Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast

Ciska de Jong grew up sailing around places like Waiheke, the Bay of Islands and even remote parts of Fiji, which set the tone for a life built around adventure. After a long solo trip overseas, she moved from Auckland to Tauranga and found a slower rhythm, with more time to chase waterfalls, paddle hidden chasms and explore the Bay of Plenty. Ciska shares how NZ Adventures began with simple weeke...

Host Abigail Hannah and Isaac Naylor are kayaking from Cape Reinga to Tauranga in 2026 to raise $20,000 for the ocean and mental health. This sea kayak expedition will take them 800km (or more), exploring one of the most beautiful sections of New Zealand coast - while slowing down, stripping life back to the basics and exploring the coastline. The couple share about where the idea came from, what...

Isabell Zitzelsberger moved to Aotearoa in 2012 to be closer to nature. She now spends her weekends exploring the bush and the sea, whether that’s chasing fish, deer stalking in the Kaimai Range or teaching other women to back a trailer with confidence. After years of being the “partner who just goes along,” Isabell realised how many women shared that same story. She decided to change it, founding...

Renee Cadigan shares about how her love for the outdoors has evolved as her boys have grown older. Renee now explores solo, and loves discovering hidden valleys and remote huts close to home on the West Coast. She talks about her latest obsession, the Whitcombe Valley, where countless routes and huts go through rugged terrain and some of her favourite overnights and huts in the area. Then Renee di...

Kyla and Louis are the kiwi couple behind Out the Gate Off Road and live full-time in their 1988 Mercedes Unimog. With a background in carpentry and a shared love of adventure, they designed and built every detail of their home-on-wheels themselves. They share favourite Northland locations including Ahipara, Karikari Peninsula and Whangarei Heads, tips for travelling with dogs, and how they manage...

Debs Brockelsby is based in Rotorua and deeply passionate about adventures outdoors. After a traumatic brain injury, she realised that life is short - do cool sh*t. Debs shares about quitting her dream job at Cycling NZ, the long journey of recovery, and how mountain biking helped her rebuild confidence and joy. She talks about starting Stoked NZ, a towel poncho business inspired by her love for l...

Billy "Wahoo" Meredith set the record for the fastest known self-supported time on Te Araroa in 2025. With a background in thru-hiking and trail running, Billy had set records in the USA on the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide trails - including completing all three in one year. He shares about the differences between hiking in the USA and tramping in New Zealand - the rugged terr...

Jennifer Julian is an outdoor education teacher from Canada now based in Taranaki, raising two daughters aged three and five. With her experiences in mountaineering and LandSAR volunteering, Jenn shares about the Taranaki Three Peaks Traverse, a demanding mission linking Taranaki, Pouakai and Patuha. She reflects on completing this route after have children and the appeal of tough challenges. Alon...

Kaleb Anderson, AKA @adventuringkiwi, is a freelance photographer and videographer. His love for the mountains began with the DoE Award and multi-day hikes in Tongariro. He shares about an adventure to Sladden Glacier in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park with friends, carrying a 22kg pack with alpine gear, skis and supplies for 5 days. They dug out a snow camps and then summitted Mount Sealy and Mou...

Anne Bonfert has been skydiving for ten years and worked as an instructor across the world, from Namibia to Spain. Living her long-time dream, she came to New Zealand with her husband to spend a season jumping over Wanaka and Queenstown. Anne shares her experience as an instructor, from taking nervous first-timers to managing up to 15 jumps a day. Anne talks about the process to becoming an instru...

Amelia Hayes works in the trucking industry, but one Instagram photo of Peak Hill reignited her love for the outdoors. Based just two hours from Arthur’s Pass, Amelia has explored the area more times than she can count. She shares about her three attempts at climbing Mount Philistine - long days with friends, and eventually reaching the summit - with no view at all. Amelia talks honestly about the...

The Aotearoa Adventures whānau got offline and out in nature for the FIRST TIME EVER to celebrate 3 years of podcasting and well...it's probably about time. Meet the legends that were there, they dropped some epic travel recommendations. I learnt some epic things too. Ashley: @littlekiwitravels Beccy: @beccyvincent Katy: @katheryne_mck Cole: @2passingthru Rachael: @nz.rainbow.hunter Mohamed: @md._...

