Paid to paddle: 'Living the Dream' in the New Zealand sea kayaking industry

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.