Travel Play Live Issue #14

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ISSUE #14 2019

Women’s Adventure & Lifestyle

AU $14.95 ISSUE 14

Happy Place Runner Up

Deena Currie (Blue Mountains, New South Wales)

“Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat.”

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ISSUE#14 ADVENTURE

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ISSUE #14 2019

Women’s Adventure & Lifestyle

AU $14.95 ISSUE 14

I looked down in awe at the hornet. His wriggling yellow back a bright splash of colour against the brittle, brown leaves. His tiny, yet powerful stick legs propelled him backwards as he awkwardly grappled the enormous Huntsman spider wedged in his jaws.

Letter from the Editor The little hornet was on a mission to complete what seemed like an impossible task. Headed for his riverside home, he still had at least 30 metres of tough terrain to go. Unperturbed, he pushed on, jerking and dragging more than twice his body weight.

Watching the spectacle, I reflected on all the times I have simply had to keep moving. Commit to putting one foot in front of the other without knowing if I would make it. Grit my teeth and bite down hard even though it hurts. It’s not always easy to persevere (particularly with a gob full of hairy spider) and sometimes we need a dose of inspiration.

This issue our storytellers share their tales of dogged determination, tenacity and resilience. They reveal what drives them to reach for their goals, and how they

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S T O O U R

Happy Place Cover Photo Comp winner: Chloe Todd is travelling Australia and this magnificent image was captured at Lake MacDonnell, a pink salt lake located near the town of Penong, in South Australia.

adapt when things go awry.

However, achieving extraordinary things isn’t always about hard work. Sometimes it’s simply about good luck – and entering great competitions like Emma did. She won our major prize – a multiday Freycinet Experience Walk, kindly donated by Great Walks of Australia.

Thank you to all the Tribe members who entered and revealed their favourite micro-adventures, we are excited to share these with the wider community.

Congratulations to all our prize winners and a big shout out to our generous sponsors.

Huge thanks to everyone who entered our Happy Place photo competition. Your images light up our imaginations and spur us on to our next adventure.

CONNECT WITH US

www.travelplaylive.com.au @travelplaylivemagazine TRIBE LEADER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Natalie Drake-Brockman CHIEF EDITOR

Melanie Chatfield NEW COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS AND ADVERTISING

hello@travelplaylive.com.au CREATIVE

Joey Dable Two Minds Creative TPL PHOTOGRAPHY

Ben Cirulis www.fotografija.com.au

Love Mel xo

Copyritght TPL Publishing PTY LTD 2015. No part of this publication may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent of the publishers. DISCLAIMER: A large portion of original material is created by TPL Publishing and its contributors, including text, fonts, photography, and art work - content used from public domain like social media sites we agree are not the property of TPL Publishing, and in all cases media permission has been sought via electronic or verbal agreement. The content and views expressed in this magazine by individuals and TPL Publishing are provided in good faith as information only. No guarantee is made of the accuracy of the information provided. We have done our best to credit all photographers. In some instances photos have been provided to us by those who appear editorially and we have their permission to use the images. We apologise if anything appears incorrectly. It will be a genuine mistake, let us know and we will ensure to mention it in the next issue.

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SUSBSCRIPTIONS

hello@travelplaylive.com.au

WOMENS ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & CAMPING HUB CONNECT WITH LIKE MINDED, WILD HEARTED WOMEN IN THE FACEBOOK HUB. Share and show off your brave, adventurous stories. Inspire the community.

We'll share industry news, updates, tours and other event information from time to time, but this group is mostly commercial free. www.facebook.com/groups/ travelplaylivehub/ www.travelplaylive.com.au

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c ontents AT THE HEART OF MY BUCKET LIST

FINDING TUKTOYAKTUK Michelle Ryan

THE FUTURE OF OUTDOOR GEAR IS FEMALE

Kathy Chislett

Sarah Pope

BUDDHIST BOOT CAMP

MEETING THE TATTOOED WOMEN OF CHIN STATE

REDEFINING ADVENTURE

Bonita Grima

Elisha Donkin

Michelle Lawford

THE POWER OF THE COLLECTIVE

TIME TO STOCKTAKE YOUR DREAMS

MICRO ADVENTURES: BONDI TO COOGEE COASTAL WALK

Melanie Chatfield

Sputnik

Natalie Drake-Brockman

Q & A: THE NORTH FACE ATHLETE

OVER TOURISM Annah Piggott-McKellar

WHEN LIFE THROWS YOU LEMONS: BE SURE TO GET SOME IN YOUR EYES

TPL & Anna Segal

Lucy Barnard

FIVE TO THRIVE RIDING CHANGE

TPL & Erica Stewart

THE INITIATION WALK

Terra Roam

Kemi Nekvapil

HIGH AS A KITE OPEN HEARTS IN A DIVIDED COUNTRY Jess Gauder NEVER GIVE UP Nikki Shah

Lexi Connors

DETERMINATION Millie Chalker

ADVENTUROUS WOMEN BREAK ON THROUGH: TRAVERSING AGE & GENDER BARRIERS

SCHOOL OF LIFE Jacquie Holth

Jemima Robinson FINDING FLOW IN DERBY Alice Rose King

BORN TO RUN Jacqui Bell

RECIPES FROM “NAKED FOOD: THE WAY FOOD WAS MEANT TO BE” Jane Grover

READ MORE Head over to our website for bonus content and previous articles www.travelplaylive.com.au

STAY CONNECTED We love to hear from you, so be sure to tell us all about your travels and adventures.

Contact us at hello@travelplaylive.com.au Share your photos with us on Instagram by using #travelplaylive for your chance to feature.

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E V E R Y D A Y A D V E N T U R E R S

At the

H E A R T

O F

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BUCKET LIST WORDS & IMAGES BY: KATHY CHISLETT

Kathy Chislett is a self-proclaimed ‘ordinary girl’ who featured on the front cover of Issue #12. Her cheeky snap won first place in our Happy Place Photo Competition and landed Kathy a TPL Life Membership. We love getting to know our tribe members and so invited Kathy to share a glimpse of her story.

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ADVENTURE

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EMPOWER

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DREAM

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Travel Play Live Women’s Adventure & Lifestyle

Walk across the world!

Lucy Barnard kicks off her epic journey

Adventure through adversity

Be inspired by Tess Ley's heartfelt story

ISSUE #12 2018

Winners announced Over 400 women wanted their happy place on our cover

Australian Ninja

We chat to Olivia Vivian

AU $14.95 ISSUE 12

I gave a copy of Issue #12 to my cardiologist. He giggled and told me I was on fire and that I looked like a hippie. He is thrilled that I can climb mountains – but not nearly as thrilled as I am.

A few years ago I was really sick with what I thought was asthma. But after many tests he found a 2.5 cm hole in my heart. It had never been detected which is rather crazy (apparently over 20% of us are walking around with a hole in the heart that hasn’t closed properly after birth).

My hole was extremely large and had been misdiagnosed for 50 years (I am also asthmatic and the symptoms are similar).

Sadly, many people don’t get diagnosed until they have suffered a stroke. But it’s easy to fix with a great surgeon: no openheart surgery required. I felt fantastic almost immediately and was breathing deeply like never before.

Norway is a hiker’s dream. The natural beauty is breathtaking and you don’t need to worry about snakes, bears, cougars or anything else in the wild. We had been on a week long hiking adventure with a small group from around the world who shared my passion for hiking. We started and finished our Hvitserk Tour in Oslo, had hiked to Preikestolen, Trolltunga and Kjerag Boulder, and wanted to see more of the magnificent fjord country. On our way to Bergen we stayed in the popular tourist village of Flam (scenic railway fame) and chose a couple of hikes in the area. The hike to Prest Mountain is not easy to access but that made it even more satisfying (and far less travelled by tourists). We caught a taxi to the starting point which is about 3 kms beyond the well known Stegastein Lookout.

We were alone on the top of a mountain in the fjords of Norway...a dream I had held for a long time.

It’s been three years since my Patent Foramen Ovale closure surgery and with a new implant I feel great. My cardiologist said I have no limits so I have a long bucket list to tick off. Health issues certainly change your outlook on life along with priorities and plans for the future. My husband and I retired early at age 54 after many years of being in business. We have a new appreciation for great health and I am now able to enjoy a few more adventures.

I’ve tried abseiling, bungy jumping, white water rafting, zipping, ATV driving, kayaking, mountain biking and even ice climbing.

My bucket list mostly includes hiking (my biggest passion) and I’m putting the final touches on a trip to Switzerland (Jungfrau) and Italy (Dolomites and Cinque Terra) for later this year.

I’m just a very average girl. I didn’t even start hiking until five years ago when I lost my sister to Melanoma cancer. I was overwhelmed with grief and sadness. Walking was the only thing that brought me inner peace. Hiking offers great healing, not only for grief but for general mental health. I’m a big believer in the power of Mother Nature and have met so many hikers who have developed the same passion for similar reasons.

A little bit about THAT photo: Prest Mountain, Norway

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It’s a favourite hike for locals and we bumped into one of the Flamsbana train drivers along the way. We allocated three hours, but really should have allowed more time to enjoy the views from the top.

We had to run back down the mountain to meet our patiently waiting taxi.

It was a warm day for Norway and we had worked up a sweat as we climbed the mountain (it was pretty steep but doable with general fitness). After reaching the end of the hiking trail at Royrgrind and being thrilled to sign the visitor’s book I was still really high on adrenaline. With a little encouragement from my mischievous husband I removed my shirt and then my bra...let’s just say for the sake of an artistic pic...but to be honest it was refreshing, invigorating and the freedom was beyond my expectations. We were alone on the top of a mountain in the fjords of Norway...a dream I had held for a long time. It did not disappoint.

I giggled a little at the rhyming of Prest and breast to later learn that Prest actually translates to Priest. I’m not so sure this is what any Priest had in mind when this mountain was named but the views over Aurlandsfjorden certainly were serene...almost heavenly.

I will never forget the peace and childlike joy of climbing this mountain. The overwhelming feeling of freedom in the fjords will live with me forever. If you find yourself in Norway: add this hike to your bucket list...no regrets!

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Bootcamp B U D D H I S T

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WORDS & IMAGES BY: BONITA GRIMA

The acronym JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out) is used to describe the feeling of happiness and state of wellbeing that we can experience when we disconnect and disengage. The popularity of the countertrend, said to be the antidote to FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is growing and we are told we can achieve it by doing things such as; taking a break from social media, turning down invitations to do things we’d rather not and by spending more time in the present moment.

This kind of emotionally intelligent, assertive thinking is great, but how often do we really put it into practice? And more importantly, do most of us really know how? It might sound simple but if you’ve ever attempted any kind of serious awareness training such as a meditation practice, you’ll know that the art of doing nothing is a lot harder than it seems.

