Fresh Adventures’ co-founders Paul Nicholson and Bob McLachlan first met at a Japanese ski field, many moons ago. Two Kiwi boys on an OE - enjoying the bottomless pow!

​

Fast forward 25 years and after gathering an absolute abundance of experience and qualifications around the globe’s great outdoors, they funnelled their love of adventure into running similar businesses. Paul founded New Zeal - a bespoke, bucket-list experiences company catering to international cliental; and Bob set up Best Foot Forward NZ, offering training, trips and guiding.

 

Co-existing happily in Wanaka with different target markets, Bob guided for New Zeal, they rented each other’s gear, and everything was looking peachy until Covid-19 struck. Some serious, socially distant, over-the-fence-meetings took place (yes, Bob and Paul are actually neighbours) and they decided to join forces and launch Fresh Adventures for Kiwis.

 

As the saying goes, behind every great man, is a great woman and in Paul and Bob’s case it’s plural! Their partners Katarina (graphic design) and Cat (PR/wordsmithing), pitched in and the awesome foursome combined skill sets to ensure their new enterprise set sail.

 

Their shared vision is to offer remote, authentic, wilderness expeditions to wow Kiwis, as they explore parts of the South Island’s scenically stunning backcountry through Fresh Adventures’ quality, multi-day hiking and rafting packages.  

 

Fresh Adventures’ clients journey into the primeval depths of southern Fiordland to raft the Wairaurahiri River’s exciting rapids; and explore the pristine environments of the Pyke and Hollyford Rivers. 

 

Heading north there is the rare opportunity to raft the West Coast’s exhilarating Grade 3 to 5 Landsborough River, with its mind-blowing mountainous backdrop.

Turning inland, how about hiking in the awe-inspiring Ahuriri Valley, which carves through the Southern Alps’ eastern flanks and finishing the adventure by floating through the scenery on inflatable canoes?

 

The mountains around the Southern Lakes region become Fresh Adventures’ playgrounds over winter, where clients can appreciate the tranquillity and crisp-air rewards of snow shoeing.

 

Camping under the stars, or nights in backcountry huts – where the day’s adventures are recounted with shared stories and laughter - form the cornerstone of the quintessentially Kiwi Fresh Adventures’ experiences.