Wilderness Motorhomes is a tourism business based in Auckland. They achieved 100% participation in the Aotearoa Bike Challenge – all 67 of their staff took part, including 43 ‘new riders’. Find out how they did it.
Wilderness Motorhomes started running weekly after-work rides to Puketutu Island, as well as one 50km Saturday ride on the Hauraki Trail. Before the challenge only 1 person cycled to/from work, but that increased to 4 during the ABC.
When you work out by the airport, this is a big accomplishment (…) Others started riding in their neighbourhood with their children! The feedback from these team members was amazing.
Flavia Silva (Adventure Support Leader) was the driving force behind getting the team working together…
I made it a point to join as many morning briefings as possible to get more team members enrolled. The outcome here was to run a few short rides through the day. A loop of the road where we work is 2.2.km and it took most team members at least 10 mins, so we took that as an achievement. Some of our team hadn't been on a bike for years, some even a couple of decades!
A weekly email informed on their progress in the challenge, and with a bit of persistence, they succeeded in winning!
I had many personal conversations with individuals who struggled to get involved in our rides straight away. Once (they) realized that the team was depending on them, it took no time to get them on board!
CloseWe still have committed team members riding to and from work every day and we have even started a WildSmart Bike Club which organises a different bike trail ride once a week. We have had an average of 5 people participating at these rides and we can only hope it will grow more and more each week!
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Wilderness Motorhomes staff get on their bikes for the Aotearoa Bike Challenge
It was a big surprise when I realised I was wasting so much time in the traffic (…). The ride enables me to plan the day ahead, and find solutions to problems I have been dealing with from the day before.
I biked multiple times a week back in Germany when I was still going to high school (…) In the past this always gave me the feeling of freedom.
I have been missing (…) this freedom since I moved to New Zealand nearly 7 years ago.
I did not continue using a bicycle due to the busy Auckland roads and my commitments at work.
The participation of the whole Wilderness team in the bike challenge was a major turning point that inspired me to take up 'old new' habits and to get back into riding.
I always knew I lived just 10kms away from my work place but somehow I never attempted to cycle to work or back. After the bike challenge, I felt so energized and motivated, that I continued riding from and to work.
It was a big surprise when I realised I was wasting so much time in the traffic staring at the queues ahead of me, while I could sit in the saddle breathing in the fresh air.
My car commute from Epsom to Airport Oaks takes me about 30 minutes one-way, while the bike rides takes just 5 minutes more at a moderate speed - a pace just fast enough not to feel over exercised when I arrive at work.
I have also noticed how much more productive I am since I started cycling. The morning ride really enables me to plan the day ahead of me and to find solutions for problems I have been dealing with already the day before.
I am now leading the WildSmart Bike Club that brings interested team members in the organisation together on a regular basis to take part in casual evening rides around town. What a treat! I am very grateful that the bike challenge has reignited my love for cycling. A love I will continue to nurture for many, many good reasons.
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Sparked by: Aotearoa Bike Challenge
Participation: 100%
After effects: Regular group cycles, more people commuting by bike
Key organisation value: “Make our Planet a Better Place”
Theme: Staff engagement and wellbeing
