Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Danish guide loves life on the lagoons
To say Mathias Jespersen is well travelled would be an understatement, but Marlborough has still found a special spot on his list of destinations.
The Danish national is working as a guide in Marlborough for the summer and says he is finding the region more interesting and enjoyable each day.
Mathias is no stranger to foreign lands having travelled extensively in Asia, North America and Europe. He has bungee jumped in Nepal, worked at an isolated dog sledding camp in Alaska and more recently hitchhiked around the South Island.
The Wairau Lagoons, 8 kilometres east of Blenheim, where he leads kayak and canoe trips, have become an area of particular fascination, he says.
‘‘I struggle to keep the tours to two hours because I want to go as far as possible and show the people coming on the tours as much as possible.
‘‘I am always wanting to go and explore a new area. I just love to show the place off.’’
His job guiding will keep him in Marlborough for three months before moving north to explore the rest of the country.
It is a job that never gets boring, he says. It is not only the bird and animal life, but the rich history of the area which has captured his imagination.
‘‘When I first walked the lagoons it was a bit boring to be honest, but on the water it is a different story.
‘‘There is so much to see. I love learning new things about it all the time.’’
Mathias has travelled much of the South Island and seen more than some Kiwis, including doing a two-week stint on Stewart Island.
Hitchhiking is the best way to get around the country as you get to meet a myriad of fellow travellers as well as locals, he says. ‘‘Kiwis are so awesome like that.
‘‘I thought I would spend a lot of my time on the side of the road, but I never struggled to find a lift.
‘‘I met a retired lady driving an old ambulance who had beaten cancer and was doing a trip she had wanted to do but hadn’t been able to because of cancer.
‘‘I met a couple who had gotten engaged three weeks after meeting each other.
‘‘In Havelock I got picked up by a Korean guy who couldn’t speak any English - there were just so many interesting people you meet.’’