Kia ora,
April is here, daylight saving has ended and the term of the current Committee is coming to an end after a busy and eventful year.
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is on Wednesday 15 April at the TTC Hall in Mt Victoria – doors open 6.30pm for a 7pm start.
I encourage you to read the AGM papers (https://wtmc.org.nz/president/2026-annual-general-meeting-15-april-2026/) and to come along to discuss your Club’s future.
As always, please feel free to contact me on [email protected] if you have any questions or feedback on how your Club is running.
Ngā mihi
Daniel Madley
President
Fuel price increases – the Committee is monitoring the recent increases in fuel prices, and mindful of potential future scenarios (such as rationing). We’re committed to completing the current schedule at current trip fee prices, and understand IRD usually publishes new kilometre rates around June, which we expect to use for the next schedule. If you have any concerns, particularly if you’re offering your private vehicle for use on a trip, please contact James on [email protected].
Life Flight donation – on the subject of fuel, the Club has recently made a $1,000 donation to the Life Flight Trust to support their great work in the Wellington community, and further afield. We know they, and other rescue organisations, will be really affected by the higher price of fuel at the moment. We made a $1,000 donation to Life Flight last year as well, and we hope the Club will continue to make an annual contribution. Life Flight is kindly hosting a group of Club members on Friday 3 July so we can see their operations – you can express interest in that visit here.
Recent trip reports, and newsletter format – we’ve had some technical difficulties with the monthly newsletter in the last couple of months, which has unfortunately meant that the full list of trip reports published that month has not been published. Please do take the time to read the trip reports here – it’s always a great way to see the varied adventures that Club members go on, and we really do appreciate the authors taking the time to write up and share their stories and amazing photos! Also, as mentioned in last month’s newsletter, we expect to streamline the way we do monthly emails after the AGM, so you may notice a change from May or June. The aim of the change is to make the Club comms more representative of what we do as a Club (currently it is very heavily focused on trip reports) and reduce administrative burden by only have one mailing list so we can be confident the email is going out to all Members.
Trips in the past month – it was great to revive the idea of a President’s trip, where the Club pays for Members to go on a trip and there is a stronger social focus. We had about 25 people go into the Club’s Pāua Hut in the Ōrongorongo Valley, with good weather, relaxing walks and a bonfire. Many thanks to Nicole, Ellis, Bryan and Sam for their perseverance in helping to run this trip! I also got up to the Kawekas in the past month, leading a group to Makino Hut while Harry led a tubing trip down the Mohaka River. In early-March, we had OTNZ instruct a very successful bushcraft course in the southern Tararua, and two other groups head into the Kaimanawas via the Umukarikari Track and Waipakihi River. And this past Easter weekend we’ve had two groups head into Whirinaki Forest Park, with one group doing the Te Pua-a-Tāne Circuit over five days, and the other group doing the Mangamate Loop Track.
Club talk on volunteering – thank you to the Club members who joined us for a recent talk about ways you can volunteer with the Club, and give back to the wider community. Particular thanks to Emily, Ellen and Regan for sharing their experiences of volunteering and giving back to the Club, LandSAR, Zealandia and the Remutaka Conservation Trust.
Club talk in April – packrafting in Fiordland – a week after the AGM, we hope you will join us on 22 April for a talk from four Club members about their adventures with homemade packrafts in Fiordland for 12 days, supported by a FMC youth scholarship. More details are available here.
FMC Annual Report – speaking of FMC, you can learn more about their accomplishments in the last year by reading their annual report here. The Club has a long-standing association with FMC, and I encourage you to come along to our AGM where Members will decide on the Club’s level of FMC membership (full or partial) and how the Club can support the outdoor community more broadly.
Next Lodge Operator training in May – the next training to be a Lodge Operator will be on Wednesday 20 May at 6pm, before the Club talk from Bruce and Margaret Jeffries about their travels in New Zealand and abroad. Being a Lodge Operator is a great way to give back to the Club, get a 20% discount on your Lodge fees while you are the Operator, and ensure you don’t need to rely on others for the Lodge to be open! If you are interested in the Lodge Operator training, please contact Sam on [email protected]. On a related note, we’re expecting winter bookings at the Lodge to open in May, for stays from 1 July onwards.
End of April deadline for free under-10 Whakapapa ski passes – Whakapapa Holdings is continuing to offer free winter season passes for under-10s, but they must be claimed as part of the early bird sales which end on 30 April. You can find out more information here.
Gas canister recycling – if you have empty (or nearly empty) gas canisters you want to recycle, you can drop them off to the Sustainability Trust on 2 Forresters Lane in the CBD. You will need to pierce the canisters first (for example by using a hammer and a nail) and make sure they are completely empty of gas, before they are accepted for recycling.
WTMC on Hut bagger – if you have a Hut bagger account and are a Club member, please remember you can link the Club to your account here. It’s a great way to see where Club members are going, get inspiration for your next adventure, and help us bag more huts than the other Clubs!!
Find out when DOC bookings free up – on the subject of huts, there is a website that will monitor DOC bookings for you, and let you know when spots become available.
Antarctic Film Festival – the second Wellington viewing is on 22 April at 6.30pm in the Old Government Buildings. If you can’t make it to the Club talk about packrafting in Fiordland, this is a great alternative! Details available here.
Mountains on Stage – this film festival returns to Wellington for a screening on 7 May 7pm at the Penthouse Cinema. Club Members are able to access discounted tickets – please email India on [email protected] or find more information here.