When our CEO and co-founder Alexis first visited Flock Hill Station in 2023, she fell in love with a dog named Poppy. For the whole day we toured the farm, driving between back blocks, merino sheep mobs and shearing sheds, Poppy barely left Alexis’s arms. At the end of the day, we were all quite convinced Poppy was going to find a way into her suitcase back to Shanghai. In future visits, Poppy even featured in our photoshoots and marketing campaigns!
Poppy wasn’t the only one we were forming connections with on Flock Hill Station, one of the farms where our ZQ certified wool is grown. Richard, who runs the property, is a keen trail runner and multi sport athlete, so of course we decked him out in Outopia for upcoming races, and we loved receiving updates from the farm. What had begun as a supply chain connection was slowly turning into something more personal.
Flock Hill station is easy to love. It is breathtakingly beautiful, located in the dramatic Craigieburn Basin. Situated about an hour and a half our of the city of Christchurch, the property includes native forests, rocky outcrops, tussock hills, blue lakes and mountain vistas. There’s a point on the farm where you look over the Waimakariri River below, and you feel like you are at the end of the world. There are a lot of beautiful places in New Zealand, but to us, this one feels extra special.
In December 2024, a tragic fire swept through the Craigieburn Basin. After weeks of hot, dry weather and strong winds, the flames tore through almost 1,000 hectares of land, much of it on Flock Hill Station. Native ecosystems were damaged, grazing land was lost, fences destroyed, and huge sections of the landscape were left blackened and bare. Richard later described the aftermath as “silence and devastation”.
In the months that followed, the Craigieburn Basin Restoration Trust was formed with a long-term vision to help restore the area. The response brought together farmers, conservation groups, landowners, volunteers and local communities, all united by a shared connection to the basin and a desire to protect what makes the area special.
Not long after, Feel The Burn was born.
The trail running event guided runners directly through the landscape impacted by the fire. Starting on Flock Hill Station, the course climbed across limestone ridges, descended through Dry Gully and followed the Broken River before looping around Kura Tāwhiti and back through the burn area. It was physically demanding, but also deeply connected to place. When Richard and Anna reached out to ask whether we’d like to support the event, we didn’t think twice. It felt like an opportunity to support a community and landscape we already knew well. The same land that grows the wool we use had suddenly become a place in recovery.
The first Feel The Burn brought together competitors, volunteers, landowners and supporters from across the community. It raised funds and awareness for the restoration work ahead, but it also reflected something bigger: how outdoor communities often rally around the places they care about most. 
Running has always been about more than movement to us. It’s a way to connect with landscapes, with people, and with something larger than ourselves. Over the last few years, our relationship with Flock Hill Station has shown us that those connections can run both ways. Not simply taking wool from the land, but building genuine relationships with the people who care for it.
There’s still a long road ahead for the Craigieburn Basin. Restoration work will continue for years to come, with the goal of helping native ecosystems recover and ensuring the area remains a place where people can live, work, explore and gather for generations ahead. We’re grateful to have played a small part in supporting that effort, and look forward to continuing to do so in the years to come.
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