179: Vanlife and Revisiting Favourite New Zealand Hidden Gems with Daniel Mauden

Daniel Mauden is a German-born traveller and photographer, who now lives full time on the road with his partner Dinah. He shares about childhood family trips, volunteering stints in the US, India, and the Bahamas, and the spontaneous decision to move to Aotearoa. Daniel worked in Hamilton for several years, squeezing weekend adventures around full-time work, before leaving his job and freelancing as a content creator. Daniel talks about places he keeps returning to - Cape Palliser, Castlepoint, French Pass - and why lighthouses, remote coastlines, sunset, are his favourite places to explore and photograph in New Zealand. He shares openly about the trade-offs of van life, from tight spaces to constant decision-making, alongside the freedom of waking up beside the ocean or hiking before sunrise. Daniel shares his perspective on slowing down and revisiting places deeply, instead of chasing checklists  Abigail & Isaac are kayaking for 1,000km from Cape Reinga to Tauranga in Feb-Mar 2026 to raise $20,000 for mental health and the ocean. Join the community to follow our journey closely, donate or paddle with us.👉 slowpaddle.nzThank you so much for tuning in and coming along for the ride. If you love the show and enjoyed listening, please take the time to leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I would also love to connect with you, so send me a DM on Instagram, leave me a voice message and I can’t wait to see you next time. Until then, keep adventuring :) Follow Daniel on Instagram: instagram.com/roamdatesRead the Blog: www.abigailhannah.nzFollow Abigail on Instagram: instagram.com/abigailhannnah/Follow Abigail on TikTok: tiktok.com/@abigailhannnah/Get my NZ Map & Guide