New East Asian migrants and outdoor access

In Wellington's community of cross-country runners, Hirotaka Tanimoto, or Hiro, is well known to his friends. Very few runners have not found themselves plodding in a puddle or clambering up a hill as Hiro comes flying past, smiling, sharing words of encouragement, and disappearing into the distance. When he is not running, he might instead be snorkelling, kayaking, cycling or exploring the outdoors.

Hiro is one of many first-generation East Asian New Zealanders. He has embraced the outdoor lifestyle that is a stereotypical part of the Kiwi identity. Raised in Japan, he emigrated to Aotearoa a decade ago and has recently received his permanent residence.

Hiro says easy access to the natural environment and outdoor activities attract people to live in New Zealand.

"Everything is amazingly close to our doorstep," he says. Even the people living in the CBD can access the bush, marine reserve, or hills." He compares that to his hometown of Chiba, where he was two hours away from outdoor activities.

Like Hiro, 47% of adult Asian New Zealanders take part in running or jogging each year. That is significantly more than the 40% average for the total adult population.

That data comes from the 2022 Active NZ Survey, which provides valuable insight into how New Zealanders recreate and play. (However, it is helpful to note that it considers people by ethnicity rather than whether they are new migrants.) It shows that while Asian New Zealanders are more likely to run and jog, they are less likely to go tramping, mountain biking, hunting, kayaking, or other wilderness activities.

Stereotypes

Some New Zealanders argue that connection to nature and access to the outdoors is a Kiwi birthright; It is part of what makes us Kiwi. That’s a stereotype, so it is not true for everyone. Many New Zealanders are happy not to interact with bugs, scratches, or dampness. But for some of us, it is a cultural ritual.

So, if access to the outdoors helps define who we are as people, we need to ensure that our newest residents have the same access to nature that we grew up with.

We risk unhelpful stereotypes when grouping migrant East Asians - a group of people who have emigrated from a continent comprising 4.5 billion people, spread across 48 countries and speaking 2300 languages.

But if East Asian migrants do have a shared experience of access to the outdoors in New Zealand, it will be important for us to consider. Access to the outdoors is important for all migrant New Zealanders because it promotes physical and mental wellbeing and fosters a sense of belonging. Outdoor access is also one way of integrating into the local community. The natural landscapes and outdoor recreational opportunities in New Zealand allow Asian migrants to connect with the country, its people, and its cultures.

Marian Park works for Harbour Sport. She used to lead the ActivAsian Korean walking group, which went on local bushwalks on the North Shore. The program was eventually discontinued due to limited resources, but before it closed, it attracted thousands of participants, many newcomers, an older population, and people from diverse backgrounds.

Park says walking is one of the most popular outdoor activities for Asian immigrants.

“There are some Korean walking groups operating across the Auckland region, but it is hard to count them as the groups run individually and operate as small groups.”

Members of the Korean walking group said it was a good platform to solve isolation problems. It helped to improve fitness, including improving medical conditions like diabetes. Walkers learned more about the New Zealand nature environment and Māori words for native birds, plants, and flowers. They shared the walking route with friends and neighbours and became more interested in the local history and environment plans and programs from the local council. This led them to be more involved with their neighbour and the wider community

Challenges for East Asian migrants

One reason that East Asian migrants are less likely to access the outdoors, Hiro says, is that many immigrants grew up with different physical recreation.

The developed East Asian countries, such as Japan, China and South Korea have massive cities that are a long way from wilderness.

"Therefore, people's main activities are indoor gym sports - they never think we have fun activities outside of the gym."

Hiro also notes the popularity of road walking and running in East Asian cities, often inspired by the massive and growing major world marathon events such as the Tokyo Marathon.

"Road running is recognised as a major sport. However, [migrant East Asians] do not have any chance to run in a bush, forest or hills, which means trail running is separated from 'running' in their mind."

The Active NZ survey finds that adult Asian New Zealanders are less likely than total adult New Zealanders to agree with the statement that they have access to spaces and places where they can do the physical activities they want (72% vs 76%). They are also less likely to agree that they have the chance to do the physical activity they want (26% vs 30%).

Herenga ā Nuku's role, according to the Walking Access Act 2008, is to provide New Zealanders with free, certain, enduring, and practical access to the outdoors. If groups of people would like to enjoy the outdoors but don't, that suggests that, while access might be free, certain, and enduring, it is not practical.

For outdoor access to be practical and meaningful, we need to consider the cultural lens of the people who will use it.

