For Wild Places Podcast

Today's guest, Calumn Hockey, is a self-taught adventure photographer who has shot some of Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand's most iconic trail and ultra races.  This conversation is a little different to our usual trail chats, as Calumn shares stories behind some of his favourite photographs.  To see the photos we discuss in this episode, head to this Instagram post .  We hear th...

Today's guest, Lou Clifton, is an inspiration to so many in the Australian trail and ultra running scene.  Lou discovered the world of trail running in 2014 and has since gone on to grace trails and podiums both nationally and abroad.  Not only is Lou an elite kick-ass athlete, but she is also incredibly kind, patient, determined, and, pragmatically and unwaveringly, optimistic.  Th...

In today's episode, we're catching up with the effervescent Caro Ryan, aka Lotsa fresh air.  Caro is a self-proclaimed unexpected outdoors chick who spends her days exploring the many beautiful multi-day walks across our continent and embracing the freedom of off-track exploration.  Caro is the wearer of many hats - educator, tour guide, search and rescue volunteer, podcast host and most...

This week, we catch up with Chris Ord, who has helped craft the local trail running scene for over a decade.  Chris is the founder of Trail Run Mag and has gone on to found Tour de Trails, which is responsible for some of the most loved and inclusive events on the Victorian calendar.  When he's not race directing, Chris is a consultant with TRC Tourism or hosting trail running tours arou...

In this week's podcast, we catch up with ultra runner, software developer and consistency queen, Melissa Robertson.   Melissa lives on NSW's Central Coast but has explored many of Australia's most iconic trails and races, from backyard ultras to 200-milers and 24-hour events.  When she's not training, recovering or travelling, Melissa works remotely as a software developer for the Austra...

In this week's podcast, we catch up with prolific thru-hiker, weekend explorer and non-binary adventurer, Aubri Drake. Today's guest, Aubri, lives in Washington State, USA, near the White Mountains, where they love to explore the technical, varied terrain.  Aubri is a prolific hiker and has completed many of the US's most iconic hikes. In our first chat in March 2023, Will and Aubri unpack Au...

Join us as we chat with ultrarunner and explorer Majell Backhausen, who's raced globally, captured incredible trail footage, and helped grow the Takayna Trail.  We discuss his journey from running on a treadmill in the North Sea to supporting community-driven conservation efforts in Australia. Majell shares highlights from recent events, including raising over $400,000 for the Bob Brown Found...

Despite being only in her early thirties, Simone Brick is a veteran of the Victorian trail and ultra-running scene.  There isn't an event that Simone hasn't participated in, podiumed at or volunteered with.  Simone's love of trail running runs deep and has shaped the person she is today. We first caught up with Simone in November 2022, when she was fresh off the back of a busy European s...

Coach, athlete, world record holder, change maker, and overall excellent human are just some ways we can describe today's guest, Erchana Murray-Bartlett. We first caught up with Erchana in November 2022, when she was 89 days into her 150-day, 150-marathon 'Tip to Toe' journey. Not only did Erchana smash the world record, but she also raised over $100k to support The Wilderness Society's efforts to...

US race director, coach, author, and pioneer of the US ultrarunning scene, Krissy Moehl, joins us to chat about all things longevity, community, patience, and adventure.  Krissy is a legend of ultra running and has been a part of the sport from its early dirtbag days to race calling at UTMB in 2024.  Krissy's lessons in life and running are invaluable, so much so that she's written the g...

From the plains of WA comes Milly Young, an adventure-seeking, mountain-climbing, ultra-running woman of unstoppable resilience and infectious love of wild places.   We first caught up with Milly to recap her FKT on southwest Tasmania's Port Davey / South Coast Track, where not even a broken toe could stop her from swimming across rivers, smashing gels and ultimately, making it to the finish...

US mountain runner Michelle Merlis joins us to talk about motivation, moving in the mountains and managing the balance between training and work.   We then checked in with Michelle two years later to hear how the transition into full-time athlete life is treating her, including moving house, international travel and sharing her trails with friendly black bears.  You can find out more abo...

Matt Gore and Giles Penfold join us to discuss their 2021 traverse of the Australian Alpine Walking Track, as they raised funds and awareness to protect wild places under threat.  This conversation shares many aspects of their big adventure; from planning and logistics, to their time out on the trail, how they navigated fundraising and other challenges along the way.  We then check in wi...

Josh Wiffen, ultrarunner, artist and Illawarra local join us hot off the heels of Western States 2022, bursting with stoke and love for the trail and ultra running community. Josh was one of a handful of Australians toeing the WSER start line in 2022, after two years of COVID delays made for a very long, and injury inducing lead up.     We then check in with Josh two years later, an...

Sam Burke, co-founder of Tarkine joins Will and Hilary for our first Trail Chat. We first caught up with Sam in June 2022 as Tarkine's founding crowdfunding campaign was drawing to a close.     We caught up with Sam two years and thousands of pairs of Tarkine's later and got a first-hand account of what it's like to take on global shoe brands.  Tarkine is a Perth-based running...

The For Wild Places Podcast is a campfire of conversations with interesting, accomplished, and inspiring people from the trail running and environmental space.  Each month, we sit down with someone for a Trail Chat, and get to know them better. Hosted by FWP co-founder and accident-prone outdoors woman, Hilary McAllister. Episodes coming soon - hit follow on your favourite podcast app to get...