Two years ago, Isabell Zitzelsberger was lying in bed trying to build a basic website. She had a name — Wild Chix — and a feeling that something needed to exist for women like her: women who loved the outdoors, but weren’t always in the driver’s seat.
“I never built a website before, never thought about the potential,” she says now. “But I just knew there was something I had to explore.”
That something has become one of New Zealand’s most inspiring grassroots movements in outdoor education — a space for women to connect, learn, and grow confident in boating, fishing, and hunting. From those early late-night clicks, Wild Chix now runs nationwide events, seminars, bootcamps, and hands-on trips into the bush and across the sea.
“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.”
Born from experience
The idea took root years earlier, at a moment many boating couples will recognise. Isabell and her partner Sascha owned a boat together, fished together, and hunted together — but when it came to trailer backing, launching, gear prep, or planning the trip, Sascha did most of it.
“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!”
It wasn’t until Isabell started selling boats herself — first through Balex Marine, then at Surtees Boats — that she realised how widespread this dynamic really was. Even when women helped pay for a boat, they were often left out of the selection, the learning, and the skippering.
When she backed a trailer solo for the first time at Surtees, something clicked.
“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 women, wild places
The result was Wild Chix — a brand, a community, and now a full-scale calendar of events. From “Boating Basics” seminars and trailer training days to multi-day hunting trips and VHF radio courses, Wild Chix equips women with the confidence to take the lead.
They’ve run workshops at clubs across the country: Tauranga Sportfishing Club, Bowentown Boating Club, the Outboard Boating Club in Auckland, and many more. Later this month, they’re partnering with Skipperi — the boat-sharing platform — to offer fully hosted “Women’s Day on the Water” sessions using Haines Hunter SF545s skippered by trained female guides.
Chicks take the helm: A practical day on the water for women
Every Skipperi boat comes fully equipped with safety gear, electronics, and bait — so attendees can just turn up and start learning. The formula is simple but powerful: practical skill-building, zero judgement, and a community that gets it.
“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.”
Trailer to tiller, fish to fillet
August 2025 is packed with Wild Chix events, ranging from Taupō to Auckland and 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 — trailer and docking skills
- End of August: Exhibit at the Boat, Fish & Dive Expo at Mystery Creek
The New Zealand Boat, Fish & Dive Expo returns for another action-packed weekend at Mystery Creek
For many women, the appeal goes far beyond operating a boat. It’s about accessing places not seen by many — launching from remote ramps, anchoring off isolated islands, catching and filleting your own fish, or hunting your own wild meat. It’s boating as freedom, confidence, and connection.
“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.”
What’s next?
Two years in, Wild Chix is just getting started. Isabell continues to work full-time in the marine industry, but her passion project has become a calling. She still responds to every email, loads gear for every event, and makes sure every woman who signs up is personally welcomed.
She’s proud — and rightly so.
“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.”
Ready to launch?
To register for a Wild Chix event, head to www.wildchix.co.nz
Take the helm — at your pace, in good company, and with the skills to go anywhere.
