Aotearoa Adventures
The New Zealand travel podcast
A collection of real stories from people just like you. Fresh episodes drop every Friday.
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198: Around the Mountain on Taranaki in Three Days with Kelsea & Olivia
Kelsea and Olivia met on the first day of year one and are still best mates, sharing their adventures as Girls Off Grid while fitting tramping, hunting and moun…
Episode 198
Around the Mountain on Taranaki in Three Days with Kelsea & Olivia

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All 198 episodes
- 198 Around the Mountain on Taranaki in Three Days with Kelsea & Olivia
- 197 Pioneering Women of Aoraki Mount Cook with Hazel Phillips
- 196 Packrafting the Landsborough River from the West Coast with Tom Waters
- 195 From Everest to NZ Expeditions to Local Microadventures with Tsewang Nuru Sherpa
- 194 Summer as a DOC Ranger on Stewart Island and Women in Trades with Brooke Thompson
- 193 Solo Tramping the Richmond Ranges and Running an Outdoor Store with Emily Thompson
- 192 Six Week Road Trip in the Top of the South Island with Abigail & Isaac
- 191 Backcountry Huts as Art and Tiny Home Living with Kemi & Niko
- 190 Family Tramping on a Budget and Child-Free Trips with Shoshannah Shand
- 189 Moving to Aotearoa from Chicago and Building a Life in Queenstown with Viktoria De Dominicis
- 188 Bikepacking 3,000km in New Zealand on Tour Aotearoa with Laura Bell
- 187 From Beginner Trail Running to Setting Course Records with David Haunschmidt
- 186 Packrafting and Tramping 48 Days Through Fiordland with Penzy Dinsdale
- 185 Thru-Hiking New Zealand Before Te Araroa Opened with Shalane Hopkins
- 184 Turning New Zealand Work Trips into Solo Great Walk Adventures with Nick Thompson
- 183 Four Years of Aotearoa Adventures and No Home Address with Host Abigail Hannah
- WE'RE HITTING PAUSE
- 182 Finishing a Two Month Slow Paddle Sea Kayak Expedition with Isaac and Abigail
- 181 Scuba Diving in Wellington and Motorbikes with Tyla Bow
- 180 Hiking the Cascade Saddle Route, Tramping Clubs and Influencers with Alice Milne
- 179 Vanlife and Revisiting Favourite New Zealand Hidden Gems with Daniel Mauden
- 178 One month into a 1000km Sea Kayak Expedition with Isaac and Abigail
- 177 First-Time Packraft Adventures and Hiking to Lake Crucible with Charlotte
- 176 A Local's Guide to Northland and Building Hiking Communities with Hannah Whittaker
- 175 Starting Tramping in her 40s and Lake Waikaremoana as a Family with Lois Baldwin
- 174 Fastpacking the Travers-Sabine Circuit in 2 Days with Zeb Harris
- 173 Section Walking Te Araroa over Multiple Seasons and Battling Cancer with Te Aroha Hohaia
- 172 Hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and Tongariro Northern Circuit with Ben Boland
- 171 Planning an Adult Gap Year to Full-Time Van Life with Sagar and Ami
- 170 122-Day Self-Supported North Island Sea Kayak Expedition with Joel Buckley
- 169 Tramping, Hut Bagging Goals, Cancer and Recovery with Verity Jackson
- Bonus Kiwi Yarns with Brodie Kane and Abigail Hannah
- Bonus Creation in Isolation Podcast with Billy Nunweek and Abigail Hannah
- Bonus 2025 wrapped
- 168 From First Tramp to Paparoa and all the Great Walks with Nicola Harvie
- 167 Finding Hidden Places and Getting Lost with Cat Macnaughtan
- 166 Caravan Living as a Family and Writing Music on the Road with Emily & Charles
- 165 An 18-Day Mission Through Nelson Lakes, Kahurangi and Abel Tasman with the National Park Trifecta
- 164 Five Months SOBO on Te Araroa and Finding Community with Deni Estivill
- 163 Best Spots and Hidden Gems in the Bay of Plenty & Coromandel with Ciska
- 162 We are Kayaking From Cape Reinga to Tauranga to Raise $20,000 !!!!
