11 autumn 2025 Autumn 2025 ISSUE 11 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption Ferry Reserve ©2025 Wayne Ravelich GO TO Here & there last summer STOP and STAY A night at Ferry Reserve Wayne Ravelich A night at Ferry Reserve on our way to Morisons Bush. ©2025 Wayne Ravelich Up Up 11 Autumn 2025 , p 11

11 autumn 2025 Autumn 2025 ISSUE 11 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption Otaki-river. mouth. Fishing. ©2025 M Richardson GO TO Here & there last summer Late summer fishing M Richardson Late summer fishing at the Ōtaki River Mouth free camp. February 2025. ©2025 M Richardson Up Up 11 Autumn 2025 , p 15

7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption The final set up: at the beach. Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn 7x4 Pinto Kingsider trailer Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn Kiwi Camping Rooftop Tent & Annex We decided to go with a Kiwi Camping Rooftop Tent & Annex as it had the best layout for our family, easy access & the service from them was great. Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn Kitchen drawer The second drawer had a chopping board pull out tray that converted to a kitchen sink/washing area, 3 burner gas cooker that sat on the top, plate & cutlery drawer & a back section for other miscellaneous items (eg cooking spray, gas bottle, cleaning supplies etc) Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn Two drawers The first drawer was 1 long drawer for waterproof storage boxes which would hold food & other things, the second drawer, the kitchen. Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn Frame and drawers ready for the next step. We decided to have a go at making our own camper trailer, as we already had the 7x4 Pinto Kingsider trailer. Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn Adding the ACM panels. The most nerve-racking thing of all was attaching the VHB tape to the frame & then securing the ACM panels which was extremely stressful as one false move & it can’t be un-done! Luckily it went without a hitch (& a huge sigh of relief) & the frame was finally together. Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn Gas struts. I went searching for gas struts for the rear door but after having a lot of factors to consider, I decided to get a professional to install them. Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn Window and side door. I am glad I did install the side door as it’s proved very beneficial during wetter weather as you can load everything from inside the tent/annex straight into the camper without it getting wet. Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn Curtains Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn Lights, pockets, extras. Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn Pockets on the wall. Bed set up. Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn North Island Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn South Island Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn It all started with a chance conversation Kiwi camping with a difference Shaun & Jenn It all started with a chance conversation with friends about a special birthday coming up (I won’t mention which one!) & the fact that I wanted to take my wife & kids on a trip to the South Island over Easter 2023 as our boys had never been. Being on a budget, we decided that camping was our best option but our current set-up/pack-down time was way too long & we always took way too much gear to fit in our car, plus we wanted to take the bikes & kayak as well. With our friends already having a tear drop camper (and an extremely fast set-up/pack-down time), we decided to have a go at making our own camper trailer, as we already had the 7x4 Pinto Kingsider trailer. I’d always wanted to make a lockable cover of sorts for it so my mind started working overtime with all the possibilities. After spending many hours watching YouTube videos to help with ideas on how to build one and things to incorporate, I formulated a plan. I would build a collapsible box for the top of the trailer that could be stored flat when not in use so that the trailer could still be multi-purpose. I decided to make the frame out of 25mm galvanised steel & would clad the outside in ACM panels (aka Signboard), held on with VHB tape (for those that don’t know — it’s basically double-sided tape which was scary to think that it would do the job but I was assured that it would). I wanted to ensure that the hinges on the doors would be fully waterproof so chose Centaflex hinges & they work great. The roof would then drop down on top of the frame to secure everything in place (along with a couple of bolts & homemade roof-racks) & then we attached the rooftop tent on top of that with quick release hinges. We ended up purchasing the roof top tent first as we could still use it while building the camper trailer. After looking at all the options, we decided to go with a Kiwi Camping Rooftop Tent & Annex as it had the best layout for our family, easy access & the service from them was great. Plus, the height profile of it when packed away suited our needs too, as height of the entire unit was something we needed to take into account as we wanted to be able to store it in our garage. The drawers were next to be made & after much input from my family (mostly from my wife!) on how they needed to operate (she wanted all the bells & whistles, lol!) I drew up a sketch on how it should look & am proud to say that it came out looking pretty much like it. Not being a woodworker, I stumbled along & got it done with the basic tools I had (& plenty of cursing), but it worked & I got the drawers finished. The first drawer was 1 long drawer for waterproof storage boxes which would hold food & other things, the second drawer had a chopping board pull out tray that converted to a kitchen sink/washing area, 3 burner gas cooker that sat on the top, plate & cutlery drawer & a back section for other miscellaneous items (eg cooking spray, gas bottle, cleaning supplies etc). I also made the back section of floor removable so that we could access anything that we stored under the floor at the front of the trailer which allowed room for the gazebo & other larger items. After not having much luck with a company getting back to me on welding the frame (I waited at least 2 months or more),family & friends came to the rescue & got it all done for me just before Christmas 2022. The sides, ends & roof were all attached together using riv nuts for easy dismantling later & foam tape for weatherproofing. Finding some of the hardware for the doors/hinges/easy release tent mounts proved to be very challenging & took up a lot of time & gas but as the weeks went by the collection of items grew until we had everything we needed. Next it was time to do the most nerve-racking thing of all & attach the VHB tape to the frame & then secure the ACM panels which was extremely stressful as one false move & it can’t be un-done! Luckily it went without a hitch (& a huge sigh of relief) & the frame was finally together. I then fitted quick release brackets for the roof-top tent on the homemade roof-racks & fixed it to the roof. I also mounted a solar panel near the back of the trailer that could be multi-directional to capture as much sunlight as possible. I wanted to make sure that there was side access to the camper trailer so I also installed a side door that could be accessed from inside the annex of the roof-top tent along with a small window on the opposite side for outside views & airflow. I installed a couple of extra air vents for additional air circulation too. I am glad I did install the side door as it’s proved very beneficial during wetter weather as you can load everything from inside the tent/annex straight into the camper without it getting wet. Last but not least, I went searching for gas struts for the rear door but after having a lot of factors to consider, I decided to get a professional to install them (& I’m glad I did) as they work extremely well. We added a couple of finishing touches (eg. LED Lights for inside the trailer & above the cooking area, Mosquito nets/flyscreens on the doors, window curtains, wall pockets for phones/books/torches/tissues etc) & then decided to make a quick run down to Miranda campground (Firth of Thames) for a weekend to test it out before going away on our big trip. It worked great & with a few extra things added when we got home: we were ready for our big trip! So, 3 weeks, 5000km We left from Auckland, drove down to Wellington via New Plymouth, got the ferry over to the South Island & then travelled around visiting lots of different (& amazing) places before making the return trip home. We clocked up at least 5,000kms! Some of our favourite places to visit were Hanmer Springs, Kaikoura, Christchurch, Dunedin, The Catlins, penguin & seal colonies, Te Anau, Manapouri, Doubtful Sound, Queenstown, The Wanaka Toy Museum, the Clay Cliffs at Omarama, Lake Tekapo & we couldn’t resist a stay at Lake Taupo Holiday Resort on the way home (they have the best hot pools & a swim-up bar). Our little camping trailer survived the trip & actually went really well — so much so that we’ve used it a lot ever since! The only thing we would have done differently would be to spend longer in each place as there’s soo much beautiful countryside to see & activities to explore. Even though we’re very close to being fully self sufficient — we don’t have a self-containment certificate — but instead of staying in packed campgrounds we prefer the serenity of a basic campsite. Photos ©2024 Shaun & Jenn Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 23