I’d been thinking of doing a silent retreat for years but it wasn’t until recently that I finally gave it a go. Having come out of a significant relationship a few months prior, with a breakup that was particularly heart-wrenching, I was grieving a loss I hadn’t been able to properly acknowledge. I felt the need for distance, and to escape the crushing weight of emptiness living in in my chest.

I headed for Sri Lanka, a predominately Buddhist country and serendipity delivered me to Nilambe. In the hill country of the sacred city of Kandy, Nilambe is an authentic Buddhist centre, dedicated to cultivating awareness through the teaching of insight meditation (Vipassana) which allows the realisation of the freedom and clarity available to us within each moment.

strict timetable that included no less than 12 hours of meditation each day in the form of sitting, walking and working. I never would have imagined that sitting with my eyes shut for such a long time could be so exhausting.

Along with the mental discomfort experienced by the surfacing of unexpected thoughts and emotions, there was also the physical pain to contend with. I was bitten by mosquitoes so many times that my legs became numb (but this could have also been caused by the restriction to my circulation from the hours spent trying to sit in half lotus). The worst of it all though, was my constant fear of leeches. Often you couldn’t feel the little suckers latching onto you and it wasn’t uncommon to look down and find one attached to some part of your body or rolling around, swollen on the blood-splattered floor.

Food was consumed in a deliberate, slow manner; savouring flavour and texture, to truly taste and appreciate what had been prepared for us.

After a bumpy tuk tuk ride past tea plantations and up a winding, narrow dirt track, I arrived at the isolated centre at the top of the hillside and was greeted by resident teacher and author, Upul Nishantha Gamage. “How was your journey?” he asked as I handed over my wallet, passport and phone. “It was an adventure!” I replied. “No,” he said, “the adventure has just begun.” He was smiling but his tone was serious.

In return for our valuables (which were harder to give up than I thought), we were each given a wind-up clock, torch, bedding, candles, room key, rules and our timetable for the next six days. It was all starting to feel very institutionalised.

Paired with a stranger of the same sex, we were shown to our accommodation. Our dark hut-style room consisted simply of two single wooden beds upon a concrete floor (each with a hard thin mattress), two side tables and a cupboard. Upon entering, a large cockroach scurried from under a bed and I looked up to see spider webs in each corner of the room.

As well as refraining from talking during our retreat, we were also to go without electricity, internet and hot water. Waking up at 4:45 am each morning to the sound of a gong, we followed a

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Our group consisted of 18 people from all parts of the world that had travelled to Nilambe to overcome some sort of pain, loss or suffering. But this road to recovery and self-discovery was not a gentle one. This was not some pampering ‘wellness’ resort-style experience for the faint-hearted. This was spiritual boot camp – and this was hard.

“This meditation is an adventure,” Upul told us, “because you are going on an internal journey and you are going there alone, to an unknown place that will sometimes be dark. And there is no tour guide or [book] to show you the way.”

Our teacher’s patient, simple and humorous explanation of the Dhamma was a delight to listen to and his talks became the highlight of the day. We were trying to bring the mind back by becoming more aware or ‘mindful’. Watching the breath, listening to the sounds around us, seeing what pictures came into our minds and feeling the emotions and sensations within our bodies without attachment.

We were instructed to become aware of thoughts and their impermanency. A memory from the past is simply a memory from the past. A plan for the future is simply a plan for the future. The only thing important is the present moment and what we decide to do with it. This is how we practice calling the mind back or becoming mindful.

We were encouraged to continue that mindfulness outside of

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I never would have imagined that sitting with my eyes shut for such a long time could be so exhausting.

the Dhamma Hall (where we practiced sitting meditation), into other activities like working, walking and even eating.

Completing tasks that needed doing around the centre such as gardening, sweeping and cleaning were turned into acts of kindness by developing an attitude of care. We were working not only to improve the condition of our own living environment but also for the enjoyment of others sharing our space and as a sign of gratitude for the centre itself. Who would have thought that scrubbing a toilet could become an exercise in mindfulness?

Dinnertime became a chance to feed not only our bodies but also our hearts and minds. Although our vegetarian meals were delicious there wasn’t a lot to go around. It was a moving experience to watch hungry strangers stand patiently in line, taking only what they needed as they tried to think of those behind them in the queue. Food was consumed in a deliberate, slow manner; savouring flavour and texture, to truly taste and appreciate what had been prepared for us.

I began noticing and giving thanks for simple things. Although I had become used to the cold showers, I discovered a hot tap which meant I was able to fill a bucket and pour hot water over me during my shower, transforming my simple

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washing routine into a luxurious experience.

We tried to develop metta (loving kindness) during our meditation sessions to allow us to feel not only love and compassion for ourselves but also for those who may have hurt or wronged us in conscious or unconscious ways. Perhaps the biggest indication of this taking effect was my shift in attitude towards the leeches. By the end of the six days, the creatures that I first viewed as disgusting, unbearable parasites, I now saw as harmless beings, ignorant of the fear they induced and only doing what they needed to survive. This shift in perception surprised me, endeared them to me in a strange sort of way, and I found I was finally able to remove them with compassion as instructed by the resident monks.

Dawn and dusk became special times of day for me. Dawn, because as I sat with my cup of tea, watching the shifting first light on the peaks of the mountain range beyond, and the changing colours of the sky, I appreciated the beauty and new beginning that each morning could bring. And dusk, because as I sat meditating in the candlelit hall, listening to the cacophony of frogs, crickets and birds through the open window, I realised their sound reflected my thoughts; busy

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and discordant at first, then slowly turning to song, as gentle and calming as the cooling breeze felt upon my skin.

At the end of our retreat, when allowed to talk and engage with each other again, conversation felt more meaningful than it had just six days earlier.

Being silent had given us better listening skills; the opportunity to learn the value of our speech and to filter out words unnecessary for exchange.

I learned that one woman amongst us had found the silence and stillness of meditation particularly difficult. She had once suffered from a rare and debilitating illness that had rendered her unable to move. Her recovery had been miraculous and unexpected, and to celebrate the return of her movement she chose to dance each day with joy – because she could. She revealed she had found a place to dance in secret during her time with us and her sharing of this had moved me to tears.

While my ‘going without’ at Nilambe had in a way allowed me to find a sense of peace and happiness, I think what I learned is that the point isn’t to ‘miss out’ or ‘not miss out’ but to engage in a more mindful way. Whether it’s conversing with someone face to face or posting on social media, we should be able to do so in a way that is both compassionate and authentic.

As well as feeling free to share and celebrate both our own and others’ accomplishments and joy, we should also feel unafraid to share our sadness, disappointment and weakness, for it is through our ability to be vulnerable that we find strength, beauty and the common thread that unites us all.

Nilambe is an authentic, not-for-profit, Buddhist meditation centre and as such retreats are run by donation only. For information about mindfulness and the retreat program at Nilambe visit www.nilambe.net

MEET

Bonita Grima

Bonita Grima has a background in TV and radio production in Australia and the UK, She is a freelance travel writer based in Perth, Western Australia. She believes travel to be a powerful tool that can challenge, inspire, educate and encourage empathy by allowing us a window into the world of others. www.bonitasojourns.com

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T H E

Power O F

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Collective Mention the word ‘philanthropist’ to many Australians and it’s likely they’ll picture a stereotyped rich male businessman or lone hero benefactor. But an increasing number of ‘ordinary’ people are putting their hands in their pockets and their hearts on the line to make a difference.

WORDS BY: MELANIE CHATFIELD

It’s not small money we are talking about either. According to Philanthropy Australia, an estimated 14.9 million Australian adults (80.8% of the population) gave $12.5 billion to charities and notfor-profit organisations in 2015-16.

Giving generously is getting easier with the rise in online fundraising platforms and workplace giving options. Several notfor-profits are also supporting donors to amplify their impact by joining giving circles and groups.

Collective giving differs from traditional philanthropy by offering a democratic and engaged mechanism of participation. Members come together and pool their money (individuals can choose how much depending on their capacity), then vote to decide how the funds will be spent. Giving circles were started by women in the United States around 20 years ago and while hundreds now exist, the majority of members continue to be women.

And there is great power in the collective. A 2017 report by Creative Partnerships Australia found that 17 known Australian giving groups had raised more than $8.5 million for social enterprises since 2011.

Alicia Curtis is co-founder of 100 Women, a collective giving circle based in Western Australia. Since they started five years ago, 100 Women have granted $500,000 to support projects focused on the development of women and girls locally, nationally and internationally.

“People often want to contribute but lack the time, connections or expertise to know how or who to give money to. We offer a robust grants process on behalf of members and they love to be involved,” Alicia says.

The group has around 160 members and big plans for growth.

“We have a significant untapped market of donors in Australia,” Alicia says. “People don’t realise they can get involved in

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philanthropy and have an impact. You can be young, at the start of your career, or from a diverse cultural background.”

Greater awareness and expansion of groups has significant potential to make a difference. “We are encouraging members to be creative and engage with their networks. If everyone got one more member we could easily hit a million dollars and that is a really exciting goal for us,” she exclaims.

Alicia didn’t deliberately set out to create a giving circle. The inspiration came from reading the book Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. “The stories of female oppression had me in tears,” she recalls. “The women didn’t have access to health, education or economic activity. I would never allow for my sister to not have access to such basic rights. I questioned why we were still allowing this to happen. Why weren’t we giving women the same rights or choices?”

In that moment Alicia realised that she wanted to do something and that what was needed was money. “I knew a hundred women who could give a hundred dollars a month,” she recalls. “I told my best friend about the idea and she loved how tangible it was.

She’d been involved in grant making projects so knew what to do.

‘Right. Let’s make it happen’ she said”.

While collective giving wasn’t new to Australia, Alicia was adamant that their group would be solely focused on women and girls. “Unfortunately, we still don’t have equality for women,” says Alicia. “There is often an unconscious bias when it comes to funding projects for women; they don’t get the attention they need and get left behind. We continue to hear of axed support services and cuts in budgets, even though we know one woman dies every week from domestic violence. Who and why are we making cuts to funding?...It’s critical that women are involved in making decisions about what they feel is important to fund.”

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One hundred percent of money raised by 100 Women goes to grant recipients. Operations are funded by sponsorship and an army of volunteers do the leg work. They don’t want to just put their money in, they also want to contribute their time, skills and contacts.

“People come very committed to what we are trying to achieve,” says Alicia. “So much can be done when people are passionate and committed.”

Jacqui Alder has been an active member for two years and joined because the organisation’s purpose and values were strongly aligned with her own. “As a woman born in the 1960s with a migrant background, and raised in a household with constrained finances, it’s a cause close to my heart,” she reveals.

