The Defender

I’ll be the first one to put my hand up and say, “I don’t know anything about cars”.

Springing into a Challenge

The North Island Spring Challenge adventure race is being held in the central location of Cambridge on the 16-18th October.

Paige Hareb: Gaining a new perspective

Kiwi pro surfer, Paige Hareb qualified for the world tour in 2008 and has spent the last 12 years travelling the globe competing on the international circuit. When Covid hit in March, she was in New Zealand for the Piha Surf Competition and found herself stranded back in her home country. This is the longest time Paige has been in one place since she was 17 years old. We caught up with the now 30 year old for a quick chat...

HOME GROWN FIORDLAND

SOME OF THE MOST WILD AND DRAMATIC SCENERY IN NEW ZEALAND CAN BE FOUND IN FIORDLAND, TUCKED AWAY IN THE SOUTH WEST CORNER OF THE SOUTH ISLAND. FIORDLAND IS ONE OF THE LARGEST NATIONAL PARKS IN THE WORLD AND A WORLD HERITAGE AREA. HERE THE SIMPLE POWER OF NATURE IS SPECTACULAR, FROM ITS WATERFALLS TUMBLING HUNDREDS OF METRES INTO VIRGIN FORESTED VALLEYS OR POURING INTO THE DARK WATER OF THE SOUNDS. THERE ARE LONELY FIORDS, ENDLESS STRETCHES OF SHIMMERING LAKES AND MAJESTIC GRANITE PEAKS. FIORDLAND IS THE LARGEST NATIONAL PARK IN NEW ZEALAND WITH A STAGGERING 1,260,288 HECTARES OF THE BEST OF WHAT NEW ZEALAND HAS TO OFFER.

Dark Tourism

Exploring the Post-Apocalypse

LESSONS FROM MY VANLIFE

The past 30 years I have been a part of this nonstop repetitive process called life.

Can you really improve over 40?

Annabel Anderson explores the case for training camps for adults... and why you’d be mad not to.

Chasing Waterfalls

The call of the Wild Wire

Belinda Baggs: surfer, activist, mother

Belinda Baggs grew up with sand between her toes. Following in the footsteps of her father, a passionate surfer, the she progressed beyond the shore break to behind the breakers, and through her teens the surfing lifestyle became embedded deeply in her being. With titles from the women’s longboarding circuit under her belt, Bindy is a dedicated mother and activist, working today with Patagonia, @surfersforclimate and @take3forthesea among other action groups.

Playing Safe

After months of restricted outdoor access, we can all attest to what a precious commodity time in the mountains is-- all the more reason to ensure that it is time well spent. You might have spent Lockdown stocking up on the latest gear, or have the ability to carve it up like a pro, but planning a successful backcountry ski trip is about taking a holistic approach. Here are six tips to help you prepare for a season of safe and memorable (in the right ways) backcountry touring.

NEW CALEDONIA

Not just a summer destination

The day we left

As of yesterday, Heath Joske hadn’t been on a snowboard in 13 years – too busy chasing surf around the world. Now, after a wrong turn, he’s boot-packing with pro boarders Robin Van Gyn and Forrest Shearer in the backcountry of New Zealand’s Southern Alps.

LIVE FOR ADVANTURE

Karma has a pretty funny way of making life work, putting people in the right place at the right time. We had a decision to make, chase our career, and move to New York or buy a van and see the world. Well a few months later, unbeknownst to us, buying a van was the best decision we could have ever made, not only because van life is awesome but also because there was a pandemic coming and moving to New York would have been a nightmare.

Beneath the Ice

In the remote, icy wilderness on the Greenland ice cap, a gaping hole marked the spot where climber Will Gadd and his support crew and film team would descend into the unknown. A moulin is basically a giant hole in a glacier, created when surface water finds its way into a crack in the ice and melts through. And in this dream project, the plan was to climb into one and go deep inside the Greenland ice cap to a place nobody has ever been before.

