New Zealand Fiji Summer Welcome from Andy!

Heya team and a big kia ora from NZ!

Vacava tiko? How y'all doing??

I'm sure you have all had some quality time with friends and family over the last few months and are now (like myself) chomping at the bit to get this NZ/Fiji trip started!

I'm super excited to introduce myself to you all. My name is Andy and I was born and raised in a small rural area on the West Coast of the North Island in good old Aotearoa/NZ. Whenever I had a spare moment growing up, you would have probably found me exploring the land, out on adventures with my buddies. Since moving through High School, University and beyond, not much has changed really :) If anything my love for the outdoors has continued its growth. I live for the moment whether it be with my mates paddling down a river, gathering or fishing for kaimoana with my family or heading out on a solo mission into the mountains. I live for new challenges and learning new skill sets from different people and experiences from around the world and have been fortunate enough to have travelled and lived/worked in some of the most remote and epic places around NZ and the globe. I believe that everyday is a school day, a chance to learn something new, to move forward and of course to enjoy.

As far as my own work is concerned, I have dedicated the last 10 years to a mixture of guiding on rivers, in the the bush, leading sea kayaking expeditions as well a mixture of outdoor pursuits in an outdoor education setting in NZ and more recently through Asia.

The next chapter in all our lives begins in just a few weeks time... I'm sure it will take no time at all for us all to get along and gain lifetime friendships and what you may ask is going to make the sweetest trip of a lifetime? Teamwork. For sure, we are going to be doing some most epic adventures down under in the south Pacific with some super rewarding conservation work, however in order for us all to perform its mandatory that we all respect and accept each others time and space, whilst trying our utmost to stay as positive as we can during long days together. What we put in team is what we get out out this experience : )

As I'm writing this, the sun is out after some pretty epic days of storms. Ahh yes, the quintessential Kiwi Autumn. NZ and Fiji for that matter can have erratic weather patterns over this period and we must dress accordingly for the climate. Be ready for 4 seasons in a day! However, instead of taking all the gear you possess, think how am I going to be practical and the most efficient as possible? Think light guys :)

This is a part of the world that I'm completely passionate about and am stoked to be able to share it with you all.

Look forward to seeing you all soon. Take it easy,  Andy