Shanti Mathias is an Auckland-based journalist who is passionate about getting around without a car. Shanti also loves tramping and trail running, and uses public transport or a bicycle to get to her destination. She shares about a recent adventure from Auckland to Miranda, using a train, bike and ferry for the weekend trip. For Shanti, travel without a car leads to creativity and fun, poring over maps, forcing you to slow down and practice gratitude. While acknowledging the limitations and frustrations of low carbon travel, Shanti talks about why it's so important to reduce our carbon emissio ..read more

Mother of three, Deanna Gerlach says the idea to walk Te Araroa was conceived during covid lockdowns, from their suburban home in Sydney. The family sold everything in Australia, spent two weeks in hotel quarantine in New Zealand and then started walking the length of the country from Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga) to Motupo-hue (Bluff). Day 1 on the trail was the family's first overnight tramp, but within three weeks they were trail-fit. Deanna reflects on the experience saying, "we loved it," but there were tough days for everyone. Flooded rivers in Canterbury meant that they had to skip la ..read more

Hami Tangiora lives on the West Coast and a recent annual family tradition is to catch a helicopter to remote back country huts to spend the night. While the familly do lots of hiking together with the young kids, Hami decided that they would treat themself to something special. The first trip was to Chancellor Hut above Fox Glacier for an overnight stay, where their only company was two dozen kea. The following year the family took Dominos pizza up to the remote Almer Hut above Franz Josef Glacier. Although the terrain around the hut can be a hazard for young children, the highlight was the i ..read more

Helena Sodergren is a multi-passionate adventurer and a scientist. From horse-riding to skiing to surfing to mountain biking, it really seems like she does it all, alongside holding a PhD in physics. Helena grew up on a farm in remote Sweden, and say this is where her sense of adventure began. She shares about a recent mission with a group of seven, spending nine days on Tasman Glacier and sitting through a big storm, an incredible experience. Helena also talks about another adventure to Bell Pass, where everything went wrong. Her advice for others who are multi-passionate is that, "you have t ..read more

Katie Johnstone's love for the outdoors started young and grew with her annual father-daughter camping trips. After going on her first solo hike, she decided to jump in deeper and tackle Te Araroa. Katie soon learnt the importance of carrying a personal locator beacon (PLB) when one of her fellow trampers got injured and Katie had to pull her PLB for them. Later on the trail, Katie got into a sticky situation during a river crossing attempt and had to pull the PLB for her own safety. She shares some of the lessons she's learnt, other occasions where she has needed to be rescued and why she bel ..read more

Heather Marston had a mantra that she would never visit the same place twice...but that was before she had been to Aoraki Mount Cook. From ski trips as a child, to a study abroad program during uni and later moving to New Zealand, Heather says the curiosity for adventure was sparked early on in life. She shares about a particular trip to Mount Cook National Park in winter, where the weather looked miserable, but it turned into a magical experience in the snow. Heather shares all the different trails in and around Mount Cook village - Hooker Valley is a must-do; Mueller Hut is for a longer trip ..read more

Jordan Pratt set himself a challenge that would test his physical and mental limits - 10 Great Walks in 10 days across the North and South Islands. The complex logistics meant that Jordan was supported by a team that were the 'glue' of the challenge. They provided a morale boost and banter at the end of every trail, as well as sorting transport, accommodation, food and telling Jordan when to eat, sleep and stretch. The hardest part were days 4-7 after the 78km Heaphy track with a window of wet weather. What surprised Jordan most about this challenge was the people that rallied around him - fro ..read more

Host Abigail Hannah set out to do the longest hike she'd ever done - solo! Abigail breaks down the how she decided to set out on the Old Ghost Road on her own and all she did to prepare for this. Knowing and preparing her gear was a significant part of the journey to independence and Abigail breaks down her gear list (below). While Abigail absolutely thrived in the first three days of her journey, soaking in and enjoying the beautiful views, the challenges came on day 4 and 5. Abigail's strength and resilience was tested as she struggled physically and mentally, being pushed far out of her com ..read more

Olly Dow is 17 years old, based in Tauranga with a huge love for the outdoors. When he's not at school or on a weekend adventure, he's working at macpac or training with youth search and rescue (YSAR). He shares about the first time he went tramping without his parents - and how it was a pivotal moment that has enabled him to have many more trips with his mates. Olly shares about a recent 11 day tramp in the Kaweka ranges with a mate. One of the lessons learnt is that you can't be prepared for everything - as increased rainfall meant their river crossing was too risky and the duo had to replan ..read more

Based in Wanaka, Nick Pascoe is surrounded by opportunities for adventure. Combining his passions, Nick had the idea to ski, packraft and tramp from Mt Aspiring to the Tasman Sea, down the Waiatoto River. After convincing two mates to come along, they got started on planning their route, based off trip reports, satellite imagery and topomaps. The 7 day mission took them skiing over glaciers, packrafting across glacial lakes and bush-bashing before navigating technical white water down the Waiatoto. Their gear was easily 30+kg, due to the ski equipment, packrafts and camping gear. Nick shares h ..read more