Justin Wimmer grew up between Aotearoa and Europe, skiing in Austria and climbing in New Zealand from a young age while also being involved in YSAR. He shares the story of setting two new alpine routes in Aoraki National Park - Mount Lindenfeld and Mount Haast - with storms, rime ice, and long glacier approaches to climb remote rock and ice walls. Justin also talks about essential gear for beginne...

Jessica Lockhart is a travel writer with Lonely Planet and has spent 3 years house sitting across New Zealand. She shares about the concept of being a parachute journalist and the importance of getting to know a country on a deeper local level. Jessica shares advice for anyone that wants to housesit - including where to find sits, what to expect with pets, finding routine with instability and some...

Jarrod McLauchlan is an aircraft engineer based in Nelson with a love for alpine hunting. Growing up, his weekends were filled with motocross and mountain biking and later discovered a love for hunting as a way to connect with others. Jarrod shares about drawing a coveted Fiordland wapiti ballot - but then having to wait 3 years before he could go. He talks about the importance of having the right...

Brando Yelavich AKA Wild Boy has spent the past decade chasing knowledge of the world and of himself through epic expeditions. He has walked the coastline of New Zealand, skied across Greenland, sea kayaked around Vancouver Island and cycled across Australia. He shares about his Solo Expedition on Rakiura Stewart Island to circumnavigate its rugged coastline. Brando shares what it was like to navi...

Dom Huxley made a name for himself after climbing Aoraki Mt Cook as a teenager. The outdoors became a safe haven for Dom early in his life and since then, he's climbed Mt Aspiring more than a dozen times and spent seasons mountaineering in Nepal. Dom shares about a recent Mt Aspiring trip and how he took a friend up for their first mountain summit. They camped under rock bivvys and had a 15 hour d...

Laura Kuggeleijn discovered spearfishing while living in the middle of Auckland - with her first catch at Ti Point. Laura shares about learning to hold her breath, navigating seasickness, and slowly shifting her fear of sharks into awe. Laura shares stories of diving off Great Barrier Island to encountering a great white shark up close at Stewart Island Nationals. She talks about how the ocean has...

Chris Lierheimer moved to NZ from Colorado and quickly fell in love with the DOC hut system - and made a spreadsheet to rank them all. He shares about tramping to Barker Hut, a remote and challenging alpine hut near Arthur’s Pass. After misreading the route and starting late, the hike pushed them to their limits. Chris shares lessons from that trip and why he believes the backcountry in New Zealan...

Sharon Evans AKA @freewheelingkiwi shares her story of solo tramping the Mangamate Loop in Whirinaki Forest Park. After years away from multi-day hiking alone and logistics to sort, she spent three days on the trail -with stream crossings, freezing nights and full huts. But a magic moment hearing wild kiwi call in the bush made it all worth it. Sharon offers honest advice for beginners, practical...

Grace Reeves, is a self-described “slightly hippie ADHD adventure princess slash country cottage girly” and building a life full of outdoor adventure, softness and freedom. After working in tech, she spent a year solo on the road in a campervan, eventually settling in her dream home in rural Canterbury. She shares about how four-wheel driving opened up wild places, like her solo mission to Macaula...

Josh Parker started climbing in 2019 and was hooked after one gym session. Since then, he’s set a goal to climb Grade 27 and now spends most weekends at the crag. Josh shares about his favourite North Island spots like Kawakawa Bay and Waipari, his first multi-pitch route, and the joy of finding a like-minded climbing community. They talk about mental challenges, gear progression, and what it’s li...

Kristina Montgomerie is back to share all about Aotea, Great Barrier Island. A travel and outdoors content creator, Kristina has hiked some of the country’s toughest hikes, now balancing her love for adventure with motherhood. She talks about hiking the Aotea Track - both the two-day and three-day versions with advice on which routes to avoid, like the gorse-ridden clay Tramline Track. Kristina sh...

Jasmine Trafford lives in Christchurch with her two young children and shares about her journey finding outdoor adventures that work for their family. Growing up in Marahau, she loved sea kayaking in the Abel Tasman National Park. Jasmine shares her favourite family-friendly spots in Christchurch and Canterbury, from Mount Vernon Valley and Sign of the Bellbird to Mount Thomas Conservation Area an...

Sarah Morrison shares about an epic off-track tramp to Lake Unknown, Park Pass Glacier and Lake Nerine in the Rockburn Valley. Her love for tramping started in the Auckland Uni Tramping club with some questionable adventures like stream-bashing and long, late-night drives. Now based in central Otago, she gets out every weekend tramping, mountaineering or tramping. Sarah shares about a six-day adve...