It’s incredible when you realise the ripple effects that come from women openly supporting other women.

Jacqui sits on the advisory board and co-chairs the membership committee. She was inspired to take on the role following a positive experience serving on the grants committee. “What I love is the impact our grants have. It’s one of our guiding principles in the grant making process. At $30,000 our grants are relatively small, so we focus on giving where the amount will make a big difference“ says Jacqui.

Being involved in a giving group isn’t all about altruism either – it can also make you feel better. “These days, we are suffering from a meaning deficit disorder,” explains Alicia. “People are a bit lost and disconnected from what gives them true happiness. Collective giving makes them smile because they can use the small amount of money they have for good.”

Being part of a collective also provides access to a supportive network of people who share the same interests and values. “We started as a giving circle but what we have created is a nexus of women (and men) who have come together to create change. The new approach to networking enables people to connect at a deeper level and a deeper purpose.”

Alicia admits she has always been fortunate in business to be around supportive women, and to be involved in projects that support other women, “It’s incredible when you realise the ripple effects that come from women openly supporting other women.”

Alicia firmly believes that 100 Women brings to life the notion that providing women opportunities to better their health, education, and well-being has an effect beyond a single individual. Research suggests that a woman multiplies the impact of an investment made in her future by extending benefits to the world around her, creating a better life for her family and building a strong community.

“Giving circles like 100 Women create power and influence in our community to do good. We are female focused and men friendly, and about everyone contributing to a world that offers the same opportunities,” says Alicia. “It may not be huge amounts of money, but we are creating small ripple effects that you can ignite.” www.100women.org.au

G R A N T R E C I P I E N T H I G H L I G H T S The Freedom Hub’s Freedom School for Survivors in Brisbane was granted $29,880 to support the social and economic reintegration of victims of sex-trafficking, forced prostitution, or slavery.

Girls from Oz received $28,000 towards delivery of an intensive performing arts program, whereby music and dance educators taught Aboriginal girls, women elders and local teachers in Halls Creek, in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Earbus Foundation of WA was awarded $30,000 to support Aboriginal Health Workers diagnose and manage ear health disease in their communities and reduce the problems associated with ear disease for Aboriginal children.

World Relief Australia in partnership with Human and Hope was awarded $9,300 towards a sewing program that aims to break the cycle of poverty for Cambodian women. In addition to sewing skills, students receive education in small business, life skills, health, sustainable farming and domestic violence training, focusing on their rights in marriage.

Global Development Group received $14,400 to fund the Restore Rose program in two Cambodian provinces to help address the health and hygiene needs of women in extremely poor villages.

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Q&A Anna Segal WORDS BY: TPL & ANNA SEGAL

IMAGES BY: MARK WATSON / INCITE IMAGES

Hailing from Melbourne, Anna Segal started competitive skiing at the age of 17 and is renowned for her freestyle skills and tricks. She is an ambassador for women’s skiing, and has recently turned her attention to film-making. We asked The North Face Athlete how she manages fear on the big days, and what she loves most about skiing down under.

How has the sport evolved since you took it up and where do you see skiing headed for women in the future?

There are many subsections to skiing; downhill racing, nordic, moguls, aerials etc. My skiing career has revolved around ‘slopestyle’ (think of a downhill skate park made out of snow, with skiers doing tricks all the way down the run) and backcountry skiing. Many classify both as ‘extreme skiing’ or action sports. Female representation in action sports is a lot lower in comparison to other, more traditional sports. However, I have seen a massive increase in women getting involved. When I started skiing in the terrain park, I would only ski with a big rat pack of guys – not because I didn’t like skiing with girls – but because there weren’t many other females doing the same thing.

Towards the end of my competitive slopestyle career, I almost solely skied with other females. I think participation in skiing and other action sports has a domino effect: other ladies see their friends doing it and they’re more inclined to join in.

I was so anxious about the event I wasn’t sleeping, and I was pushing through exhaustion and pain. So, to finish my final run, see my family in the stands and all my support team on the ground – it was seriously one of the best moments of my life. That was my last slopestyle competition and I feel like I ended on an absolute high. If you told me I would place fourth one year out from the Olympics, I would’ve been disappointed. But, given the circumstances, and the struggles I went through to even get my skis back on my feet, I was extremely proud of myself. It was a real change in perspective.

After the 2014 Olympics you left competitive skiing AND your day job to go to Iceland and film Face of Winter. You worked with Warren Miller, a well-known ski and snowboarding filmmaker, what was that like for you?

Well…The opportunity didn’t come directly after the Olympics – it was a good four years later. Between the Olympics and Warren Miller, I finished the last year and a half of my university degree, I moved to Whistler and I spent a lot of time working on my skiing and backcountry skills. Getting the call-up to film with this famous ski/snowboard production company was pretty exciting! Warren Miller actually passed away early last year, so the film we were shooting was a tribute to him. I travelled to Iceland with my friend Amie Engerbretson and there we met freestyle ski legend Jonny Moseley. It was one of the plusher ski shoots I’ve been on.

I try to focus on the positive to best prepare for the task at hand.

In 2014 you placed fourth in slopestyle at the Winter Olympics and became the first Australian to have ever taken 4th place. Do you remember how you felt on that day?

I felt utterly relieved! Three weeks earlier, I had discovered I’d torn a ligament in my knee. Usually, this injury requires surgery and an 8-12 month rehabilitation period.

I thought my Olympic dreams were down the drain. But, with the amazing support of my coach, physiotherapist, sports psyche and the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, I somehow powered through. My knee felt extremely unstable, but I had been working on my mental game a lot in the lead up and was able to block out the ‘what ifs’.

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You have recently been promoting your own feature documentary Finding The Line which stars you and your big mountain skiing sister Nat. What was the catalyst for this project?

We both wanted to get involved with ski films, but at the time, nothing was being offered to us, so we decided

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I think women in particular, often underestimate their skill set, and therefore let fear get in the way of their potential.

to join forces and create our own project. Initially, we didn’t have a theme or objective and we kept fighting over what we actually wanted to create. And when I say fight… I mean we were in tears shouting at each other. This led to us realising we both had some deep-seated insecurities about our skiing careers, which, in different ways, were steeped in fear. So we started exploring the subject and how it had affected both of us, and that is what Finding The Line is based around.

What was it like making your own film? Did anything go awry?

Nat and I got into film making by diving in headfirst, there was little preparation. Neither of us had any experience in the film industry, so we were making rookie mistakes left, right and centre. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

But that’s how you learn. I took away a few lessons including: Create a SOLID budget before you begin, make sure you have figured out finances to cover this budget, and have everything in writing and signed off by all parties you are contracting or working with.

You tackle some pretty big mountains and put your body on the line to do a sport that you love. What goes through your mind when you are faced with a new

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challenge? How do you decide what’s worth the risk?

When new challenges present themselves, there’s often a little battle going on in my head: the negative thoughts telling me I can’t, and the positive thoughts telling me I can. I try to focus on the positive to best prepare for the task at hand. Once I have decided I can do something, I try to calm myself (controlled breathing helps), approach it with a settled mind and make sure I can clearly visualise myself performing. If I can’t visualise myself doing it, I know that I’m not ready. In terms of risk management, that’s something I still struggle with.

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in adrenaline and wanting to prove to myself that I can do things, my evaluation of whether it is ‘worth it’ goes out the window.

What do you value about honing your skills in the Australian snow scene?

What I value is not so much related to the skills I developed, but more linked to the community. I think it was the tight-knit ski and snowboard community that made me fall in love with skiing in the first place. It connected me with like-minded people, who were passionate about the mountains and outside the scope of who I would have met at school and university. From as young as seven, what fired me up most about skiing were the friends I’d get to ski with.

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What is unique about the Australian landscape in which you grew up?

It has to be skiing amongst the gum trees. Also, the odd sighting of a wombat or echidna wandering through the snow. You won’t see that anywhere else in the world!

Can you reveal any of your secret spots?

My favourite place to ski would have to be in and around Whistler. It’s not really a secret, but there is a good reason it’s so popular. The resort access to backcountry skiing is amazing, and on a pow day, the ‘in-bounds’ trees are hard to beat.

You have been doing some speaking gigs of late. What advice do you tend to give to other women based on your experiences?

Most of my speaking has been in relation to Finding The Line, which prompts a lot of questions about fear and how I deal with it. My advice is to first identify what exactly you’re afraid of, then to analyse whether it is a situation that you are truly not ready for, or whether it is a situation that you have the skills to work through. I think women, in particular, often underestimate their skill set and therefore let fear get in the way of their potential. But, this is not always the case. Sometimes fear rears its head for a very good reason and there are times when we need to listen to it.

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What personal qualities are most important to you?

Honesty, humour and work ethic. Honesty, because I really dislike fake people. I’d rather someone be blunt and potentially offensive, rather than sugar coat things. Honesty is so important for communication and the better people communicate, the more we can progress as individuals and as communities. Humour is also really important to me, because there are times that we all take ourselves too seriously and it’s good to be able to laugh at life. Finally, good work ethic is something I strive for and that I hope the people I work with also regard highly. When you’re part of a team that trusts each to work their hardest, it keeps the vibe high and is a motivating force.

What’s on the cards for 2019?

I’m most looking forward to coming back down south for some spring skiing in September. I will stop off in New Zealand to meet up with The North Face team for the launch of their new fabric, Futurelight. Then I’ll be heading to the Main Range in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains to do a backcountry trip, with The North Face. The aim is to show our Kiwi team-mates how awesome the Aussie backcountry can be. I’m crossing my fingers for good snow otherwise I know we’ll be the butt-end of their jokes for the next couple years.

ANNA MOVES MOUNTAINS ANNA SEGAL, FREESKIER/POWDER HOUND/COFFEE ADDICT SEE HER STORY AT THENORTHFACE.COM.AU/SHEMOVESMOUNTAINS. PHOTOS: MARK WATSON

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riding C H A N G E

Change is the only constant in life. It’s not easy to plan for change when your heart is set on one outcome only. It can easily and quickly knock us off balance, and it can feel scary.

WORDS & IMAGES BY: TERRA ROAM

Change which causes us to stop is not failure. It’s an opportunity to head in a different direction and a chance to look at our goals from a new perspective.

Change can also give us space to step back and rest.

In December, my two-year ride around Australia was brought to a sliding halt by stress and its effect on my body and mind.

practice, learning from it and adapting to it. It gets easier even though it is never planned.

One of the best outcomes from this latest change has been the wonderful connections I have made with other adventurers and explorers. Connections that I would not have made while campaign riding. I missed community and companionship during the last 10 years of solo expeditioning. Until now, companionship and community felt like stars in the sky, they were there but I couldn't touch them.

