We caught up with Joel Hedges, co-founder, ideas-man, engineer and all-round legend behind Feldon Shelter for a chat about missions, kit, and the importance of timeless quality.

Joel Hedges is a surfer. That’s who he is. That’s what he loves. Travelling, surfing, living it up. He’s also the co-founder behind the phenomenon that is Feldon Shelter.

“Now, I get to go on surf trips for work. It’s great.”

Here at Swanndri, we’re incredibly proud and privileged to be able to work with partners and suppliers who share the same values and perspectives, and are committed to the same kind of quality.

Like we the team at The New Zealand Sock Company.

The New Zealand Sock Company, based in Ashburton, is a family owned business that’s been making the best darn socks in the world since 1901. They’re the go-to sock manufacturer for some of the world’s leading clothing brands, and we’re proud to count them as partners of Swanndri.

When looking for locations to shoot and show off the new Swanndri summer range, we wanted to make sure it was somewhere that would allow us to illustrate what a modern Swanndri mission could be.

A quick weekend away, not too far from the big smoke, that the whole family could enjoy. A bit of adventure, a bit of relaxation, a bit of indulgence. Basically, a bit of everything. Doesn’t exist, someone said. Then someone else mentioned Matakana. We looked it up and it looked like it ticked all the boxes. So we went on the mission (as well as the shoot), and had such a good time, we figured, why not share the yarn?

And with that, welcome to the first edition in our Swanndri Mission Series. Here, we’re going to share ideas for all sorts of missions – from after-work adventures, to weekends away, to week-long expeditions. Giving you the inspiration, so you can make your own mission.