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 Podcast146: Hiking to Barker Hut and Ranking NZ's Best DOC Huts with Chris Lierheimer
Chris Lierheimer moved to NZ from Colorado and quickly fell in love with the DOC hut system - and made a spreadsheet to rank them all. He shares about tramping…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast145: Solo Tramping the Mangamate Loop in Whirinaki Forest Park with Sharon Evans
Sharon Evans AKA @freewheelingkiwi shares her story of solo tramping the Mangamate Loop in Whirinaki Forest Park. After years away from multi-day hiking alone…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast144: Solo Adventures, 4WDing and Being Multi-Passionate with Grace Reeves
Grace Reeves, is a self-described “slightly hippie ADHD adventure princess slash country cottage girly” and building a life full of outdoor adventure, softness…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast143: Intro to Rock Climbing and NZ's Best Crags with Josh Parker
Josh Parker started climbing in 2019 and was hooked after one gym session. Since then, he’s set a goal to climb Grade 27 and now spends most weekends at the…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast142: Tramping and Exploring Aotea Great Barrier Island with Kristina Montgomerie
Kristina Montgomerie is back to share all about Aotea, Great Barrier Island. A travel and outdoors content creator, Kristina has hiked some of the country’s…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast141: Best Christchurch and Canterbury Adventures with Kids with Jasmine Trafford
Jasmine Trafford lives in Christchurch with her two young children and shares about her journey finding outdoor adventures that work for their family. Growing…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast140: Off-Track Tramping to the Unknown in Rockburn Valley with Sarah Morrison
Sarah Morrison shares about an epic off-track tramp to Lake Unknown, Park Pass Glacier and Lake Nerine in the Rockburn Valley. Her love for tramping started in…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast139: Slow Travel in an EV and Catlins, Dunedin and Oamaru with Mature Flâneur Tim Ward
Canadian Tim Ward retired early when Covid-19 disrupted his business and found a love for slow travel, as a self-proclaimed Mature Flâneur. Finally finding an…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast138: An Obsession with the Mountains of Tongariro National Park with Hazel Phillips
Hazel Phillips shares her deep love for Tongariro National Park and the wild stories behind her new book Fire and Ice. Living in Ohakune, Hazel has spent years…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast137: A 5 Year Journey from Budget DIY Van to Dream Home-on-Wheels with Abigail and Isaac
Host Abigail Hannah speaks with her husband Isaac about their dream to live on the road full-time in a van. Their journey began in 2020, with a $2,800…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast136: Pushed to her Limits on the Hump Ridge Track and Slow, Mindful Travel with Helen Griffiths
The Hump Ridge Track is New Zealand's newest Great Walk, and Helen Griffiths was pushed to her limits as she experiences the best and worst day of her life on…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast135: Ultra-Swimming and 11 Hours to Swim Across the Cook Strait with Ivan Polyntcev
Ivan Polyntcev started ultra-swimming - an elite open-water sport - less than six years ago, after moving to New Zealand. As a professional dancer, Ivan wanted…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel PodcastBONUS: Listen to Abigail on the Kiwi Yarns Podcast
Abigail Hannah had the privilege of being interviewed on the Kiwi Yarns podcast with Brodie Kane. Listen to the full episode on all major platforms. WATCH…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast134: Three Months of Road Trips and Hut Bagging in the South Island with Sophie Wakelin
Sophie Wakelin is a doctor, who quit her job in Wellington to spend time travelling. Over three months in the South Island, she slept out of her car and bagged…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel PodcastBONUS: Easter Long Weekend
Please leave a review for Aotearoa Adventures on Spotify or Apple. Find your next adventure inspo here: PODCAST EPISODE DIRECTORY Join the broadcast channel on…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast133: Tramping the Heaphy Track from Karamea to Collingwood with Jacq Nesbit
Jacq Nesbit started tramping in adulthood and she shares about walking the Heaphy Track from Karamea to Collingwood. Jacq managed to find last-minute tickets…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast132: Nine Months of Solitude Walking Northbound on Te Araroa with Naomi Arnold
Naomi Arnold fulfilled a 20-year dream when she walked Te Araroa northbound (NOBO), from Bluff to Cape Reinga. What she expected to be a 4-5 month trail turned…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast131: Conservation and Lessons from the Bush with Bushman Sam the Trap Man
Sam the Trap Man is a bushman - he goes foraging, fishing and hunting - and at his core he is a conservationist, living in harmony with the ecosystems around…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast130: Full Time Vanlife and Staying Off-Grid in Fiordland with Jord and Tom
Jord and Tom quit their jobs 7 years ago to travel to the other side of the world. A few vans later, Jord and Tom have a caravan in New Zealand and share about…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast129: Tramping Four Epic South Island Hikes in 10 Days with Stacey Walker
