Two years ago, Isabell Zitzelsberger was lying in bed clicking through web templates with no experience and no clear plan. She had a name, Wild Chix, and a conviction that something was missing for women who loved the outdoors but rarely got the chance to call the shots.
"I never built a website before, never thought about the potential," she says. "But I just knew there was something I had to explore."
That late-night hunch has grown into one of New Zealand's most compelling grassroots movements in outdoor education. Wild Chix now runs nationwide events spanning boating seminars, trailer training, fishing days, hunting trips, VHF radio courses, and bootcamps. It is a space where women connect, build skills, and come away from the water or the bush with a confidence they didn't arrive with.
"We're not just telling a good-night story anymore," says Isabell. "We're building a real shift in how women see themselves in the outdoors."
The seed for all of this was planted well before the website. Isabell and her partner Sascha shared a boat, fished together, and hunted together, yet when it came to backing the trailer, launching, sorting the gear, or planning the logistics, it was Sascha who stepped up. Isabell was along for the ride rather than in command of it, and she sensed she was far from alone in that experience.
“When we went out, I packed the snacks and maybe looked out for rocks,” she laughs. “But he backed the trailer, handled the engine, plotted the route, checked the safety gear, ran the comms — everything. I’d fished for years, but he still baited my hook!”
Working in the marine industry brought that suspicion into sharp focus. Selling boats first through Balex Marine and then at Surtees Boats, Isabell saw the pattern repeat itself constantly. Even when women had contributed financially to a boat purchase, they were frequently sidelined from choosing it, learning to operate it, or taking the helm. The moment things shifted for her personally came when she backed a trailer on her own for the first time at Surtees.
“I didn’t ask Sascha. I asked the guys in the yard. I knew better — he’s great, but it’s like we speak different languages when it comes to instruction. And that’s when I realised, we needed to create a space where women could learn from women.”
Wild Chix grew from that moment, expanding from a name and a feeling into a full programme of events delivered at clubs and venues around the country. Tauranga Sportfishing Club, Bowentown Boating Club, the Outboard Boating Club in Auckland, and many others have hosted workshops. The offerings range from Boating Basics sessions and trailer training to multi-day hunting expeditions and radio qualification courses.
The format is deliberate: practical skills, no judgement, and a community of women who understand exactly where each other is starting from.
"You don't need a licence," says Isabell. "You don't need a partner. You don't even need to know the difference between port and starboard. Just come with a willingness to give it a go."
Later this month, Wild Chix is partnering with Skipperi, the boat-sharing platform, to deliver fully hosted Women's Day on the Water sessions using Haines Hunter SF545s with trained female guides at the helm. Every Skipperi vessel arrives fully rigged with safety equipment, electronics, and bait, meaning participants simply need to show up and start learning.
August 2025 is a particularly busy month for the movement, with events running from Taupō to Auckland to Whakatāne:
- 7 August: Boating Basics (Taupō) - 12 August: Ladies Quiz Night (Whakatāne) - 15–17 August: Intro to Hunting (Central North Island) - 21 August: Boating Basics (Auckland) - 22 August: Women's Day on the Water (Auckland, with Skipperi) - 23 August: Boating Bootcamp, covering trailer and docking skills - End of August: Exhibit at Mystery Creek
For many of the women who come through Wild Chix, the draw runs deeper than learning to read a chart or reverse a trailer. It is about reaching places that most people never see, dropping anchor off a deserted coastline, pulling in a fish and knowing how to fillet it, or heading into the hills for wild game. Boating becomes something larger, a route to freedom, self-reliance, and a genuine relationship with the natural world.
"We're getting back to the roots," says Isabell. "To learn how to gather your own food, connect with nature, and sometimes just be in the moment."
Two years on, the momentum shows no sign of slowing. Isabell still works full-time in the marine industry, and Wild Chix remains something she runs on passion as much as anything else. She still answers every email personally, loads gear before every event, and makes a point of welcoming each woman who signs up. What began as a late-night project has become something closer to a calling.
“We’re building something that’s bigger than us. This isn’t just about boating or hunting. It’s about reclaiming space, knowledge, and confidence in a world that sometimes forgets how capable women really are. Wild Chix is changing that — and I can’t wait to see where we go next.”
