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.

THIS NOTICE WAS PLACED BY ORDER OF THE LAND AND ENVIRONMENT COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES

THE COVER SHOT

Wild

LETTERS

WEIGHTY MATTERS

GALLERY

FLOW • The art of getting in the zone.

RESPECT THE ASPECT • It’s little talked about, but understanding, and paying attention to, the lay of the land is an outdoor skill every adventurer should learn.

SO, YOU WANT TO BE A GEAR REVIEWER? • Yes, reviewing gear seems like a cool gig. But it’s not as easy as it seems.

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PEABODY HELD TO ACCOUNT—A BIT Dharawal Country • An explanation of the earlier court-ordered double-page advertisement (see p4-5), and Wild’s Editor James McCormack’s role in it.

LIVING WITH SALTIES • The growing population of saltwater crocodiles in northern Australia is creating challenges for the local human population. At the same time, people are adapting to coexist with the ‘salties’. But the debate surrounding the best ways to do this is often heated and sharply divided.

FIRES IN THE GRAMPS • Victoria’s much-loved Grampians National Park was hammered by fires in early 2024. Usually, you might think a few years of respite would follow. That’s not what happened, and the park was torched again this last summer. Alistair Paton looks into the circumstances of these fires, and tries to discover how much the park can bear.

WHEN IS A TRAIL NO LONGER WILD? • It’s a commonly shared opinion among the Wild community: Too many tracks are overengineered. But what do those who actually construct and/or manage the trails we walk on have to say on the matter? Rebecca Burton speaks with three of them to learn their opinions.

Q+A with Rohan Kennedy

BACKCOUNTRY TOURING with Kate Donald • Ready to take the leap from the crowds of the ski resorts to the quiet of the backcountry? Wild Earth Ambassador Kate Donald explains how to transition safely and smoothly.

THE SCALLYWAGS • A handful of adventurous middle-aged blokes decided to create an informal walking group a half-dozen years ago. Now up to their 25th expedition, the number of Scallywags is roughly twenty, and growing. Wild’s Editor James McCormack recently spent a day in the rainforest with a few of the crew.

NEXT GEN • A story about mountains, skiing, snowboarding, new life, and, most importantly, love.

DO YOU REMEMBER? • One of the most rewarding aspects of leading an outdoorsy life is having great memories. But how, and why, do we remember some things and not others? While recounting four trips to lesser-known reserves in North East Victoria, Ryan Hansen digs deeper into the psychology of memory.

MOUNTAINS OF MYSTERY THE PART-TOLD ODYSSEY OF HADI NAZARI • Between December 26 last year and January 8 this year, 23-year-old Hadi Nazari went missing in some of Australia’s most rugged terrain. The search for the lost hiker gripped the nation, and after thirteen days Hadi was, thankfully, found. But with Hadi, perhaps understandably, shunning publicity—he’s conducted just a single short interview—there is still much that’s unknown about his time in the wilderness. Keith Scott went looking for answers.

PROJECT 52 A YEAR OF MICROADVENTURING • You don’t need to travel to the ends of the Earth nor give up a full-time job to have adventures on an epic scale.

GOING LARGE DELVING INTO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE ‘BIG TRIP’ • What defines a big trip? How do they change you? And how do you even go about tackling one? Dan Slater, no stranger to big trips himself, chats...