These last two months have opened my heart to the true meaning of friendship.

When I let go of my ride I let go of everything…

Within days of making the tough decision to stop riding I began to feel strong and well again; an unexpected result of change and I embraced it.

Since then, I have been presented with amazing opportunities with old and new friends, real freedom, job opportunities, and I have returned home for rest and recovery without accountability.

For years I fought change. The walk around Australia gave me lots of

MEET

Terra Roam and Kelli Jackson (ACT Women's Adventure group leader and around the world unicyclist) out on an overnight walk in Namadgi National Park.

When I let go of my ride I let go of everything and I allowed change to carry me in the right direction. To paraphrase the great explorer John Muir, "The mountains are calling! I must go [home]".

Terra Roam

Adventurer, Storyteller First woman to walk 17,200kms around Australia solo and unsupported. www.terraroams.earth

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O P E N

HEARTS in a

Divided Country WORDS & IMAGES BY: JESSICA GAUDER

Thunder cracked overhead. Big, slow raindrops landed on my backpack as I hurried downhill to the bus station, trying to beat the storm. Once I boarded the overnight bus to Istanbul, I fought back tears as I realised how much this place had meant to me.

This home I had found in a tiny lakeside village in Turkey, that had given me room to breathe and brought me back to life. I settled in for the long journey back to the capital – where I still had a few days of wonder and chaos ahead of me.

My two-month journey took me from Izmir, a progressive city on the west coast, to Egirdir, my beloved home in the central lake district, and back to mesmerising Istanbul, with a few eye-opening adventures in between. Turkish landscapes are incredibly diverse, beautiful and historic, and nothing could have prepared me for my time there. My trip was loosely based on a few volunteering arrangements that provided accommodation and food in exchange for a few hours of work a day – which was invaluable for making friends, travel advice and becoming immersed in local cultures.

After a long, cold winter on the Atlantic coast of northern Spain, I felt like both my body and spirit needed to be thawed out, and I got just the medicine I needed when I arrived in Izmir. I split my days between practicing English with two little boys, spending hours and hours playing ‘robot kitten’ or ‘pirate t-rex’ and exploring the colourful city on my own. In the afternoons I would stroll along the neverending boardwalk that runs the length of the city, watching the inky water of the river splash against the walls as the sun set behind the mountains on the far side of the bay. Social life congregated there, and you could always find locals planted along the edges with their fishing lines, drinking strong Turkish tea and snacking on sunflower seeds. In the oppressive humidity, life there had a lazy buzz, vibrant but without urgency. In the town centre was the bazaar, with every knickknack you could ever hope to find, and to my delight in the central business district lots of brightly coloured art deco buildings.

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I felt myself slowly unwind as I spent every evening exploring the nooks of the city and met lots of kind-hearted people who were delighted to have travellers visit. Often when I would ask for directions, I would find myself with temporary travel companions, who for some reason would stay with me across subway lines from one end of the city to the other. Slowly, after weeks of spending my evenings in the balmy heat, drinking limonata and enjoying the Turkish music that always seemed to be floating in the background, I felt myself unwind.

Izmir is a modern, progressive city, which to me was reflected in the life of the family I was staying with. They lived in a modest but modern apartment in a trendy neighbourhood, close to the boardwalk. Both the man and woman were successful professionals, and as such could afford to send their boys to privileged schools where tennis and chess classes were the norm, even for three and six-year-olds. The boys I tutored were already fluent in English and German and were being given every tool possible to set them up for success. Education is not taken for granted in Turkey, it can not be, when only a small portion of the vast country have access to it.

If you were only to visit Izmir, Istanbul and maybe some of the picturesque resort towns dotting the coast, you would be forgiven for thinking that Turkey is a modernised country, well on its way to joining the European Union. But it is important to understand a little about its history. Around the turn of the century, many Muslim Majority countries sought to modernise in order to keep up with the progress of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. Turkey’s founder, Kemal Ataturk, attempted to do just that, and united Turkey under a common language and history in 1923. However, the modernisation

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Education is not taken for granted in Turkey, it cannot be, when only a small portion of the vast country have access to it. of most of those countries was rushed and didn’t accompany a huge cultural revolution like it did in Europe, creating a kind of superficial modernisation that was available to the wealthy and elite in the cities but barely touched the rural villages. The backlash is of course the return to ‘traditional’ Islamic values and support of one-party leaders that can be seen in many Muslim Majority countries today. The tension continues to grow between those on the progressive left who fight for democracy, and those who live outside that world and are still fighting for basic education and secure family life.

I didn’t fully understand this until I left Izmir for my next destination, Egidir, a small town based on tourism and fishing, perched on an expansive lake in the central region of Isparta. I reached the family run Pension (hostel) where I would be working at one in the morning, after finding myself completely disoriented and having to use my three words of Turkish to ask some local teenagers if they could show me the way. When I finally woke up, I climbed the stairs to the top floor, to discover that the breakfast bar offered a 360 degree view of the breathtaking turquoise lake with mountains lining its far shores.

It was here, washing dishes and greeting travellers, both Turkish and foreign, that I learned to appreciate a different pace of life, and the freedom that comes from having nowhere to be, and nothing to do but to appreciate the moment you’re in and the people you’re with. Initially, I struggled with village life, affectionately naming the town ‘the fishbowl’ with my American friend who was volunteering at the same time as me. We settled into a nice routine of work in the morning, a walk around the town (fishbowl) in the afternoon, endless cups of Turkish tea, swims in the lake and afternoon naps in the corner lounge. We watched storms roll in over the lake, stunning sunsets, fishing boats pull in and out of the harbour blaring emotive Turkish music behind them, children playing in the village streets, old men hobbling to afternoon prayers, and drank more tea.

Only myself, my American companion and the boss spoke English.

Over the four weeks we made friends with some truly wonderful people, using only body language, facial expressions and good will.

Together we worried, laughed, speculated, and ran a hotel, without having any common language. The bosses father, an old man with strong hands and twinkly eyes, would patiently teach us Turkish words and try to explain the local weather. The cook, a large round woman with crossed eyes had a laugh that came from her belly and a good nature that never faltered. The housekeeper had sharp eyes that were equally full of sadness and joy, full of love but tired from hard work.

The manager, a young man of 27, was hardened by the Turkish Military and yet full of life, he loved to sing the Muslim call to prayer in Turkish and had a beautiful voice.

I felt truly at peace, and as all the heaviness of the past year lifted, I wondered how I could feel so content with such a simple routine, and why I had been running around my whole life. The family I had come to know and love are truly kind and humble people, and I miss them all the time. This life, miles away from bustling Izmir, was mainly concerned with life on the lake, running a successful business, and family life. Priorities were different, and modernisation had never truly taken hold there.

A month later, I sat eating dinner with one of my workmates, a rich meal of rice cooked with butter and spices, stewed zucchini with minced meat, and lashings of yoghurt. We had already shared a long goodbye hug, and he now sat irritatingly pulling faces at me while we ate. In half an hour, I had to leave to catch the bus to Istanbul, and it didn’t feel real. All my adventures of the previous month, ancient monuments, Mediterranean beaches, secluded gorges, wild horses on mountain plains, and afternoon naps by the lake flashed before me.

Although I still had the metropolis of Istanbul ahead of me, my time in Egirdir had changed me – and I knew I would be back.

MEET

Jessica Gauder

Jessica Gauder is from Perth, Western Australia. She is an intrepid explorer, curious about the world and all it’s corners. She is a student of Islam-West relations and is passionate about promoting appreciation, understanding and acceptance amongst cultures.

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Photo Credit: Nathan McNeil - Set In Stone Photography

NEVER GIVE UP WORDS & IMAGES BY:

NIKKI SHAH

Forty degrees, 460 km until the next gas station and a failing air-con. Of course driving a 26-year-old car in the middle of the outback had sounded like a good idea. I grew up in a small town in the North of England and had never imagined doing anything like this.

In October 2018, my good friend Alison (who had also lived in the same little English town) and I set out to complete the Mystery Box Rally. The little brother event to the Shit Box Rally and with a few different rules: You have to purchase a car that is a 2WD and at least 25 years old, and while you know the start and finish point, you have no idea where you go in the five days in-between.

realise I had. Mike was never a person to say no. He pushed me to my limits in all aspects of life. He challenged me and I saw myself grow so much in those years.

Just do it.

Don’t let fear be the thing to ever stop you.

We purchased our car ‘Libby’ for $350, (a slight worry from the start), but she worked wonders. She was the only car in our group of six cars to not have any issues (not even a flat tyre and believe me we were not driving it carefully). Others in our group had an entire exhaust fall off, and there were more than 10 flat tyres and several broken suspensions.

The rally has been running for nine years and has raised almost $16 million for Cancer Council research. Cancer affects almost every Australian in one way or another and has had a huge effect on me.

When I first moved to Sydney in 2009 I met Mike. My best friend, soulmate, and eventually my partner. Every weekend we would find a hike, boating escape, bike ride or swim to fill our fire for adventure.

It wasn’t something I was used to doing. Growing up, my parents were not really into walking or adventures (they grew up in Kenya and had to walk for hours just to get to school so didn’t consider it leisure). Mike brought out a desire in me, that at times I didn’t even

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In 2015 my rosy view of the world was shattered. Mike was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (a type of bone cancer). For 2.5 years, he suffered through endless treatments and surgery. Mike passed away in January 2018 at the age of 32, and left a huge void in my life.

But one thing Mike would always say was, “Just do it. Don’t let fear be the thing to ever stop you”. When Mike passed, it set a trigger in me, a craving that I had to do more, a feeling I was capable of exceeding further than my current visions.

Two months after his passing I completed my first multi-day hike in New Zealand. Initially I was scared of doing anything like this due to a knee injury I’d sustained in my teens. But with research, training, support and pure determination I conquered this fear and developed a new love for hiking. Now most of my weekends are spent venturing around the national parks of New South Wales.

I knew that Mike had always wanted to complete the Shit Box Rally and so this just seemed to be a priority on my new to-do list. In June 2018, Alison and I applied, and to our shock we were accepted. Our team name was ‘Bing Bong’, in honour of Mike’s nickname from the movie Inside Out (which now seems very fitting as I see him as my

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imaginary friend. He would have definitely had a few giggles during that rally).

The event started in Mildura, with 300 participants in 150 cars, and 30 support vehicles. We were one of only a handful of all female teams, and definitely not car savvy. Alison and I could change a car tyre – just.

Nonetheless, we smashed it. We drove 2500 km in the Australian outback on mainly unsealed roads (some were barely even roads).

We stopped at camp sites each night, in the middle of nowhere, in towns I had never heard of before. In some places our rally had more of a population than the actual towns (which meant a lot to their economy).

