Four months with my partner Mark on a small boat, sailing approximately 2,000 miles clockwise around the coast of Great Britain. Think wildlife, cute coves, spectacular sunrises and stunning sunsets, picture postcard views of the dramatic British coast, four months off work. What’s there to worry about? And this is where I take my rose-tinted … Continue reading My three big fears of sailing around Great Britain
Comfort zone
Sailing round Great Britain route
It's getting real now! Under three weeks until my partner Mark and I set off sailing clockwise around Great Britain. This is a map of the tentative route but subject to change, depending on weather, tides, time. Putting it down on paper is when it starts to feel real. It's no longer up in your … Continue reading Sailing round Great Britain route
Adventure alert: I’m going to sail around Great Britain
I’ve spent no more than a handful of days in a sailing boat. I don’t know if I will get seasick. I forget my port from my starboard. And the toilet is a bucket with a toilet seat. Yet from May 1st 2022, this will be my life for four months onboard a 28 foot … Continue reading Adventure alert: I’m going to sail around Great Britain
Learning to sail – the baptism-by-fire way
I can count on one hand the number of times I have been on a sailboat – and that’s with chopping two of my fingers off. I know nothing about boats. I can’t remember port from starboard, stern from bow, gybe from tact (opps I mean tack). I have no idea if I get seasick. … Continue reading Learning to sail – the baptism-by-fire way
Days 66-70 of #WalkNZ part 2 – The Motatapu Track
Calves screamed. Lightening strips of pain burned up the back of my legs. My lungs were in meltdown trying to support my muscles that sucked up the scant oxygen in my blood, while my heart seemed to be in its death throes as it attempted to keep up with the relentless uphill movement of my … Continue reading Days 66-70 of #WalkNZ part 2 – The Motatapu Track
Why is starting the hardest part? The secret to starting your goal or dream
Let me tell you a story... It was a two-hour drive to Cape Reinga for the start of #WalkNZ, my 3,000km solo walking adventure along the Te Araroa trail down the length of New Zealand. Dad drove. Mum sat up front. I took the backseat, staring out the window as a diverse landscape whizzed past … Continue reading Why is starting the hardest part? The secret to starting your goal or dream
10 things I learnt about self-doubt walking the Te Araroa Trail
I’d just returned to Auckland after being forced to push pause on my #WalkNZ adventure after injuring my knee at the 2,000km mark. I was catching up with friends and family and one friend asked me: “So how’s the self-doubt? Do you think you’ve conquered it now that you’ve walked 2,000km down the length of … Continue reading 10 things I learnt about self-doubt walking the Te Araroa Trail
Life after the Te Araroa Trail: Re-entry into society and post-adventure blues
On the outside I look normal. I’m wearing jeans and a t-shirt – clothes I bought from a fashion, non-outdoors store. My body smells perfumed and clean; my hair, washed and shiny. Black pencil lines my eyes. There is red rouge on my cheeks. My tan has faded while my muscles retreat behind a new … Continue reading Life after the Te Araroa Trail: Re-entry into society and post-adventure blues
The South Island of #WalkNZ begins: Introducing the Richmond Ranges
I'm alive! I can't quite believe it but I survived eight days in the remote New Zealand wilderness walking up and down a lot of steep, tall mountains through the Richmond Ranges. This was classed as scary shit - the Richmond Ranges are dubbed the toughest section in the South Island on the Te Araroa … Continue reading The South Island of #WalkNZ begins: Introducing the Richmond Ranges
Reflections on the North Island section of the Te Araroa Trail
Almost four months ago, I stood at the northern tip of the North Island of New Zealand. The new pack on my back weighed just over 17kg. I carried five days worth of food and two litres of water; though anyone looking at me would have thought I was carrying the kitchen sink. I stared … Continue reading Reflections on the North Island section of the Te Araroa Trail