- 161 Empowering Kiwi Women in Hunting & Fishing with Wild Chix Isabell Zitzelsberger
- 160 Hut Etiquette in DOC Huts and Exploring the Whitcombe Valley with Renee Cadigan
- 159 Exploring Northland and Living on the Road in a 12-Ton Unimog with Kyla and Louis
- 158 Mountain Biking, Towel Ponchos and a Brain Injury with Debs Brockelsby
- 157 Setting the Fastest Self-Supported Record on Te Araroa with Billy Meredith
- 156 Taranaki Three Peaks Traverse and Supporting Families in the Outdoors with Jenn Julian
- 155 Five days on the Sladden Glacier climbing Mt Sealy and Mt Jeanette with Kaleb Anderson
- 154 Working as a Sky Diving Instructor in Wānaka with Anne Bonfert
- 153 Arthurs Pass and Three Attempts at Mount Philistine with Amelia Hayes
- Bonus Community Hike - Tāmaki Makaurau
- 152 First Ascents on Mount Lindenfeld and Mount Haast with Justin Wimmer
- 151 House Sitting across New Zealand with Travel Writer Jessica Lockhart
- 150 Hunting Wapiti in Fiordland with Jarrod McLachlan
- 149 Solo Expedition on Rakiura and ADHD with Wild Boy Brando Yelavich
- 148 A Mountaineering Career and Climbing Mt Aspiring with Dom Huxley
- 147 An Ocean Obsession, Great White Encounter and Spearfishing with Laura Kuggeleijn
- 146 Hiking to Barker Hut and Ranking NZ's Best DOC Huts with Chris Lierheimer
- 145 Solo Tramping the Mangamate Loop in Whirinaki Forest Park with Sharon Evans
- 144 Solo Adventures, 4WDing and Being Multi-Passionate with Grace Reeves
- 143 Intro to Rock Climbing and NZ's Best Crags with Josh Parker
- 142 Tramping and Exploring Aotea Great Barrier Island with Kristina Montgomerie
- 141 Best Christchurch and Canterbury Adventures with Kids with Jasmine Trafford
- 140 Off-Track Tramping to the Unknown in Rockburn Valley with Sarah Morrison
- 139 Slow Travel in an EV and Catlins, Dunedin and Oamaru with Mature Flâneur Tim Ward
- 138 An Obsession with the Mountains of Tongariro National Park with Hazel Phillips
- 137 A 5 Year Journey from Budget DIY Van to Dream Home-on-Wheels with Abigail and Isaac
- 136 Pushed to her Limits on the Hump Ridge Track and Slow, Mindful Travel with Helen Griffiths
- 135 Ultra-Swimming and 11 Hours to Swim Across the Cook Strait with Ivan Polyntcev
- Bonus Listen to Abigail on the Kiwi Yarns Podcast
- 134 Three Months of Road Trips and Hut Bagging in the South Island with Sophie Wakelin
- Bonus Easter Long Weekend
- 133 Tramping the Heaphy Track from Karamea to Collingwood with Jacq Nesbit
- 132 Nine Months of Solitude Walking Northbound on Te Araroa with Naomi Arnold
- 131 Conservation and Lessons from the Bush with Bushman Sam the Trap Man
- 130 Full Time Vanlife and Staying Off-Grid in Fiordland with Jord and Tom
- 129 Tramping Four Epic South Island Hikes in 10 Days with Stacey Walker
- 128 4WD Adventures across the Length of the South Island with Rich Soult
- 127 Tramping an Unmarked Route to Gorge River with Elvisa Van Der Leden
- 126 Adventures with Kids and a Peach Cove Rescue with Renata Wiles
- 125 Jetboating 27 Wild Rivers on a Solo Trip with Ollie Sharpe
- 124 A Bucketlist Birthday Group Trip to New Zealand with Travel Podcaster Jackie Nourse
- 123 Best Auckland Adventures for Kids with Outdoorsy Hijabi Mum Veronika Edali
- 122 Solo Female Travel in New Zealand in Your 50s with Larissa Hubbard
- 121 Avoiding Vanlife Mistakes and Life on the Road in NZ with Tiff and Nathan
- 120 Multi-Passionate Adventures and the Olivine Ice Plateau with Alexander Hillary