The rally took me to the red dirt of Australia, something neither Alison or I had ever experienced before. The vastness of the land shocked me, as did how much the drought had affected the areas. In Sydney where I live water is abundant, whether it’s in the taps or in the ocean I swim in, it is always there. But some of these towns were so dry that the creeks were cracked and wildlife nonexistent.

offered a job with a top Premier Rugby League team in England. This was a dream job for me at the time, working and travelling with an elite sports team. But it wasn’t without its challenges. One of the first comments a player said to me was, “How can you be our physio, you are tiny?” I responded by saying, “I promise I will have you in tears when I work that ITB”. And I did. I had most of the big burly team in tears when working on their injuries. Not so small now am I? After several years of living in London I joined a friend on a holiday to Australia. I fell in love with it instantly. The coast lines, the countryside, the ocean, the vastness, the food, the people and most of all the lifestyle. It just seemed to gel well with me. One night when I was back in London and running through Hyde Park in freezing cold February, I stopped and had a ‘moment’ and thought why am I here?

We were one of only a handful of all female teams, and definitely not car savvy.

The rally was an experience that will stay with me for life. We did it in memory of Mike, but the friends we made with our team and beyond, are ones you can imagine having forever.

Sometimes we had to wait hours for support to arrive, which allowed for endless conversations on the side of the road or even chill time on a railway track! It fueled me even more to be adventurous and push my limits.

We raised just under $6,000 and on our journey home, we both turned to each other and said – not asked – “We are doing this again next year, right!” What I thought was to be a once in a lifetime event, now has me thinking about fancy dress outfits well in advance, and how we can raise more money and awareness. Hopefully we can still use our trusted steed ‘Libby’.

How life has changed. I never thought I would now be waking up to the surf break and watching the boats sail across the harbour from my Bondi apartment.

How life has taken so many turns and left me at some pretty big crossroads, most of the time not being able to see what was in the distance. Losing Mike and tackling the Mystery Box Rally weren’t my only life lessons in never giving up. When I was aged 15, I moved to Florida to attend a tennis academy, fulfilling my dream at the time of playing tennis and completing high school. To this day, I still do not know how my parents let me move to a completely different continent on my own. It was a pretty daunting experience, and I can still remember asking my tennis coach before I accepted my place, “What if I don’t like it?” Her response was, “Well, you are not going to know unless you try.” I must admit these words seem to have stuck with me and become one of my mottos.

In 2018 I decided to leave again. This time though it was from my safe and secure corporate job to set up MyMuse: a social enterprise that provides training to corporates on how to support employees with cancer themselves or caring for someone with cancer. MyMuse also helps individuals on their own journey.

This cause lights a spark in me. Something I have never felt before.

Not with tennis and not with physio. Life can go in so many different directions. But it doesn’t matter where it takes you. As long as you never give up.

ABOUT

Nikki Shah

Nikki is a radiant human being whose energy has a ripple effect on all those around her. She turned tragedy into something that will leave a legacy. Nikki grabs every opportunity she can, be it adrenaline filled adventure such as rock climbing, surfing or sailing, to inspirational talks, and driving her business. Nikki never stops. www.mymuse.com.au

Following almost three years at school in Florida, I was accepted to an American college. But then disaster struck. A major knee injury and two lots of surgery meant my tennis career was over, along with my childhood dream to live in America. Throughout my years of rehab, I never stopped asking my physio questions. He joked one day that I should train as a physio. And so I did.

While it was a challenging degree, I completed my studies and was

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So, I made the move Sydney, to the other side of the world away from my family. The second big move and the second time my parents had to let me go. Although they could relate as it was something they did at a young age when they left their own families in Kenya and moved to England to give my brother and I a better life. (Something I am eternally grateful for.)

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"Friends swim in her shallows, lovers dance in her depths; soulmates are the sea." –

H AY L E Y

TA L B O T

Happy Place Finalist

Venture Out Australia (Lakes Entrance, Victoria) Photo Credit: Kieren Evison 027

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flow DERBY Finding

in

WORDS BY: ALICE ROSE KING IMAGES BY: BEN CIRULIS

Picture a mountain biker carving down a forest trail, an artist absorbed in painting, a race car driver drifting around a corner, or a writer scribbling words onto the page. What do they have in common? They’re all searching for flow.

But what, exactly, is ‘flow’? Different people describe it in different ways (such as ‘being in the zone’) but typically the flow state is characterized by complete absorption in what one does, losing the sense of space and time.

Author and psychology professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states, “The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times…The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

local councils and the federal government. Now there are over 100 km of tracks to explore, with mountain biking visitors booming to 30,000 during 2017 when Derby hosted a round of the World Enduro series – well and truly putting it on the mountain biking map.

No thoughts, just existing in this perfect, immediate moment.

Back to our mountain biker. That’s me.

(Sadly not the race car driver though – at least, not yet!) And the forest trail? That’s in Derby, a small town in the north-west of Tasmania. Although I’m barely aware of any of that right now. Instead, my world consists only of the next corner, and then the one after that. Wind and sunlight on my skin. Heartbeat pulsing through my veins. No thoughts, just existing in this perfect, immediate moment. Flow.

And it seems I’m not the only one flow-seeking in Derby. Four years ago, the first 20 km of the ‘Blue Derby’ trail network opened in this tiny ex-tin mining town, a joint tourism initiative between

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Which begs the question: why travel all the way to Tasmania? Can’t I find flow on my local loop? Of course I can. But as I found out, what makes Derby special goes beyond flow, and it doesn’t finish at the end of the trail.

I fall halfway in love the moment I drive into the township. Historic weatherboard houses perch on a granite studded hillside, overlooking the Ringarooma river. All around are hillsides covered in stringybark gums and yellow flowering wattle, with hidden pockets of lush, shaded rainforest.

And the moment I start pedalling? That’s when I fall the rest of the way. I was expecting good riding. What I wasn’t expecting is to be immersed in such incredible landscape. The trails hug the land like a lover, curving around treeferns, whispering with waterfalls, flirting with glimpses of the view below. Sure, there are downhill runs made for maximum shredding. But there are also sunlit streams

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with conveniently placed logs, inviting you to stop, and rest, and just be for a while.

But since the first mountain bike tyres hit dirt in 2015, it’s gone from ‘region in decline’ to ‘must-visit destination’. From the original $3.1 million investment of Council and Federal Government grant money, the influx of trail tourists generates an estimated $30 million-a-year return.

Finally, the siren call of coffee lures me out of the bush and back to civilization. As I pedal along the cozy main street, I notice a common theme. Bike hire, bike workshop, bike shuttles. Cafes with cycling puns in their names. Showers for mountain bikers (have your gold coins ready). Bike parking outside every business.

Houses with bike sculptures out front. People riding their bikes rather than driving cars. I sit down at the café to a mountain biking themed menu, and my waitress is a mountain biker (of course!)

It dawns on me: this is what a mountain biking town looks like.

Derby’s main business, its lifeblood, is bicycles. Most of the people who work, live or visit here now do so because they love riding.

The net effect is a sense of instant community and genuine shared passion, as if everyone I bump into is just a riding buddy waiting to happen.

To understand why this feels so unique, you only need to look at how, despite the boom of mountain bike tourism in New Zealand (which brings in 25 million dollars annually to Queenstown alone), Australia has trailed behind in realizing the potential benefits. Mountain bikers are often relegated to the land nobody else needs, or wants, trails taking us on tours of sewage treatment plants, rubbish tips, shooting ranges and even nuclear reactors. If this is the alternative, no wonder riders are flocking to ‘#getdownandderby’.

Results like this show clearly that eco-tourism is not just a feel-good or ethical approach, but a profitable approach. With 360,000 hectares of native forest around the state soon to be made available for logging in 2020 (some of it bordering the Blue Derby trails), hopefully seeing Derby’s success will help forge another path forward for Tasmania.

In fact, ‘Derbyfication’ is spreading already. Just an hour down the road at St Helens, the council is planning for a $4.7 million network of mountain bike trails to boost tourism in the area. And in the south end of the state, bikers are flocking to the newly opened Maydena, an ex-forestry town turned gravity-focused mountain bike park near Hobart.

Standing stand high up on Atlas trail overlooking the valley, I can see a long streak of yellow wattle trees blazing their way towards the town below. The first trees to regrow along the flood-gouged hillside. Now, every Spring, they bloom in memorial to the lives and livelihoods lost all those years ago. But I like to think that now they bloom in celebration of Derby’s future too – a little town which has finally found its flow.

But Derby is more than just a mountain biking mecca. In a state which has a long history of warring views on whether to consume or protect its natural resources (mining, forestry and agriculture supporters clashing with conservationist ‘greenies’), the Blue Derby Mountain Bike Project is an incredibly successful case study for eco-tourism.

Like many Tassie towns, Derby sprung up around tin mining in 1870, reaching a population of 3000 in its heyday. Disaster struck when the Briseis Dam burst in 1929, flooding the mine, devastating the town and killing 14 people. While the dam eventually reopened, it never reached the same level of output and closed in 1948, seeing the population dwindle to 173. Derby nearly became a ghost town, receiving a final blow in 2011 with the collapse of the forestry industry.

MEET

Alice King

An ex-athlete turned adventurer, Alice has a passion for all things outdoors, saying “When we grow up, we don’t outgrow the playground, the playground just gets bigger.” She shares her explorations through storytelling, helping ignite a spark of adventure in others. @alice_rose_king on instagram

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A D V E N T U R E S A N D

N O T

J U S T

A R E

T O

B E

D R E A M E D

H A D A B O U T .

FINDING

TUKTOYAKTUK WOR D S BY: M IC H E L L E RYA N I M AG E S BY: R E MO T E L E IG H & C L A R I S SA B L AC K

This was my conversation with Leigh Swansborough back in early January 2018. We were throwing ideas at each other of the adventures we both wanted. Leigh’s sounded so amazing and I have to admit I was jealous. But at the same time, I was extremely happy for my fellow Aussie friend.

Leigh was excited as she described the idea to me, “The trip is a tad nuts – a 2000 km journey starting with a four day ferry ride from Bellingham, Washington to Skagway, Alaska.

Then, in honour of the Klondike Gold Rush miners, we’ll hike the Chilkoot trail into British Columbia, Canada. Here, the boots are swapped out with a paddle and pack-raft and we paddle 900 km, along the remote section of the Yukon River up to the heart of the Gold Rush town Dawson City.

Then, we will finish it off with a 900 km hike pushing a cart up to the Arctic Circle, along the newly built dirt highway and beyond to find Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Sea”.

