all the way no matter the terrain. Ankle-high to give good support in this area of the foot. Zero blisters when wearing the right sock(s).”

[Runners] “Being an older tramper at 61 we all started wearing leather boots, I even ran 75km in a pair. But now with a new knee, doggie ankles and hips, I wear trainers for comfort. With the increased technology the grip is better than ever. I’ll only go back to boots for alpine work.”

Answer B - Clutha River / Mata-Au

The 338km Clutha River / Mata-Au flows through Central and South Otago from Lake Wānaka to the Pacific Ocean, 75 kilometres south west of Dunedin.

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