About Us

The Adventure Gene was created from the belief that the best way to explore this earth is using your own two feet. Whether it be hiking, cycling, or skiing, The Adventure Gene’s mission is to enable outdoor journeys by sharing hard-fought knowledge and experience. With track guides, trip reports, gear reviews and guided tours, The Adventure Gene helps to make your outdoor aspirations a reality.

Expand your outdoors!

Meet the team:

Tom Bartlett

Based in Canberra, Tom is an accomplished endurance athlete and hiking guide with over 20,000km of hiking trails under his belt. He is no stranger to hiking up to 100km per day, and has speed records on the Australian Alps Walking Track, the Bibbulmun Track, and New Zealand’s 3000km Te Araroa.

Tom is our gear guru! He is responsible for making sure your pack is always as light as possible whilst maintaining our rigorous standards for safety and comfort.

Tom’s passion for the outdoors is matched by his extensive knowledge and dedication to helping others explore the world on foot. Whether hiking, running, skiing or cycling, Tom’s adventurous spirit and expertise ensure every journey is unforgettable.

Join Tom on a trip through the Australian Alps and fast-track your outdoor skills and knowledge.

Maddie Wait

Maddie is the fastest woman to have ever completed Te Araroa in New Zealand. On this hike, she set the overall self-supported fastest known time and bested previous efforts of supported female runners in the process.

Maddie is our backcountry nutrition expert and master chef. As an elite endurance athlete, she is responsible for formulating and implementing our nutrition program, ensuring that you are properly fueled on our expeditions. Maddie is always designing, creating, and testing new delicious, high-quality meals for our trips.

Born in Perth, Maddie moved to Canberra and discovered a love for the Snowy Mountains. With over 15,000km of hiking experience, Maddie’s enthusiasm and friendly nature encourage others to step outside of their comfort zone and grow in the outdoors.

Join Maddie for an adventure and experience the wilderness with a new perspective.

Adventure Map & Timeline

Want to see where we have been? Here is an interactive map of all our personal trips & adventures! Below that, you can find the timeline of our hikes and rides to see when we completed them. Trips with images have corresponding articles, such as trip reports, track guides and gear lists. You can read about these by clicking the track name.

If you want to learn more about one of the tracks we have completed but not written about yet, let us know and we can help you out!

Jan/Feb 2024

Te Araroa FKT

New Zealand

Maddie and Tom set the self-supported Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Te Araroa, completing the 3030km trail in 54 days and 14h. This made Maddie the fastest female ever to have completed the trail.