Tramping

Tramper

A tramper is a person who hikes, and normally camps in the backcountry for a period of time, which is normally over one or more nights. The term is commonly used in New Zealand, and in Australia to a lesser extent .-Clubs:...

, known elsewhere as hiking

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

 or bushwalking, is a popular activity in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

.

Tramping is defined as a recreational activity involving walking over rough country carrying all the required food and equipment. The term is generally used for trips that are of at least one overnight stay in the backcountry.

History

Alpine climbing as a recreational activity was taken up in the early days of European settlement and tramping became popular with the widespread use of the motor car. From the 1950s tracks, huts and bridges were built in the forested areas of New Zealand to allow easy access for hunters to cull the introduced deer which had become a threat to the biodiversity of New Zealand

Biodiversity of New Zealand

The biodiversity of New Zealand, a large Pacific archipelago, is one of the most unusual on Earth, due to its long isolation from other continental landmasses. Its affinities are derived from Gondwana, from which it separated 82 million years ago, New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island, both of which...

. As tramping became popular these facilities were increasingly used by trampers. In later years tramping has become popular for both local and foreign tourists.

Tramping clubs were formed in many towns and cities with regular trips being organised. The clubs sometimes own a bus to transport club members to the tracks.

Tramping tracks

A network of tramping tracks has been developed throughout New Zealand of varying length and difficulty. A small number of tramping tracks cross private land either in part or in full. All of the major tramping tracks are on public land that is administered by the Department of Conservation.

Huts

There is a network of over 950 backcountry hut

Backcountry hut

Backcountry huts are huts that serve overnight hiking and trekking needs and can be found in many places in the world.-New Zealand:New Zealand has a network of approximately 950 backcountry huts...

s throughout New Zealand operated by the Department of Conservation (DOC) on public land. Some areas have privately owned huts on public land used for commercial tourism operations. The majority of the huts were built by the now defunct New Zealand Forest Service

New Zealand Forest Service

The New Zealand Forest Service was originally established in 1919 as the State Forest Service. The State Forest Service changed its name to the New Zealand Forest Service in 1949 at about the same time that the Forests Act of 1949 passed through Parliament....

 for deer

Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

 culling operations. Other huts were built by alpine clubs, schools, ski clubs. Some of the buildings on public land that are readily accessible by vehicle, are generally "bach

Bach (New Zealand)

A bach is a small, often very modest holiday home or beach house. Alternatively called a crib, they are an iconic part of New Zealand history and culture, especially in the middle of the 20th century, where they symbolized the beach holiday lifestyle that was becoming more accessible to the...

es" or "cribs" built by private individuals when control of the use of public land was less stringent. These baches are not made available to the public.
Some public huts are associated with a local club and volunteers from clubs will perform much of the maintenace on these huts. In the Tararua Forest Park north of Wellington huts are managed in a partnership between DOC and various lower North Island clubs. In the eastern Southern Alps near Christchurch some huts are managed solely by the Canterbury Climbing Club and they rely on fees from these huts to help pay the cost of maintenance.

Amongst experienced trampers there is a strong culture of looking after huts. The phrase "hut etiquette" encompasses looking after any hut that is used and showing consideration for other hut users. Most huts on the conservation estate are open to the public and the state of a hut depends on the care by those who use it.

Environmental care code

This environmental care code promoted by the Department of Conservation contains a 10 point checklist of things that can be done in the outdoors to help minimise impact:

1	Protect plants and animals	Treat New Zealand's forests and birds with care and respect. They are unique and often rare.
2	Remove rubbish	Litter is unattractive, harmful to wildlife and can increase vermin and disease. Plan your visits to reduce rubbish, and carry out what you carry in.
3	Bury toilet waste	In areas without toilet facilities, bury your toilet waste in a shallow hole well away from waterways, tracks, campsites and huts.
4	Keep streams and lakes clean	When cleaning and washing, take the water and wash well away from the water source. Because soaps and detergents are harmful to water-life, drain used water into the soil to allow it to be filtered. If you suspect the water may be contaminated, either boil it for at least 3 minutes, or filter it, or chemically treat it.
5	Take care with fires	Portable fuel stoves are less harmful to the environment and are more efficient than fires. If you do use a fire, keep it small, use only dead wood and make sure it is out by dousing it with water and checking the ashes before leaving.
6	Camp carefully	When camping, leave no trace of your visit.
7	Keep to the track	By keeping to the track, where one exists, you lessen the chance of damaging fragile plants.
8	Consider others	People visit the back country and rural areas for many reasons. Be considerate of other visitors who also have a right to enjoy the natural environment.
9	Respect our cultural heritage	Many places in New Zealand have a spiritual and historical significance. Treat these places with consideration and respect.
10	Enjoy your visit	Enjoy your outdoor experience. Take a last look before leaving an area; will the next visitor know that you have been there?
Take nothing but pictures – leave nothing but footsteps
Toitu te whenua   (leave the land undisturbed)

External links

• Department of Conservation - Government department responsible for managing public land
• Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand - an umbrella lobby group representing outdoors organisations
• Bushcraft New Zealand - Information about enjoying the New Zealand outdoors
• New Zealand Tramper - tramping related information.
• Tramping - Te Ara the Encyclopedia of New Zealand