Paid to paddle: 'Living the Dream' in the New Zealand sea kayaking industry : a dissertation submitted in fulfilment of requirements for Masters [i.e. Master] of Applied Science (Parks, Recreation and Tourism) at Lincoln University
Abstract
Work, leisure and lifestyle have long been areas of study and interest to researchers and of
more than passing interest to the "ordinary person on the street". In contemporary society,
consideration of this "work-life balance" and the blurring of the boundaries between work
and non-work, are an increasingly important area of study. Indeed, there is some evidence
that the promised popular ideal of a "leisure society", predicted as a result of increasing
technological advances and greater affluence, has not eventuated, with people now
working longer and harder than ever before (Schor, 2006). This research looks at the
lifestyle and motivations of some young New Zealanders, who choose to live, work and
play in the outdoors, in particular, as sea kayaking guides.
Sea kayaks have been used for hunting and transportation for over 4000 years and, more
recently, as recreational craft as new technologies, production techniques, affluence and
mobility have made them more accessible to a wider range of people exploring leisure
options. Commercial sea kayaking in New Zealand is a recent phenomenon, having only
been established since the late 1980s and early 1990s. The growth of this industry allows
for a mix of work and play hitherto unknown. Little study has been undertaken on those who choose to work in the outdoors for extended
periods of time (Barnes, 2003) and even less so, on those who work as sea kayaking
guides. This research explores the world of a group of 16 sea kayaking guides and seeks to
shed light on their rationale for choosing a particular employment and lifestyle. The
research is based on field work and data collected during 2010/2011 at the Abel Tasman
National Park, Fiordland National Park and Marlborough Sounds in New Zealands South
Island. Commercial sea kayak guiding in these areas is a significant employer of young
people, year round, and especially so during the summer months when the data for this
research was collected. Guides were observed at work and leisure during the 2010/2011
season. Reflection on these observations was supplemented by the literature and semistructured
interviews. The results enhance our understanding of how some people are active in creating and following their desire to be outdoors, adventuring, meeting new
people and travelling. This blending of leisure and work leads to a temporary lifestyle of
"employed transience" (Adler & Adler, 1999). The results also indicate that for some
young New Zealanders, the attraction to outdoor adventure guiding is a combination of
People and Place. Factors such as a pioneering Polynesian and Pakeha culture, proximity
to mountains, rivers, forests and sea, influential outdoor experiences with family and
school, and a desire to meet new people and travel, are all offered as important reasons for
choosing this particular lifestyle. The sea kayak guides in this research are not only
identified by their work, but importantly at this stage of their life, identify with their work.
Working, even if only for a short time, with like-minded people in the outdoors is
increasingly seen as an attractive and viable option. For a short period of their lives,
predominantly in their twenties, this transitory outdoor lifestyle is admired, desired,
followed and, for most, ultimately left behind as life changes see a return to a more
financially secure, settled and conventional career.
While this study focused particularly on sea kayak guides, the results have wider
implications for understanding the complex nature of work and leisure and pose some
important questions for educators, employers and policy makers in the future.... [Show full abstract]