In Conversation With: Te Reo Māori Learners
It’s Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori! What a journey it can be for Māori + Non- Māori to learn this beautiful language. We could have given you some salty...
Our kaupapa
A community of water wāhine guided by values of mana wāhine, kaitiakitanga, and tuakana-teina.
Mana wāhine / Essence of the feminine, Kaitiakitanga / Guardianship of ourselves and our moana, Tuakana-teina / Mentorship, support and mutual learning.
Connect with your local freedive whānau through Salt clubs across Aotearoa.
Our Salt Sessions are where it all begins. Relaxed community meetups, land-based gatherings, and ocean days designed to help wāhine connect, learn, and have fun in the water.
See what’s happening across Aotearoa.
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Kia ora e te whānau
Over the last 6 years, my journey has been about reconnecting with myself, my identity, and my whakapapa — and the ocean has been at the heart of it all.
Growing up with mixed heritage — Albanian, Māori, Scottish/ English or “kiwi” — I often felt like I didn’t fully belong anywhere, yet I longed to feel a connection to all parts of who I am. Learning to freedive and spearfish in my 30s transformed that. It completely changed how I see the world, how I see myself, and how I live.
Testimonials
What Our Wāhine Are Saying
“The MOST special weekend. I rode a wave of zen for the following weeks (still am tbh). I walked away with some much deeper, personal and reflective sentiments that confronted some significant aspects of my life and for that I’m so grateful. I’m so grateful for the amazing wāhine I met and had the privilege of spending time with through this experience. And finally, so grateful to you e hoa, for bringing us together on this journey. Let the good times roll babe!
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“Starting my freediving journey with Salt Aotearoa is one of the best decisions I could’ve made this summer. I kept feeling a pull towards this sport, but I felt intimidated by the male-dominated scene, my lack of experience, and my ability to equalise. I was originally seeking a safe environment to learn in, but what I found was a loving and welcoming community. Renee, her partner Jules, our instructors, and everyone else were extremely knowledgeable, incredibly humble, and outright inspiring.
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“My Salt freediving camp was life changing for me as a middle aged mama the experience made me feel alive! It sparked a new zest for adventure and re connected my love for the moana. Since doing the trip I have been out on the moana more and love being a part of the ongoing community - we are all planning a couple of very exciting trips together so if you want to be a part of then I 1000% recommend a salt camp ;)
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“I initially was very hesitant to come to the camp for many reasons, including a belief that ‘I can't freedive’, & being 1 week away from the most stressful exams of my life (GP doctor specialist exams). At the start of the course, I was feeling flat, tired, stressed and overwhelmed. By the end of the course, I felt rejuvenated, refreshed, passionate, and better able to cope with the stress I was facing outside of the course. Thank you so so much Renee xx
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The countdown is on
Salt Session | Leigh Sawmill Café
Salt Stories + Learning Hub
Founder stories
Kia ora e te whānau, Over the last few years my journey has seen me dive deep into reconnection with myself, my identity and my indigeneity, and the ocean has...
Learning to Freedive? Start Here
It can be daunting getting into something new if you don’t have someone to help or teach you! That’s why we’ve collated (and will continue to add to) a pile...
Friends with Benefits… Dive benefits!
Getting into spearfishing as a woman can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Renee shares how she went from nervous newbie to ocean-obsessed spearo, with help from mentors,...
