Adventure Magazine April - May 2021

The latest seven-day lockdown for Auckland give us more time to evaluate and appraise. No restaurants, no bars, no coffee shops, no parties, no crowds, then add in a Tsunami, to be fair, it was a tough week. Sure, I know other places in the world have it a lot, lot tougher. I am not a nay-sayer; I agree and support the government’s stand, but you did get a strong feeling of here we go again. I don’t want to take credit for this, (I heard it on the radio while driving) but a life coach was looking not at the silver lining of Covid, but of the effect. He said in his opinion, that Covid and the associated restrictions, ‘concentrated’ our life experiences. That the inability to do whatever we…

It'a all about perspective. Aniol Serrasolses, has spent his life hunting waterfalls just like this. Goðafoss is a waterfall in the very northern remote part of Iceland, and it’s very cold. The origin of the waterfall's name is not completely clear. In modern Icelandic, the name can be read as "Waterfall of the Gods” it is impressive enough to be just that! The water of the river Skjálfandafljót, falls from a height of 12 metres over a width of 30 metres. It’s cold, it is dangerous, and that for Aniol is the attraction. The cover image is taken from the top of the waterfall, looking down as Aniol takes the drop, the other is taken from a vantage point of distance. Both look intimidating and that is the draw from a kayaker like Aniol. You…

When it comes to a Bloody Mary, a flavourful burst of savouriness is paramount. Snacking while drinking one is even more important so lavishly garnishing a Bloody Mary cocktail with what is on hand is influential on the overall experience. A tasty tipple to imbibe on and highly recommended especially for survival of intrepid adventures. 1 jigger (60mls) Vodka 3 jigger spiced tomato passata with olives, gherkins, salt, pepper, Kaitaia fire, worchester sauce - whizzed up in the bullet Shake with ice and serve over more ice in a jar with a reusable straw. Stack with an over the top garnish that includes giant stuffed jalapeno olives, sauteed prawns, an organic gherkin, and mint. Approx 6g per serve Follow Sue on Instagram: @cocktailontherock To sign up for the weekly newsletter: www.cocktailontherock.co.nz…

To defy: by definition... 1 : to confront with assured power of resistance. 2 : to challenge to do something considered impossible. In the adventure community you don’t have to look far to find good survival stories. Kiwi kayaking legend Mike Dawson writes for us on a regular basis, and I knew he would have been in some tight situations, so I asked him. His response straight away was ‘if you wanna talk to someone who knows how to survive talk to Anoil’. So we did! You grew up in Catalonia, Spain, not the white-water kayaking capital of the world. How did you get involved with white water kayaking? We got introduced to the sport by random luck. We used to ride our bikes to school daily, on those trips we happened to ride…

It was always going to be challenging. GODZone Chapter 9 was the first New Zealand North Island edition of the world's largest expedition-length adventure. When the active volcanic plateau and thermal region of Rotorua was announced as the host location at the end of Chapter 8, teams worldwide readied themselves for an adventure of a lifetime. It was a scramble to gain a racing spot with a sell-out field of 95 team spots gone in less than 24 hours. "Each year, it's a battle for teams to gain a slot, and it is the first major step for competitors on their journey to GODZone. Rotorua was a real drawcard, and everyone wanted to experience it." But the journey proved to be trickier when the New Zealand borders shut in March 2020 due to Covid-19. “We…

I knew very little about Rachel Māia when I was asked to interview her for this issue of Adventure Magazine. I knew she was from Whanganui, I knew she was a mother of three, I knew she had injured her leg rock climbing when she was just 16 years old, and I knew she had gone on to become a successful NZ para-athlete and below the knee amputee, but I didn’t know anything about Rachel as a person. However, now I feel very fortunate to have taken a look inside her world; the challenges, the trials, the heartbreak and her resolve to live her life to the fullest. Can you tell us a little about growing up and how you got into climbing when you were younger? My family moved a lot…