Tramper.nz has been a part of the outdoors lifestyle in Aotearoa / New Zealand for over 20 years. I started this project as a way to share track information and photographs. I soon realised I couldn't do it alone -- there were just too many tracks and routes. So I adopted a "wiki" model where anybody can add or edit content. I donated my time to build the platform, and an amazing community formed and started the work of adding and fixing up content.

The platform itself represents about 10000 hours of work, all wedged into my spare time -- weekends, evenings, early mornings. I work full time elsewhere to pay my bills and support my family. I have managed to cover the website hosting costs by running website advertising but this approach has not enabled me to give the platform the time it needs in order to flourish.

Now, with the COVID-19 outbreak, ad revenues have flatlined and I have lost my primary income. I need to take a new approach. I am asking for your help.

The site will always be free: that is not negotiable. But it might not always be there. With your support we can keep the lights on, and keep the community working. But we need to do more than that. There is a lot of work to do. With enough support, I would love to be able to remove advertising and to dedicate more time in improving the site and the community. This could be my part-time or even full-time job.

At Tramper.nz our community mission is to promote and share our love for adventure, wilderness, and self-reliance. We believe in getting people off the couch, out of the city, into the outdoors, and into the wild. We believe in self-reliance, in conservation, in wilderness, and in adventure. If you believe in these things too, join with us as a Patreon supporter at a level that works for you.

If you can't do this right now, I understand, it's a tough time for me and it's a tough time for everyone -- you can help jumping into the forums, telling a friend, sharing and updating our content. Your voice makes our community stronger.

Thanks for your time and support,
Matthew Walker