Leigh, a mental health clinician raised in Wagga Wagga New South Wales, was joined on this journey by another courageous and inspirational woman, Clarissa Black, an animal trainer and founder of Pets for Vets, a non-profit

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organisation that pairs up veterans with shelter animals.

I asked Leigh what adventure as a woman meant to her and she said, “Adventuring as a woman gives me a freedom that I can only experience in the wilderness. The wilderness is the only thing that has ever made sense to me. Perhaps it’s because Mother Nature offers me an equality that society does not. My gender, ethnicity, orientation and social economic background are of little significance during a backcountry monsoonal storm at 12,000 feet. A willingness to be vulnerable, a craving for connection and an insane love for the unknown fuels for my desire for adventures”.

Clarissa feels a sense of peace, belonging and grounding when exploring Mother Nature. “I use ecotherapy as part of my healing from PTSD, I feel empowered and the weight I carry lifted,” she said.

Neither of them had ever taken on a journey of this magnitude before. They were certainly not on a rush to find gold but more on a journey to reach and discover the Inuialut community of Uktoyaktuk (Tuk as it is known by locals). This area of Canada is all coastal plains and until

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fairly recently, Tuk was only accessible in the winter when the land froze, creating a permafrost road which could be driven on. In the summer, the town was only connected only by plane. However, in November 2017 a permanent road was built across the open tundra, connecting this remote community with all year round access. The girls planned to be the first to walk it.

The journey was inspired by this very women’s magazine – Travel Play Live – when Aussie female adventurers were invited to apply for the 2018 Women’s Adventure Grant.

“I finally felt like a publication understood the true value of adventure – creating and developing community connection, enhancing personal growth, and inspiring change,” said Leigh. (While in the end Leigh chose not to apply for the grant, she was elated that herself and other women had the opportunity to do so).

The girls expectation from such an adventure would be to increase the visibility of women in the wilderness through media and social media coverage they generated along the way and possibly inspire others to venture out of their comfort zone.

The knew it would be a

challenge and tackled a number of hurdles right from the start.

A week prior to departure, Clarissa was rear ended in a car accident leaving her with back, neck and shoulder pain and almost no time to recover. Ensuring they had access to adequate food was also difficult. Leigh has an allergy to soy products and after carefully preparing $1,200 USD worth of food drops there were hassles with getting the food through border control. Posting from Los Angeles to the Canadian post office was an issue due to restrictions on international mail but, with the help from Canada’s Visitors centres and kind strangers they managed to make their essential food drops.

On June 1st, 2018 the girls set off from Skagway Alaska along the Chilkoot Trail, a vital trade route for the indigenous Tlingit people, and a major route for the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1800’s. Although early summer, conditions were still wintery and the challenge began straight away for Leigh. She has both rheumatoid arthritis and Raynaud’s disease so exposure to severe cold can be extremely taxing. To help

That incredible human spirit, the connection, the caring, the kindness of the North, the Yukon – it was unbelievable.

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FINDING

TUKTOYAKTUK

combat this, Leigh wore plenty of protective clothing and a dry suit for the paddling sections of the journey.

The girls trekked through the snow towards the Chilkoot Trail Mountain Pass (1067m) and scrambled their way over the rockface of the Golden Staircase towards the false summit.

Leigh became stuck and hurt her ankle and Clarissa’s only way to reach her was to slide back down the slope. She slid at an alarming pace with only her hiking pole to stop her from crashing into the rocks below.

Managing to continue on up the pass they decided to spend the night in the emergency shelter at the top to recover.

But it wasn’t all wind and rain on the Yukon, there were some welcome moments of sunshine, the best not even from the sun but rather from a sign they spotted in the trees saying, ‘campground and bakery in 9 km’. It had been almost two months of paddling and the thought of baked food was heaven. Arriving at this remote campground they found it to be an off-the-grid property that provided food and a place to stay for paddlers of the Yukon and was run by three generations of women (and a duck).

...we will finish it off with a 900 km hike pushing a cart up to the Arctic Circle…

Finishing the 53 km Chilkoot Trail, they arrived at the abandoned town of Bennett, British Columbia, where they began pack-rafting through the lake system, along the Yukon river to reach Dawson City. Paddling was extremely difficult through the harrowing wind storms of Bennett Lake but the girls eventually managed to make it to Bove Island on Leigh’s birthday. For four days they were held up at the mercy of the weather with 80 kph winds which prevented them from making the Windy Arm crossing to get to the Southern Lakes resort for a belated birthday celebration.

Closer to Dawson City the river became quite an obstacle course. Murky water rushed in from White River as it joined the Yukon, fallen trees littered the waterways and submerged branches made navigation treacherous.

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More challenges struck in July when the girls were camped at the Whitehorse Campgrounds. The girls were woken up by the local Police after Leigh’s passport was found on the other side of the river.

A large amount of their gear (including clothes, tech-gear, camera and backpacks) had been stolen from their vestibule during the night. After hearing about their situation on a CBC radio interview, the town of Whitehorse rallied together to help the girls continue along their journey.

out conditions and unable to walk but no obstacle was going to stop them from achieving their goal. Held up in their tent alongside the highway they spent their time writing, editing their photos and fantasizing about food before the weather subsided enough for them to continue safely.

The next hurdle they encountered was to do with their custom made car, a crucial part of their equipment which they had shipped ahead from Oregon to Dawson for the long trek up the Dempster Highway. However, on arriving in Dawson there was no cart! With only three resupply points in the 900 km stretch and around 50 kg of supplies to carry it would be extremely difficult without it. Not to be defeated, they used all their resourcefulness to scavenge around Dawson, including the rubbish dump, and came up with a less than perfect solution. A vintage stroller, named ‘Strolee’, and a threewheeled golf cart named ‘Bad Boy’.

As October came, and the bone chilling winds ripped through, the girls pushed closer to reaching their target. Clarissa started to suffer from sharp stabbing pains in her Achilles and became sick just days away from reaching Tuk. But with sheer determination and strength the girls pushed on to become the first women to hike, paddle and walk from Skagway Alaska up the Dempster and the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway to the Arctic Ocean.

On reflecting on what they had achieved, the girls had the following to say: Leigh – “Ladies just do it! Don’t let others project their fears into you! Regardless of the obstacles we faced, everything always seemed to work out, the obstacles made us stronger.”

The plan was to push these carts as far as they could, and then blessed with the generosity of a local woman named Cynthia, the girls were given a Burly Trailer, aptly named ‘Miss Cynthia’.

Leigh is currently researching a new adventure to Iran.

Another angel, Olav from Inuvik, drove past with a tour group heading to Dawson. On his return he brought them some treats like fresh bread, fruit and gave them his number insisting they call if needed. Olav was worried that Miss Cynthia wouldn’t make the treacherous journey ahead, and a few days later he messaged the girls and surprised them with the gift of a new cart.

Clarissa – “This adventure lit a fire in my soul and I feel proud to play a part in normalizing female adventurers, hopefully encouraging others to go outside of their comfort zone. The people we met truly were the Yukon Gold and the Northern Lights of this journey”.

Trekking the highway bought some huge challenges but also great pleasure too. The girls were blessed with the beauty of mother nature, her rainbows, the night shows of the dancing northern lights, even seeing black bears crossing ahead of them. Many people stopped along the way giving them gifts of handwritten cards, food, drinks and a whole lot of encouragement.

“That incredible human spirit, the connection, the caring, the kindness of the North, the Yukon – it was unbelievable,“ said Clarissa. The girls told how it really helped lift their spirits when the days and nights were challenging. At one point the cart fell down into a ravine bending the front wheel and handlebar.

A passing motorist helped retrieve Miss Cynthia and Olav returned again to help repair her. Pushed through potholes, wind, rain, snow, sleet and hail Miss Cynthia made 253 km before she was retired from the journey.

For two days the girls were stuck in a snowstorm with white-

MEET

Michelle Ryan

Michelle Ryan is a hiker that walks throughout the world, especially here in her home of Western Australia. She is a freelance writer and author. In 2018 Michelle produced a documentary ‘Bibbulmun Journeys’, and published her first book ‘The Capes’. www.walkingtwobytwo.com

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Meeting The

TATTOOED WOMEN O F

C H I N

S TAT E

WORDS & IMAGES BY: ELISHA DONKIN

When researching for my trip to Myanmar, I knew that I wanted to explore beyond the well-travelled tourist route of Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake and Yangon. That is when I came across Chin State, in the western area of the country bordering Bangladesh and India. A state that was one of the last to be openedup to foreigners and one that still sees very few tourists.

Chin State is home to several small ethnic groups that make up what is collectively referred to as the Chin people, and is considered one of the major ethnic minorities in Myanmar. Their most distinctive feature is the customary tattooing of women’s faces, each with a unique design from forehead to chin. It was a tradition until it was outlawed by the central government in the 1960s, although it’s believed to have still been practiced until the 1990s in some remote villages.

The exact explanation for the unique tradition is contested. The dominant narrative being that it was started centuries ago to hide the beauty of young girls and stop them being kidnapped

by Burmese princes searching for wives. The alternative ex-

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planation is quite the opposite, and suggests the tattoos were designed to enhance the woman’s beauty, more of a cultural stamp of womanhood in the communities. Whatever the original purpose, I found the beauty and strength of the Chin women could not be denied, and I was interested to gain an insight into the fascinating tradition.

Leaving behind the popular tourist area of Bagan and its pagoda-filled plains, I took a pick-up truck and then a minibus to a town called Mindat in Chin State. I found a local guesthouse run by a beautiful and friendly woman and she gave me a room on the top floor. From my window I could see the small mountain town below blanketed in fog, adding to the mysterious

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nature of a place still not openly explored by tourists.

to move along the pipe to make a sweet melody despite her age. I couldn’t help but feel very privileged to have the chance to witness a tradition that will practically disappear when Yaw Shen passes on.

There was one particular lady I had read about, and even seen photos of online when I was scouring for information. Daw Yaw Shen, over 90 years old, is the last remaining woman known in the area to play the traditional nose flute. For over a decade, she has welcomed international photographers, researchers and explorers who have travelled the world to meet her, and witness the rare instrument being played.

Yaw Shen learnt the nose flute as a child and continues to play it to this day at important cultural events. She’s become a bit of a Chin ‘rockstar’, locals revere her for her traditional skill, and foreigners travel all the way to Mindat to sit with her. Understanding her attraction, she charges 5000 kyats or around AUD$5 for the privilege of watching her play the flute and take her photo.

I visited her in a small wooden house where she lives with her daughter, next to the local private high school. I sat in their kitchen and Yaw Shen emerged proudly, dressed in her traditional clothing and jewellery. A big smile spread across her weathered, tattooed face as our eyes met.