Cultural connections to the land

Qin Qin wrote her PhD thesis on the outdoor recreation experience of mainland Chinese students in New Zealand. She says locals don't need much context to understand outdoor recreation.

"The phrase 'outdoor recreation' has an embedded local meaning to Kiwis and they understand things like the equipment and skills needed, and any physical requirements... But it's a totally different story for Chinese students... China has a different landscape and cultural tradition from New Zealand and what Kiwis assume is "common" is not necessarily coded in Chinese students' cultural system."

Qin Qin says we need to describe better and share the cultural significance of our outdoor access.

"Students understand the beauty of Lake Tekapo but have many questions: What's the church for? Why not a marae? Little of these questions have been solved or even noticed by locals."

Exploring mountains, rivers, conservation areas, and heritage cultural sites can help Asian migrants understand New Zealand's natural and cultural identity – but only if we make the culture relevant and accessible, as well as the sites themselves accessible.

For instance, visiting Cooks Cove Walkway can deepen people’s understanding of New Zealand's tangata whenua and colonial history—if we share those stories. Outdoor access enables Asian migrants to learn about traditional recreational activities, seasonal customs, and the historical significance of natural landmarks. It can also showcase New Zealand's conservation and environmental sustainability efforts.

Qin Qin says New Zealanders mostly use their public access spaces as places for outdoor recreation rather than cultural delivery.

“This means while locals might have an emotional attachment to an outdoor place, it is a mere physical landscape to newcomers”

Hiro suggests three changes that could make it easier for Asian New Zealanders to access the outdoors. The first two are about communication.

1.     Multilingual signage at the entrance to outdoor access and trails would make its accessibility more obvious.

2.    Spreading information about outdoor access opportunities at physical recreation events that are popular with Asian New Zealanders, such as major road running events, would increase awareness.

3.    More welcoming entrances to walking tracks and outdoor access, including better trailhead facilities such as toilets, maps and carparks, would reduce the barriers people face stepping into the wilderness.

The walkers in Marian’s former ActivAsian Korean walking group agreed that the outdoors would be more accessible if information about outdoor activities, safety information or walking courses if they are translated into Korean.

Tensions

It is easy to romanticise the value of outdoor access in New Zealand. Engaging in outdoor activities such as tramping to Belmont Trig or biking along the Pukekohe Five Summits trail promotes physical fitness. It provides opportunities for relaxation and stress relief. Exposure to natural environments and physical activity in outdoor settings improves mental health and overall wellbeing. For East Asian migrants adjusting to a new environment, exploring and enjoying New Zealand nature may provide relaxation and improve their overall health.

But as Qin Qin’s research shows, there is also tension for some Asian migrants. She notes that most of the intentional students she interviewed anticipated cultural differences but were frustrated by the lack of explanation for those differences.

“Therefore, they generalise all cultural differences as the “Kiwi way” that self-rationalises outdoor enthusiasm. This label somehow creates a line between [Chinese students] and the local way of outdoor recreation, which is recognised as being in conflict with the Chinese way.” (p 110)

Many of Qin Qin’s respondents viewed New Zealand as “pretty mountains, pretty rivers, pretty boring.”

“The outdoor recreation experience then becomes reasonably limited to the physical stimulus rather than the local cultural experience they had expected.” (p 111)

As Qin Qin notes, New Zealanders need to do more to highlight Māori culture in public spaces. For the students she talked to, these cultural connections make access to the outdoors more practical and worthwhile.

Integration and sense of belonging

Access to the outdoors can foster a sense of belonging for East Asian migrants in Aotearoa. But they should not feel as though they must participate or participate in traditional Kiwi ways to belong.

New Zealand's landscapes and outdoor spaces offer a common place for people from different cultural backgrounds to come together and engage in shared activities. Participation in outdoor group activities, community events, and conservation initiatives allow Asian migrants to connect with residents. They help build relationships and develop a sense of belonging within a new community. Outdoor access helps bridge cultural gaps, fostering a stronger sense of community. More importantly, it is also a space where other New Zealanders can welcome Asian migrants, learn about their culture and build their own cultural bridges.

Hiro regularly patters around Wellington’s hills and coasts, light, and barely leaving an impression. But he has made a deep impression on many runners in Wellington who have learned a little about the Japanese running cultural tradition. Access to the Wellington outdoors has become a bridge for them to learn about a new culture rather than another way to assert to migrants the traditional definition of Kiwi culture.