Photography: Hannah Gardiner.
Kiwi conservationist, bushman and best-selling author Sam Gibson is a passionate advocate for nature, so it was fortunate that when this outdoorsy East Coast bloke fired up Tinder eight years ago, he swiped right on a similarly adventurous wahine.
“Sam and I met in 2017, when I was wrapping up my arts degree at Toihoukura, the Māori art school in Gisborne,” explains Sam’s talented partner Roimata Sinclair.
Sam grins, “Roi was a month away from leaving Gisborne, then when her dad came up from Ōtautahi [Christchurch] with his big, empty station wagon to move her back down south, Roi had to tell him she wasn’t sure she was ready to go.”
Happily, Sam, 36, and Roimata’s father got on like a house on fire.
Roimata laughs, “Dad and Sam are both keen longboarders, and once they started talking about surfing, they forgot I was there. And the rest is history.”
Building a family and a future
Two years later, the well-matched pair welcomed their first child into the world – Rehua is now six and his sister Te Kōtuku, aka Kōkō, has just turned three. As well as making babies together, bushman Sam and creative Roimata, 31, started developing various conservation projects.
“We did some hunting shows, an episode of Country Calendar and a YouTube show about a conservation project in Fiordland,” says Sam.
But it’s largely thanks to Instagram that “Sam the Trap Man” was born.
From book to documentary
As the popular hunter-gatherer gained a growing fanbase, he signed a book deal, and Sam The Trap Man became one of 2024’s bestselling local titles. The book sparked the idea for a short documentary called Think Like A Forest.
“It stemmed from our experiences during the recent cyclones and was part of a project called Recloaking Papatūānuku, which is all about planting native trees as a way for us to survive future significant weather events,” explains Sam.
“All the data points to more intense rainfall in the future, as well as more fires, which is why we’re advocating for putting the right trees in the right places.”
A new chapter in Greymouth
Recently, the couple relocated to Greymouth after Sam was offered a contract to help farmers fence waterways and establish a trapping network.
“Because this is where Roimata whakapapas to, we said yes,” he tells.
“We’re also doing a kiwi survey in the Buller district because there are lots of great spotted kiwi, or roroa, around there.”
Roimata adds, “It’s magical to show the kids all my favourite places in the bush and to share the stories of my ancestors.”
The parents are also sharing their passion for the environment with their kids.
Rehua embraces local legends
Recalls Sam, “When we first got here, Rehua would say, ‘I’m Paikeatanga. Gisborne is where I’m from and we ride whales!’ But now Rehua’s talking about pounamu and Poutini the taniwha, who is the kaitiaki [guardian] down here. “Whether we’re skimming stones down by the river or walking on the beach, every moment we spend together in nature is regenerative for us as a whānau. And the symbiotic relationship humans have with the forest space? I can get a bit nerdy about trees sometimes, although considering they give us the oxygen we breathe, we need to care for them.”
Roimata continues, “Going on tiki tours with my dad is also a highlight. He comes over from Christchurch at weekends and he shares some of his favourite spots.”
Sam chips in, “I love hearing your dad teach us the things he taught you, and to hear you picking up additional things and sharing them. “I’m also stoked to watch the kids learn more about their whakapapa because my job as a dad is to facilitate my kids’ lived experience in te taiao [nature]. People are much more likely to protect the places where they spend time.”
Roimata reflects, “I’m so grateful to Sam for signing us up for this year-long adventure. The kids love their school down here, and I love being a stay-at-home mum and part of Sam’s mahi.”
Returning home to Gisborne
Looking ahead, they’ll return to Gisborne next year, partly because Sam was elected to the Gisborne District Council in the recent local body elections. Beyond that, they hope to enjoy the best of both worlds.
“We’ve got a big-picture dream to live seasonally between Gisborne and Greymouth,” shares Sam.
“We’ve got a map of things that define our wha¯nau identity and we want to chip away at various adventures – that’s pretty much us!”
Think Like A Tree is now streaming on TVNZ+.
