NZ Hunter – August 2019

mountain biking shoes were no match for the snowy terrain, and

tenting on the tops without a sleeping bag is not recommended.

(Mark comments that it could always have been worse, and that

he did unzip his sleeping bag and drape it over them both when

Simon’s chattering teeth got the better of him!)

Mark: I remember a four-day trip in the Lewis Pass area with

Simon. We walked a big loop and on the last day we had velvet,

but no meat. About four hours from the car, I shot a good stag. We

boned him out, taking everything we could. Thirty minutes later,

I shot a hind a long way off so I went to grab that, cutting it in

half and draping it over my already heavy pack before struggling

off back towards the car. I think Simon thought he needed to get

something as well, so he shot two stags and after gutting them,

he joined me on the track for three more gruelling hours before

we got to the car at midnight. We then walked back to bone out

Simon’s two deer, returning to the car totally wrecked...that was a

great trip!

So what do you say – is there a bit of an attraction

to action and adventure in the Rayward family DNA?

Where do you reckon that came from and/or why do

you think that is?

Zac: We were encouraged to play outside, so we’d always be

mucking around and it just built up from there. Dad taught me

how to hunt when I was young and he would take us out rabbit

shooting to get our skills up. I remember the first large game

animal I shot was a boar at the age of twelve. Hunting definitely

runs in the family, as my grandad is also a very keen outdoorsman

and hunter.

Mark: One of my grandfathers hunted overseas and was very

active in the NZ backcountry. He wrote a book about this life,

which included being a farmer, culler, bomber pilot and POW in

WW2. What has driven me consistently over the years is not how

tough things are at any given moment, but how much harder my

grandfather and others like him had it in their time.

So do you get out with your own kids, Mark?

My kids are 12 and 15 and have been brought up with an

adventurous lifestyle. Since the youngest was five, we’ve done

several annual 5-7 day missions. These normally involve walking

in the mountains, pack rafting and kayaking. There have been

several trips that stand out, where we have been really pushed

physically, sleeping rough or in a tent, exploring routes over

passes, swimming gorges and getting cold and tired...but the

kids are totally into it and relish each day. The way they embrace

this lifestyle has been incredibly rewarding.

Mark, you are a champion adventure racer – in your

opinion what’s been your most satisfying result?

Well, I’ve raced with world champion Nathan Fa’avae but I’ve never

won any big events. My best result was in 2018 when I finished

4th in Godzone, Fiordland. Our team was Nathan and Jodie

Fa’avae, and Dan Moore who are all good friends and we work

together in the Fa’avae Sporting Events Company. I was weeks

away from turning 50 and the course had some very long and

difficult stages. To finish 4th, with no trench foot, and making no

mistakes in racing was very satisfying.

Do you think hard hunting set you up well for being an

adventure multisporter?

For sure. If I were to generalize, most of the sporting community

would consider adventure racing pretty up there for being tough

and requiring solid, hard skills. Every good adventure racer has

the ability to suffer well, work towards positive outcomes and

look after him/herself in all types of terrain and weather. From

hard-won experience, I know that hunting has given me some

of my most challenging moments and I’ve had to rely on many

attributes and abilities to be able to operate.

Favourite type of hunting?

Simon: Although I love hunting rabbits when they are plentiful,

my favourite place would be on the open tops, glassing for deer.

I must say I now get more pleasure out of seeing animals than

shooting them.

Zac: It would definitely be tops hunting missions chasing

chamois or Red deer in the summertime.

Mark: Like the others – on the tops, with a friend or two, binos

round my neck, and terrain that allows for plenty of travel and

bivying out...and where deer and chamois are present.

Simon with an

excellent chamois

Mark with

a stag

August / September 2019 ~ NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE 53

mountain biking shoes were no match for the snowy terrain, and
tenting on the tops without a sleeping bag is not recommended.
(Mark comments that it could always have been worse, and that
he did unzip his sleeping bag and drape it over them both when
Simon’s chattering teeth got the better of him!)

Mark: I remember a four-day trip in the Lewis Pass area with
Simon. We walked a big loop and on the last day we had velvet,
but no meat. About four hours from the car, I shot a good stag. We
boned him out, taking everything we could. Thirty minutes later,
I shot a hind a long way off so I went to grab that, cutting it in
half and draping it over my already heavy pack before struggling
off back towards the car. I think Simon thought he needed to get
something as well, so he shot two stags and after gutting them,
he joined me on the track for three more gruelling hours before
we got to the car at midnight. We then walked back to bone out
Simon’s two deer, returning to the car totally wrecked...that was a
great trip!

So what do you say – is there a bit of an attraction

to action and adventure in the Rayward family DNA?

Where do you reckon that came from and/or why do

you think that is?

Zac: We were encouraged to play outside, so we’d always be
mucking around and it just built up from there. Dad taught me
how to hunt when I was young and he would take us out rabbit
shooting to get our skills up. I remember the first large game
animal I shot was a boar at the age of twelve. Hunting definitely
runs in the family, as my grandad is also a very keen outdoorsman
and hunter.

Mark: One of my grandfathers hunted overseas and was very
active in the NZ backcountry. He wrote a book about this life,
which included being a farmer, culler, bomber pilot and POW in
WW2. What has driven me consistently over the years is not how
tough things are at any given moment, but how much harder my
grandfather and others like him had it in their time.

So do you get out with your own kids, Mark?

My kids are 12 and 15 and have been brought up with an
adventurous lifestyle. Since the youngest was five, we’ve done
several annual 5-7 day missions. These normally involve walking
in the mountains, pack rafting and kayaking. There have been
several trips that stand out, where we have been really pushed
physically, sleeping rough or in a tent, exploring routes over
passes, swimming gorges and getting cold and tired...but the
kids are totally into it and relish each day. The way they embrace
this lifestyle has been incredibly rewarding.

Mark, you are a champion adventure racer – in your

opinion what’s been your most satisfying result?

Well, I’ve raced with world champion Nathan Fa’avae but I’ve never
won any big events. My best result was in 2018 when I finished
4th in Godzone, Fiordland. Our team was Nathan and Jodie
Fa’avae, and Dan Moore who are all good friends and we work
together in the Fa’avae Sporting Events Company. I was weeks
away from turning 50 and the course had some very long and
difficult stages. To finish 4th, with no trench foot, and making no
mistakes in racing was very satisfying.

Do you think hard hunting set you up well for being an

adventure multisporter?

For sure. If I were to generalize, most of the sporting community
would consider adventure racing pretty up there for being tough
and requiring solid, hard skills. Every good adventure racer has
the ability to suffer well, work towards positive outcomes and
look after him/herself in all types of terrain and weather. From
hard-won experience, I know that hunting has given me some
of my most challenging moments and I’ve had to rely on many
attributes and abilities to be able to operate.

Favourite type of hunting?

Simon: Although I love hunting rabbits when they are plentiful,

my favourite place would be on the open tops, glassing for deer.

I must say I now get more pleasure out of seeing animals than

shooting them.

Zac: It would definitely be tops hunting missions chasing

chamois or Red deer in the summertime.

Mark: Like the others – on the tops, with a friend or two, binos

round my neck, and terrain that allows for plenty of travel and

bivying out...and where deer and chamois are present.

Simon with an

excellent chamois

Mark with

a stag

August / September 2019 ~ NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE 53