Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast

Alice is a tramper, blogger, speech & language therapist and mum, based in Southland. She shares about a special trip with her Dad to Cascade Saddle in Mt Aspiring National Park. Waiting for a rare bluebird weather window, they tackled the demanding route in late summer. It involved a relentless climb, exposed scrambling with huge drop-offs, and having to stash gear in long-drops away from kea. Alice shares she special moments shared with her Dad on this trip, the sweeping views of the Dart Glacier and Tititea Mt Aspiring at sunset. Alice also reflects on tramping through different life stages, levelling up her outdoors skills through courses and joining a tramping club. We discuss the realities of social media and mass tourism and the responsibilities that come with travelling and sharing wild places online.
 
 Abigail & Isaac are kayaking for 1,000km from Cape Reinga to Tauranga in Feb-Mar 2026 to raise $20,000 for mental health and the ocean. Join the community to follow our journey closely, donate or paddle with us.👉 slowpaddle.nz

Thank you so much for tuning in and coming along for the ride. If you love the show and enjoyed listening, please take the time to leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I would also love to connect with you, so send me a DM on Instagram, leave me a voice message and I can’t wait to see you next time. Until then, keep adventuring :)

Follow Alice on Instagram: instagram.com/alice.adventuringaliceadventuring.com/Cascade Saddle Route: what you need to know to climb safely

Read the Blog: www.abigailhannah.nzFollow Abigail on Instagram: instagram.com/abigailhannnah/Follow Abigail on TikTok: tiktok.com/@abigailhannnah/Get my NZ Map & Guide

Daniel Mauden is a German-born traveller and photographer, who now lives full time on the road with his partner Dinah. He shares about childhood family trips, volunteering stints in the US, India, and the Bahamas, and the spontaneous decision to move to Aotearoa. Daniel worked in Hamilton for several years, squeezing weekend adventures around full-time work, before leaving his job and freelancing as a content creator. Daniel talks about places he keeps returning to - Cape Palliser, Castlepoint, French Pass - and why lighthouses, remote coastlines, sunset, are his favourite places to explore and photograph in New Zealand. He shares openly about the trade-offs of van life, from tight spaces to constant decision-making, alongside the freedom of waking up beside the ocean or hiking before sunrise. Daniel shares his perspective on slowing down and revisiting places deeply, instead of chasing checklists
 
 Abigail & Isaac are kayaking for 1,000km from Cape Reinga to Tauranga in Feb-Mar 2026 to raise $20,000 for mental health and the ocean. Join the community to follow our journey closely, donate or paddle with us.👉 slowpaddle.nz

Thank you so much for tuning in and coming along for the ride. If you love the show and enjoyed listening, please take the time to leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I would also love to connect with you, so send me a DM on Instagram, leave me a voice message and I can’t wait to see you next time. Until then, keep adventuring :)

Follow Daniel on Instagram: instagram.com/roamdates

Read the Blog: www.abigailhannah.nzFollow Abigail on Instagram: instagram.com/abigailhannnah/Follow Abigail on TikTok: tiktok.com/@abigailhannnah/Get my NZ Map & Guide

Host Abigail and husband Isaac are halfway into a 2 month sea kayak expedition. They share about preparation for the expedition, waiting out weather, their favourite sections of coastline, what they loved most and what has been challenging. Get an inside look into a self-supported sea kayak expedition in New Zealand, and get inspired to get outside and go do that THING you've been dreaming of!
 
Abigail & Isaac are kayaking for 1,000km from Cape Reinga to Tauranga in Feb-Mar 2026 to raise $20,000 for mental health and the ocean. Join the community to follow our journey closely, donate or paddle with us.👉 slowpaddle.nz

Thank you so much for tuning in and coming along for the ride. If you love the show and enjoyed listening, please take the time to leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I would also love to connect with you, so send me a DM on Instagram, leave me a voice message and I can’t wait to see you next time. Until then, keep adventuring :)

Read the Blog: www.abigailhannah.nz
Follow Abigail on Instagram:instagram.com/abigailhannnah/
Follow Abigail on TikTok: tiktok.com/@abigailhannnah/Get my NZ Map & Guide

Charlotte grew up outdoors, studied outdoor education, and has spent recent years with new pursuits - from canyoning and whitewater to learning to packraft. She shares about an epic South Island summer trip with her boyfriend, that was shaped by weather windows, flexibility and spontaneous decisions. After buying new packrafts just days before their adventure, their first trip to Lake Crucible which combined jet boating, hiking, camping and packrafting among icebergs. The trip finishes with wet gear, hitchhiking, and the long walk back to the road - the unglamorous side of river journeys. Charlotte has solid advice for packrafting beginners, where to find trip reports, check flows and also knowing when to walk away.

Abigail & Isaac are kayaking for 1,000km from Cape Reinga to Tauranga in Feb-Mar 2026 to raise $20,000 for mental health and the ocean. Join the community to follow our journey closely, donate or paddle with us.👉 slowpaddle.nz

Thank you so much for tuning in and coming along for the ride. If you love the show and enjoyed listening, please take the time to leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I would also love to connect with you, so send me a DM on Instagram, leave me a voice message and I can’t wait to see you next time. Until then, keep adventuring :)

Follow Charlotte on Instagram: instagram.com/sunshinewithcharlotte/Follow Charlotte on TikTok: tiktok.com/@sunshinewithcharlottewww.packraftingtrips.nz

Read the Blog: www.abigailhannah.nzFollow Abigail on Instagram: instagram.com/abigailhannnah/Follow Abigail on TikTok: tiktok.com/@abigailhannnah/Get my NZ Map & Guide

Hannah Whittaker grew up loving travel and now based in Auckland, she shares how exploring New Zealand on weekends, rather than chasing big overseas trips, reshaped how she thinks about adventure, time, and comparison. She shares about her favourite Northland spots, from the Bay of Islands and Urupukapuka Island to Duke’s Nose, Kerikeri, Mangawhai Heads, and Langs Beach. Hannah also shares practical tips for visiting Northland - where to base yourself, campsites, standout walks, access to the islands and why Northland suits both short trips and longer, slower travel. Hannah also shares how hosting monthly community hikes grew out of loneliness in her twenties, and why creating spaces for people to connect outdoors matters.
 
Abigail & Isaac are kayaking for 1,000km from Cape Reinga to Tauranga in Feb-Mar 2026 to raise $20,000 for mental health and the ocean. Join the community to follow our journey closely, donate or paddle with us.👉 slowpaddle.nz

Thank you so much for tuning in and coming along for the ride. If you love the show and enjoyed listening, please take the time to leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I would also love to connect with you, so send me a DM on Instagram, leave me a voice message and I can’t wait to see you next time. Until then, keep adventuring :)

Follow Hannah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notes2homeBay of Islands summer guidenotestohome.comGet Hannah's Rexby Map

Read the Blog: www.abigailhannah.nzFollow Abigail on Instagram: instagram.com/abigailhannnah/Follow Abigail on TikTok: tiktok.com/@abigailhannnah/Get my NZ Map & Guide