With Aunty Rata Namaste people. Hope you are keeping warm. Congratulations to Michael Phethean who climbed Everest on May 23. Aunty Rata is delighted for him and I’m sure the rest of you are too. When someone realises a dream it is time for a smile, a salute and to be thankful that it didn’t … Read more
Navigation tips from Marie Henderson Aunty Rata (who knows I get lost more regularly than most) asked if I had any tips to share on navigation. Although the newsletter is not the place to learn a practical skill like navigation and there are lots of great written resources already that people can read, here are … Read more
with Aunty Rata Ki Ora fellow trampers. Of all the carbs you can base your dinner meal around pasta seems to slide down the most easily. This is my excuse for giving you another pasta recipe this month. I often make this recipe at home as well as in the hills because it is great … Read more
with Aunty Rata Ki Ora fellow trampers. I hope you managed to get outdoors to enjoy adventures in our conservation estate over the Easter and school holiday period. The government has finally made public its proposals to open up more conservation estate to mining. John Key reckons New Zealanders are evenly divided on this issue. … Read more
with Aunty Rata March is Aunty Rata’s favourite month of the year. The weather is at its best and passion fruit are in season. What more can an old bird want? Well maybe a few seeds! This month I have a recipe for you that features nuts and seeds. Yes I know, at first blush … Read more
Dear Aunty Rata So lovely to see recipes appearing again in our newsletter and that you are being the Aunt Daisy of WTMC for those a little scared of anything culinary. Your attribution of a lovely Moroccan couscous to me was flattering but I have to admit the version is not mine -though a very … Read more
The North Island is still didymo free, so it is timely to remind your members that the “Check Clean Dry” process is still vitally important in keeping the North Island didymo free. With the rapidly approaching Easter break, being a traditional time for South Island trips, I would like to draw your attention to some … Read more
From Marie Henderson – Gear Custodian These are useful, and sometimes critical, shelters. Like all gear they can take a bit of a battering. They do better when used the right way and shown some respect. So it seemed a good topic to review. A double skin tent is one like the club alpine tents … Read more
with Aunty Rata It’s February already. Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun? Speaking of which, Jackie Foster is running a “Best Tramping Bum” competition and your Aunty Rata has been lucky enough to have a sneak peek at some of the entries. She reckons this one is definitely the front runner… But don’t worry … Read more