Marios Gavalas - Publishing, Guiding, and Yurts

Marios Gavalas has spent decades exploring Aotearoa’s mountains, forests and coastlines — and helping others do the same through his books, guiding, and photography.  In this episode of The Tramping Life, Marius shares stories from his early days tramping the Coromandel with little more than a tent and a pair of skis, to writing 18 guidebooks that introduced countless people to New Zealand’s tracks.  We talk about his transition from writer to professional guide, what it’s like to live for a decade in a yurt, and why his “tramping bucket list” now begins just outside his back door in the Motueka Valley.  Along the way, Marios reflects on the joy of slow walking, his encounters with falcons and penguins, and the quiet art of living close to nature — with just a thin layer of canvas in between.https://hikingnewzealand.com/blog/meet-our-guide-marios-gavalas