7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption I can’t really take in how gorgeous the McKenzie Basin is ©2024 Louise Hamilton I can’t really take in how gorgeous the McKenzie Basin is ©2024 Louise Hamilton swimming and reading this afternoon Foray into paradise Louise Hamilton I can’t really take in how gorgeous the McKenzie Basin is. Very sore bum after cycling yesterday however, so swimming and reading this afternoon. ©2024 Louise Hamilton Canterbury High Country Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 5

9 Spring 2024 9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Images ©2024 Lorraine Middleton Images ©2024 Lorraine Middleton Images ©2024 Lorraine Middleton Images ©2024 Lorraine Middleton Images ©2024 Lorraine Middleton You can cook them over a fire Girdle scones (aka griddle scones) Lorraine Middleton This is a very versatile and flexible recipe. You can make it up as a dry mix at home to take with you. I use my food processor, replacing the butter with margarine (which keeps better). Ingredients can be substituted, you can leave out the milk powder and just use milk when making them. I have also used lemonade and cream in place of the milk and butter, which worked well too. They can be cooked in a lidded frypan (my preference), on a hotplate or on a BBQ griddle. Ingredients 2 heaped cups flour 3 rounded tsp baking powder 3 Tbsp butter or margarine 1/4 cup trim milk powder plus chilled water to make 1 cup OR 1 cup milk Method ◗ Melt butter, leave to cool a little then add chilled water or milk. ◗ Add flour and baking powder and mix with a butter knife into a fairly soft dough (don’t over mix) adding more water if needed. ◗ Pat dough out to 2cm thick (approx) and cut into shapes to fit the pan. ◗ Cook over medium to low heat 5 to 7 mins each side until golden. To serve, split open and add your favourite toppings. Cook over a fire These are also great with the mixture twirled around and over the end (important!) of a stick. I use bamboo stakes. Cook over a fire. When cooked, pull out the stick and drop butter and golden syrup into the hole (we made that end so the butter and syrup don’t drip through). ◼️ Images ©2024 Lorraine Middleton Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 31

