Header image: Eli Johnson Claire standing in Waitaha

Love Our Huts is tracking strongly this season — we’ve now had more than 500 huts booked, with under 300 to go.

That is a huge effort from FMC members and the wider backcountry community, and we would really love to see the whole network covered before the end of the campaign.

It has been fantastic to see our community getting out into the hills and sharing their love for our huts. Even with rain, wind, and muddy tracks, the enthusiasm and commitment shown by everyone involved has been truly inspiring. We’ve seen an amazing amount of mahi from our community. Having more than 500 huts registered is a huge achievement and a real testament to the collective grassroots effort behind this campaign.

It has been so great seeing all the photos, videos, and comments shared on our Love Our Huts Facebook page and the awesome community we’re building with people from all ages and stages and all over Aotearoa.

It has been especially encouraging to hear that many of the huts are still in great condition from last year’s clean. A massive thank you to everyone who has joined in the mahi – especially those of you tackling the long drops!

If you’re keen to be part of the hut loving community, register to give a hut a spring clean and a little love at www.fmc.org.nz/loveourhuts and check out hut loves so far via FMC’s Love Our Huts facebook group.

And don't forget to:

• get your Love Our Huts T-shirts, supported by WildLab. For every shirt sold, $20 will be donated to FMC to help protect an outdoor life worth living, and 
  
• enter our Love Our Huts video competition, with amazing prizes from Outfitters NZ, Earth Sea Sky, and Dwights Outdoors. Entries are open on the Love Our Huts Facebook Page.

Here's what's been happening over the summer:

• Waitaha Hydro Scheme: In November, we formally requested to comment on Westpower's application for the scheme. The Department of Conservation—an integral part of the fast-track process—also recommended that FMC be invited to comment. The Fast-track Panel declined both requests. This is a real concern and continues a pattern of key voices being shut out of important decisions.
  
  During January the fast-track panel received comments from 16 invited parties including government ministers, local councils, DOC, NZ Conservation Authority, and local landowners. DOC and NZCA do not support the scheme and highlighted their many significant concerns.
  
  An independent review by Dr Shayne Galloway also found Westpower's recreation assessments to be substantially flawed. Check out www.fasttrack.govt.nz/projects/waitaha-hydro for all the information and consultations so far. 
  
  We are seeking legal advice about the decision making process for the Waitaha application. Our position remains the same: decisions affecting public conservation land and recreation values must be made with fair process, transparent reasoning, and complete and accurate information.
  
  We will continue advocating strongly for the Waitaha Valley and the wider outdoor community.
  
  
• Resource Management Act: FMC is finalising our submission on changes to the Resource Management Act. Two new bills, the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill, will replace the RMA. We encourage everyone to make a submission - these are due by 4.30 pm Friday 13 Feb. More information is available on the Parliament website here, and you can watch an Environmental Defence Society webinar here.
  
  

• Skippers Bridge access: FMC is saddened to learn that Skippers Bridge has been deemed unsafe to cross and is now closed. The Mt Aurum Recreation Reserve on the far side of the bridge is treasured by people from across Aotearoa. As the bridge provides the only practical public access to the reserve, the loss of access is a severe blow for the outdoor community. We appreciate that remediation will be expensive, but FMC has written to Queenstown Lakes District Council urging it to take all practicable steps to reopen the bridge for foot and cycle traffic as a priority, and to restore vehicle access as soon as possible.⁠⁠​

We have all seen the terrible impact of the recent intense storms on communities, whānau and individuals. Our thoughts are with everyone affected. 

The storms have also done major damage to recreation areas and tracks. In several areas including Northland, the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty many tracks have become unusable as a result of major slips that will require significant resources and time to analyse and (hopefully) repair. As always, funding is a major concern.

The pattern of damage is variable - some catchments suffered major damage, while neighbouring catchments were relatively unscathed. Before heading into the hills, check the current status via the DOC website and other information sources.

If you encounter major track disruptions or slips, take photos and note GPS locations, then report them to the local DOC office to help keep our tracks safe for everyone.

Photo: slip on the East Tuahu track, Kaimai Ranges. Courtesy of David Pratt. 

Last year, using important volunteer data from many of our members, we secured a 20% discount on DOC’s Backcountry Hut Pass (BHP) for five years, through to June 2030.

