Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast

Benjamin Pigott remembers visiting his first ever DOC hut and knowing he just had to visit all of the huts in the Tararua Ranges Now, he has bagged over 500 huts all across the North and South Island and is on a mission to visit them all. Working as an asset inspector at DOC has enabled him to get out into the bush often. Benjamin talks about some of his favourite huts he's visited, tips for hut bagging and how to get started if you've never been to a DOC hut before.

Tara and Naomi set off on a 46 day journey across the NZ North and South Islands to visit every ski field while bikepacking. The duo, @pedals2powder both loved and enjoyed skiing, yet the bikepacking and logistics of planning a 7 week adventure was a new challenge. Tara and Naomi share about their favourite club fields, including Mt Olympus, Fox Peak, Awakino, Broken River and Craggy Burn. Winter presented challenges due to short days, unpredictable weather and cold temperatures, but the pair enjoyed so many memorable moments, including finishing the journey at Treble Cone with over 100 other skiers-cyclists! They say, "if you have an idea, you're the only one getting in the way... so just do it!" A documentary of their epic journey will be featured at various film festivals in 2025.

Kerry Quigley gets outdoors often with his family, 4WDing and camping as it brings them peace and calm to what is normally a busy life. His kids, now aged 7 and 3 had their first camping trips at 1 year and 8 weeks old. Kerry shares about a particularly memorable trip on a long weekend trip to the Hopkins Valley. Several families were on this trip and the weather started to turn on the last day. Kerry says "you don't need much to get out," and shares his tips for packing, gear and some of his favourite locations. As a family, they cherish making memories together and enjoy fishing on their trips.

Anurag Sharma moved to New Zealand in 2002 but didn't start tramping until moving to Wellington 16 years later. Since then, he has done all the Great Walks and recently set his sights on Te Araroa. Although it started as something he would do "one day," losing his mother was a catalyst to set a date for Te Araroa and start preparing. Anurag talks about self-discovery and the importance of trying new things and stepping outside your comfort zone, particularly as a South Asian immigrant challenging cultural norms. Despite setbacks, including an ankle cyst, surgery and changing his start date, he is excited to start walking and raise money for 10 different charities.

Bennett Lim has always been drawn to the water and set his sights on sea kayaking as a teen. Since then, his obsession with paddling has grown and being based in Auckland means the Hauraki Gulf is right on his doorstep! Working as a sea kayak guide and instructor, Bennett spends his days off doing other personal trips and multi-day missions. He has explored most of the islands in the Gulf, with a goal to circumnavigate all the islands, including Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier. He talks about the best spots to explore in the Hauraki Gulf depending on what type of adventure you'd like. Bennett shares his advice for anyone that wants to start sea kayaking, covering gear, skills and how to overcome the biggest barriers to getting started.