Youth Award Grant Coastlines, Kayaks, and Shooting Stars: A Duke of Ed Gold Expedition
Eight students from Hamilton Christian School were awarded an FMC Youth Award Grant: a cash grant to go towards their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Expedition.
tramping
Training Grant Upper Clutha Outdoor First Aid
By the Upper Clutha Tramping Club On Sunday, August 10, 2025, the Upper Clutha Tramping Club held a full-day Outdoor First Aid Course in Wānaka, led by tutor Sam Worps from Peak Safety. The course was attended by twelve members, including both current and aspiring trip leaders, and was made possible through the [...]
Expedition Scholarship The Olivine Ice Plateau – Where Very Few Do Go
“Itching for an adventure, five girls started a venture. Off to the Olivine Ice Plateau, where very few do go. But the weather would not play, so they decided to go anyway. They made new plans, they rationed their cans, until they made it to the land of snow. They had their fun, but their time was not done, I wonder what is next to come.”
Expedition Scholarship Solo Mission through Great Barrier Island
Five days. Solo. South to north across Great Barrier Island: through dense bush, up rugged ridgelines, and over its highest peaks. Liam shares his FMC Youth Expedition, an unforgettable tramp across one of New Zealand's most underrated wild places.
Expedition Scholarship A Kid’s Adventure on the Greenstone-Caples Track
"My advice for any other kids thinking about doing a big tramp: 'Don’t let a bird steal your bag!' Aria Willson, aged ten, learns just how far she can walk after spending her FMC Youth Expedition Scholarship on a six-day tramp with her mum.
Training Grant Keeping Students Safe in the Backcountry
As students and outdoors enthusiasts, members of the Otago University Tramping Club dedicate their free time to more studying – this time learning Outdoor First Aid to effectively manage any backcountry emergency. Through the FMC Training Grant, strapped for cash students can learn outdoors skills while still affording their university fees.
Hut Keepers West Coaster’s Hut Crusade Sparks Nationwide Movement — and a New Film
Grassroots grit and quiet heroes take centre stage in a powerful debut film. A new feature documentary celebrating the quiet heroes of Aotearoa’s wilderness will premiere at the New Zealand Mountain Film & Book Festival late June. 'Hut Keepers' tells the story of a grassroots volunteer movement working to preserve some of New Zealand’s remote backcountry huts. When shifting government priorities threatened their future, a small group of trampers and tinkerers picked up hammers, chainsaws, and paintbrushes —and got to work.
Youth Award Grant Lake Waikaremoana Gold
Go for Gold! Seven students from Pukekohe High School eagerly embark on their last Qualifying Journey for their Duke of Edinburgh Gold award. Five days trekking around Lake Waikaremoana, the group experiences the joys of hut life and the sense of accomplishment that only a hard day's tramp can bring.
Youth Award Grant ‘Round Ruapehu
Faced with breathing difficulties, 85 kilometre per hour wind gusts and a reroute due to heavy rains, five students successfully navigate five days of challenges to complete their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Qualifying Journey.
Outdoor Community Responsible Visitor Behaviour in Nature
New Zealand’s wildlife is precious, and everyone who lives and travels here has a responsibility to look after it. As kaitiaki and guardians of our land, we all have a shared responsibility to look after our place and help others to do the same. Developed during their recent Recreation Sector Hui, the Department of Conservation offers some simple things to remember when visiting our wild places.
Moonlight Trek Tongariro by Full Moon
How do you avoid the crowds on one of the world's busiest tramps? For Andy Carruthers and members of the NZ Alpine Club, Wellington, trekking across the Tongariro Crossing by moonlight grants not only solitude, but breathtaking views.
Youth Award Grant To Cross or Not To Cross
Ten teenagers set out for a three-day mission in Hakatere Conservation Park after receiving a FMC Youth Award Grant. With a challenging river crossing and inclement weather, these students apply their backcountry training to safely complete their Duke of Edinburgh Silver Qualifying Adventurous Journey.
Changes to Come Service or Solitude?
