Gone Bush: Walking New Zealand's backcountry

From Nine To Noon, 10:05 am on 19 November 2021

Paul Kilgour has probably visited more huts than anyone else in New Zealand. He's a wanderer, a long-distance tramper and one of New Zealand's most famous hutbaggers, although he shies away from the term. Paul has visited over 1200 huts in New Zealand - not a bad feat, considering there are only supposed to be 900 DOC huts nationwide.

His book Gone Bush: A Life in the Backcountry and Beyond has just been released. It's a memoir of a lifetime walking New Zealand's backcountry and tells stories of the eccentric characters he's met along the way and the huts he's visited. He speaks to Kathryn about some of his most unforgettable journeys, including his 'long walk home', from Fiordland to Golden Bay.