A relaxed Auckland community where movement meets meaningful talk. No agenda, no pressure, no cover charge. Just the people who turn up, the route ahead, and the conversation that follows.
If you are tired of loud bars, rushed interactions, and conversations that never move beyond the surface, you are not alone. Walk and Talk was started for exactly this reason. It offers a calm, genuine way to meet people through gentle movement and real conversation.
You will meet people in a setting that feels natural rather than forced. You will have conversations that feel sincere. You will explore the city in good company. You may find a community that becomes part of your weekly rhythm.
Access our dedicated web application directly from the site to explore more about the initiative, find routes, and engage with the community.
A short interview about why Walk and Talk exists, and what a walk actually feels like once you arrive.
Not sure what you would talk about with strangers? Here is a taste of the walk. Draw a question, sit with it, and bring your answer along on Saturday.
What is something you have changed your mind about in the last year?
Some of the best conversations only get going just as it is time to head home. So we made a sequel to the walk — a relaxed, facilitated forum where the talk has room to sit down and go deeper.
Our first full session, Sit & Think: Inaugural Session of a Rhetorical Forum, opens with a short talk, then a hands-on exercise, then an open and facilitated discussion: a practical toolkit for reading rhetoric, and for telling honest persuasion from manipulation. No prep, no reading, no prior knowledge needed — just bring your curiosity. Hosted by Dr Dmitry Zavialov, in partnership with the Ellen Melville Centre.
When Saturday 25 July, 1:00–3:00 PM · Where Ellen Melville Centre — Betty Wark Room, 2 Freyberg Place, Auckland CBD
Places are limited, so please RSVP on Meetup to save your spot.
Save your spot →
Your host
A scholar, educator, and lifelong walker. Dmitry founded Walk and Talk in Auckland as a calmer counterpoint to the noise of modern social life: a small, weekly act of community that anyone can join.
He also co-hosts Auckland Stoics, lectures in various formats and in different venues, and is a Learning Designer at Skills Institute. The walks are his happy place.
For people who want to speak, lead, and connect with more confidence.
If you want to improve your confidence to talk to strangers, the host of Walk and Talk, Dr Dmitry Zavialov, also has a course on confident public speaking, networking, and leadership you might enjoy.
SPEAK. LEAD. CONNECT is a practical evening course at Onehunga High School Adult Learning Centre. It is designed for real-life moments: introductions, workplace updates, interviews, community events, group discussions, and speaking when nerves show up.
'People are interesting. They are like open books that we can read and learn from. It feels like stepping into a living library, where each person becomes a book you can read, slowly, attentively, with curiosity.' Dr Dmitry Zavialov, in the ODTRead on ODT Substack · Long read
There are only a few people from Tajikistan in New Zealand. Our hero tells us what it is like to adapt, and how a small idea on the Dunedin campus became a movement that crossed the country.
Read on SubstackMany people arrive alone and quickly feel at ease. The next walk is already on Meetup. We would be glad to see you on it.
The walks are free, and they always will be. If you would like to help keep them going, you can support on Patreon →