In just 10 days, Stacey Walker ticked off four epic hikes in the South Island - Earnslaw Burn, Lake Wilson, Mueller Hut and Brewster Hut. Stacey started to get…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast128: 4WD Adventures across the Length of the South Island with Rich Soult
Rich Soult has spent years exploring the South Island with 4WD adventures, turning his passion for off-road driving into a career. Having lived in the UK, New…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast127: Tramping an Unmarked Route to Gorge River with Elvisa Van Der Leden
Elvisa Van Der Leden was invited to Gorge River to visit the Long family and set off on a two-day unmarked route with three friends. She is a conservationist…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast126: Adventures with Kids and a Peach Cove Rescue with Renata Wiles
Renata Wiles, founder of Roam with Kids shares about an easy adventure turned misadventure on a weekend to Peach Cove Hut. While pregnant, Renata and a friend…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast125: Jetboating 27 Wild Rivers on a Solo Trip with Ollie Sharpe
Ollie Sharpe got into jetboating after watching YouTube videos and then bought his 3.5m boat. He shares about a two-week solo jetboat trip where he covered 27…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast124: A Bucketlist Birthday Group Trip to New Zealand with Travel Podcaster Jackie Nourse
When travel podcaster Jackie Nourse turned 40, she decided to celebrate in the best way possible - finally ticking New Zealand off her bucketlist. Jackie hosts…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast123: Best Auckland Adventures for Kids with Outdoorsy Hijabi Mum Veronika Edali
Veronika Edali is an outdoorsy hijabi mum based in Auckland who loved getting outdoors as a family with her two kids. She shares her 5 top spots to explore -…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast122: Solo Female Travel in New Zealand in Your 50s with Larissa Hubbard
After her marriage ended, Larissa Hubbard found herself solo travelling in her 50s as she spent 4 months in New Zealand to allow herself the space to heal…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast121: Avoiding Vanlife Mistakes and Life on the Road in NZ with Tiff and Nathan
Tiff and Nathan hail from Australia and have been living on the road in NZ for 3 years. They had a terrible experience buying a van in a private sale which…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast120: Multi-Passionate Adventures and the Olivine Ice Plateau with Alexander Hillary
Alexander Hillary describes himself as a generalist when it comes to outdoor adventures. He is multi-passionate about mountaineering, hiking, kayaking and…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel PodcastBONUS: Kicking off 2025 with Abigail Hannah
Host Abigail Hannah shares about 2024 and what's coming up next in 2025. She covers: Highlights of Aotearoa Adventures in 2024 All about her 3 month global…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast119: Three Teens' 900km Cape to Cape Human Powered Journey with Olly, Will and Thomas
Olly Dow is an avid tramper who had an idea to cross the North Island from Cape to Cape. He met mountain bikers Will and Thomas and the teens started planning…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast118: Hut Bagging and Visiting Over 500 DOC Huts with Benjamin Pigott
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast117: Bikepacking to all 23 New Zealand Ski Fields with Tara and Naomi
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast116: 4WDing and Camping as a Family in the South Island with Kerry Quigley
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast115: Quitting his Corporate Job and Preparing for Five Months of Thru-Hiking Te Araroa with Anurag Sharma
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast114: Sea Kayaking for Beginners and the Best of the Hauraki Gulf with Bennett Lim
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…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast113: Tramping the St James Walkway and an Unexpected Encounter with Olivia, Jacinda and Sarah Blair
Sarah Blair started tramping with her daughters, Jacinda (16) and Olivia (12) recently. In this episode, they share about tramping the St James Walkway over 5…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast112: Crossing the Cook Strait on a Paddleboard and Surf Lifesaving with Britt Spencer
Britt Spencer is the first person to cross the Cook Strait on a prone paddle board. She shares about her journey getting into surf life saving, her deep love…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel PodcastBONUS: One year of running a business
One year on from quitting her corporate job, Abigail Hannah shares her journey of running a business. In this episode she covers: A breakdown of earnings and…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast111: Coming Home to New Zealand and Living in a Kombi as a Family with Kirianna Poole
Kirianna Poole, author of The Slow Road, grew up on the East Coast. After living overseas in Australia and Japan, she brought her family of 5 to New Zealand to…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast110: A Sea Kayaking Expedition Along the Fiordland Coast with Mark Jones
Mark Jones is a well-known adventurer in the NZ expedition community. In this episode Mark shares about his most recent journey - sea kayaking the Fiordland…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast109: An Epic 4WD Summer Road Trip at the Top of the South with Brad Willetts
