About
NEWZEAL
We craft game changing individual team adventures. Come and join us.
Welcome to NewZeal. We're a bunch of humble but passionate natives of South Island's exceptional landscapes.
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Hand-on-heart, we don't think anyone knows and loves these lands like us. Our exclusive adventures flow directly from their force and beauty, bringing about extraordinary personal transformation in all who take part. We are passionate about sharing our love of these lands with those that immerse themselves in our adventures and expeditions.
Our Environment
Our impact on the environment is an important consideration for us, and regulated access is crucial to preserve these environments. Through a combination of committed investment and a proven respect for the land, NewZeal possesses more exclusive location permits than any other New Zealand operator and, for certain areas, is sole concessionaire.
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Alongside the stringent safety licensing, we hold a valid accreditation for nearly every activity imaginable - from pack rafting and rock climbing, through to glacier walking. We are able to host experiences quite literally unavailable anywhere else.
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We regard these exclusive permissions as a huge privilege, both for us and for our clients. We're guests of these lands and students of their teachings.
NewZeal defintion:
'NEW' [adjective] - the new you, a by-product of 1. participating in our inspirational experience, 2. feeling empowered, as a result.
'ZEAL' [noun] - great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.
NewZeal founder and official Head of Enthusiasm is Paul Nicholson: motivational speaker, instructor, facilitator, guide, and South Island travel guru.
Paul's inspirational energy shines through every NewZeal experience, whether he's leading in person or darting around behind the scenes.
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His happy place? Supporting every individual to strive for their personal and professional best, a theme echoed throughout his action-packed career. When he's not packing in action at NewZeal, Paul harnesses his Adventure Philosophy to captivate large audiences with keynote speeches, inspire teams on immersersive workshops, and motivate young people to manifest their best selves.
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Our team
Dan Cullen
Mike Kempt
Joel Bouzaid
Pete Simpson
Pete is a Scotsman who's lived in Wanaka for 16 years. He first came to New Zealand in 1994 to kayak and enjoy New Zealand wilderness. After 10 years of working internationally as a professional kayaker, paddling remote and often unchartered class 5 white water, he chose to return to New Zealand and raise a family.
Laura Cockcroft
Amity Raymen-Barker
Amity is an adventure enthusiast and self-professed tourism industry nerd. She spent many years working as a tourism industry marketer and graphic designer in the UK's Lake District. She also ran her own touring company; taking people hiking and sightseeing all over the UK and France.
Toby & Ferg
NewZeal's most dynamic (and certainly most popular) members- Toby is our Team Smile Facilitator and longest serving team member. Ferg is a newer addition to the team and joins us as a highly experienced Enthusiasm Manager.