Lou Sanson, former Director-General of the Department of Conservation, has spent a lifetime in New Zealand’s backcountry. From his childhood on the West Coast being taken tramping before he could walk, through teenage missions into wild valleys, to a career cutting tracks, leading DOC, and supporting the Backcountry Trust, Lou has lived and breathed the outdoors.

We talk about:

• His earliest memories of family adventures in the hills.
• The tramps and mentors that shaped his love of the backcountry.
• Turning a passion for the outdoors into a lifelong career.
• Memorable tramping trips — from Ivory Lake to Stewart Island to the Auckland Islands.
• The future of our hut and track network, and the balance between recreation, conservation, and tourism.
• His annual tradition of spending the longest day of the year on a mountain summit.
• It’s a conversation full of stories, reflection, and inspiration from one of the key figures behind New Zealand’s conservation and recreation legacy.