We have support Huw in his past excursions across Australia and we are jumping back on board for his NZ project.
Traversing the length of New Zealand, skiing at every ski area, raising funds for Save the Children.
After traversing the length of the Australian Alps in Winter 2022 Alpine Odyssey
journey, Huw looked across the Tasman to Aotearoa/NZ…
"I counted up the ski fields, many of which I have enjoyed over the years, and wondered about wandering to ski at each of them over one winter. Soon my good Kiwi mate Laurence Mote was onboard, a man with quite a story to tell. The real planning began.
A bottle of red wine at the Mote’s mountain house one winter night added 1000km to the journey when we decided to start at Cape Reinga, the most northerly point of the country and finish at Slope Point, the most southerly.
Amongst the spectacular volcanos and alps of Aotearoa are scattered 24 NZ ski areas (20 on the South Island, 4 on the North) from the well-known commercial fields to the little clubfields, a unique aspect of Kiwi skiing and boarding. We plan to have a day or two enjoying the delights of each ski area.
Whilst some interconnection by ski touring and foot is planned, a major chunk of the 4000km will be on our mountain bikes, towing trailers with ski/camp gear onboard. It will be a tough winter trip for sure!
Alpine Odyssey Aotearoa will take some 90 days, starting late June 2025.
Once again partnering with Save the Children, our journey will raise funds for climate adaptation and resilience projects in the South Pacific, our island nation neighbours who are right on the frontline of climate change."
We're super stoked to be supporting Huw Kingston and Laurence Mote on their Alpine Odyssey Aotearoa mission this winter. Huw and Laurence will be traversing the length of NZ - 4000km over 90 days by bike, ski, foot and even yacht - including dropping in to ski at each of the 24 Kiwi skifields.
As well as having a great adventure, they are aiming to raise $75,000 for climate resilience projects in Vanuatu, through Save the Children, for whom Huw is a long time Ambassador. As well as general donations, you can also 'buy' one of the ski areas for the fundraising.
Smith have kitted out Huw and Laurence with bike and ski helmets along with eyewear for the journey. Huw, a well known Australian adventurer and writer, needs prescription eyewear, so we've included a pair of Guide Choice prescription sunnies in his package. Laurence, a former NZ representative mountain biker, although being legally blind from the reaction to a bee sting 12 years ago (check his amazing story in the link below), uses our standard eyewear.
Please follow along as they set up on their adventure @huwkingston
Check out full details on their journey at www.AlpineOdysseyAotearoa.nz which has the links to the fundraising page too.