This discount recognises the significant contribution FMC clubs and members make to the backcountry through volunteer work, including hut and track maintenance, pest control, training and education, and other recreation and conservation projects.

The discount is subject to one interim review by DOC of volunteer data from FMC's members over the 12-month period from February 2026 to January 2027. We recently contacted all FMC member clubs and individual supporters with guidelines for them to start collating the required data - thank you all for your support on this.

In early 2027, we will be in touch with all FMC member clubs and individual supporters to request the volunteer data so we can collate and present it to DOC. If you have any questions, contact FMC Executive member Tony Walton at tony.walton@fmc.org.nz.

Image: David Barnes

If you have ever thought about standing, now is a great time to start considering it, and to talk with your club and other members about what you could bring to the role.

Being on the FMC Executive is a fantastic way to support outdoor recreation and conservation across Aotearoa. Executive members help set direction, back key advocacy work, and represent the interests of the backcountry community. It is a role where you can:

• Help shape FMC’s priorities and kaupapa.
• Contribute to protecting public conservation land and access to it.
• Support campaigns and projects that strengthen our outdoor community.
• Work alongside a committed team of volunteers and staff, and build connections across clubs, regions, and the wider sector.

If you care about the future of our backcountry and want to help steer FMC’s work, please consider putting your name forward when nominations open on 1 March. We'll provide the link to nomination forms in our next newsletter as well as on our website and social media.

Image, left to right: Robin McNeill, Ollie Clifton (BCT South Island Volunteer Manager), Megan Dimozantos, Raymond Ford, Louise Hammersley, Allan Brent, Louise Hammersley, Nick McBride, Rob Brown (BCT Manager). Taken by Sophie Tucker.

Monthly theme

Over the summer lots of our expedition scholarship, youth award and training grant recipients have been out on their adventures and courses. The grants and awards are one of the main ways we foster the skills and knowledge of our community - our focus for this month.

Recipients are now busy writing up reports for Backcountry. We're also working to build our community by getting these stories out into the media - see Adam's story below for an example! 

Next month our focus is on strengthening the recreational, conservation, and environmental integrity of public conservation lands

A recent recipient of the FMC Youth Expedition Scholarship, Adam Ludgate (16), spent a week trekking through the Olivine Wilderness Area in the Mount Aspiring National Park. 

Adam was awarded $1000 towards his expedition through the FMC Youth Expedition Scholarship programme, funded by the FMC Mountain and Forest Trust. 

Adam's trip featured in the Otago Daily Times, where he was recognised for his leadership and dedication to his love for the outdoors and exploring new country.

Each year, we award up to $1,500 to successful applicants to help turn their expedition ideas into reality. For more information, visit our website: https://fmc.org.nz/members-area/members-benefits/scholarship/

Image, left to right: Roam Penwarden, Adam Ludgate, Brendan Penwarden, Mathew Ludgate.

Search and Rescue NZ Podcast 

If you are after some compelling listening for your next trip planning session (or a rainy day at home), RNZ’s new podcast series Search & Rescue NZ is well worth a spot on your list.

Hosted by Paul Roy, the series looks back over 60 years of search and rescue incidents and trends in Aotearoa, telling the stories behind real callouts and how rescue work has evolved from the “number 8 wire” days to today’s GPS, PLBs, and LandSAR operations.⁠⁠​

It includes plenty of practical cautionary tales that will resonate with trampers and mountaineers. ​

Listen here: Search & Rescue NZ (RNZ) (also available on other podcast platforms).

Did you know you can join FMC completely online?

Sign up and start enjoying member discounts, enter our photo competition, and receive your digital copy of Backcountry magazine. 

We couldn’t do this work without the support of our members and funders! Sign up online via our website below.

Save 5% on rental cars and help fund FMC: new Enterprise Rental Car discount. 

FMC members are now eligible for a 5% discount on their car rental, anywhere in the world - and in addition 5% of the rental cost goes to FMC. To get the discount you need to book at https://partners.rentalcar.com/fdrtdmntnclbs and be a current member.

As always, our work is only possible with the support of our funders. Thank you for being on this journey with us, powering us to advocate for and protect an outdoor life worth living.

Youth award grants, expedition scholarships, training grants, Love Our Huts, submissions - it’s all possible thanks to you!

We’re all here for a common reason - we love our beautiful outdoors - and we’re hell-bent on keeping them that way.

“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)