- Bonus Kicking off 2025 with Abigail Hannah
- 119 Three Teens' 900km Cape to Cape Human Powered Journey with Olly, Will and Thomas
- 118 Hut Bagging and Visiting Over 500 DOC Huts with Benjamin Pigott
- 117 Bikepacking to all 23 New Zealand Ski Fields with Tara and Naomi
- 116 4WDing and Camping as a Family in the South Island with Kerry Quigley
- 115 Quitting his Corporate Job and Preparing for Five Months of Thru-Hiking Te Araroa with Anurag Sharma
- 114 Sea Kayaking for Beginners and the Best of the Hauraki Gulf with Bennett Lim
- 113 Tramping the St James Walkway and an Unexpected Encounter with Olivia, Jacinda and Sarah Blair
- 112 Crossing the Cook Strait on a Paddleboard and Surf Lifesaving with Britt Spencer
- Bonus One year of running a business
- 111 Coming Home to New Zealand and Living in a Kombi as a Family with Kirianna Poole
- 110 A Sea Kayaking Expedition Along the Fiordland Coast with Mark Jones
- 109 An Epic 4WD Summer Road Trip at the Top of the South with Brad Willetts
- 108 Fastpacking from St Arnaud to Arthur's Pass in 8 Days with Alice Brice
- 107 Learning to Freedive, Spearfish and Building Community with Renee Taylor
- 106 Overlanding in the Old Man Range and 4WD Trips with Jono Hitchcox
- 105 A Multi-Day Canyoning Trip in Abel Tasman with Aimee Jules
- 104 Avalanche-Bealey Traverse and Pursuing Adventures with Neurological Disorders with Nick Allen
- 103 The Ultimate New Zealand South Island Road Trip in Winter with Barb and Reg
- 102 Having an Accident on the Routeburn and a Five Year Recovery Journey with Sarah Heffron
- 101 4WD Rakaia Valley Adventure and a Solo Northland Trip with Billy Nunweek
- 100 Celebrating 100 Episodes of the Aotearoa Adventures Podcast with Abigail Hannah and Special Host Olly Dow
- 099 Moving to New Zealand and Learning to White Water Kayak with Isaac Naylor
- 098 Beating Cancer Twice and Exploring Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain with Ellena Butcher
- 097 Accidents and Beauty Found in Solo Hiking Whirinaki Conservation Park with Kurt Fenton
- 096 Camping and Hiking in Northland as a Family with Waikato Mum Anna O'Brien
- 095 Exploring the South Island for the First Time as a Kiwi on a 7 Day Road Trip with Hamish McColl
- 094 Climbing Mt Maunganui 38 Times in 14 Days and Living a Nomadic Lifestyle with Bri O'Brien
- 093 A Team Effort to Sea Kayak the North Island of New Zealand with Paddle for Purpose
- 092 A Passion for Camping, Community and Knowledge Sharing with Jono Collins
- 091 Finding Freedom in Slow Travel and Bikepacking with Nicole Koch
- 090 A Solo Kayak Circumnavigation of New Zealand Over 5800km with Red Paterson
- 089 Skiing to the South Pole on a 50 Day Antarctic Expedition with Mike Dawson
- 088 Waterfalls, Beaches, Geothermal Wonders and Other Hidden Gems in the North Island with Barbie Sharma
- 087 Overlanding in New Zealand up the Godley and Havelock Valleys with Jack Laurent
- 086 From Fly Fishing Guiding in New Zealand to Starting an Outdoor Gear Brand with Matt Butler
- 085 Bikepacking as a Beginner and a Solo Trip from Christchurch to Queenstown with Katy Binchy
- 084 Low Carbon Adventures Around New Zealand on Foot, Bike and Public Transport with Shanti Mathias
- 083 Finishing Te Araroa as a Family Two Years Later with Deanna Gerlach
- 082 Family Heli Trips to Chancellor Hut and Almer Hut with Hami Tangiora
- 081 Ski-Touring and Camping on Tasman Glacier in a Storm with Helena Sodergren
