If anyone knows tawaki it’s gotta be Robin. She was born and grew up literally next to one of the greatest tawaki colonies in New Zealand, at Gorge River, South Westland. Exploring the rugged coastlines of South Westland and Fiordland searching for tawaki is one of her favourite things. And she does not even need shoes to do so; in fact, she prefers to feel the forest floor between her toes – unless health-and-safety requirements get in the way when she is doing work for the Department of Conservation. She is also a ranger and trustee with the West Coast Penguin Trust and often gets excited when she stumbles across the most obscure mosses and lichens. More recently she started her own research project for a Masters degree – on alpine spiders.