With her very limited English and my non-existent Burmese, we exchanged many smiles and nods. She raised the flute to her nose and played a tune for me, her fingers able

When I gave her the money for her demonstration, she clasped my hands and her daughter translated that she had said, “Thank you, thank you so much for coming to meet me”. Of course, the money would contribute to her family’s livelihood, however, it was obvious that Yaw Shen was very proud of her culture and eager to share it with anyone who was interested.

I walked around town and down to the local market, conscious that I would stick out. Men stared as I passed, and kids initially took flight before peeking a look at the newcomer from behind the safety of a nearby door or wall. Women on the other hand smiled at me, unfazed by my presence. It was almost an acknowledgement that they recognised I was a fellow female coming to discover and learn about their traditions.

I saw many older women with their faded facial tattoos on the streets in town, sitting behind their produce at the market, or buying supplies from small shops.

I could have raised my camera to snap their picture or even approached them to ask for their portrait, but I chose not to. Tourism is spreading fast in Myanmar, and the nature of the industry could mean that in a few years’ time there will be many tourists coming and hassling them for photos. These women, who are going about their daily life, possess tattooed features because of an ancient tradition that has become a part of their identity. While the tattoos might have been intended to deter royal eyes, they may result in attracting foreign camera lenses in years to come.

I found the beauty and strength of the Chin women could not be denied…

For now, however, I can say that I have been privileged to spend some time in a place still widely unexplored, in the company of beautiful women with a fascinating culture that is slowly fading, and in a country that continues to change since it opened itself to the outside world.

MEET

Elisha Donkin

Elisha Donkin is a hiking and travel addict, who would have told you when she was 5 years old that she was going to travel the world. Since 2014, she has travelled to over 35 countries, climbed Kilimanjaro and trekked the Larapinta Trail, all as solo adventures.

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Time to

STOCKTAKE Your Dreams

WORDS & IMAGES BY: SPUTNIK

While the ‘you can do anything’ and ‘do more/be more’ mantras are all the rage and make for fine and dandy inspirational quotes on social media, I’m pitching something a little different. It’s time to stocktake your dreams, chuck out any that aren’t relevant, ditch the ones that don’t make you feel good, and discover the joy.

Back in the mid 90s I was quite into various self development stuff including peak performance (I am not your) guru Tony Robbins. Yes, I walked on fire – a few times. (No I didn’t get burned, although some may say I did considering the money I spent doing his courses.)

I also traveled to the USA to study with him where I was lucky enough to meet and learn from various other awesome people including the late Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop, and General Norman Schwarzkopf, the five star general who oversaw the original Operation Desert Storm, amongst others.

I supposed I’d always dreamed and had goals before that, but after that, the sky wasn’t even close to the limit. In fact there were no limits. Apparently we had ‘Unlimited Power’ and in amongst all that slightly uncomfortable hugging and happy clapping, we were all encouraged to dream big, do more, be more. I even came up with a meticulous plan to retire at the ripe old age of 35 which was, at the time, what seemed a very reasonable six or seven years down the track.

It’s fair to say that courtesy of a few unexpected financial twists and turns, and a complete and utter lack of ability to invent Facebook or anything else remotely worth enough money to actually retire, I over

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shot the 35-years-old mark a little, and the better part of 15 years later, there is no retirement in sight. Not even close. I still dream of being able to retire one day, of course, but now it’s more likely to be sleeping in the back of my SUV rather than on my yacht in the Greek Islands. Hey, what can I say? Plans change. And thankfully these days #VanLife is a thing so I’ll at least be out there with all the cool kids.

More recently, I’ve been thinking about my not inconsiderable bucket list and my general goals and dreams, and I’ve come to a pretty unexpected realization: it’s time to give up on a lot of them.

I know that sounds counterintuitive in our ‘you can do anything/ be anything the sky’s the limit’ society, but, not for me it ain’t. I’ve written about my ‘Awesome is Possible’ philosophy before, and I guess this is another natural result of that anything isn’t possible reality. I won’t speak for you and your unlimited potential, or your ability to ‘unleash the power within’, but for me personally, I’m done. And a whole bunch of my dreams are now filed neatly away under ‘not a fucking chance’. And you know what? I’m actually really cool with that. Not only am I cool with it, I actually feel… liberated. Like a weight’s been taken off my shoulders (And perhaps not coincidentally replaced by some extra weight around my waist instead).

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Let me explain. A few years back I ran a marathon in 3:44 and the following year I set the goal of running an even faster one in 3:35.

Based on my 10 kilometre and half-marathon times, all the official running math deemed it possible. But what they didn’t take into account was my love of donuts. And pizza. And it’s fair to say, these days I’m happy with anything under 4:30. On the upside, I’m at least still running marathons. But 3:35? Out the fucking window.

Same with my dream to run a ‘miler’ – a 100 mile race. After doing a few 100 kilometre trail races, it seemed only natural I’d progress to 100 miles. Buggered if I know what’s natural about that, what I do know is… ain’t gonna happen. Not a chance in hell. I see many of my running friends working their way up to those distances, and for a while, it really got under my skin that I was being left behind.

But once I binned that particular dream, it became much easier to sit at home eating pizza tracking their progress online and cheering them on from afar, without even a ping of regret.

And the list goes on. For example, even in pre-social media days I’d created a pretty impressive to the point of being impossible list of places I used to think I’d see: Machu Picchu, the pyramids, Victoria Falls, Havasupai and about 40,000 other places. I figured it was only a matter of time before I ticked them all off. I even bought that ‘100 Places to See Before You Die’ book. Well, while my math isn’t great, I’m now fairly certain that unless I win the lottery next week, and live to about the age of 135, I’m kinda fucked. (They really should release a book called ‘The Best Five Places to See Before You Die’. Much more useful.) A bit like my ‘retire at 37’ plan, it’s time I realized I need to be a bit more selective choosing my travel destinations, because that massive list of mine? Yeah, well, it isn’t going to get ticked. Not any time soon. Actually, barring the possibility I become the oldest Instagram travel influencer in history being paid to jet around the world visiting new destinations daily, not ever.

those pyramids will have to wait. Possibly til after I’m reincarnated.

Who knows?

What I do know is, as I get older, I’m comfortable with the idea I need to pick and choose my dreams a little more carefully. Be a bit more selective about what I set my heart on. Perhaps that’s just me though? If your dreams, no matter how far away, make you happy and give you something to aim for, regardless of the probability of achieving them, then by all means, dream away.

Dream big. Dream massive. Dream ginormous. And keep on dreaming.

But for me, for now, my life is all about simplifying things – including my dreams. Minimalism is in, right? So why can’t that apply to dreams as well? As a result, you’re more likely to spot me driving my little SUV down a dirt road in the middle of Australia somewhere, photographing a spinifex pigeon or major mitchell’s cockatoo, (but ideally a gouldian finch!) with not a pyramid in sight.

And I’m good with that. Dreaming smaller, dreaming different, has been great for me. Not getting sucked into other people’s dreams of the dreams I think I should dream.

But literally my own dreams. No matter how weird they may seem to others. It’s not without its challenges, it has to be said, but it’s definitely helped me be more relaxed and definitely happier. It’s a philosophy that probably won’t land me a book any time soon, but fuck me if ‘The Joy of Giving Up’ isn’t a thing.

...amongst all that slightly uncomfortable hugging and happy clapping, we were all encouraged to dream big, do more, be more.

I’d be lying if I said I was completely fine with that. I mean, who wants to choose between seeing the Great Wall of China and the pyramids? And if I get to see both those, then sunrise over the temples of Bagan in Myanmar is probably a no-go. If only I hadn’t gone to Bali 30 times, I probably could have squeezed in 29 other destinations. Alas, it’s a little too late to worry about that now, and I sure have had some pretty rad adventures in Bali.

While a more popular inspirational meme might be ‘don’t let your dreams be just dreams’, I’m going with ‘don’t let your dreams get in the way of you being happy’. In a world of social media where we’re constantly being exposed to ideas about what we should be dreaming of, don’t think your dreams need to be the same as other people’s dreams. Don’t let your wanderlust of all adventures great and small, fuel your frustration or sense that the ones you’re already having, no matter how small, aren’t also great.

Because at the end of the day it doesn’t matter whether you’re chasing your dreams, or giving up on them, just so long as you’re happy.

So dream big. Dream small. Dream different. Or hey, maybe even give up on a few.

After a lot of soul searching then, I’ve decided giving up on my dreams is actually really liberating. Legitimately joyful even. I’ve freed myself of so many expectations, so many things I’ll simply never do. So many yardsticks I’ll never measure up to. That’s not to say I don’t still have some dreams, and not all of them to do with eating donuts. I’m literally writing this on the plane on the way to Cambodia where I’ll be guiding a tour before exploring one of the more remote regions I’ve always wanted to visit, but never quite got around to – even when I lived there! But doing that means

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MEET

Sputnik

Sputnik is an internationally awarded Creative Director who loves exploring, writing, taking photos and the relentless pursuit of WOW. He believes in making waves, blazing trails and being awesome to each other. www.ootw.com.au

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r e v o TOURISM WORDS BY: ANNAH PIGGOTT-MCKELLAR

We live in an increasingly globalised and connected world. Thinking about our next trip is as easy as jumping onto a computer and letting the hours fall by as we read blogs, look at photos, and plan our adventures. But, alongside this convenience comes a need to be responsible in how we travel.

While technology and transport allows us to explore more remote and distant places, this can come at a price for the environment and the people who live there. As the number of people travelling rises, many destinations are at risk of serious impact due to their popularity.

Over-tourism is when the number of visitors increases to a point that is unsustainable for the local region, shifting the balance from a positive experience to a negative one.

Negative impacts usually fall within five categories: alienating local residents, degrading tourist experience, overloading infrastructure, damaging nature, and impacting local culture and heritage.

One recent example of over-tourism is the closure of Maya Bay in Thailand (made famous by the movie The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio). Since the popularisation of the film, tourism numbers exploded, resulting in significant environmental damage. As a consequence, the beach was closed to allow regeneration.

When hiking routes become popular it can lead to degradation of trails and impacts from the mass amounts of rubbish generated from hikers (something I experienced while hiking the Annapurna circuit in Nepal a few years ago). Similarly, as the popularity of Mount Everest increases, local Sherpas have to carry hundreds of kilograms of rubbish off the mountain each year.

Over-tourism can also lead to negative impacts on urban destinations. In cities throughout Europe such as Venice, Barcelona, and Santorini there have been surges in property prices and in some cases the eviction of local residents to cater for increased tourism levels. More visitors put a strain on local infrastructure

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and other resources that may not be equipped to deal with so many people. This has caused some areas to take steps such as limiting tourists numbers in order to ameliorate such impacts.

