Nathan Weathington
Gear review: Rab Ultrasphere 4.5 Sleep Mat
When both warmth and low weight are crucial, the award-winning Ultrasphere 4.5 is the ultimate packable, featherlight air mat. Its groundbreaking design includes two layers of heat-reflective TILT, which reduce radiant heat loss and offset air chambers that trap heat within the construction, allowing you to recharge comfortably without the need for high-volume insulation. Combined…
Film review: The War on Style
Directed and produced by Hank Bilous Our favourite photographer/writer/nurse/skier and regular 1964 contributor has made a movie, and we caught it at The New Zealand Mountain Film & Book Festival earlier this winter. Blending poetry with skiing and surfing, this is not your traditional action sports film. It’s more about people and learning than your…
Gear review: Rab’s Mythic Alpine Down Jacket
Built for reaching frost-shattered summits in the biting cold, this ultralight down jacket offers impressive warmth and mobility for mountaineers, climbers, skiers or any active winter people. This is the ideal jacket for those who want an extremely warm down jacket you can climb in, stash easily, and throw on when you need an instant…
Wānaka Tree axed!
April 1, 2022: An act of environmental terrorism has left the town of Wānaka and the world stunned. ‘That Wānaka Tree’, as it has been dubbed by millions on social media, is perhaps the most famous and photographed tree in the world. Or at least it was. The iconic tree was cut down and removed by an unknown assailant on the night of March…
Fiordland Moose discovered!!
April 1, 2023: Zack Black, 1964’s Photographer in the Field, has incontrovertible proof that the Fiordland moose exists! After living deep in the Fiordland bush for five months, Zack has finally photographed the elusive moose. Zack believes it’s a small herd, perhaps 10 or fewer animals, who have been hidden by a unique geographical feature. The moose in the photo was…
Food review: Off-Piste Provisions- Plant-based protein on the go
My people believe bacon fat and butter are spices, so I assumed the box full of plant-based jerky that arrived at 1964 headquarters had the wrong name on it. I am not their target market. Or am I? I thought it was going to be one of those gluten-free cake situations, where everyone at the…
Size matters: The 1964 guide to the roadside attractions of the South Island
BACK IN 2013, IN SEASON 1 OF THE SERIES HOUSE OF CARDS¸ CONGRESSMAN FRANK UNDERWOOD FACES A POLITICAL CRISIS IN THE FORM OF THE PEACHOID, A 41-METRE-HIGH PEACH-SHAPED WATER TOWER IN GAFFNEY, SOUTH CAROLINA. THE STRUCTURE, WHICH UNDERWOOD HAD CHAMPIONED, IS IMPLICATED IN A FATAL CAR ACCIDENT. THE DRIVER WAS TEXTING HER BOYFRIEND WHEN SHE…
The rice is right
When is gentrification a good thing? When it happens to gruel, that’s when. Congee is comfort food. A traditional Asian rice porridge, or to be Victorian about it, gruel, congee is a nourishing, reassuring and inexpensive dish that has been a go-to in households across Asia for thousands of years. It has also, of late,…
To grace the water: A love story
IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS I HAD EVER SEEN. MERCEDES WAS A MAHOGANY SPEEDBOAT, ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF METRES LONG. A CHRIS-CRAFT, I WOULD GUESS MANY YEARS LATER, THAT HAD COME FROM THE UNITED STATES. ITS VARNISHED WOOD AND POLISHED STEEL SPARKLED IN THE WĀNAKA SUN. MY DAD THOUGHT IT WAS…