Growing up in Gisborne meant I was immersed in the outdoors from a young age, whether it was the house spent building huts in amongst the bushes, learning to surf, cycle touring in the summer holidays, to now spending over 20 hours per week training in the sport of Canoe Sprint (flat water sprint kayaking). I am currently in the New Zealand High Performance Women’s Squad based in Auckland.

Whether it’s training on the lake, having dinner at the beach, or watching my favourite sunsets, being outdoors is important to me because it is where I spend time with the people I love and where I feel the best version of myself physically and mentally. The experiences outdoors that I have shared with others have created some of my fondest memories, not just the crossing the line at a world championship but also the simple treasures of family volleyball at Christmas, toasting marshmallows on a bonfire, or smelling the native bush after it has rained. The outdoors has become an integral part of my personal life and my relationships with friends and family.

Instagram: @aliciahoskin

As an adventure guide my work and lifestyle has taken me to some of the world’s most amazing places and allowed me to share time with fascinating people from all walks of life. I also have a competitive streak which I have allowed to creep into a few of my recreational past times. This has taken me to the top of the world in four different sports, both team and individual. I love to share these stories with my two daughters as they fossick through the trophy cabinet.

This year has helped me realise how fortunate I have been with the freedom and relative low cost of international travel for work and sport, in fact maybe I took it for granted. It has also been a marathon of working, restructuring our outdoor business Best Foot Forward to cope with the uncertain market, building a new house and maintaining a healthy family balance. The outdoors gives me an opportunity to push my reset button. I get out there and enjoy spending time alone, or with others, without any devices.

I have the dream of representing NZ at the Olympic games and bringing home a medal. For me though, it’s more than just the result. I love the life that sailing to the highest level allows me to live-traveling around the world, being out on the ocean, going to sleep knowing I’m doing all I can to become the best possible sailor and athlete I can. I also am striving on working to use my position and knowledge to help and inspire young sailors coming through. And also to encourage those young people to care for the oceans we are so lucky to have as our playground.

I need to be outdoors to feel energized and happy. For me moving my body and getting fresh air is as important as food and water. Sailing and spending time on the water gives me a true sense of freedom and being present. I crave to get away from the distractions of technology, the time-wasting of traffic, and the constant nag of to-do lists. I try to do something outdoors every day, which isn’t hard because of all the sailing I do. On the other days, I will go for a hike or a run or bike ride.

Instagram: @erica_daws

When we moved to the Bay of Islands I was seven years old. I became a water girl, joining a swim club and a learn to sail group. That was when my love for sailing sparked. Ever since then I’ve had a deep appreciation for all things related to water. I have skipped in both the Nacra 15 and the Olympic class boat, the Nacra 17, competing in multiple world championships. I'm just beginning to work as a commercial skipper with sail boats in Greece and Croatia. There are not many women skippers in the world, and I’m proud to be able to do this job well. I want to keep sailing as much as I can, there’s so much to do.

The ocean always helps clear my mind and cleanse my soul. Being on the water puts me in a great mood. I love the feeling I get after spending a day outside especially in a rugged or remote environment. That’s what I love about sailing so much, it’s the ability to experience something that I know not many other people are able to experience.

Instagram: @helena.sanderson

In winters, I'm a ski patroller at The Remarkables in Queenstown, NZ, living and breathing the mountain life. I’m all about chasing big lines, steep climbs, and type-two fun that pushes the limits of fitness and focus. When I’m not on the clock, you’ll find me out ski mountaineering, climbing, or dreaming up the next mission.

When I’m out in the mountains, everything else fades. There’s a clarity that comes with being fully dialed into the terrain and conditions with no distractions, just the task in front of me. The endless fun, challenge, and terrain keeps me coming back every time, chasing that next line, that next summit, that next moment where it all just clicks.

For me the Manuka balm is a must have! It's invaluable. From dry lips to cuts and scrapes, to sunburnt skin to blisters. Manuka balm goes on anything anytime and works wonders. Working outdoors is taxing on the body! I’ve tried countless other products and nothing works or feels the same as the Goodbye Manuka Balm.

Instagram: howie_mcfadyen

Outdoors is where I get recharged, am the happiest, calmest and have the most fun.

My passion is helping sailors achieve their goals as both people and athletes.

I use Goodbye's lip balms as an all time must! I have Sun Balm or Manuka Balm handy in every item of clothing I own.

@chapmanrosie- Instagram

Sarah is a water lover and is at home swimming in the ocean.  A seasoned Ocean Swim athlete she has competed here and overseas in various ocean swim events, distances ranging from 2-5kms. Last year she competed in the Breca Swim-Run event testing her skills on land and in the water, the event had her and teammate and hundreds of others  island hopping across the Bay of Islands, they finished the race in 4th place (mixed team) in just over 7 hours.  Sarah has recently become the mum of twins Arlo and Skye.  Her goals for 2021 are to get back into the Ocean as well as learn how adventuring works with two littlies tagging along.

Instagram: @sarah_mortimer

I have been outdoors all my life as my parents were both super into the outdoors. We were raised with tramping, kayaking, and playing outside as the norm. . .  at the age of 8 I was introduced to sailing. It soon became my main sport and by my teenage years, I was actively working towards going to the Olympics. This dream came true in 2012 when I competed in the London Games, sailing in the 3 person keelboat. My goal is to now medal at the Tokyo Games. Japan is super hot in the summer so we need to make sure we take the best care possible of our skin when we are outside.

In a world where technology is taking over, it’s so refreshing to be outside and emerged in the elements. Nothing beats a good day in the water!

Instagram: @suzo_chapman

We have always loved getting outdoors. Before we embraced slow travel and vanlife in Aotearoa, we really struggled to get out into nature as much as we would have liked. The weekend hikes and the few weeks of leave spent travelling just weren’t cutting it for us! Quitting our full-time jobs to take up vanlife in Aotearoa was our way of making sure we could get outdoors as much as possible.

The great outdoors is a big part of how we connect with the places we are visiting on our travels. We believe you need to get out into the wild spaces, the mountains, the rivers, the valleys of a place before you can truly experience it.

Goodbye Sandfly was our first ever Goodbye product and it is still a firm favourite. Living in a van, we come across our fair share of sandflies and other bitey insects. The sandfly repellent has been such a life saver both for preventing bites and soothing
them when we have forgotten to pack our repellent on hikes and gotten eaten.

Nathan and Tiff

Website: The Road Less Written

Instagram: @theroadlesswritten