Join us this Wednesday night at 7:30pm for a particularly special talk. Shaun Barnett and Chris Maclean are both respected and well known writers tramping and outdoor adventures and history and they’re coming to WTMC to talk about their latest book. They are great speakers and their photos are certain to be stunning – and their talk will be tailored to WTMC’s place in tramping lore too. They’ll be signing book copies and have books for sale too (so bring some cash with you).

Tramping: A New Zealand history tells the story of the development of tramping in New Zealand, tracing its origins to the way Maori and early Europeans engaged with the sometimes forbidding New Zealand mountains and bush. It describes how state-sponsored tracks and huts were developed for tourism in the late nineteenth century, most notably on the Milford Track, described as ‘the finest walk in the world’.

As a growing number of New Zealanders began to explore the outdoors, the first tramping clubs were formed in the early twentieth century, with a subsequent boom in tramping during the 1930s. The growth of an extensive hut and track network in the 1950s and ’60s saw New Zealand become one of the best-developed countries in the world for hiking. Trampers’ battles to have national parks and wilderness areas established, changes to gear and technology, and the role women have played in tramping are additional themes.

Shaun Barnett and Chris Maclean are experienced trampers and respected back-country historians who have worked together to tell the fascinating story of tramping in New Zealand. While tramping guidebooks and club histories abound, this wider story has never been told before. Tramping: A New Zealand history will appeal to all trampers, and anyone with an interest in the outdoors and history.

See their facebook and publisher sites for more info:

https://www.facebook.com/trampinghistorynewzealand
http://www.craigpotton.co.nz/store/tramping