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
Te Araroa
Life after #WalkNZ: Return to normality
I went to the dentist on Monday. Over the weekend I went clothes shopping for the boyfriend and filled a skip with junk. I drank gin and tonics on Saturday night and the other week I voted in the European Parliament elections. You can’t get much more normal (or dull) than that. Life in South … Continue reading Life after #WalkNZ: Return to normality
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
Why pushing pause on #WalkNZ doesn’t make me a failure
Three weeks ago, I had to turn around and walk back into civilisation when poor weather conditions and a dodgy leg forced my hand and I couldn’t make it over the second highest point on the Te Araroa trail. I ended up in Hanmer Springs, a spa resort town in the South Island of New … Continue reading Why pushing pause on #WalkNZ doesn’t make me a failure
Day 134 of #WalkNZ: Decision Day on the future of the walk
After injuring my leg I'v been forced to make a big decision on the future of my walk on the Te Araroa trail down the length of New Zealand. Watch the video I recorded here on my Facebook page. It was a hard decision but the right decision to make. Thanks to everyone for … Continue reading Day 134 of #WalkNZ: Decision Day on the future of the walk
Day 126 of #WalkNZ: Injury in the Nelson Lakes
It's funny how long-distance walking undulates mentally as much as the mountains and hills that I hike along the Te Araroa trail. Last week, I was ecstatic that I'd completed eight days in New Zealand wilderness in the demanding Richmond Ranges in the South Island. This week, I have a dark cloud hanging over me … Continue reading Day 126 of #WalkNZ: Injury in the Nelson Lakes
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
Answers to your questions on the North Island section of the Te Araroa Trail
101 days. 1,688km walked. And with that I reached Island Bay, the bottom of New Zealand's North Island on the Te Araroa trail and my #WalkNZ adventure. Here are the answers to questions I've been asked about what the journey has been like so far. What has the North Island section of the Te Araroa … Continue reading Answers to your questions on the North Island section of the Te Araroa Trail