Shows / Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
Explore New Zealand with Aotearoa Adventures - your ultimate guide to travel, adventure, and the outdoors. Each week, host Abigail Hannah brings you inspiring stories from everyday people, covering tramping, vanlife, bikepacking, road trips, and so much more. Get beginner tips and practical advice for every adventure, from camping under the stars to multi-week expeditions. Whether you’re a local, on a working holiday, or visiting, this podcast will inspire you to explore New Zealand deeper and…
Episodes
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
200: A House in Motueka, Three Years of Business and Celebrating 200 Episodes of Aotearoa Adventures
Recording from Cape Town, host Abigail Hannah celebrates 200 episodes of Aotearoa Adventures with a solo episode. She shares how the podcast started after a…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
199: Building NZ's First Public Via Ferrata on Tākaka Hill with Till Middelhauve
Till Middelhauve moved from Germany to New Zealand in 2020, after years of family via ferrata trips across the European Alps. Finding no public via ferrata…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
198: Around the Mountain on Taranaki in Three Days with Kelsea & Olivia
Kelsea and Olivia met on the first day of year one and are still best mates, sharing their adventures as Girls Off Grid while fitting tramping, hunting and…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
197: Pioneering Women of Aoraki Mount Cook with Hazel Phillips
Hazel Phillips is an author and journalist who grew up scared of the outdoors, until a friend carrying all her own gear on the Milford Track made her think she…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
196: Packrafting the Landsborough River from the West Coast with Tom Waters
Tom Waters grew up on a farm near Tekapo and found the outdoors through hunting with his dad, before whitewater kayaking became a healthy obsession. He shares…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
195: From Everest to NZ Expeditions to Local Microadventures with Tsewang Nuru Sherpa
Tsewang Nuru Sherpa is a freshwater researcher and freelance travel journalist, who grew up in the Everest region of Nepal. He shares how adventure came to him…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
194: Summer as a DOC Ranger on Stewart Island and Women in Trades with Brooke Thompson
Brooke Thompson AKA @sparkygirlnz is a self-proclaimed 'South Island snob' passionate about the beauty of her Southland home. She shares about the summer she…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
193: Solo Tramping the Richmond Ranges and Running an Outdoor Store with Emily Thompson
Emily Thompson owns MD Outdoors, an all-women outdoor store in Nelson, and grew up on the West Coast of the South Island. She shares about a five-day solo…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
192: Six Week Road Trip in the Top of the South Island with Abigail & Isaac
Abigail & Isaac share all that the Top of the South Island has to offer and how they spent six weeks road tripping around a region that most people skip. From…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
191: Backcountry Huts as Art and Tiny Home Living with Kemi & Niko
Niko grew up on the West Coast near Punakaiki and is one half of Kemi & Niko, who are artists that create miniature backcountry huts. She shares how seven huts…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
190: Family Tramping on a Budget and Child-Free Trips with Shoshannah Shand
Shoshannah Shand is a solo mum who shares tramping and camping adventures with her two kids to her large online audience. She shares how she gets her family…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
189: Moving to Aotearoa from Chicago and Building a Life in Queenstown with Viktoria De Dominicis
Viktoria De Dominicis left the rat race in Chicago a decade ago and now calls Queenstown home. She shares how a spur-of-the-moment first trip to India in her…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
188: Bikepacking 3,000km in New Zealand on Tour Aotearoa with Laura Bell
Laura Bell is a Kiwi living in Melbourne who came home this year to cycle the length of the country. With time off between jobs, she took on Tour Aotearoa, the…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
187: From Beginner Trail Running to Setting Course Records with David Haunschmidt
David Haunschmidt is an emergency medicine doctor who moved from Scotland to New Zealand. Working around shift work, he shares how days walking DOC tracks…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
186: Packrafting and Tramping 48 Days Through Fiordland with Penzy Dinsdale
Penzy Dinsdale works in expedition medicine, from Antarctic ships to Everest Base Camp. She shares her 48-day traverse of Fiordland, the sequel to her 85-day…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
185: Thru-Hiking New Zealand Before Te Araroa Opened with Shalane Hopkins
Shalane Hopkins is an author, speaker and coach based in Otago, originally from Canada. In 2010 she walked the length of the country on Te Araroa, more than…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
184: Turning New Zealand Work Trips into Solo Great Walk Adventures with Nick Thompson
Nick Thompson is a squash court engineer from the UK who builds all-glass courts for events like the New Zealand Open. Since 2022 he has returned almost every…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
184: Turning New Zealand Work Trips into Solo Great Walk Adventures with Nick Thompson
Nick Thompson is a squash court engineer from the UK who builds all-glass courts for events like the New Zealand Open. Since 2022 he has returned almost every…
- Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast
183: Four Years of Aotearoa Adventures and No Home Address with Host Abigail Hannah
To mark four years of Aotearoa Adventures, the tables turn and Abigail is interviewed. She shares her story, from growing up in India and moving to New Zealand…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel PodcastWE'RE HITTING PAUSE
After four years and exactly 182 weekly episodes (plus a few bonuses) we are taking a pause. Since 2022, every single Friyay without fail (minus Christmas and…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast182: Finishing a Two Month Slow Paddle Sea Kayak Expedition with Isaac and Abigail
Host Abigail and husband Isaac are reflect on the last section of the Slow Paddle sea kayak expedition from Cape Reinga to Tauranga. They share a day-by-day…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast181: Scuba Diving in Wellington and Motorbikes with Tyla Bow
Tyla grew up a gymnast, spending long hours inside - and found her freedom outdoors, especially underwater. Now based in Wellington, she shares how a childhood…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast180: Hiking the Cascade Saddle Route, Tramping Clubs and Influencers with Alice Milne
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast179: Vanlife and Revisiting Favourite New Zealand Hidden Gems with Daniel Mauden
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast178: One month into a 1000km Sea Kayak Expedition with Isaac and Abigail
