Wild

Expand your horizons with Australia’s longest running wilderness adventure magazine. With in-depth features and stunning photographs from some of the world’s greatest adventurers, WILD will keep you up-to-date on all aspects of wilderness pursuits.

THE COVER SHOT

Wild

LETTERS

KEEPING IT LIGHT

GALLERY

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME • Scorching heat, blaring cicadas, prickly bindies: they’re all part of the magic mosaic of summer.

RECALLING THE GOOD TIMES • Convenience vs quality is one of the great conundrums of modern life, even in the outdoors. It’s worth remembering that, sometimes, effort yields rewards that last a lifetime.

GEARSPLAINING • No one wants to hear your opinions on the most technical elements of gear, unless, of course, they’re asked for.

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GREEN PAGES • A selection of environmental news briefs from around the country.

RIGHT IDEA, WRONG PLACE THE PROPOSED WIND FARM AT ROBBINS ISLAND • It’s clear that transitioning to renewable energy is critically important. But the siting of a proposed wind farm in Lutruwita/Tasmania’s northwest would have devastating impacts on shorebird populations.

Q+A • Guides spend more time in our national parks than any other stakeholder group. And yet their voices are often under-represented. The Tasmanian Wilderness Guides Association is an antidote to that; Wild’s editor James McCormack caught up with the group’s president, Andy Szollosi, to learn a little about its history and aims.

ARAPILES CLIMBING BANS: TIME FOR A GENUINE COLLABORATION • Late in 2024, Parks Victoria announced the permanent closure of more than 1,000 routes at arguably Australia’s most significant climbing area: Mt Arapiles/Dyurrite. While the announcement included provisions for a four-week ‘consultation’ phase, Parks Vic initially said the input received during that period would, incredibly, have no effect on the final plan. Former Wild editor Ross Taylor argues that it’s time to reassess, and for Parks Vic to allow all stakeholders to come together to collaborate.

TWO BIRDERS, TWO BIKES & THREE BIG GOALS • In 2024, high-school graduates Leo Norman and Cezary Carmichael set off on a gap-year adventure with a difference.

GETTING INTO MULTIDAY PADDLING • Perhaps just one thing beats a great day of paddling—multiple days of paddling! Wild Earth Ambassador Ben Southall shares some tips to set you on the right track for your first multiday paddling adventure.

CHRIS BRAY • Influenced by the experiences of early childhood, Chris Bray has led a life of extraordinary adventure.

MASSIF MISSION A CIRCUMSKI OF CANADA’S MT LOGAN • Thirty days on the world’s largest non-polar icefield.

THE SURPRISING TALENTS OF MIDDLE CHILDREN • Kybeyan State Conservation Area in NSW’s Snowy-Monaro region may be overshadowed by bigger, more famous reserves nearby, but that doesn’t mean it deserves no attention.

ON ROYAL TRAILS • The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is almost mythically beautiful and its people almost mythically happy. And if you’re lucky enough, or determined enough, to find yourself mountain biking there, perhaps you’ll find true happiness too.

GODS OF THE WOLLEMI • It was a quest decades in the making, one that bordered on obsession. But in 2023, Ben Artup and hiking partner Steve Donohue finally pulled it off: a complete north-south traverse of NSW’s huge, complex and challenging Wollemi National Park.

SOURCE OF DISCOVERY • Despite being New Zealand’s fourth-longest waterway, the Taiari River flies under the radar. In fact, it had never been paddled for its entire length until Blake Hornblow and a team of local Kiwis took it on. What...