Innholdsfortegnelse for April - May 2021 i Adventure Magazine

To defy: by definition... 1 : to confront with assured power of resistance. 2 : to challenge to do something considered impossible. In the adventure community you don’t have to look far to find good survival stories. Kiwi kayaking legend Mike Dawson writes for us on a regular basis, and I knew he would have been in some tight situations, so I asked him. His response straight away was ‘if you wanna talk to someone who knows how to survive talk to Anoil’. So we did! You grew up in Catalonia, Spain, not the white-water kayaking capital of the world. How did you get involved with white water kayaking? We got introduced to the sport by random luck. We used to ride our bikes to school daily, on those trips…

Ultrarunning—what kind of person runs 100 miles - FOR FUN? Besides chronic sleep deprivation, eating on the run, alfresco toilet stops and slogging through many many miles, ultrarunning is a form of strategic suffering - even more so when you live with a condition known as Freiberg’s infarction, resulting in a permanent fracture in your foot! It appears to go far beyond a desire to stay thin or healthy. Who are these people, and what does their radical hobby say about them? I became obsessed with these questions after losing a bet at a hen’s party 12 months ago and running a 50km ultramarathon completely untrained just four days later. Despite the odd niggle and ache, my body held up and I surprisingly had a rather good time. I came…

At 16 years old he became the youngest competitor in the Coast to Coast event, completing the 2 day individual event in 14 hours and 27 minutes. He loved it so much that he signed up straight away to compete again in 2021. Little did he know that his world as he knew it would come crashing down in less than two weeks time… Brodie grew up in Tahunanui, Nelson, in a family that enjoyed spending time outdoors; whether it be camping in the summer, going on tramps, mountain biking or surf lifesaving. As a result he now loves kayaking, rock climbing and getting out in the mountains. He’s also a keen sportsman, multisporter and surf lifeguard. He’s into rowing, surfing, surf lifesaving and plays basketball, underwater hockey and volleyball.…

This song could have been written for mountain biker, Remy Morton, he’s been knocked down more times than he can remember, yet he’s not learnt to take a softer approach. As we went to write this feature we reached out to Remy for some additional input - he was slow replying - he had broken both arms! Born in the Gold Coast in Australia, Remy was riding a PeeWee motorcycle by the time he was 3 and started BMX riding and competing, when he was just 4 years old. "I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never gonna keep me down." According to his dad, Remy always showed a no fear attitude. When he was just 6 years old he took a nasty tumble at his local…

The average rule of thumb is that you cannot last more than 3 to 4 days without water. You can last for weeks without food, but water is the top priority. The other prime ingredient of water is that it needs to be clean. Clarity alone is not enough to assume the water is pure. Even fresh water from a tap can contain harmful nasties like microorganisms, viruses and chemicals. These nasties can either cause you to be sick within hours or build up in your system over time like the heavy metals causing issues to your health later on in life. So how can you filter/purify freshwater? There are many ways to filter/purify water on the go. Single-stage filters are one method of filtration and two and three-stage filtration…

This year’s North Island Spirited Women’s event kicked off on the beach at Matapouri, northeast of Whangarei. This increasingly popular all-women’s adventure race has run annually since its maiden event in Rotorua in 2016. It moved to Taupo in 2017, Ohope in 2018, Gisborne in 2019 and was scheduled for Hawkes Bay in 2020 before the Covid 19 pandemic put the country into lockdown and saw the event cancelled. So, there was much excitement about the return of the event this year to Whangarei in early March and everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Auckland came out of their third lockdown just in time for the event to take place without restrictions. I am not sure what it is that makes adventure racing so much fun, but I think…

It looked like a harmless ledge covered in leaves. It had been a wet day, and Di Drayton went to stand on a leafy part of the track before leaping over a wet rock. But there was nothing under the leaves except for a 15m drop into Lake Taupo. She plunged through the leaves, but seemed to slow momentarily on the steep bank. She remembers grabbing frantically at something, anything. “I just grabbed and looked at my hand, and it was just dirt,” she recalls. “Then I was in the lake.” It’s been more than 16 years since that fateful day, which may have had a more deadly outcome were it not for the swift action of her friend and the heavy pack she was wearing; the pack shouldered some…

There are many age-old debates still raging around the world. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Vegemite or Marmite? Is Marvel better than DC? Cycling or walking? Should cereal be eaten with hot milk or cold? Does the map say we turn left, or turn right? World over, these questions are far and wide and often spark the most interesting of conversations and heated debates with the two or more people involved in them. I bet right now you are thinking about your answers, but is it the same as your partners, friends or colleagues, or is it a matter of personal opinion and perception? The debate over whether it is a walk, hike, trek or tramp has been a hotly contested subject in the walking community. When…

