2019-05-01 Wilderness

6
MAY 2019

PIGEON POST

Robynreceivesa pairof

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worth$300from

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Readers,sendyourletter

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Letter of

the month

AVOID BLISTERS, WEAR

YOUR SPARE TYRE

FURTHER TO WKHDUWLFOHç)ULFWLRQDIćLFWLRQè

(March 2019) in which suggestions were made for

the treatment and prevention of blisters, while

guiding on the Milford Track in the late 1950s,

I discovered that blisters were devastating for

many trampers.

For many, the Milford Track was their ‘Everest’.

But many wore new boots, borrowed boots, or

hired them, resulting in terrible blisters.

I remember one poor lady having to return from

Pamplona to Glade House on the back of our pack

horse Gypsy.

I soon worked out that prevention is better than

a cure. The best advice, especially for those new to

tramping, is to carry a ‘spare tyre’ – that is, ensure

your other pair of footwear (who doesn’t carry an-

other pair?) can, if necessary, be walked in. Ideally

sneakers or running shoes.

I remember blistered folk resorting to wearing

jandals, Crocs in later years and on one occasion

bare feet. As soon as it's obvious it’s starting to

rub, change. Don’t wait for the blister.

Several times over the years, I loaned my spare

tyre to clients when a blister was imminent.

But if you do get a blister, follow the advice in

the article.

• Ray Willett, Te Anau

WEED CONTROL

WEBSITE NEEDED

THE STORY about the hut

bagging website (Walkshorts,

April 2019) got me thinking

about doing something similar

for noxious weeds and wilding

pines.

I admit I have a bit of a thing

about weeds in our beautiful

backyard. I really don’t like

them. Being a tramper for over

50 years has meant personal

observation of the results of

weed infestation and it’s not

pretty.

Recently, while on a mission

to enjoy the easy tops access

of Hanmer’s Jacks Pass and to

knock off a few conifers while

I was enjoying the exercise and

view, my mind wandered to

getting more people actively

involved in weed control.

There are now all sorts of

websites where the word

can be spread and progress

noted. For example, there are

websites for hut bagging and

geocaching. Perhaps a site

along these lines could be used

to encourage people to saw a

pine or two when passing by.

The issue then turns from

‘Oh, but there are so many

how can we make a difference’,

to ‘Wow, our total is up to 89

and we can see that others are

doing the same’.

How about it folks?

• Robyn Scott, email

WILDERNESS ONLINE

A summary of stories published

at wildernessmag.co.nz

GERMAN TA WALKERS

WIN APRIL FOOLS

IT’S SCROGGIN,

NOT TRAIL MIX

IN THE ARTICLE Fine-tuning your fuel (March

2019), the author uses the term ‘trail mix’. That is

an American term for Scroggin. Yet I did not see

Scroggin mentioned anywhere.

Ask any Scout, Guide or outdoor instructor, or

thousands of New Zealanders who work or live

in the bush: Scroggin is a mix of nuts, raisins and

chocolate, and while other ingredients have crept

in over the years, Scroggin it remains.

It is what we teach NZ kids as a Kiwiana icon.

While we are a multicultural nation, we still have

our own developed uniqueness and Scroggin is

one of them.

• Brett Smith, Waikouaiti

DAYLIGHT SAVED

OR LOST?

THE ARTICLE ‘How to orient your map’ (March

2019), states the sun ‘is due north at 12 noon

during daylight saving (October to April)’.

Surely the sun is due north at 12 noon during

normal standard time (May to September) and at

1pm during daylight saving time.

During daylight saving time, the clock is moved

forward so that when it is actually 12 noon by

the position of the sun and Earth, the clock is

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getting dark at around 8pm, the clocks are set to

9pm so you have ‘saved daylight’ as it seems to be

light later in the evening.

• Derek Barrett, Whanganui


• Thanks Derek, we have corrected the article. - AH

A record number of readers visited

the Wilderness website on April

Fools’ Day to read a satirical news

roundup.

The tongue-in-cheek stories

included a German couple who

walked State Highway 1 instead

of the Te Araroa Trail, a ‘Not So

Great Walk’ tourism campaign and

Tokoroa Liquor Hut winning the

title of New Zealand’s favourite

hut.

The article saw more people

tuning into the website on April 1

than on any other day of its his-

tory, proving Wilderness readers

have a good sense of humour.

PAPAROA TRACK

OPENING DELAYED

The opening date of the new Pap-

aroa Track Great Walk has been

further delayed until December.

Delays have been put down to

XQH[SHFWHGO\GLI¾FXOWWHUUDLQRQ

the Paparoa tops, DOC said in

a release.

DOC project director Tom

Hopkins said bookings will

open in June for the 2019/

summer season.

BEYOND THE

BEALEY VALLEY

The Bealey Valley Walking Track

in Arthur’s Pass Village is so easy

everyone can do it.

But few opt for the extra chal-

lenge of pushing on beyond the

trail end.

For those keen to expend a

bit of energy on some minimal

rock scrambling, there are three

options to see more of this stun-

ning valley.

• Read these stories in full
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Hans Olo and his partner were shocked

to discover they had mistakenly walked

SH1 and not the TA Trail