What was your earliest memory of exploring the outdoors?
My early memories of the outdoors are a swirling river of moments. From making potions in the forest with Mum, looking for shells, or crying my way through a bike ride surrounded by bees. We spent most weekends outside, and our first overnight tramp was to Lake Daniell, a Canterbury classic. Holidays were often camping at the beach. Dad swears that, early on, he held up baby Han like Simba and pointed me at the mountains, saying, “This is your legacy.” I think he takes full credit for my lifelong love of the outdoors and honestly, fair enough.
How did the opportunity to write Wild Walks Aotearoa come to you?
When I started tramping, I did most of it solo, and with very little idea of what I was doing. I learned a lot by making mistakes (sometimes spectacular ones) and found myself drawn to remote, lesser-known places. People started asking for my recommendations, which led to me writing up trip reports. I wasn’t sure if they’d live online or in a blog, but eventually they started to feel like the beginning of a book. I pitched the idea to Penguin and, to my amazement, they said yes. The rest is muddy, wet, and view-filled history.
Do you think you could name a favourite hike?
Naming a favourite hike feels a bit like picking a favourite child (if all your children were muddy, dramatic, and occasionally tried to kill you). But I can do a top five:
– Gillespie Pass Circuit
– Lake Rotomairewhenua (Blue Lake)
– The Routeburn Track and all its sneaky side missions
– Upper Wilkin Lakes
– And, in a slightly masochistic way, the Dusky Track.
What do you get up to for your day job?
I’m the Content & Social Media Manager at Macpac. I help lead campaign conception, write a lot of the words you see out in the world, and manage our social channels. It’s one of those rare roles where my love for storytelling, creativity, and the outdoors all get to co-exist.
What drew you to doing a double degree of a BA and BCom?
Ah, good old-fashioned decision paralysis. I couldn’t choose, so I did both! A BA and BCom with three majors. I’ve always been a creative at heart so I was curious about the broader professional world in a creative space. Cinema Studies was my favourite and ended up being one of the most useful things I studied, particularly for fostering my storytelling instincts.
Are there any memories or experiences that stand out when looking back at your time at UC?
The butterfly effect is real. If I trace the thread that led to my dream job, it starts with a club at UC; Musoc. I got really involved while I was studying. I worked weekends, so the tramping club wasn’t an option (however, I did all of my basic snow training with them, which I will be forever grateful for), but through Musoc I met a friend who brought me into their agency. That led to my first internship, then my first creative role, which gave me a head start in my career. One opportunity after another, all from saying yes to a club meeting in my first year! Aside from that, I would say other stand out moments included classes with Ekant Veer, a 500 word essay I wrote in 12 minutes, and all-nighters in the Undercroft.