- 080 Safety in the Outdoors and the Importance of Carrying a PLB with Katie Johnstone
- 079 Exploring the Trails in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park with Heather Marston
- 078 The 10 Great Walks in 10 Days Challenge with Jordan Pratt
- 077 Five Days, 85km on Abigail Hannah's First Solo Hike on the Old Ghost Road
- 076 Two Weeks Tramping in the Kaweka Ranges as a 17 Year Old with Olly Dow
- 075 A Ski-Packraft-Tramping Expedition from Mt Aspiring to Waiatoto with Nick Pascoe
- 074 The Frustration and Elation of Landscape Photography with Meghan Maloney
- 073 Southland's Five Great Walks in Five Days with Simon Patton
- 072 White Water Kayaking and a Harrowing Accident with Ryan Lucas
- 071 Travelling New Zealand in a Van and LOTR Filming Locations with Charlotte and James
- 070 Learning to Surf in New Zealand with Amber Holyoake
- 069 Hitchhiking and New Zealand's Great Walks with Howie McFadyen
- Bonus 2023 Wrapped
- 068 An Epic Northland Road Trip and Vanlife with a Toddler with Renata Wiles
- 067 Hiking and Trail Running in Mount Somers with Lauren Korstrom
- 066 Getting the Most out of Local Weekend Trips with Ashley Elliott
- 065 Exploring the Skies, Paragliding in New Zealand with Josh and Caleb
- 064 West Coast Solo Road Trip and Kiwi Hospitality with Neha Paranjape
- 063 Tramping the Canyon Creek Track as a Beginner with Debbie Cartwright
- 062 Hiking the Three Passes Route from Arthur's Pass to Hokitika with Pat Nolan
- 061 Moving to New Zealand and Travelling with Photographer Scott Howes
- Bonus I Quit My Corporate Job
- 060 Unforgettable Experiences in New Zealand with First-Time Visitor Tracy Collins
- 059 Two NZ Epics - Bicycle Circumnavigation and Packraft Traverse with Dunc Wilson
- 058 Converting a Bus to Explore New Zealand with Warrick and Chené
- 057 A Healing Journey on Te Araroa Trail with Germaine
- 056 Vanlife, the East Cape and Life Done Differently with Lisa Jansen
- 055 Hiking with Kids to Mt Brown and Mental Health with Renee Cadigan
- 054 A Memorable Week on the Road from Kaikōura to Aoraki
- 053 An 85-Day Southern Alps Traverse with Penzy Dinsdale
- 052 Getting Outdoors, Walking and Wellbeing with Kaelyn Kingi
- 051 Bikepacking around the South Island with Rachel Davies
- 050 Living and Travelling in a Caravan as a Family with Bronson and Chelsea
- 049 Tramping the Dusky Track in Fiordland with Sam Harrison
- 048 Eight Days in the Kaimai Mamaku Ranges with Jenifer Silva
- 047 Downhill Mountain Biking in NZ with Laura Goldsworthy
- 046 Routefinding and Bivvying on Mount Wakefield with Jinal Govind
- 045 The Underwater World and Scuba Diving with Annika Andresen
- 044 A Spontaneous Solo Road Trip in a Station Wagon with Morgan Healey
- 043 Thru-hiking the Te Araroa Trail with Zoe
- 042 From Corporate Hustle to Outdoor Social Enterprise with Robert Bruce
- 041 Growing Up in the Bush and Antarctica Expeditions with Chris Long
- 040 Surfing and Skydiving in NZ with Cody and Callie Chase
- 039 Angelus Hut and Tramping Guiding with Dylan Arthur
- 038 Drone Photography and Unique Rotorua Landscapes with Petra Leary
- 037 Camping at Earnslaw Burn and Gertrude Saddle with Lauren Murray
- 036 The Ultimate New Zealand Road Trip with Dane and Stacey
- 035 Summitting Mt Earnslaw and Mountaineering for Beginners with Wiktoria
- 034 NZ's Most Popular Walk - The Milford Track
- 033 A Human Powered Adventure Along the 45th Parallel Traverse with Tanya
