Untamed Aotearoa Dulkara Martig

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 through some of the most rugged bush in New Zealand. His most recent adventure was an impressive 40 day traverse of Fiordland.

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. She shares some wonderful tips on balancing field work and outdoor time with being a mum.

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 the evolution of Mark’s passion for adventure and gain some wonderful insights into the New Zealand Mountain Film & Book Festival, which he and his wife Jo have been running for 19 years.

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 running her first road marathon to competing in rugged 100 mile trail races and what other outdoor adventures it’s leading to. Tanya is an advocate for Shine and is committed to raising awareness around domestic violence and recovery for victims reclaiming their lives.

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 scene around the world and in NZ. We chat about pushing the limits in mountaineering compared to bikepacking races. Brian shares some experiences from the Tour Divide race in North America, the Great Southern Brevet in NZ and organising the inaugural Tour Te Waipounamu bikepacking race.

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 month traverse of the Southern Alps from Arthurs Pass to Milford Sound. Maddy and a few of her mates have become known as the ‘New Zealand Alpine Kids’ - too young to join the New Zealand Alpine Team but absolutely crushing it in the alpine zone in Aotearoa.