Our Story
Built on experience. Driven by belief.
Makingtrax Foundation has been creating meaningful inclusive experiences since 2012 — not because it was a gap in the market, but because the alternative was unacceptable.
The philosophy
Inclusion is not the same as accessibility.
Accessibility is the physical environment — terrain, infrastructure, equipment, signage. It matters, but it doesn't change unless someone improves it or it erodes. Inclusion is different. It's dynamic. It's the human side — the service, the lateral thinking, the cooperation and understanding that make an experience work regardless of what the environment looks like.
Most of the world's best adventures are far from accessible. That's not the problem. The problem is the assumption that inaccessible environments mean excluded people. Makingtrax was built to challenge that assumption.
Our model is solutions-based — working with what exists, finding the pathway through, and delivering experiences that are safe, dignified, and genuinely extraordinary. That's what inclusive tourism means to us.
Jezza Williams · Founder, Makingtrax Foundation
The person behind it
Jezza Williams
Before his spinal cord injury in 2010, Jezza Williams had spent his life in adventure — as a canyon guide, river guide, and international expedition leader. A life built on adrenaline, deep industry knowledge, and a belief that the outdoors should be available to everyone who wants it.
The concept for Makingtrax was born in a Swiss rehabilitation hospital. Not from a business plan, but from a refusal to accept that the industry he loved was now closed to him — and the realisation that if he was going to stay involved, it needed to be done properly.
Jezza has a C5 complete spinal cord injury. That perspective isn't incidental to the work — it's the foundation of it. Every piece of equipment designed, every experience coordinated, every operator partnership formed is informed by what he knows from the inside out.
Backed by deep industry knowledge, research, and lived experience, Jezza works alongside AUT research partners, is a trusted advisor to Tourism New Zealand, and is a recognised voice in inclusive tourism globally.
The journey
How we got here.
The injury — and the idea
Jezza sustains a C5 spinal cord injury. While recovering in a Swiss rehabilitation hospital, the concept for Makingtrax takes shape — not as a business, but as a personal mission to stay connected to the adventure industry he loved.
Makingtrax Foundation established
Makingtrax is registered as a charitable trust in Aotearoa New Zealand. Early work focuses on adaptive adventure — rafting, kayaking, paragliding — working directly with operators who share the vision.
Building the model
Equipment designed, tested, and put into commercial operation. Paragliding buggy certified. Rafting harness systems refined through real-world use. Glacier ski-chair built. The Koha model established. Partnerships with some of Aotearoa's leading adventure operators formalised.
Adaptive bikes — $100K raised
Funding raised to purchase four Bowhead Rogue adaptive adventure bikes — the best on the market — opening up Aotearoa's Great Ride Network to a whole new audience. The first adaptive bikes available for hire on New Zealand's trail network.
Adapting Aotearoa launches
The nationwide industry framework born from Makingtrax's advisory model goes live — a dedicated platform for training, Access Guides, and operator endorsement across Aotearoa's visitor economy.
Access.ive launches
Aotearoa's first endorsed operator directory — connecting inclusive travellers with businesses that have made a genuine commitment to accessible and inclusive visitor experiences.
What we stand for
The principles behind the work.
Solutions over barriers
We acknowledge the environment, the structure, the rules and regulations — then work within those parameters to make the experience happen safely, practically, and with dignity.
Safety and integrity
Adventure tourism is high-consequence. Every experience we touch is built on sound safety protocols, appropriate risk management, and the right people in the right roles.
Dignity in every detail
Inclusion isn't just about participation — it's about how the experience feels. We work to make every touchpoint dignified, well-considered, and genuinely equal.
Keep it simple
The best adaptive solutions are often the simplest. We don't overcomplicate — we find the most practical, effective pathway and make sure it works in the real world.
Our expertise
The Situational Design Approach
Developed by Jezza Williams · Makingtrax Foundation
Adaptive adventure takes place in natural, changeable environments — and requires a different way of thinking. Situational Design is Makingtrax's framework for doing this properly. It recognises that in adventure settings, design must respond to context — the environment, risk, safety boundaries, and the individual undertaking the experience.
Rather than treating participation as all-or-nothing, Situational Design focuses on how people meaningfully engage with an experience — even when complexity or challenge is present. Not every experience is right for every person, and challenge can be an essential part of adventure.
- Aligns the intent of an experience with its technical demands
- Centres the individual — their preferences, capacities, and desires
- Enables informed choice without removing the nature of adventure
- Preserves safety, integrity, and genuine engagement
- Requires specialist, experience-led advisory to apply correctly
Done well, Situational Design supports real, responsible participation — without reducing adventure to the lowest common denominator.
The charitable trust
Makingtrax Foundation
Makingtrax operates as a registered charitable trust — the Foundation model underpins everything we do. It allows us to operate a Koha-based advisory service for travellers, invest in adaptive equipment, and pursue the mission of making Aotearoa the world's leading inclusive adventure destination, without commercial compromise.
Ready to work with us?
Whether you're an operator, a traveller, or an organisation — we'd love to hear from you.