- 032 Ruapehu and Solo Tramping in the Backcountry with Hazel Phillips
- 031 Falling in Love with New Zealand with Travel Blogger Tara Tavener
- 030 Hiking the Milford Track in Fiordland with Sam Fulton
- 029 The Red Canoe at Tasman Glacier with Guy and Alisha
- 028 Mueller Hut and Hiking as a Family with Jen Parkes
- 027 Experiencing the Night Sky and Astrophotography with Larryn Rae
- 026 Abel Tasman National Park and Adventure Tourism with Kyle Mulinder
- Bonus 2022 Wrapped
- 025 Sailing, Racing and the Best of the Hauraki with Stephanie Haden
- 024 A Lifetime of Adventure and a Few Close Calls with Russell Jennings
- 023 Hiking while Pregnant and Gillespie Pass with Alice
- 022 Living, Working and Travelling in NZ as an Expat with Justine Jehanno
- 021 Wellington Gems and Travelling Locally with Tilleigh Ultra
- 020 Travelling the South Island with Dogs with Courtney Mellow
- 019 Swimming the Length of the Clutha River with Rob Hutchings
- 018 Slow Travel and Mental Wellbeing with Pamela Edmondson
- 017 Enchaining New Zealand's 3000m Peaks with Alastair and Hamish
- 016 Exploring the Nelson Lakes National Park with Mel White
- 015 Hiking Old Ghost Road as a Family with Sonia Barrish
- 014 Snowsports in Aotearoa with Olympian Anja Barugh
- 013 Bikepacking from Cape Reinga to Bluff with Greg and Lauren
- 012 Travelling with Pets in New Zealand with Tegan
- 011 Creating the Roady App with Roscoe Price Moor
- 010 Exploring Aotearoa with a Toddler with Shoshannah
- 009 Solo Hiking the Routeburn Track with Emily
- 008 Living on the Road for Three Years with Goose and Ellen
- 007 Walking the Length of the South Island with Aimee Roberts
- 006 4WD Land Cruiser Adventures with Bri Woolnough
- 005 Pouakai Circuit and Syme Hut with Kristina Montgomerie
- 004 Hiking to Alex Knob, Glacier Views with Lucy
- 003 Hiking the Kepler Track in Fiordland with Dua
- 002 Vanlife on a Working Holiday Visa with Harry and Lydia
- 001 Helicopter over Aoraki with Billy Nunweek
- 000 Pilot: Meet your host, Abigail Hannah
- Welcome to the Aotearoa Adventures Podcast!

★★★★★
Here's what listeners say
Finally had the time to listen to them on the plane home and enjoyed the first few, will listen to a few more on the long trip back down to Dunedin! It's fun to be listening to a travel podcast while travelling!
Hannah, Dunedin
Heck I love listening to all these podcast stories! Got me through my long boring drive yesterday!
Shoshannah, Nelson
So excited to listen to this! I'm in awe of how awesome your podcast is, I love hearing in more detail about trips around NZ and all the stories people have to tell. I can't wait to hear it each week!
Laura, Christchurch
Abigail is such a relatable person, you can't stop listening to her. Her podcast literally made me book my flight to Aotearoa and with her amazing map, we had a really stunning trip.
Germany
This is THE podcast to listen to if you're planning to visit New Zealand. I've learnt so much from Abigail's conversations with guests and my must-visit list is getting longer thanks to all the amazing destinations she introduces her listeners to. Can't wait for the next episode.
Australia
I absolutely love this podcast, it's my go-to when hiking or driving, so inspiring listening to all the great adventurers and their stories. An awesome space creating an adventurous community!
Renee, West Coast
Listener questions
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