About
Mary Hobbs published the award-winning New Zealand Outside magazine for 10 years. She is the author of numerous titles including Kiwi Tucker for the Soul, a best-selling collection of inspirational stories about New Zealanders; Letters to New York and America – from New Zealand with Love, a non-political book of letters from New Zealanders, gifted to the American people and the President of the United States following the events of 9/11. This was followed by The Spirit of Mountaineering, Volume I, and then Matagouri and Other Pricks – The Journey to Aoraki Mount Cook. Her next book, Christchurch Dreaming, published by HarperCollins, was a book of inspirational messages for the people of Christchurch following a devastating series of earthquakes. In 2015 Mary authored the best-selling book, High Country Stations of the Mackenzie, published by Potton & Burton. This was followed by the very successful High Country Stations of Lake Tekapo, also published by Potton & Burton. She has also written a children’s book, Morrie the Moth. Her most recent book was a privately commissioned work: Haldon – Iconic Station of the Mackenzie that is in high demand. Over the past five years – and to this day – Mary has devoted her time to voluntarily writing courageous common-sense articles – combined with her photography – that inspire and awaken. These articles are among the most popular at www.dailytelegraph.co.nz and can also be found at www.nzdsos.com – the site of the very brave New Zealand doctors and medical staff who dare to speak out and tell the truth – and whom Mary steadfastly champions.
Mary and her husband Charlie’s lives have included mountain and ski-guiding, expeditions to some of the most remote parts of the planet including Africa, Tibet, the deep field of Antarctica, and Nepal, with Sir Edmund Hillary, where Mary took photos of Ed’s aid projects, at his request. The couple are both members of The Explorer’s Club, New York. Mary’s life has included the thrills and spills of a nursing profession where she specialised in the Coronary Care Unit, although left that profession many years ago due to her concern of the limited focus on healing that seemed confined to pharmaceuticals and/or surgery, while excluding miraculous natural healing options and addressing mind, body and spirit. She launched a new career as a writer, photographer and publisher; helping her husband Charlie with his guiding business and also joining him in the battle to overcome some seemingly insurmountable obstacles to establish The Old Mountaineers’ Café, Bar, Restaurant and Historic Gallery in Aoraki/Mount Cook – the only business in the village ever opened by Sir Edmund Hillary.
Mary and Charlie live at Aoraki/Mount Cook, where they own a guiding company, and The Old Mountaineers’. They divide their time between their various businesses as well as adventures in the Southern Alps, alpine trekking and skiing, organic farming, photography, and publishing and writing books and articles of inspiration. They both love the outdoor environment of New Zealand, which is where you’ll usually find them.
For Mary, the main focus of her books is to communicate the heart and soul of the people and places she writes about and photographs, and to draw the reader into her books with a special combination of stories and photos that brings them to life, spreads a little magic, and takes the reader on a journey where they will possibly laugh, cry, be outraged, amused, but, most of all, inspired.
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