Growing up in the remote Chatham Islands, about 800km off the coast of New Zealand, Robin Goomes had a unique upbringing. She would often tag along with her mum, a Department of Conservation ranger, helping with pest control, feeding burrowing birds and planting trees around the island.
“I was a mum’s girl for sure,” says Goomes. “I always looked up to her, but she was different from your average mum. She was very hands-on, and taught me how to weld and how to shoot.” After learning how to hunt possums, Goomes began making money by plucking possum furs and selling them to the mainland.
