For Wild Places Podcast

15. Chasing raw, untamed stories and runners, with adventure photographer and videographer Calumn Hockey

Today's guest, Calumn Hockey, is a self-taught adventure photographer who has shot some of Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand's most iconic trail and ultra races.  This conversation is a little different to our usual trail chats, as Calumn shares stories behind some of his favourite photographs.  To see the photos we discuss in this episode, head to this Instagram post [https://www.instagram.com/p/DR_JgnyAbi-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==].  We hear the stories behind the images, and the effort and patience that goes into getting a quality shot.  In our follow-up conversation from December 2025, Calumn reflects on the past two years, the impact trail and ultra running have had on his career, and the many places and people he's captured along the way. Check out more of Calumn's work on his website [https://calumnh.com/] or Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/calumnhockey/].  If you'd like to join Cal at the Gold Coast Backyard Ultra [https://www.instagram.com/goldcoastbyu/], sign up now. [https://www.goldcoastbyu.com.au/] To hear more from For Wild Places, subscribe [https://bit.ly/fwpweeklynews] to our newsletter or become a member [https://www.forwildplaces.com/membership/individual/].

14. One race, three endings: The power of patience, mental resilience and optimism with Lou Clifton

Today's guest, Lou Clifton, is an inspiration to so many in the Australian trail and ultra running scene.  Lou discovered the world of trail running in 2014 and has since gone on to grace trails and podiums both nationally and abroad.  Not only is Lou an elite kick-ass athlete, but she is also incredibly kind, patient, determined, and, pragmatically and unwaveringly, optimistic.  These two conversations span two years, both fresh off one of Lou's most elusive races - The Grampians Peaks Trail 100 Miler.  A lot can happen in two years, and these two conversations bookend a challenging time that tested Lou's mental resilience and patience.   Follow Lou's adventures and races on Instagram at @loumclifton [https://www.instagram.com/loumclifton/] or on Strava [https://www.strava.com/athletes/6886908?oq=lou%20clifton]. To hear more from For Wild Places, subscribe to our newsletter [https://bit.ly/fwpweeklynews] or become a member [https://www.forwildplaces.com/membership/individual/].

13. The meandering and magical story of 'unlikely hiker' turned off-track explorer, Caro Ryan

In today's episode, we're catching up with the effervescent Caro Ryan, aka Lotsa fresh air.  Caro is a self-proclaimed unexpected outdoors chick who spends her days exploring the many beautiful multi-day walks across our continent and embracing the freedom of off-track exploration.  Caro is the wearer of many hats - educator, tour guide, search and rescue volunteer, podcast host and most importantly, a genuinely kind and bright human. We first caught up with Caro in December 2023, fresh off Caro's completion of the newly opened Grampians Peaks Trail.  We then caught up in early November 2025, where we picked up the conversation talking about storytelling, the pros and cons of social media, and regenerative tourism. [https://www.islanderway.co/regenerative-tourism]  Although the Blue Mountains may be Caro’s home trails, she has wandered near and far and has years of experience she is eager to share.  Motivated by a desire to give others the tools they need to feel comfortable and get out into nature, Caro is an open book when it comes to her experience navigating the complexity of social media, combining work and pleasure, and our modern approach to adventure.  Sign up for one of Caro's Nav Courses, get a copy of her book or simply get lost in the treasure trove of travel tips at www.lotsafreshair.com [http://lotsafreshair.com/].  You can also follow Caro on Instagram @lotsafreshair [https://www.instagram.com/lotsafreshair/] or YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/Lotsafreshair/videos]. To hear more from For Wild Places, subscribe to our newsletter or become a member.

12. The power, pitfalls and practicalities of a purpose-driven life in the outdoors, with Chris Ord

This week, we catch up with Chris Ord, who has helped craft the local trail running scene for over a decade.  Chris is the founder of Trail Run Mag and has gone on to found Tour de Trails, which is responsible for some of the most loved and inclusive events on the Victorian calendar.  When he's not race directing, Chris is a consultant with TRC Tourism or hosting trail running tours around the world.  Our first conversation with Chris took place in October 2023 and covered a lot of ground, including the transformative effect that spending time outdoors in nature has had on Chris and the broader community, which led to him creating a purpose-driven career. We then caught up two years later, where we continued the conversation on the impacts of climate, and in particular, how Race Directors in Victoria are navigating the risk and reward of hosting epic events in the Alpine over the summer and shoulder months.  Stay up-to-date with Chris's adventures and advocacy on his Instagram account, @onelifewild [https://www.instagram.com/onelifewild/], or discover your next trail event or tour on Tour de Trails' social media [https://www.instagram.com/tourdetrails/] or website [https://tourdetrails.com/].  To hear more from For Wild Places, subscribe to our newsletter [https://bit.ly/fwpweeklynews] or become a member [https://www.forwildplaces.com/membership/individual/].

11. Unlocking the unstoppable combination of consitency, passion and showing up with Melissa Robertson

In this week's podcast, we catch up with ultra runner, software developer and consistency queen, Melissa Robertson.   Melissa lives on NSW's Central Coast but has explored many of Australia's most iconic trails and races, from backyard ultras to 200-milers and 24-hour events.  When she's not training, recovering or travelling, Melissa works remotely as a software developer for the Australian Antarctic Division. Will first caught up with Melissa in April 2023, fresh off the heels of attempting the Barkley Marathons, a race Melissa described as 'insane'.  We then caught up with Melissa in October 2025, two and a half years, and many accomplishments later.  We talk about consistency, training in all conditions, her upcoming move to lutriwita/Tasmaia and training for UTMB 2026.   Melissa's love and passion for running is embedded in who she is, and we are so grateful to her for sharing this infectious energy with us.  These two conversations serve as a reminder of how much we are capable of when we stop making excuses and get out onto the trails, day after day, rain or shine. Thank you, Melissa, for being such an inspiration to those juggling 9-to-5 and big, outdoor adventure goals.  You can follow Melissa's adventures on Instagram, @melissa_trailrunner. [https://www.instagram.com/melissa_trailrunner/] To hear more from For Wild Places, subscribe [https://bit.ly/fwpweeklynews] to our newsletter or become a member [https://www.forwildplaces.com/membership/individual/].