Get the low down on the Hiking New Zealand and Active Earth Adventures team. We asked Magan McKenna what she gets up to when she is not working and/or hiking.
Kirwee near Christchurch, I grew up here with my parents, one sister, one dog, one cat, one goat and one sheep. That was about as far as I got with my childhood dream of living on a farm.
School meant packing up and moving in to the city of Christchurch (minus the goat and sheep – dream evaporating).
City life inspired my parents to drag us on long walks or camping trips as far away from civilisation as possible (minus dog and cat – dream gone). At the time this seemed like some sort of punishment but nowadays this is what I do for fun!
After High School, I gravitated to the tourism industry and have never looked back. Meeting and working with so many interesting people from around the world inspired me to wander further than this little slice of paradise at the bottom of the earth and explore more.
From South East Asia I ventured further to Europe where I based myself in a yachting port in South of France. I spent three years living and working on a beautiful luxury yacht. Living in the Mediterranean is dreamy, but the motherland was calling. Nothing beats the freedom felt when surrounded by snow-capped mountains and endless greenery in New Zealand.
Returning to NZ I was lucky to explore my own backyard while guiding groups around New Zealand. There are fewer things greater than waking up in a tent with a glacial lake at your doorstep.
So, this is where you will find me. I’m excited to help you plan your trip to New Zealand and see what all the fuss is about!
I’m not a fan of sitting still... unless it’s relaxing at the beach which I can do very well. Exploring the outdoors and new countries, Camping adventures with friends and family. Trying out new sports such as surfing which I decided to start in winter… major fail. Working on house renovations has taken up a lot of my weekends currently, but I still manage to escape to the mountains for a hike as often as I can.
In summer, a sunny afternoon spent with friends cooking up a BBQ is pretty great.
I appreciate a fancy café coffee, but ashamed to admit I’m quite content with a spoonful of instant coffee from the jar.
Cinque Terre along the Italian coast (although more of a day walk) the scenery is incredible and the locals welcoming you in to each village with wine at 11am are just a real selling point.
In New Zealand the Mueller Hut in Aoraki/ Mount Cook National park is my favourite! You get to experience this incredible place on our Ultimate NZ, Ultimate South, NZ Uncut and Southern Slice trip!
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