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…

After losing a friend in a packrafting incident seven years ago, Luc was rattled to the core. It became a catalyst for a new chapter in his own packrafting journey, where he totally reassessed his own skillset and started learning more about safety. This led him to write The Packraft Handbook, which we focus on in this episode. Those of you who alr…

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.…

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 …

Annie shares some of her most memorable packrafting and bikerafting adventures in Scotland and Greenland. We hear about her encounters with muskoxen, quick sand on a glacier-fed river, and dealing with a sinking raft. We also talk about the dynamic of doing trips with a romantic partner. EPISODE LINKS: Annie's personal website Annie's Instagram 'A …

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 runni…

Sarah lives in Alaska, where she finds joy in many outdoor activities, from wild ice skating to backcountry skiing and packrafting. She teaches mental-health informed online fitness programs for outdoors people. We go down many tangents in this episode, from the joys of bear encounters in the Brooks Range to some of her earlier packrafting mishaps.…

Jeffrey Creamer is a packrafter based in Colorado who loves designing creative whitewater expedition routes. His favourite trips combine hard whitewater with backcountry skiing or ski mountaineering, often in remote areas of the lower 48 where people don’t typically explore. In this episode we chat about many of his most memorable adventures, inclu…

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 …

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 mon…

In this episode we talk about Willem’s signature trip style, including how he plans his trips and what it is he enjoys most about multi-week adventures. We chat about some of his earlier trips in Scandinavia, Greenland, a packraft-assisted traverse of the South Island of New Zealand and a near-death experience during a four month traverse of Norway…

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…

Sheri Tingey started working in design in the outdoor industry in Jackson Hole when she was a young adult. It wasn’t until she was in her mid-50s that she founded Alpacka Raft with her son, Thor. After almost two decades battling chronic fatigue, Sheri was ready to get her teeth stuck into a new project. With somewhat serendipitous timing, Thor ask…

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'…

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 (…

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 winni…

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 perspec…

Welcome to the second episode in the storytime series. These are off-the-cuff campfire style stories, narrated adventure recounts and essays. They’ll each be around ten to twenty minutes long and will be published every so often between regular episodes of the show.Check out: Four Corners Guides & Scullbinder Ranch Doom's Instagram 'Republic of Doo…

Music: Wild and Free by Hope Social Club Facebook: Untamed Aotearoa Podcast Instagram: Untamed Aotearoa Podcast Stuff article: Adventurer's long, bumpy road back from concussion Brain Injury New Zealand websiteBy Dulkara D Martig

The tables are turned as Dulkara answers questions put to her by her mother, Janine Martig. Dulkara bought a packraft before she ever sat in one, at a time when they were little known in New Zealand. She already had a passion for outdoor adventures and remote journeys but packrafting made her view topo maps with fresh eyes. In this episode, she sha…

Welcome to the first episode in the storytime series. These will be off-the-cuff campfire style stories, narrated adventure recounts and essays. They’ll each be around ten to twenty minutes long and will be published every so often between regular episodes of the show. Podcast sponsored by Alpacka Raft: Alpacka Raft has been handcrafting packrafts …

Avid ‘packraftineer’ Stanley Mulvany has spent decades exploring the rugged terrain of Fiordland and South Westland in New Zealand. Most of his routes have virtually no trails or human impact. He also completed a mostly solo traverse of NZ’s Southern Alps, in a few stages. He is a retired doctor, now 71 years old and is showing no signs of slowing …

Forrest McCarthy blazed the way for modern-day packrafting in the lower 48 in the early 2000s. Our conversation ranges from his early years of getting into adventure and his love of the desert lands in Southern Utah to a couple of his most memorable packrafting trips. He shares a scary moment on a solo trip in Patagonia, where he was separated from…