Wāhine & Wapiti

Wāhine & Wapiti is a women-led Fiordland experience I co-organise and deliver alongside Roy Sloan, General Manager of the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation. Developed as part of my role on the Foundation committee, the programme was created to offer meaningful access for women into one of Aotearoa’s most remote and challenging environments.

Operating within a traditionally male-dominated space, Wāhine & Wapiti was designed to create a safe, inclusive, and educational experience where women of varied experience levels can build confidence, develop bush skills, and strengthen their connection to conservation, place, and each other. The programme intentionally challenges stereotypes while fostering self-sufficiency, camaraderie, and respect for te taiao.

Participants are carefully selected from across Aotearoa to form diverse groups with a mix of backgrounds, abilities, and motivations. This deliberate curation creates an environment where learning happens not only through guidance, but through shared experience and peer connection.

Delivered in the Wapiti region of Fiordland National Park, the experience balances physical challenge with reflection, teamwork, and immersion in place. It provides an alternative pathway into Fiordland — reducing barriers and intimidation, while still offering an authentic, grounded experience of the landscape and its wildlife.

Wāhine & Wapiti reflects my approach to leadership and event design: values-led, people-focused, and deeply connected to place — bringing together strategy, logistics, facilitation, and storytelling to create experiences that are both meaningful and lasting.