Does increased mobile coverage through SpaceX and One NZ mean the end of backcountry solitude? Or will enhanced communication result in more lives saved when lost or injured? Outdoor education student and backcountry enthusiast, Josephine Tarasiewicz, explores these challenging questions as New Zealand stands at a pivotal point of connection.
Youth Award Grant Sharing the Load
A group of five students share the role of team leader during their DOE Adventurous Journey along the Queen Charlotte Track in the Marlborough Sounds. By stepping up to support each other during the tramp's most difficult moments, they persevere together through the mental and physical challenges of the terrain.
Nelson Lakes Tops Topo Twisting on the Ella Range
A veritable tarn-fest during a north-to-south traverse between Mole Tops and McKellar Stream leads to a perfect backdrop for two adventure photographers, Peter Laurenson and Shaun Barnett.
August 2019 A ‘Lazy’ Wind
In this throwback edition of Uncle Jacko's Cookery Column, Uncle Jacko examines the mechanics of backcountry pizza and aluminum fire-starters, while exploring the windy solitude offered by the Takitimu Mountains.
Tararua Tops Crawling to Jumbo
With a forecast for horizontal snowfall, Peter Laurenson and Shaun Barnett step into a powdery paradise to capture proof that the Tararua Range has mountains too. Despite moments of crawling on hands and knees through thigh-deep snow, Peter uses his years of skilled camerawork to illustrate the magic (and reality) of winter tramping.
Embracing the Wilderness My Journey into Adventure Filmmaking
Are you interested in adventure filmmaking? Grab your camera and start telling your story! Founder of 'Short Films Big Adventures' and outdoor enthusiast, Andy Carruthers, shares his journey from novice filmmaker to creator of a successful adventure film, Tararua S-K, featured on Apple TV and Air New Zealand's in-flight entertainment. From crafting an engaging story to filmmaking and distribution, Andy offers insider tips for aspiring adventure filmmakers.
Love our Huts Story The Elusive Ivory Lake Hut
After nearly five years of striving to reach Ivory Lake Hut from multiple directions, she proves elusive for a tramping party of four. During one final push from the north, she grants entry and they experience a hard-won backcountry trip after three failed attempts and never giving up. Failure has its own rewards and for these keen trampers, their arrival is well worth the wait.
Youth Award Grant Operation Great Barrier
"Our journey to Great Barrier Island wasn't just about completing a hike and getting through the long days of walking – it was about pushing our limits, working as a team, and making memories that will stay with us forever." For their DOE Gold Qualifying Journey, six students from Orewa College navigate the steep descents of the old Kauri Tramline Track and scale hundreds of stairs to reach the summit of Mount Hobson.
June 2024 Huntaneering and the Fall of Hunny Puffs
Huntaneering: A sport where hunters arm themselves with an ice axe and crampons, as well as a rifle. With huntaneering on the rise and Hunny Puffs on the decline, Uncle Jacko delves into the demise of his once-favorite backcountry brekkie, the growing popularity of hunting whilst mountaineering and how a maunga can transcend cultural differences.
An Alternative Approach Doing the S-K Another Way
The S-K is an epic 80 kilometre north-to-south Tararua journey, traditionally completed in 48 hours or less. For Mark Wilcox and his wife, Sarah, the S-K route looks appealing but without the restrictive timeframe. So together, they decide to achieve a tops S-K their way – totaling 41 hours of tramping over seven days without injury and whilst still remaining friends.
A Dog's Tale Crossing the Bridge
What happens when a party of three suddenly becomes a party of four? A tramping weekend takes an unexpected turn for Chris and a group of trampers when a mysterious dog appears on the trail. Upon realising they’ve found someone’s missing dog, Chris bravely faces his childhood fear of dogs and the team figures out how to safely return the canine home.
March 2024 Learn by Doing
Does the success society has at making life safer merely encourage us to take bigger risks? Uncle Jacko ponders how this question pertains to the backcountry, as well as explores bothy bags, hammocks and the Ngāi Tahu Cultural Mapping Project. He signs off with a friendly message to the blokes reading this column: people learn by doing, not watching.