The survival of adventure business and tourism in a covid world In a world of cataclysmic change since March 2020 – Adventure and tourism businesses have had to find a way to survive or simply disappear which is a polite word for die. But one thing we have seen is that the same tenacity that drives us to eke out a living in the adventure and tourism industry, that same tenacity has driven many to adapt, change and evolve. We asked a number of businesses linked with Adventure Magazine how they were coping with the challenges of Covid... Rafting New Zealand Turangi (operator): During 2020 we sought and organised rent relief, reduced our wages, organised interest only terms on all our loans and worked really hard to maintain staff and…

We began our journey into the Yamal peninsula from Salekhard, a small Siberian shipping port sitting on the polar boundaries of Russia’s Arctic Circle. Strategically positioned in the delta of the Ob river, Salekhard is completely inaccessible by car outside of winter months. The only way in or out of the Yamal region is to wait until the rivers have frozen thick, forming ‘Russian snow roads.’ Having battled our way through the scorching deserts of Northern Africa and the length of the Americas the year prior, we were feeling confident we could tackle Siberia’s snow roads in our now well-equipped Jeep ‘Gunther’. The Yamal peninsula, which translates to 'End of the World' is ranked as having the world’s most volatile weather pattern so solo driving is extremely risky. We were…

Torba Province is the northernmost province of Vanuatu, just a half hour flight above Sanma Province. Torba is made up of over 15 islands, which are divided into the Torres and Banks Islands. Torba has an estimated total population of around 9,500 people who are friendly, welcoming and cannot wait to show you their island home! Relatively new on the international tourism scene, Torba is Vanuatu’s best kept secret. Famous for its white sandy beaches, world-class fresh seafood, unique culture and dense rainforests, you can be sure that your visit to the northern islands will be an experience you will never forget. Each island is unique and offers its own adventure. Choose to visit Gaua, Vanualava, Motalava, Rah or Loh Island – or island hop between them all to get…

I knew very little about Rachel Māia when I was asked to interview her for this issue of Adventure Magazine. I knew she was from Whanganui, I knew she was a mother of three, I knew she had injured her leg rock climbing when she was just 16 years old, and I knew she had gone on to become a successful NZ para-athlete and below the knee amputee, but I didn’t know anything about Rachel as a person. However, now I feel very fortunate to have taken a look inside her world; the challenges, the trials, the heartbreak and her resolve to live her life to the fullest. Can you tell us a little about growing up and how you got into climbing when you were younger? My family moved…

Sometimes you just need to be on your own. Hiking puts a whole lot of perspective back into life. Apart from living for several days with what you can carry in a backpack and experiencing the beauty and diversity of the New Zealand wilderness, there are few more enjoyable or better ways of sharing time with family and friends. Personally, I have found tramping has helped make some new friends and cemented some long-standing relationships. So tramping solo never been a priority for me, but when I was given the chance to walk the Abel Tasman track, I decided it was time to step out on my own. This track is undoubtably world famous, and visitors have raved about how much they enjoyed the unique experience. Somehow, I had always…

We know that holidays should be quality time for everybody in the family. But finding activities and trips to suit everybody is tough. And before you know it, someone is hungry and needs to run to the loo or forget the backpack. Here's a survival guide for your family holiday. By Aspiring Guides Go easy! Kiwi families like a challenge, but sometimes finding the right adventure to keep both parents and kids happy can be tricky. Will the route be too difficult? Will it be too easy? Tip number one is to go easy! You do not have to go far, cook on a stove or do a multi-day trek. Take it one thing at a time. Start with day trips, small distances and long breaks. Involve your children Start…

I remember the 1980s well, the early days of River Valley. White water rafting is what we then did, and up to recently, rafting was still a critical part of our business. In those days, we did not even identify with being an "adventure" business. The term Adventure Tourism had not yet been coined as an identifier for that whole segment of activities that we are now familiar with. A component of the tourism industry that presently includes rafting, kayaking, sky diving, bungy jumping, mountain biking, zip lines and much more. Driving the growth of this industry over the last three decades has been the increase in overseas tourists. A common perception for the type of customer might be that these people were all young backpacker types. While many were,…

When you think of protein powders you immediately visualize the musclebound, singlet clad, gym junkie sipping on a protein shake in an effort to get “more buff”. Protein, after all, is the building block for our bodies, helping to build muscles, tendons and a multitude of other organs. But what about the rest of the population? How important is maintaining a good level protein to the rest of us? Some of the benefits of protein include: increased muscle mass and strength, better bone health, reduces cravings, boost in metabolism and lower blood pressure. The recommended daily intake of protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight. This equates to: 60 grams for a 75kg sedentary man 48 grams for a 60kg sedentary woman. But can we get…