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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Tui Mārama is an inspiring wāhine from Gisborne who’s doing a lot of amazing mahi for her community. Less than three years ago, she went hunting for the first time and hasn’t looked back. In this episode Tui talks about how a chance encounter led to her TV show ‘Hunting with Tui’. We talk about her reconnecting to her whakapapa (roots), her perspectives on wairua (spirit) and the link between Whanaungatanga (togetherness) and the outdoors. She sees the outdoors, especially hunting and gathering, as an opportunity to help build up the mana of people in Aotearoa. Tui grew up in Christchurch, and it wasn’t until she was a young adult that she returned to her mother's whakapapa on the East Cape. She has worked in both the Navy and the police force, recently transitioning into a role as an iwi representative (working in a partnership between local iwi and the police), focusing on supporting families who are working through the challenges of family harm. Kapai, Tui. You’re doing some amazing mahi!