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast177: First-Time Packraft Adventures and Hiking to Lake Crucible with Charlotte
Charlotte grew up outdoors, studied outdoor education, and has spent recent years with new pursuits - from canyoning and whitewater to learning to packraft…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast176: A Local's Guide to Northland and Building Hiking Communities with Hannah Whittaker
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast175: Starting Tramping in her 40s and Lake Waikaremoana as a Family with Lois Baldwin
After up on a farm in rural Waikato, Lois Baldwin travelled and lived around the world through her 20s and 30s, raising a family overseas. It wasn't until her…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast174: Fastpacking the Travers-Sabine Circuit in 2 Days with Zeb Harris
Zeb Harris @backcountrykiwi is a fast packer, trail runner, and YouTuber. He explains what fast packing is and how he loves to see how much ground he can…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast173: Section Walking Te Araroa over Multiple Seasons and Battling Cancer with Te Aroha Hohaia
Te Aroha Hohaia grew up moving around the North Island, lived in a caravan as a child, and didn’t discover tramping until adulthood - starting with a summit…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast172: Hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and Tongariro Northern Circuit with Ben Boland
Ben Boland is a born-and-bred Kiwi who didn’t grow up loving the outdoors - and once weighed close to 190kg. He shares how getting active in his 30s led him to…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast171: Planning an Adult Gap Year to Full-Time Van Life with Sagar and Ami
Sagar and Ami moved to New Zealand separately 10 years ago; then after years of saving and planning, decided to take an "adult gap year" to travel the world…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast170: 122-Day Self-Supported North Island Sea Kayak Expedition with Joel Buckley
Joel Buckley is an outdoor instructor who kayaked around the North Island solo and self-supported. He talks through how the idea formed early, what finally…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast169: Tramping, Hut Bagging Goals, Cancer and Recovery with Verity Jackson
Verity Jackson has been tramping across New Zealand for decades and joining a tramping club opened up off track travel, navigation skills and lifelong…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel PodcastBONUS: Kiwi Yarns with Brodie Kane and Abigail Hannah
This episode was originally published on Kiwi Yarns with Brodie Kane. Today’s guest has a job that, on the surface, many would describe as a "dream job" and…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel PodcastBONUS: Creation in Isolation Podcast with Billy Nunweek and Abigail Hannah
This episode was originally published on the Creation in Isolation podcast with Billy Nunweek. The time has finally arrived, the Creation in Isolation Podcast…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel PodcastBONUS: 2025 wrapped
Please review Aotearoa Adventures wherever you listen. The annual wrap up - a summary of host Abigail Hannah's year - her travels, her podcast, her business…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast168: From First Tramp to Paparoa and all the Great Walks with Nicola Harvie
Nicola Harvie is a travel blogger, tramper and mum. In her twenties, she set a goal to complete all of NZ's Great Walks before turning thirty. Starting out new…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast167: Finding Hidden Places and Getting Lost with Cat Macnaughtan
Cat Macnaughtan never thought getting lost would become the heart of her life, but that is exactly what happened. After reconnecting with her teenage…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast166: Caravan Living as a Family and Writing Music on the Road with Emily & Charles
Emily and Charles, the pair behind Aro, live full-time on the road with their two kids under 5. They packed up their home in Pukekohe, fitted out a custom…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast165: An 18-Day Mission Through Nelson Lakes, Kahurangi and Abel Tasman with the National Park Trifecta
Hannah, Isabel and Harriet are three friends from Motueka who set out to link their local national parks in one continuous 18-day journey and why connecting…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast164: Five Months SOBO on Te Araroa and Finding Community with Deni Estivill
Deni Estivill left her corporate job in Brisbane and found herself walking the length of Aotearoa SOBO on Te Araroa with only one overnight hike behind her…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast163: Best Spots and Hidden Gems in the Bay of Plenty & Coromandel with Ciska
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast162: We are Kayaking From Cape Reinga to Tauranga to Raise $20,000 !!!!
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast161: Empowering Kiwi Women in Hunting & Fishing with Wild Chix Isabell Zitzelsberger
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast160: Hut Etiquette in DOC Huts and Exploring the Whitcombe Valley with Renee Cadigan
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast159: Exploring Northland and Living on the Road in a 12-Ton Unimog with Kyla and Louis
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast158: Mountain Biking, Towel Ponchos and a Brain Injury with Debs Brockelsby
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast157: Setting the Fastest Self-Supported Record on Te Araroa with Billy Meredith
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast156: Taranaki Three Peaks Traverse and Supporting Families in the Outdoors with Jenn Julian
Jennifer Julian is an outdoor education teacher from Canada now based in Taranaki, raising two daughters aged three and five. With her experiences in…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast155: Five days on the Sladden Glacier climbing Mt Sealy and Mt Jeanette with Kaleb Anderson
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast154: Working as a Sky Diving Instructor in Wānaka with Anne Bonfert
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast153: Arthurs Pass and Three Attempts at Mount Philistine with Amelia Hayes
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel PodcastBONUS: Community Hike - Tāmaki Makaurau
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast152: First Ascents on Mount Lindenfeld and Mount Haast with Justin Wimmer
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast151: House Sitting across New Zealand with Travel Writer Jessica Lockhart
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast150: Hunting Wapiti in Fiordland with Jarrod McLachlan
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast149: Solo Expedition on Rakiura and ADHD with Wild Boy Brando Yelavich
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast148: A Mountaineering Career and Climbing Mt Aspiring with Dom Huxley
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast147: An Ocean Obsession, Great White Encounter and Spearfishing with Laura Kuggeleijn
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…