#10 Kite Skiing across Antarctica, outdoor storytelling & the NZ mountain film festival - Mark Sedon

04/28/21 • 70 min

Mark’s diverse skill set serendipitously landed him a place on what was dubbed "the most audacious and potentially groundbreaking polar expedition in a generation". He and two teammates used snow-kites to reach the most remote mountain on Earth - The Spectre, in the Gothic Mountains of Antarctica. This expedition is a focus but first we hear about the evolution of Mark’s passion for adventure and gain some wonderful insights into the New Zealand Mountain Film & Book Festival, which he and his wife Jo have been running for 19 years.

This episode is sponsored by Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand

Podcast music: Wild and Free by Hope Social Club and other pieces by Evan Phillips

This episode is sponsored by Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand

Podcast music: Wild and Free by Hope Social Club and other pieces by Evan Phillips

Previous Episode

#9 Finding the freedom to run - Tanya Bottomley

Tanya first started to run when she was living in a destructive, abusive relationship. But she wasn’t allowed to run with other people and she wasn’t allowed to run on trails. Fast-forward to today and she’s living in Lake Hawea where she finds joy in adventures in the mountains almost every day. In this episode we chat about her journey from running her first road marathon to competing in rugged 100 mile trail races and what other outdoor adventures it’s leading to. Tanya is an advocate for Shine and is committed to raising awareness around domestic violence and recovery for victims reclaiming their lives.

This episode is sponsored by Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand

Podcast music: Wild and Free by Hope Social Club and other pieces by Evan Phillips

Episode links:

Tanya's personal website

Tanya's public Facebook page

Tanya's Instagram

Wild Things FB page (awesome trail running community in NZ)

Shine (making homes violence free in New Zealand)

Are you Okay? (New Zealand family violence support site)

Untamed Aotearoa Instagram

Untamed Aotearoa Facebook

Next Episode

#11 Conservation, kea and balancing field work with being a mum - Laura Young

Dr Laura Young is a talented botanist and conservationist based in Blenheim. We talk about her love for ecology and how her career in conservation has evolved, from rediscovering a giant weevil (previously believed to be extinct) to studying wild Spaniards and kea. Laura has a five year old daughter, Cassie, who often comes with her on field trips. She shares some wonderful tips on balancing field work and outdoor time with being a mum.

This episode is sponsored by Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand

Podcast music: Wild and Free by Hope Social Club and other pieces by Evan Phillips

Episode links:

‘An Advocate for Kea’ - Profile on Wilderlife blog (by FMC)
Conservation careers profile on Laura. This Google Doc was produced by the Department of Conservation LEOTC Aoraki education programme team as part of their ‘conservation pathways’ learning resource. This was produced with secondary school students in mind.
Kea Database NZ - a citizen science initiative from the Kea Sightings project. You can share your reports of kea sightings.
Kea Survey Tool. This project aims to measure spatial patterns in kea abundance, and changes in kea abundance over time.
Kea Conservation Trust. Kea Conservation Trust works to preserve and protect these unique birds, both in their natural habitat in the wild and in captivity. Laura works part-time for the KCT as an Community Engagement Coordinator.
KEA Kids News: Kea birds eating roof nails that can kill them. KEA Kids News is designed to get young New Zealanders aged 7 to 11 involved in current affairs.
Arthur’s Pass Kea dying after eating lead nails - a 4 minute excerpt from Morning Report on Radio New Zealand.
Kea makes flying visit to Marlborough. Stuff article written by Dr Laura Young