After graduating with a BA (Hons) in English in 2003, writer Naomi Arnold has worked as a journalist, freelancer and author, with a special interest in science and nature writing. She has covered stories across Aotearoa New Zealand and around the globe, including spending nine weeks writing about life on the ice in Scott Base in Antarctica.

Her author credits include the New Zealand astronomy history 'Southern Nights' and she has also co-authored or edited non-fiction books 'Force of Nature', 'Headlands', and 'Lonely Planet’s Best NZ Day Hikes'.

Naomi is a keen tramper and her book Northbound: Four Seasons of Solitude on Te Araroa – a finalist in the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2026 – recounts her journey along the 3,000km trail, starting in Bluff and finishing at Cape Reinga. We asked Naomi about her time at Otago, her ca ...