1 Spring 2022 1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption R&R at Orton Bradley Park Just a little R&R Gary Hitchcock Just a little R&R at Orton Bradley Park. Great weather. Who would have thought I would need my sun hat this time of year? Not a breath of wind; 20 degrees. Orton Bradley Park is a great place. Autumn. Canterbury. Gary HItchock. Photos ©2022 Gary Hitchcock Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 12

9 Spring 2024 9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Q. What’s better than a gourmet snag ... ... on some fresh Turkish bread, with relish, cooked and eaten outdoors while freedom camping? Bette Cosgrove ©2024 Bette Cosgrove What’s better? Gourmet snag Bette Cosgrove Q. What’s better than a gourmet snag on some fresh Turkish bread, with relish, cooked and eaten outdoors while freedom camping? A. Two snags on Turkish, with onion relish, cooked and eaten outdoors, while freedom camping. ◼️ ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 4

10 summer 2024 10 summer 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption DOC update DOC How to be a low impact camper Get the most out of your stay at a DOC campsite, minimise your impact and respect people, wildlife and places. Image: Camping on the Whanganui Journey © Laura Honey | DOC ckw.nz/doc-camping Time to get out and explore Tairāwhiti “We’ve got some beautiful spots on our doorstep waiting to be explored,” says DOC Senior Ranger Moira Lee. “Te Kuri Walkway in Gisborne, Cooks Cove Walkway in Tolaga Bay, and the DOC campground in Anaura Bay are all open for visitors. IMAGE: Anaura Bay © Moira Lee | DOC ckw.nz/tai-rawhiti-24 | ckw.nz/east-coast-24 DOC Northland readies for a busy summer DOC is gearing up for a busy summer, with thousands of campers expected to flock to popular Northland campsites. Northland’s DOC campsites have always been a favourite for summer holidaymakers, offering unique experiences from coastal views to tranquil bush settings. We encourage people to plan ahead and book early where possible, especially during peak times and be aware of the rules in place to protect these special places. No dogs. Image: Mimiwhangta Campground with campers © DOC ckw.nz/doc-northland-24 Lighting fires on public conservation land Find out when and where you can light fires at huts, campsites and in the backcountry on public conservation land. Image: Christina Wray | Creative Commons ckw.nz/doc-fires Meat the G.O.A.T Wild goat meat is one of the most lean and high-protein meats. In the National Wild Goat Hunting Competition DOC teamed up with Cazador restaurant to share some tasty wild goat recipes. Image: DOC © Cazador restaurant cazador.co.nz | ckw.nz/goat-recipes Leave Denniston relics where they lie DOC has a simple message for locals and visitors to top West Coast tourist destination and Tohu Whenua site Denniston — “leave Denniston relics where they lie.” Image: Denniston relics © DOC` ckw.nz/relics Celebrating 10 years of West Coast Marine Reserves The main intent of marine reserves is as areas for scientific study. But they have also been celebrated as places to enjoy the natural environment, and as a kind of insurance against the impacts that people can have on the sea. They are a place where fish and other sea life can grow, sustaining local habitats and breeding stocks. Each of the reserves has unique features. ckw.nz/wc-10yrs | ckw.nz/wc-marine | Image: ©DOC Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track becomes New Zealand’s 11th Great Walk Hump Ridge Track is a 3-day loop over sub-alpine tops and around rugged coastline in southern Fiordland. It opened as our 11th Great Walk on 25 October 2024. Image: ©DOC ckw.nz/11th-great-walk | ckw.nz/hump-ridge-24 | ckw.nz/hump-ridge-book Up Up 10 summer 2024 , p 44

1 Spring 2022 1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Crossword solution Rhonda Marshall BY: Rhonda Marshal l Back to the crossword Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 43

