FMC wishe to see the Whakapapa mountain being looked after and the public access maintained under the new skifield operator. Photo (c) Davide Conti. 

Whakapapa Holdings Limited (WHL) has been granted a concession to operate the Whakapapa skifield, after the incumbent operator, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, went into receivership late in 2023. We are happy to hear that skiing and snowboarding on the maunga will continue, especially given the importance of the lodges at Whakapapa for our member clubs. While we are generally pleased with the outcome, there are aspects of the concession issued to WHL that we are concerned about, and that do not align with the feedback we provided in our submission. We also note the discontent of local iwi around the process that arrived at the issuing of the concession, and we would like to see the Crown make a more concerted effort to address iwi concerns. We look forward to working with WHL to ensure the maunga is looked after and public access rights are maintained. We also expect DOC to ensure compliance with the conditions of the concession.

FMC continues to be involved in the stakeholder reference group for DOC's Future of the Visitor network programme, which is focused on reducing the cost of visitor assets on the Public Conservation estate. There is currently a significant amount of lively conversation around the future of the backcountry hut and track network. Grab a copy of FMC's June Backcountry magazine for an update.

DOC invited FMC to comment on a Manuka Point Station application to change the public access outcome of its tenure review. We have recommended that DOC declines this application. If granted, the change would reduce secure legal access in the upper Rakaia, diminish the public's investment in the tenure review and in tenure review generally, and have a 'normalising' effect on legal road stopping. Additionally, the application is short on information.

FMC President Megan Dimozantos and FMC Executive Member Allan Brent attended the Environmental Defence Society Conference in Auckland. Of particular interest were updates from DOC and the Minister of Conservation, as well as the upcoming RMA reform, all of which help us understand likely areas where we can focus our advocacy work.

Thank you to those who came along to our quarterly online Club kōrero in May. It was great to see some familiar faces, meet some new ones and chat about your public access challenges and how we are all engaging with outdoor enthusiasts who are not part of a club community.

Matt Grose from Herenga ā Nuku, the Outdoor Access Commission kindly gave a helpful tour of two of their useful public access maps, the Outdoor Access Map and the Case Map, the latter showing all access cases nationwide. If you missed his presentation, we encourage you to explore the maps.

Our next Club kōrero will be in August. Keep an eye out for the exact date in one of our upcoming Newsletters. 

Liz Wightwick, a returning Executive Member, is passionate about supporting younger generations exploring the backcountry.

A new FMC Executive Committee for 2025-26 took office on 16 May. All of last year's members continue to join us for another year, with Mick Abbott taking on the Vice President role, while Megan Dimozantos continues as President. We're also welcoming a returning Executive member, Liz Wightwick.

Liz is based in Christchurch and is a member of the Christchurch Tramping Club, Peninsula Tramping Club and New Zealand Deerstalkers Association North Canterbury Branch. In 2019, Liz set up the Brian Dougan Youth Programme for the Christchurch Tramping Club, which focuses on low-decile, ethnically diverse high schools and ethnic community groups, introducing young people (and sometimes their families) to tramping. 

Tramping is Liz’s passion and the backcountry is her second home – that is where she spends over 100 days yearly, accompanied by her husband Ian. Occasionally, she hunts for the table and makes a mean goat curry.

Liz is hoping to contribute to FMC’s recreational advocacy role. After eleven years of voluntary work, maintaining huts and tracks, she recognises the importance of building and maintaining relationships. She wants to work with others to retain our backcountry facilities in these tight financial times.

FMC's Simon Bell Memorial Scholarship supported Simone Blakie and her friends on their expedition to Fiordland.

Are you planning an off-the-beaten-track expedition? Does your club need upskilling through training?

FMC is stoked to offer Youth Expedition Scholarships for the 15th year running, and the Simon Bell Memorial Scholarship for the 10th consecutive year. For information on how to apply, eligibility criteria, and recent scholarship recipients, visit our webpage.

For 6 years now, we have also been offering Training Grants to make training opportunities more accessible. Visit our webpage to find out more and how to apply. 

FMC is deeply thankful for the continued support of the two Trusts, FMC Mountain and Forest Trust and the Maerewhenua Trust, that make these grants and scholarships possible.

Applications for both Expedition Scholarships and Training Grants close at the end of the day on Friday, 15 September 2025. For any queries contact Sophie, our Executive Officer at eo@fmc.org.nz.

Are you involved in training young people in outdoor skills through a school, scout group or other youth organisation affiliated with FMC? Join us as a Youth Leader, and help young people access FMC benefits like our Youth Award grant through your FMC membership.

The FMC Youth Award grant supports candidates of the Duke of Edinburgh's Youth Awards on their Expeditions and Adventurous Journeys, and can be used for trip expenses such as travel costs, hut fees, food purchase and gear hire.

This grant has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Maerewhenua Trust. There are four funding rounds each year, with the next round closing on 15 June.

Tasman Glacier Lake, a 2024 entry by Ken Wright. 

Remember to get your club competition going this year! A perfect thing to do on a club night during the long, cold winter evenings…

This year's theme is Public Land Forever. Any photo taken within a public space in New Zealand that you think is under threat of being lost to the public or has already suffered from an excessive human impact can compete for an additional prize. It might be a closed access point to your favourite bush or a once wild river now diminished or dammed…

If you haven't run a competition before, there is still time to give it a try. We have put together resources to help you run it. The winning images of a club's competition are eligible to be entered in the FMC competition. FMC individual supporters can also enter and are pre-judged by FMC, with the top shots gaining entry to the overall competition. Read more on how to enter on our website.

Entries close on 1 September 2025 for individual supporters and 15 September 2025 for clubs. If you have any questions, please contact photocomp@fmc.org.nz.

Congratulations to the Kaumatua Tramping Club on their 65th anniversary this year. The club is marking the occasion with a mid-year lunch and a trip to Butterfly Creek, retracing the first journey ever undertaken by the club in 1960.

If your club is observing a special milestone or achievement, let us know so we can celebrate with you.

If you are our registered member, look out for your new FMC Supporter card, which should reach you with the June issue of Backcountry. If you’re a member of an affiliated club, the card will go to your club. If you are an individual supporter, it will be sent to you with your magazine.

The FMC Supporter card gives you a 20% discount on the DOC Backcountry Hut Pass and savings on Interislander travel, as well as a wide range of trips, gear, equipment and printed publications.

It’s a good idea to write your name on your card and take a photo as soon as you receive it. We don’t provide free replacements for lost cards.

If you are receiving the newsletter, but don’t belong to FMC yet, you can join us and enjoy all the benefits of membership, as well as knowing you are supporting our valuable mahi in the outdoors.

 Photo (c) Mathew Denys.

Where views like this are only a privilege of the wealthy? Our backcountry with no huts or tracks, no freedom to roam, wild rivers dammed? Imagine your favourite place in the backcountry, gone.

This is not a distant threat. It is happening now. We’re on the brink of losing some of Aotearoa’s precious wild lands. They’re here today—but will they be here next year?

FMC is fighting to keep our backcountry wild and open. But we can’t do it without you.

Donate today or join us to help protect the places that matter.

“We must closely guard the welfare of our National Parks and Reserves. These should not be regarded as the property of our minister or the government. They belong to the people of today and tomorrow. We must fight for their protection if necessary.” Fred Vosseler – Inaugural FMC President (1932)

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