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
37 episodes
Bruce Reay - A Life Lived in the Bush
Bruce “Chopper” Reay has spent much of his life deep in the bush, from possum hunting and eel fishing in the wilds of the South Island, to his current home at Saxton Hut near Fiordland’s Hollyford Track. In this episode, Bruce shares his...
Queen Charlotte Track
In this episode of The Tramping Life, I explore one of New Zealand’s most iconic coastal walks: the Queen Charlotte Track in the Marlborough Sounds.This 71 km route is typically walked from Ship Cove in the north to Anakiwa in the south...
Duncan Webb - Hiking, Hunting, and Hypothermia
Duncan Webb is the Labour MP for Christchurch Central and lifelong tramper. From his early days exploring the forests of England to challenging multi-day treks across New Zealand’s high country, Duncan shares his most memorable adventure...
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Kaikoura Coast Track
In this episode of The Tramping Life, I explore one of the South Island’s best-known private tramps: the Kaikōura Coast Track.This 26 km two-day route is run by a pair of local farming families and offers a rare combination of epic coas...
Eugenie Sage - Conservation, Controversy, and Melting Jerseys
Former Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage joins The Tramping Life to talk about her lifelong love of the outdoors, from building huts as a child to tramping the St James and the Old Ghost Road. We hear about her earliest...
St James Walkway
In this episode of The Tramping Life, I head to North Canterbury to tackle one of New Zealand’s classic multi-day tramps: the St James Walkway.This 66 km route winds through the high country, taking in the Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve, the...
Shaun Barnett - A Wild Life
This is a special episode of The Tramping Life, dedicated to Shaun Barnett — one of New Zealand’s most respected tramping writers, photographers, editors, and advocates for the backcountry.For many listeners, Shaun will be a fami...
Abel Tasman Inland Track
In this episode of The Tramping Life, I take on the lesser-known Abel Tasman Inland Track, a 41km route through the forested spine of Abel Tasman National Park.While most walkers stick to the iconic Coast Track, this route heads inland—...
Robbie Burton - Publishing Our Tramping Stories
Robbie Burton has spent a lifetime straddling two worlds — the wild backcountry and the world of books. The long-time co-leader of Potton & Burton, one of New Zealand’s most influential independent publishers, Robbie has also tramped...
Rangitoto and Motutapu Island
In this episode of The Tramping Life, we head somewhere few people associate with overnight tramping — Auckland. Just 25 minutes by ferry from the city lies Rangitoto and neighbouring Motutapu Island — two contrasting islands that...
Adam Currie – From Scouts to Climate Action
Adam Currie is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading young voices in the climate movement. We explore his love of wild, remote trips — from hauling surfboards through native bush to packrafting the Gillespie Pass circuit — and how time o...
Travers-Sabine Circuit and Blue Lake
In this episode of The Tramping Life, we return to Nelson Lakes National Park for one of New Zealand’s classic backcountry circuits — the 80km Travers–Sabine Circuit — with a demanding side trip to Rotomairewhenua / Blue Lake, regarded a...
Lydia Bradey - From Arthur's Pass to Everest
Lydia Brady is a mountaineer, guide, and author, best known as the first woman to climb Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen.In this episode, Lydia shares her remarkable journey from teenage tramping trips in the Lewis Pass ...
Cape Brett Track and Whangamumu / Te Toroa Track
In this episode of The Tramping Life, we head to Northland for a rugged coastal overnighter along the Cape Brett Peninsula in the Bay of Islands — finishing at one of DOC’s most unusual and historic huts.The 16km one-way Cape Bre...
Rob Frost - Guiding Trans-Alpine Expeditions
From school tramping clubs to epic trans-alpine expeditions, Rob Frost has spent a lifetime exploring the wild backcountry of Aotearoa New Zealand. An engineer turned mountain-guide, photographer, and author of the award-winning Aora...
Tongariro Northern Circuit and Around the Mountain Track
In this episode of The Tramping Life, we head to Tongariro National Park for an extended circuit of one of New Zealand’s most iconic landscapes — combining the Tongariro Northern Circuit Great Walk with the Around the Mountain Track into a six-...
Peter Hillary - Everest, Aspiring, and Kea
Peter Hillary is a mountaineer, author, and adventurer. The son of Sir Edmund Hillary, Peter has forged his own remarkable path — from summiting Everest and crossing Antarctica to dedicating his life to exploration, storytelling, and con...
Thousand Acre Plateau
In this episode of The Tramping Life, we head into the north-west of Kahurangi National Park to explore the Thousand Acre Plateau — a vast upland landscape of limestone formations, open tussock and sweeping horizons.Rising to around 100...
Jan Finlayson - Public Access, Stewardship Land, and Grasshoppers
Jan Finlayson has spent a lifetime exploring and advocating for New Zealand’s wild places. In this conversation she reflects on childhood memories of camping and school tramps, early adventures on the Routeburn, and the lessons learned f...
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Angelus Hut
Today we head into Nelson Lakes National Park to one of the country’s most iconic alpine destinations — Angelus Hut.Perched at 1,650 metres beside Lake Angelus and surrounded by the rugged Travers Range, Angelus is a true alpine ...
Marios Gavalas - Publishing, Guiding, and Yurts
Marios Gavalas has spent decades exploring Aotearoa’s mountains, forests and coastlines — and helping others do the same through his books, guiding, and photography. In this episode of The Tramping Life, Marius shares stori...
Banks Track
Today we’re heading to Banks Peninsula and one of New Zealand’s most varied multi-day walks — a privately run track that combines coastal scenery, wildlife, and unusually comfortable accommodation. This episode explores Banks Track.<...
Neil Silverwood - Caving, Paragliding, and Giant Spiders
Neil Silverwood is a leading photographer, conservationist, and lifelong caver. Neil takes us not only deep underground but also high into the hills, sharing stories of tramping, caving, and flying. We talk about the challen...
Copland Track & Welcome Flat Hut
Today we’re heading to the West Coast and one of its most popular tramps — an historic track best known for its natural hot pools. This episode explores the Copland Track and Welcome Flat Hut.Developed in the early 20th century a...
Corina Jordan - Hunting, Conservation, and Coexistence
Corina Jordan is Chief Executive of the Game Animal Council and Fish & Game New Zealand. We talk about her lifelong love of the outdoors, from childhood adventures in Northland and Taranaki to her current role shaping New Zealand’s h...