9 Spring 2024 9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson ©2024 M Richardson I am perched on the shoulder of a god On the shoulder of a god Miriam Richardson It was August when I set off from Ōtaki for a few nights on Mt Taranaki. This was before my campervan days, so I was booked in to The Camphouse, high on Mt Taranaki in the National Park. Although there is a sealed road to The Camphouse, like other DOC tramping huts I was booking just a bed and mattress in a bunk house. Apart from some late night hoons in the carpark I had the place mostly to myself. I had a great view of Mt Ngāuruhoe on my first day there, though it was invisible for the rest of my stay. On the shoulder of a god I feel the last of the sun’s winter warmth in the macrocarpa seat Squint a little in the bright snow-light Watch my black footprints soften in the snow Listen to a drip from the roof a faint gurgle in the drainpipe corrugated iron ticking in the sun. I am so high up I see a storm ride from land to sea swallowing the broad curve of coast. I see our civilisation shrink —nothing more than a patchwork quilt moulded to the curves and hollows of the plain, dotted with bright beads and sequins. I’m perched on the shoulder of a god. Beyond, on the white plateau another god, pale pink and mauve,rides my horizon. I still struggle to accept that anything so large can so completely disappear. Thankfully Taranaki didn’t disappear on me. There are several day-walks from the hut. You must book online with DOC for this hut. Your booking gives you an unlock code, to obtain a key. There are locked boxes at the visitors’ centre below the Camphouse that hold the keys.tip: Take a torch. If you can do without your privacy for a night or two, you get an easy access, fantastic base to explore the mountain, with spectacular views, and, if the gods are kind, views of Ruapehu and Ngāuruhoe. ◼️ More: ckw.nz/camphouse Images ©2024 Miriam Richardson Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 19

BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption SS_Papamoa-_20250908_115109.webp Stop and Stay Up Up , p 30

1 Spring 2022 1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption My little teardrop I always liked the shape of the early teardrops “1939’ so just started with that. he teardroIt has a bit of an old aircraft look to it It isn’t the flashest little camper out there, but the main thing is that it is fun, always changing when I find something new or different to add, and I get to meet great people and enjoy this great country. The feature I like best is the kitchen The main shelf is a fold down one; I put my vintage primus cooker on, with the wash sink. It keeps everything flexible. I like the open feel of having a large window open to the world. A teardrop camper Gary Hitchcock My little teardrop started life in 2016 as an idea to have something I could use to get away and recharge myself, and also as a bug-out camper in the event of a disaster. I live in Christchurch! I always liked the shape of the early teardrops “1939” so just started with that. I had an old trailer with a body that was too rusty to save, but the frame was ok. The main material for the camper was a UV-protected plastic sheet, ideal for outside use. It was getting dumped from where I was working at the time. I had the advantage of being able to use a large laser cutter to cut it to my design. It was about a year before I was ready to start the build, having found funds and materials to start putting it together. A lot of the bits and pieces are reject parts that would have been tossed out, like the windows, roof vent & gray water tank, that are made from PVC cabinet door fronts. I have two layers to the floor so there is lots of storage under the bed. The feature I like best is the kitchen. I didn’t do a full, built-in kitchen in the back as I like the open feel of having a large window open to the world. It is fantastic when you get to camp with a great view you can enjoy even if the weather is not great. It still works as a kitchen, with the main shelf and a fold down one I put my vintage Primus cooker on, with the wash sink. It keeps everything flexible to change around to suit what I am doing at the time. After all, it is supposed to be camping. I have fun cooking up a storm as I have plenty of food in the storage areas, but never know what I will find till I get there. All part of the adventure. I can also easily remove the two clear polycarbonate windows & main shelf if I need to use the teardrop as a covered trailer. I use a small old solar panel to run a small fan to have fresh air circulating, mainly for when the teardrop is not in use over winter, so it is always fresh. I didn’t plan on having a TV, but after finding a bargain & some speakers, media player & amplifier I put them all together and made a great little system to listen to music & watch movies when I just want to relax at the end of the day. With the teardrop having a bit of an old aircraft look to it I was after something to go on the front. While I was working on it I heard Murray Ball passed away, 12 March 2017, so I made the “Dog” graphics as a tribute and also now to my little dog Angel who just loved being in the teardrop. Most of the summer was spent camping out in the teardrop at home, as for some reason we both sleep better in the teardrop than in the house. It isn’t the flashest little camper out there, but the main thing is that it is fun, always changing when I find something new or different to add, and I get to meet great people and enjoy this great country. BY: Gary Hitchcock PHOTOS: ©2022 Gary Hitchcock Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 24