Brad Willetts grew up as a BMX kid in Western Australia. After a trip to Canada, he got a desire to be closer to the mountains and ended up in Wānaka. One of…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast108: Fastpacking from St Arnaud to Arthur's Pass in 8 Days with Alice Brice
Alice Brice discovered fastpacking out of necessity - as a busy Mum, she had less time for weekend adventures and found she could do more if she moved quicker…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast107: Learning to Freedive, Spearfish and Building Community with Renee Taylor
Renee Taylor describes herself as a "city girl" - that was until she discovered freediving at 30. Since then, she lives on the coast where she has created a…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast106: Overlanding in the Old Man Range and 4WD Trips with Jono Hitchcox
Jono Hitchcox shares about a 5 day Overlanding journey in the Old Man Range with a community of 4WD enthusiats. Growing up in Timaru, Jono's love for the…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast105: A Multi-Day Canyoning Trip in Abel Tasman with Aimee Jules
Aimee Jules is based out of Nelson and has recently started canyoning. As a beginner, she shares about what canyoning is, how to get started and what gear you…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast104: Avalanche-Bealey Traverse and Pursuing Adventures with Neurological Disorders with Nick Allen
Nick Allen has had a love for adventure since he did the Pinnacles Hut at age 7. Nick has fibromyalgia and FND, neurological disorders that make it incredibly…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast103: The Ultimate New Zealand South Island Road Trip in Winter with Barb and Reg
Barb and Reg are well-travelled, having been to every continent between them. Host Abigail talks to her in-laws about their successful three week road trip…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast102: Having an Accident on the Routeburn and a Five Year Recovery Journey with Sarah Heffron
While running the Routeburn Track, Sarah Heffron had a serious accident - and in a moment, it changed her entire life. Sarah grew up in Ireland with a strong…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast101: 4WD Rakaia Valley Adventure and a Solo Northland Trip with Billy Nunweek
Billy Nunweek is a landscape photographer whose love for the outdoors led him to getting a 70 series landcruiser - to get into remote areas around New Zealand…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast100: Celebrating 100 Episodes of the Aotearoa Adventures Podcast with Abigail Hannah and Special Host Olly Dow
100TH EPISODE SPECIAL: This episode is hosted by Olly Dow, interviewing Abigail Hannah about her journey creating the Aotearoa Adventures podcast over the last…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast099: Moving to New Zealand and Learning to White Water Kayak with Isaac Naylor
Isaac Naylor grew up in Nepal where he spent his childhood summers hiking with his family. He met host Abigail Hannah at boarding school in India and now they…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast098: Beating Cancer Twice and Exploring Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain with Ellena Butcher
TW: Cancer. Ellena Butcher has beat cancer - not once, but twice. In school, she hated cross country but now she has run four marathons and stays that keeping…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast097: Accidents and Beauty Found in Solo Hiking Whirinaki Conservation Park with Kurt Fenton
Kurt Fenton, a seasoned hiker from the U.S., has spent the past 25 years exploring Aotearoa, especially the North Island. He came here in 1999 to help start a…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast096: Camping and Hiking in Northland as a Family with Waikato Mum Anna O'Brien
Waikato Mum Anna O'Brien shares her love for hiking solo, with her kids or with her girlfriends. Her favourite trip was a Northland adventure with her three…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast095: Exploring the South Island for the First Time as a Kiwi on a 7 Day Road Trip with Hamish McColl
Hamish McColl, a North Islander from Whangamata, had never ventured to the South Island until his honeymoon. In this episode, Hamish shares his week long road…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast094: Climbing Mt Maunganui 38 Times in 14 Days and Living a Nomadic Lifestyle with Bri O'Brien
Bri O'Brien set herself the challenge to climb Mt Maunganui 38 times - the height of Mt Everest - in 14 days. Since losing her Mum to lung cancer, Bri has done…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast093: A Team Effort to Sea Kayak the North Island of New Zealand with Paddle for Purpose
Paddle for Purpose is a group of four mates: Cared, Connor, Kurt & Drew. The team set off from Cape Reinga with a mission to sea kayak along the East Coast of…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast092: A Passion for Camping, Community and Knowledge Sharing with Jono Collins
Jono Collins spent his childhood on a Hawkes Bay orchard, where his love for the outdoors began. His passion started with building forts and climbing trees…
Aotearoa Adventures: The New Zealand Travel Podcast091: Finding Freedom in Slow Travel and Bikepacking with Nicole Koch
Growing up between Whangaparoa and Seattle gave Auckland firefighter Nicole Koch an adventurous spirit, inspiring her solo bikepacking trip from Queen…