Billy Nunweek is a landscape photographer and filmmaker who four-wheel drives in Caia, his 1994 Land Cruiser Prado. What started in 2022 as a mission to take one photo he was proud of became a five-year project to drive to a glacial lake in the Rakaia Valley that locals said no vehicle had reached. He shares about the 2023 attempt that ended in gale-force winds and a damaged truck, and why he shelved it. Billy talks about the phone call that changed his mind and the run of setbacks before the trip that tested his resilience to breaking point. He reflects on unfinished business and what it takes to go back to something that beat you. Billy shares advice for anyone in the messy middle of a big goal, from learning from setbacks to allowing extra days. Thank you so much for tuning in and coming along for the ride.

If you love the show and enjoyed listening, please take the time to leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I would also love to connect with you, so send me a DM on Instagram, leave me a voice message and I can't wait to see you next time. Until then, keep adventuring :)

Follow Billy on Instagram: https://instagram.com/billynunweek/

Follow Caia on Instagram: https://instagram.com/caiathecruiser/

Follow Aotearoa Adventures on Instagram: https://instagram.com/aotearoa_adventures_/

Follow Abigail on Instagram: https://instagram.com/abigailhannnah/

Recording from Cape Town, host Abigail Hannah celebrates 200 episodes of Aotearoa Adventures with a solo episode. She shares how the podcast started after a 6-week South Island road trip, and celebrates the guests whose stories led to her first solo hike on the Old Ghost Road, full-time vanlife and a two-month sea kayak expedition with husband Isaac. She reflects on moving away from photography, the issues with social media algorithms and ads, and struggling to share on socials in a way that feels meaningful. She marks three years of running her own business, the joy and the imposter syndrome that come with it, and the very exciting news that she and Isaac have signed a lease on a home in Motueka, within an hour of three national parks. Abigail shares how the life you dream of is possible, whatever your dream. She shares the future of the podcast, and looks forward to a party for episode 250!

Thank you so much for tuning in and coming along for the ride. If you love the show and enjoyed listening, please take the time to leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I would also love to connect with you, so send me a DM on Instagram, leave me a voice message and I can't wait to see you next time. Until then, keep adventuring :)

Read the Blog: https://www.abigailhannah.nz

Follow Aotearoa Adventures on Instagram: https://instagram.com/aotearoa_adventures_/

Follow Abigail on Instagram: https://instagram.com/abigailhannnah/

Till Middelhauve moved from Germany to New Zealand in 2020, after years of family via ferrata trips across the European Alps. Finding no public via ferrata here, he wrote the first concept during two weeks in managed isolation. Till shares about two and a half years of permits, surveys and landowner agreements before a small team of volunteers built New Zealand's first public via ferrata on Tākaka Hill. He talks about scaling loose rock off the cliff, securing fridge-sized boulders to the bedrock and the 150 climbers who turned up when the first route opened. He reflects on how rewarding it is to watch people have a great day out on the cliff. Till shares advice for first-timers, from the gear you need to why the afternoon is the best time to climb.

Thank you so much for tuning in and coming along for the ride. If you love the show and enjoyed listening, please take the time to leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I would also love to connect with you, so send me a DM on Instagram, leave me a voice message and I can't wait to see you next time. Until then, keep adventuring :)

Climb the via ferrata and book gear hire: https://viaferrata.org.nz/

Follow Via Ferrata Aotearoa on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554219810332

Watch the via ferrata documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p57VbxT4dMA

Follow Aotearoa Adventures on Instagram: https://instagram.com/aotearoa_adventures_/

Follow Abigail on Instagram: https://instagram.com/abigailhannnah/