VANUATU

Dive into a different world

IT'S COOL TO TRAVEL WHEN IT'S COOL

"Chill when its chill for when it's too hot you cannot. "

Avalanche Awareness

What comes to mind first when you think of ‘avalanche awareness’? Is it taking a training course? Perhaps it’s making sure you have avalanche rescue equipment and know-how to use it. Or, is it checking the New Zealand Avalanche Advisory (NZAA) to find your region’s avalanche forecast? They’re all correct answers!

Aoraki/Mt Cook

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park Located in the central part of the South Island, Aoraki/Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. It boasts 19 peaks over 3000m with Aoraki/Mount Cook standing at 3,724m tall.

Active Adventures

Now that you’ve explored every inch of your backyard, and house, and the internet – you’re probably itching to reconnect with friends and family and get back out adventuring in the great outdoors. We get it – the virtual tours aren’t doing much for us either anymore.

Andy's Memorable Marine Adventures

Andy Belcher is a talented Bay of Plenty freelance photographer with 82 top photographic awards to his credit. They include British Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Australasian Underwater Photographer of the Year and Nikon Photo Contest International. Ask him a question on his photographic career and he’ll usually answer you with “Gosh, where do I start?” And that’s the way it’s always been for Andy. Utterly self-taught, with no qualifications (and proud of the fact) Andy believes his open minded approach to learning has enabled him to break photographic boundaries – simply because he never knew they existed. Andy’s business success can be partly attributed to his versatility. He shoots a wide variety of commercial photographic imagery from tourism to underwater, he runs photo workshops, offers private tuition, writes and photographs magazine features and has just completed his third children’s book.

Evacuation From The Base Of Everest

Interview with Robert Bruce

You Never Know What's Around The Corner

One of the best things about vanlife is the flexibility; you can go where you want, when you want and stay as long as you want. This flexibility allows you to discover new places and with everything you need inside your van, which is the perfect way to explore as you never know what is around the next corner...

TAKING THE DROP

American kayaker Dane Jackson has revealed the story behind his breathtaking 134-foot descent down the Salto del Maule waterfall in Chile, after his paddle over the edge became the second highest in history.

WORLD EXPEDITIONS

When reality gets too much, dreams help us to survive

WHAKAARI WHITE ISLAND ERUPTION

In the immediate aftermath of the White Island eruption on December 9th 2019, I was overwhelmed, as was everyone I am sure, by the level of support and compassion shown for those affected by the tragedy that unfolded.

SIR RANULPH FIENNES - THE WORLD'S GREATEST LIVING EXPLORER

"It is a truism to say that the dog is largely what his master makes of him: he can be savage and dangerous, untrustworthy, cringing and fearful; or he can be faithful and loyal, courageous and the best of companions and allies.” Sir Ranulph Fiennes

HIGH ALPINE ALLURE - THE HUMBLE BACK COUNTRY HUT

Perched high above the valley floor, nestled into the curve of the hill away from the chill of the southerly wind, I gaze out across the horizon through the soft light of a winter's afternoon.

ENCOUNTER WITH A GREAT WHITE

Anyone who knows our editor well, knows he has a knack of telling a great tale. So when he called in a panic to say he'd just been chased by a Great White, I must admit, I sort of didn't really believe him. But when I saw him an hour later and he was still shaking, I began to think that this may have been true. I'll let Steve tell the story and you can decide for yourself...

DIAGNOSING BACKCOUNTRY SKI ADDICTION

The quest for fresh powder and the need to carve first lines has always been an addiction for skiers. What is different is the fact that more and more people are choosing to embark on this quest in the NZ backcountry. With winter fast approaching, and after being self-isolated for weeks on end, you too might be finding yourself dreaming of that sweet moment of peeling skins off your skis, a slight sweat on your brow from the uphill, and dropping in for your first run of the day. If so, it’s time to ask some serious questions: “Is this more than a hobby? “Can I stop if I want to? What can I do about it?”

Falling In Love With Charlotte

We are all so swift to jump on a plane and fly to another country boasting amazing views and stunning activities; but there are few destinations that can rival what we have right here on our doorstep.