Untamed Aotearoa

Mark is an outdoor education lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, who has been on some epic journeys over the years. We focus on two of his most memorable solo bush trips in New Zealand. ‘Salt and Pepper Hikoi’ was a 17 day traverse of Te Urewera. His kaupapa was to get all of his calories from the forest, while travelling a long distance through some of the most rugged bush in New Zealand. His most recent adventure was an impressive 40 day traverse of Fiordland.

Dr Laura Young is a talented botanist and conservationist based in Blenheim. We talk about her love for ecology and how her career in conservation has evolved, from rediscovering a giant weevil (previously believed to be extinct) to studying wild Spaniards and kea. Laura has a five year old daughter, Cassie, who often comes with her on field trips. She shares some wonderful tips on balancing field work and outdoor time with being a mum.

Mark’s diverse skill set serendipitously landed him a place on what was dubbed "the most audacious and potentially groundbreaking polar expedition in a generation". He and two teammates used snow-kites to reach the most remote mountain on Earth - The Spectre, in the Gothic Mountains of Antarctica. This expedition is a focus but first we hear about the evolution of Mark’s passion for adventure and gain some wonderful insights into the New Zealand Mountain Film & Book Festival, which he and his wife Jo have been running for 19 years.

Tanya first started to run when she was living in a destructive, abusive relationship. But she wasn’t allowed to run with other people and she wasn’t allowed to run on trails. Fast-forward to today and she’s living in Lake Hawea where she finds joy in adventures in the mountains almost every day. In this episode we chat about her journey from running her first road marathon to competing in rugged 100 mile trail races and what other outdoor adventures it’s leading to. Tanya is an advocate for Shine and is committed to raising awareness around domestic violence and recovery for victims reclaiming their lives.

In this episode we talk about Brian’s evolution as a climber and then as a bikepacker. We also talk about the evolution of mountaineering in New Zealand, including the style of climbing in New Zealand in the late 80s and 90s and the positives of mentorship in the New Zealand Alpine Team. Our conversation turns to the rapidly developing bikepacking scene around the world and in NZ. We chat about pushing the limits in mountaineering compared to bikepacking races. Brian shares some experiences from the Tour Divide race in North America, the Great Southern Brevet in NZ and organising the inaugural Tour Te Waipounamu bikepacking race.

Maddy Whittaker first went tramping during an Outward Bound Course as an 18 year old. It totally changed the course of her life. She joined the Otago University Tramping Club and has spent nearly every spare moment in the outdoors during the past three years. At 20 years old she has just graduated from university and is currently out on a three month traverse of the Southern Alps from Arthurs Pass to Milford Sound. Maddy and a few of her mates have become known as the ‘New Zealand Alpine Kids’ - too young to join the New Zealand Alpine Team but absolutely crushing it in the alpine zone in Aotearoa.

Ashley Peters is renowned for her huge smile and infectious love of bikes. I consider her one of the most incredible role models for women in leadership in sport and recreation in New Zealand. Since first learning to mountain bike fifteen years ago, she has set up multiple bike organisations in New Zealand, largely focused on helping others achieve independence. Ash is a PMBIA Mountain Bike 2 instructor and an NZOIA level 2 mountain biking assessor. In this episode we chat about the joys of biking and the positive things we’re seeing in the industry, including the development of New Zealand mountain bike qualifications. We discuss gender equality in sport and recreation, including strategies to increase female participation in outdoor recreation activities. We discuss the differences between competition and recreation and how these different styles play into long-term participation.

This short story is written and narrated by Kiwi woman, Hannah Rae. After losing a close friend in an alpine accident and her father within the space of a few weeks, Hannah spiralled into a period of grief. It was during this time that she took on the challenge of her first ultra marathon. This is not just another story about endurance running. It's a heartfelt tale of loss, resilience and personal growth, culminating with an adventure in the Wadi Rum desert.

Originally from the states, Andy grew up immersed in North American outdoor culture before relocating to NZ later in his adult life. In this episode Andy and I chat about adventure racing and a small but growing adventure racing community in Te Anau, on the edge of Fiordland National Park in New Zealand. Andy is the enthusiasm behind FEAR Society (AKA Fiordland Endurance and Adventure Racing Society), which is now in its fourth year serving dirtbag adventure racers. We talk about Andy’s Godzone Fiordland experience, specifically how on earth he managed to get such terrible trench foot and how he pushed through it. We also discuss risk and parenting, ego and the outdoors. We touch on the differences between North American and Kiwi outdoor culture and why Andy thinks New Zealanders make such strong adventure racers.

Jess Hotter went from the local slopes of Turoa Skifield to shredding the Freeride World Tour. Instead of going straight to university after finishing high school, Jess headed off to Canada for a GAP year and has never looked back. She has just finished her first season on the Freeride Ski World Tour, coming away with ‘Rookie of the year’ and winning gold at Kicking Horse Mountain stop in Canada. We chat about her passion for skiing, mountain culture and the freeride lifestyle. We talk about risk, decision-making and the psychology of Freeride competitions. We also talk about Obsidian, the latest event to hit the snow scene in New Zealand.