Want to get away from your desk and into the backcountry? For the Peninsula Tramping Club, including two FMC Executives Jan and Liz, it was time for a group adventure. Leaving the office behind and taking a long weekend, they summit Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku -- the 'footsteps of the rainbow.'
While great strides have been taken to restore the native bird population, the future of the Coromandel Forests is less certain. FMC outlines its vision for the protection of the Coromandel Peninsula.
What happens when your life-long hobby becomes your profession? For photographer Richard Sidey, he began to lose the spark for his once beloved hobby. He shares how through clear purpose, technology and a few easy to follow steps, he found a way to rekindle his love of adventure photography.
Confronted by the dramatic environmental changes occurring in New Zealand, former FMC Vice President Neil Silverwood explores how photography can be utilised as a powerful tool for advocacy.
Accompanied by his two sons, Ed and Will, Peter Laurenson capitalises on the school holidays to expend some of their teenage energy by climbing the Tararua Peaks.
Four friends set out on their Silver qualifying journey only to be tested by weather, thereby demonstrating their maturity in choosing safety over the finish line.
As recipients of the FMC Youth Award Grant, eight students from St. Peters College brave the Humpridge Track in rain-soaked conditions and make lasting memories along the way.
A cast iron bath in a DOC hut?! On a weekend tramp, Sonia and her family discover the perks of staying in a hut once occupied by a lighthouse keeper and his family.
Uncle Jacko talks backcountry meal ideas, the medicinal benefits of swearing, and much more in this edition of his Cookery Corner.
Jess Lange and mates carry in thier boats to paddle the gorges of the West Coast's classic Arahura River.
In Part II of her blog, Mary completes the North Island portion of the Te Araroa Trail just days before lockdown and emerges to find a world strikingly different from when she began her tramp.
As a recipient of the FMC Youth Expedition Scholarship, Mary Williams departs on a solo mission to complete the South Island section of the Te Araroa Trail.
With winter in full swing, Sonia Barrish offers practical and insightful tips for winter hiking with a little one.
In light of social distancing restrictions, Sarah Tiong gives solo tramping a try. She discovers not only the benefits of going at her own pace, but how rewarding it can be to 'leave the psychological security of safety in numbers.'
Rob Hawes, Lorraine Johns, and Simon Bell climb two peaks during one long Wanaka weekend. In Rob’s account, he shares how Simon’s FOMO guaranteed that he didn't miss out on an epic climb.
Uncle Jacko poses a controversial question: which is the best tea to take along tramping? In his column from November 2017, Uncle Jacko reveals his love of Assam tea and emphasises the value of learning from one another in the backcountry.
Covering 2,700 hectares of the Wakarara range in Central Hawkes Bay, the Gwavas Conservation Area has been awaiting reclassification since DOC's early days. John Beech, General Committee Member for the Manawatu Tramping and Skiing Club, offers insight into this region's battle for reclassification and greater land protection.
Uncle Jacko shares one of his joys in life: finding new words and ideas. In this edition of his Cookery Corner, Uncle Jacko passes on the meaning of the Maori word "Whakawhanaungatanga," as well as teaches us about the real value of calories in the backcountry and what's inside "The Dangerous Book for Grown-up Boys."
Five students from St. Matthew’s College and qualifiers for the Duke of Edinborough’s Hillary Award Gold share highlights from tramping the Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk — a 46 kilometre track in Te Urewera, the homeland of the Tūhoe people.
When Sonia Barrish and partner take their 1-year old daughter on her first multi-day hike, they came prepared with everything she might need. What they didn't prepare for, however, was Sonia becoming injured. In this edition of 'Back to the Wild,' their family learns the importance of carrying a Personal Locator Beacon in the backcountry.
Why is land classification important? What are the consequences of classifying an area as a stewardship land as opposed to a national park? FMC Executive Crystal Brindle explains how classification works and champions for the Mavora Lakes Conservation Area and Livingstone Mountains to be awarded the highest tier of protection.
In this edition of Uncle Jacko’s Cookery Corner (originally featured in the November 2015 FMC Bulletin), Uncle Jacko covers a wide range of topics from DOC's orange track markers to the 421 different Scottish words for snow.
Featured in Backcountry Magazine's "Forgotten Lands" edition (November 2019), FMC Executive Neil Silverwood explores the unique limestone region around the Four Mile River West Coast and explains why this remarkable land deserves higher protection.
‘Five tough wahine’ from Northland come full circle. No longer 'wee little Bronzies,' they complete their Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award with a journey that incorporates the area they visited when they first began their DOE Adventurous Journey.
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