Shaun Barnett - A Wild Life

This is a special episode of The Tramping Life, dedicated to Shaun Barnett — one of New Zealand’s most respected tramping writers, photographers, editors, and advocates for the backcountry.For many listeners, Shaun will be a familiar name from book spines, magazine covers, and hut shelves across the country. For others, he was a tramping companion, a mentor, a correspondent, or a quiet source of encouragement.Shaun died in June 2024 at the age of 55, following a year-long battle with brain cancer. His passing was felt deeply — not only because of what he contributed to New Zealand’s tramping culture, but because of how he lived and how he treated people.Over a career spanning more than three decades, Shaun was editor and then roving editor of Wilderness Magazine, editor of FMC’s Backcountry, and the author or co-author of several seminal books including Classic Tramping in New Zealand, Tramping in New Zealand: A History, Sheltered from the Storm, and A Bunk for the Night. Alongside this work, he gave generously to conservation, mentoring, advocacy, and community life.Shaun’s writing was meticulously researched, deeply informed by history, and grounded in genuine care for people and place. His knowledge of New Zealand’s tracks, huts, landscapes, and tramping history was extraordinary — and he shared it with humility, warmth, and quiet generosity.This episode brings together memories from friends, colleagues, and fellow trampers who knew Shaun in different ways. Their stories paint a picture of a life well lived, and of a man who helped shape the tramping life in Aotearoa.Photo credit: Peter Laurenson