Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2020 - January 2021 i Adventure Magazine

The West Coast at Whatipu is such a unique place – the constant roar of Southern Ocean swells crashing onto a black-sand coast, brooded over by crumbling cliff faces. No maiden-hair ferns or daphne bushes here, this is a place of hardier nikau, harekeke flax and cabbage trees and as we would find out, almost impenetrable stands of kanuka, gorse and blackberry. We would also discover this place was being enjoyed by some very unwelcome exotic mammals. If the West Coast were a character, at times it would be a beautiful Polynesian maiden with jet-black hair and shining dark brown eyes but lose respect and it quickly transforms into a Siren with dire consequences. It does not care what your intentions are – it sets the rules. Respect it and…

Held in picturesque Cambridge alongside the mighty Waikato River, the venue for this year’s Spring Challenge made for a spectacular setting for the event. On Friday evening the teams from all over the North Island gathered at the Sir Don Rowlands Centre on the banks of Lake Karapiro for race briefing and a warm up challenge. It is during this pre-race time that the atmosphere of nervous tension, friendly banter and connecting with other teams happens. One of the disciplines included this year was the paddling of 3 person inflatable self-bailing kayaks so an opportunity to have a little practise was able to be done on the Friday afternoon. On Saturday with a race start of 12 pm for the 3 hour race teams the Mis-Adventure team were able to…

The pre-dawn of February 26 1983 emerged with a bracing breeze, as early mornings often do in the shadow of New Zealand’s tallest mountain peaks. In the half-light, thunderous waves crashed into black sands at Kumara, just south of Greymouth. At the water’s edge 79 hardy souls tentatively anticipating the start of one of the biggest adventures of their lives. An excitable little man with an impressive beard and a commanding character screeched through a mega-phone: ‘Back, get further back!’ This small contingent of scantily-clad individuals retreated, the reluctance at starting a new day immersed in the vast Tasman Sea written all over their collective faces. As the chills enveloped them, I asked myself what these crazy adventurers were doing there. Equally, what was I doing in such a desolate…

Vanuatu’s outer islands are rich in culture, landscape and adventure, but before you book your flights and hop over to this tropical paradise, it’s important to get some tips to help you understand the nuance of this family of islands. Here are some things you need to know before booking your Vanuatu escape. Get used to island time Make sure you don’t bring your traditional approach to time and tourism to Vanuatu. Sure, you may be told your charter flight will leave the outer island airport at 2pm, or that your driver will pick you up at 11am, but don’t be mad if nobody arrives on time. It’s not done out of spite, or laziness, there’s just no reason to rush. If you always keep a good book tucked away…

Mountaineering season is on and privileged as we are, we live in a country with majestic peaks and stunning alpine scenery. Especially on the South Island which is the home to some 23, 3000-meter peaks. But as mesmerizing as the mountains are, we all know they can be challenging places to be and must be treated with the utmost respect. For many of us tramping is not unfamiliar and provides us with the opportunity to connect on some level with our unique alpine environment. However, if you want to step it up and explore the more remote parts of our country, why not strap on some crampons, grab an ice axe and add a whole new set of skills to your outdoor-toolbox? A Mountaineering Skills Course can equip you for…

"It has a diverse range of wilderness-porn on offer; native beech forest, open alpine vistas, rocky outcrops, virgin untouched bush, and the fantastic Mokihinui Gorge. It is a natural adventure bliss ball." Do you have a favourite ride, tramp, or route that you have done several times and never grow tired of it? I do. For me, I am fortunate to have the Old Ghost Road in my backyard and naturally, I have done it several times either via running, tramping and mountain biking (including before it was the “OGR”). It is a pretty hard track to beat. It has a diverse range of wilderness-porn on offer; native beech forest, open alpine vistas, rocky outcrops, virgin untouched bush, and the fantastic Mokihinui Gorge. It is a natural adventure bliss ball.…

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"I froze my eyes and spent three days in hospital. I couldn’t open my eyes and I was alone for three days in this bed." Fernanda Maciel could have been forgiven for never gracing the Matterhorn. She has known personal tragedy on the mountain and feared she had gone blind when her eyes were frozen shut climbing it. But the Brazilian ultra-runner returned to tackle it with Gran Paradiso in just one day earlier this year. After achieving the feat, she talked about the most emotional of challenges, her battles for the environment and why the former gymnast Nadia Comaneci is her ultimate sporting hero. You recently tackled the Matterhorn in one day after summiting Gran Paradiso. How much of a challenge was that? For me, the Matterhorn was a…

"The main rafting challenges of the Hollyford River are navigating the logjams and occasional class II rapids." The pack-raft wasn’t built for two. It was sturdy, exceedingly buoyant, and had lots of room - for one person. But a slit had been cut in Eva’s raft after she’d floated down a section of river with hidden knives just under the surface. With only a short stretch to the next hut, she simply jumped onto the front of my raft, the most shatterproof of the bunch. There was blessed little drama for a while. Eva sat facing upstream, gazing at the serenity of Fiordland as I navigated the river. It didn’t need much navigating beyond avoiding logjams, a consequence of the extreme weather that has shaped the most rugged part of…

"When you first walk into Northern Rocks, you notice how sunlit and colourful the space is, which I’ve come to realise is really a great metaphor for the community there, too. I’ve been involved in sports in some capacity my whole life, and I’ve never been part of a community quite like Northern Rocks. There’s friendliness towards newcomers I’ve never encountered and a willingness to help, to encourage people to try something again and again. As one of Northern Rocks’ resident yoga and mobility instructors, I’m privy to the experiences of so many climbers who share with me their similar love of the climbing and the community. Women especially have recounted to me how comfortable they feel in a space they assumed would be male-dominated and unwelcoming, like most sports.…

Are you female? Are you looking for a challenge? Do you want to kick start 2021 on a positive note? If you answered ‘’Yes!’’ to the above questions, then look no further than the 2021 North Island edition on March 13th and/or the South Island edition on April 10th of the Spirited Women Adventure Race. We invite you to find your inner spirit, be brave, and together with your girlfriends make up a team to take part in an event that will provide an unforgettable experience. The Spirited Women - All Women's Adventure Race is an event where teams of four women navigate a secret course on foot, mountain bike, and kayak. Along the way, they will find a number of mystery activities which are always a highlight for participants.…

Kicking over a can of worms; as a journalist sometimes you do it on purpose but other times you just stop and go ‘whoa, I didn’t expect that.’ After I put down the phone for the fifth time, listening to someone from the surf industry nervously want to know more details about this story, I went ‘whoa, I didn’t expect that.’ About 12 years ago I met Ellie-Jean Coffey when she was about fourteen; she was fresh faced and lived in a bus with her sisters and parents. Her mother had had a skateboarding accident and needed care, so her father gave up his job as a builder, sold the house, bought a bus and the family travelled around Australia fishing and surfing. A somewhat idyllic lifestyle and the perfect…

After meeting each other only two months earlier, through a mix of reckless lust and spontaneous adventure, we came up with an idea. Together, we would drive the planet. Inspired by Gunther Holtorff’s 24-year world tour, we put pen to paper and drew up a 350,000km-long route through all 7 continents and 90 countries. This would become our life for the next 3 consecutive years. Neither Topher nor I had any 4x4 experience, mechanical background or overlanding history. And with our departure date set for only one month away, we knew we would have to learn on the fly. This quick departure turnaround also allowed us to keep the entire expedition on the down-low, with our friends and family back home in New Zealand having near to no knowledge of…