The Tramping Life
Conversations with people who share a deep love for exploring Aotearoa New Zealand on foot. From the well-trodden Great Walks to the rugged solitude of remote backcountry routes, our guests share their favourite hikes, huts, and hard-earned lessons from the track.
Whether you’re an experienced tramper or just curious about what makes hiking in New Zealand so special. The Tramping Life offers inspiration, practical insights, and a deeper connection to the landscapes that shape us.
#tramping #hiking #interviews #newzealand #nzhiking #hike #tramp #travel #walking #travel
Episodes
7 episodes
Alistair Hall - Wilderness Magazine & NZ's Worst Tramp
Alistair Hall has been the editor and publisher of Wilderness Magazine for nearly two decades — and part of its story since the early 1990s. In this episode, he talks about his earliest outdoor memories, the “type two fun” that sparked h...
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Episode 7
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22:20
Victoria & Emilie Bruce - Mother, Daughter, Trailblazers
Victoria and Emilie Bruce have shared thousands of kilometres of trail — and hundreds of backcountry huts — between them. When Emilie was just seven years old, the pair set off to walk the length of New Zealand on the Te Araroa Trail, ra...
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Episode 6
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25:58
Andrew Buglass - Huts, Solitude, and the Birth of Permolat
Andrew Buglass is the founder of Permolat and the central figure in The Hut Keepers, a new film celebrating the grassroots effort to preserve New Zealand’s hut network. In this episode, Andrew shares his deep connection with the...
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Episode 5
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29:45
Jerry Van Lier - Tales from the Tararuas
Jerry Van Lier is the creator and host of the Tararua Fever podcast, which dives deep into the rugged, rewarding, and sometimes notorious Tararua Ranges. From his very first tramp at the age of six to weathering gnarly condition...
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Episode 4
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22:38
Megan Dimozantos - Advocacy, Adventure, and the Future of Tramping
Megan Dimozantos is president of the Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC), and a passionate advocate for our huts, tracks, and wild places. We talk about her late introduction to the outdoors through rock climbing, her years of 24-hour solo mountain ...
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Episode 3
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29:44
Rob Brown - Keeping the Hut Network Alive
Rob Brown is one of the most influential voices in New Zealand tramping. Rob is the National Operations Manager of the Backcountry Trust, the organisation that supports volunteers to restore and maintain our huts and tracks. He is also a renown...
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Episode 2
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39:37
Lou Sanson - From Track Cutter to DOC Boss
Lou Sanson, former Director-General of the Department of Conservation, has spent a lifetime in New Zealand’s backcountry. From his childhood on the West Coast being taken tramping before he could walk, through teenage missions into wild valleys...
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Episode 1
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28:24