When mass tourism reaches traditional and Indigenous cultures there is potential for inappropriate practices to take place, especially if people do not understand and respect the local culture. In central Australia climbing Uluru was long seen as disrespectful by local Anangu due to the spiritual significance. Yet the practice prevailed for decades until a recent announcement that it will be closed in late 2019.

Impacts from over-tourism can also occur in less direct ways.

Travel to the Arctic regions to witness polar bears is becoming increasingly popular. Polar bears are deeply threatened by climate change and live amidst increasingly fragile environments. The very act of reaching far away locations usually involves long haul air travel, adding greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere and contributing to climate change.

This adds increasing pressure to the threatened polar bears, the very thing people are travelling great distances to see.

Know what is acceptable. As every location is unique in individual culture, society, and environment, the pressures on each place will be different. Make sure you understand the culture you are travelling to, and what is acceptable behaviour.

Reduce your impact. When planning a trip to a popular destination, check if there is a less popular region to visit instead. Chances are there will be other alternatives that can provide what you are looking for. Consider travelling in the off season when there are less visitors. This will reduce your impact and amplify your experience.

Leave no trace. If your adventure involves the wilderness, always try and leave the environment in better condition than you found it.

If you visit an area and witness negative impacts from degradation or over-tourism become an ambassador.

Spread the word. If you visit an area and witness negative impacts from degradation or over-tourism become an ambassador. Talk to your friends and family about the issues and become more informed so that collectively we can work toward more sustainable outcomes and travel options.

Tourism remains an important global industry. Roughly 5% of global GDP comes from tourism and one in every 12 jobs is tourism related. The benefits, especially to developing economies, can be enormous with the potential to lift people out of poverty and improve well-being. In addition, tourism can provide enormous benefits to those who travel, providing adventure, freedom, experience, and education.

Yet our love for travel has the potential to negatively impact the places we visit.

What can you do to help?

Be a mindful and respectful traveller. It can be easy to take for granted the privilege we hold in our ability to access and visit locations in all corners of the world. We have a responsibility to ensure we do not misuse that privilege.

MEET

Annah Piggot-McKellar

Annah Piggott-McKellar is currently a researcher with a background in climate change, adaptation, and sustainable tourism. She is an avid adventurer, and has just come back from a five month hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in the U.S.A. Instagram @annah_mcpigg

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Happy Place Finalist

Suzie MacDonald (CapeYork, Queensland) Photo Credit: Talina O'Brien

“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”

–

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TA G O R E

5 Thrive to

E R I C A

S T E W A R T

Hardtofind

We love talking about happy places with high profile women, and discovering how they find time to disconnect from busy schedules and reconnect with nature. We were delighted when Eri Stewart, Founder of Hardtofind, found a moment to chat with us.

WORDS BY: TPL & ERICA STEWART

1. You attribute much of your success to tenacity, optimism and self belief. How do you keep going when you’ve had a rough day?

I find it much easier to recalibrate after a stressful day than I used to, but it’s taken me years to finally realise that the sky won’t actually fall on my head! I have a little ritual that involves nurturing myself as best I can (not always easy with three kids). I eat healthily, get an early night, download with my husband (he's a great listener) and try to exercise. I think exercise is key. I'm lucky to live close to Centennial Park in Sydney, so have a beautiful walking track right on my doorstep. I do pilates once a week and the instructor comes to the office, which means I don't have to think about it. I'd love to say I always follow this pattern, but the truth is sometimes only Netflix and wine will do!

2. Hardtofind really blossomed during your maternity leave. How did you project manage such a perfect storm of business and babies?

I think back to that time and I honestly don't know how I did it. I remember typing emails with one hand, whilst breastfeeding my youngest with the other. I'd get the kids to bed and stay up until midnight responding to customers, then I'd be up again at 6am preparing school lunches and getting everyone out the door (after a disruptive night with a newborn). My husband worked full-time back then (he's a stay-at-home dad now), so it was pretty full on. Before I even knew about project management platforms like Jira or Trello, I used to allocate specific times in my diary for daily, weekly and monthly tasks, and stick to these like glue. Managing my time like that taught me the 80/20 rule. I worked out pretty quickly the importance of spending 20% of my time on the 80% that made a difference. I'd list the items on my to-do list based on a formula of time vs reward, then prioritise the list accordingly. Everything came back to a return on investment. I still do this today – whenever my team asks me if we should do something, I always ask them, 'What's the ROI?' It's a great way to think when managing a business.

3. You’ve described your brand as being playful and irreverent. Is this an extension of your own personality? What brings you the most joy on your days off? I'd like to think so! I'm pretty laid back and (I hope) fun, but also very driven and keen to learn new things. On my days off, I like hanging out with family and friends. Saturday mornings are busy with school sport, so it's an 8am walk around the park, followed by swimming lessons, netball, rugby – whatever the kids are playing that term. The place where my daughter does swimming lessons also has a gym, so I'll often get in a 40-minute workout. Sundays are for mooching. And cooking. I'm a big foodie, so when I have time, I love to cook. I'm currently working my way through Ottolenghi's 'Simple' cookbook.

4. There is growing interest in minimalism, sustainability and ethically made products. Have you seen any changes in consumer or supplier behaviour since you started your business? What are you predicting the future trends to be? Absolutely. We've seen a big movement towards 'wellness' and products that are good for the environment. Vegan products are also gaining traction. I think quality and provenance is where the trend is heading. Customers care about where and how a product is made. Australian-made is also making a comeback.

5. What's the one thing that helps you to be the happiest you can be everyday? What do you prefer not to live without? Apart from my family, it's my daily walk around the park. There's something about getting out in nature and having time alone to breathe and think or just listen to some great tunes. It really helps me set up my day.

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Haisagh Kite WORDS & IMAGES BY: LEXI CONNORS

My boyfriend proposed on our flight to Sri Lanka: If I promised to learn to kitesurf, he promised to learn to surf. Easy, I thought. But what followed was more precarious than I had anticipated.

“Okay, you’re about to launch, are you sure you’ve got your chicken loop locked in?”

I was an hour into my first lesson and I realised I hadn’t been paying one iota of attention. What the heck is a chicken loop? I was only half listening when my kitesurfing instructor explained the safety basics and now it was really showing.

Not that it was boring. I was just too distracted to listen.

Kitesurfing is seriously mesmerising to watch; so peaceful, graceful, and effortless. And who can concentrate when you are surrounded by Instagram worthy palm trees? That, and I still had four days and five lessons to go. Piece of cake. Or so I thought. My boyfriend sure did make it look easy. What a jerk.

the water shallow enough for me to stand, and protected from the open seas and rough swell. I took some comfort knowing I could walk my kite back to base if I got into real trouble.

I went into the lessons thinking it would all be pretty simple: I’m a surfer so I expected it to be an easy uptake. I’d already imagined myself mastering it; my bikini would sit in place, my hair gloriously blowing in the wind, I’d glide across the water to the sound of Madonna’s La Isla Bonita, as the sun slowly set behind the sand dunes. Maybe even a turtle would pop it’s head up and give me a wink.

I was a little surprised when none of that happened.

The day was warm and hypnotic. Sri Lanka has the kind of heat where you can almost taste the humidity; a certain spice lingering on each puff of breeze. But this cinnamon flavoured zephyr was a little untrustworthy. The wind was a gentle, albeit a sporadic, 15 knots. As most seasoned kite surfers will know, this is somewhat on the soft side, not unlike my waning confidence.

While I could understand the wind and swell, the addition of a hand held device with a mind of its own made things complicated. My hair remained plastered to my cheeks and my neck and arms ached from constantly looking skyward.

I’d swallowed a decent quantity of water from attempting a body drag (where you remain in the water and use the wind to drag your body up or down wind). I had a permanent harness wedgie and I never saw a turtle.

While I had never tried kitesurfing before, Sri Lanka is one of the easiest spots to learn. My lessons took place in a lagoon,

While that might sound like a beginners nightmare, in reality it was just part of the process and not as traumatic as it seems.

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There’s a saying in surfing that, “The best surfer out there is the one having the most fun”. So even though my kite flying was erratic, and often bordering on deranged, I wasn’t the least bit worried. Because when you’re a learner, you’re completely off the hook. There are no expectations, there’s no pressure to triumph and certainly no judgement. Your mind, body and often your inner-child are completely at play as hand-eye coordination plays catch up with the unbridled joy that befalls.

Suiting up into the harness, lining up the strings and inflating the kite seemed easy to grasp and so in the beginning I was quietly confident. But reality hit me when my instructor asked about my chicken loop. It was in that moment that I realised I had absolutely no idea what the hell I was doing.

unsuspected gust before face planting into the water.

It was epic. I laughed hysterically, swallowing more water and wishing it was caught on camera. Flying uncontrollably down a lagoon is technically frowned upon by fellow kiters, but damn was it fun.

I am yet to try kitesurfing again. That’s not to say I never will, the experience was worth it for the joy of learning, and for the pleasure of watching my boyfriend try and learn to surf.

So, if you’re in the position of learning a new skill, my advice is to go into it thinking you’re going to have the most fun, and if you can’t be having the most fun, at least double check you’ve got your chicken loop equivalent locked in.

But it was too late to change my mind.

My instructor spoke firmly through the headset. But before I could move my kite from the twelve o'clock position to the three o'clock position I was soaring through the air with disregard. Once that kite took flight, all bets were off.

I flew through the air, propelled meters from a cunning,

ABOUT

Lexi Connors

Lexi is the ultimate wanderlust enthusiast, with an incurable case of curiosity and a deep passion for ethical travel. She has a penchant for cats and finds mushrooms extremely vexing. www.avaycay.com

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Love

ART T R A N S F O R M A T I O N

T O

C O L O U R

She is empowered, her heart is open, her spirit untamed and wild.

She is independent and confident, she dreams big and believes.

She yearns for freedom, dancing on the edge of imperative, in the tender fury of reckless moments.

She knows herself.

She understands herself.

She strives for pure passion, in living her full potential.

She trusts and takes great leaps, into new planes of existence.

She is happiness in adversity, and stillness in wisdom.

She reinvents herself and her world, a making of her own creation.

She falls down she gets up, stronger and wiser than before.

She immerses herself in connection and delves deep into the unknown that playfully taunts her adventurous spirit.

She is determined.

She knows what she wants and speaks truth from her heart.

She is generous and kind and empowers others through her own experience.

She embraces her uniqueness and emanates beauty from the sparkle of her soul.

She is energy, she is movement, she is power, she is grace.

She is colour, she is vibrant, she is love, she is light.

She is all that she is and who she chooses to be‌‌.

The Story Leap of faith. The act of believing in or accepting something outside the boundaries of reason.

This artwork was created when I took a leap of faith.

My life had become very black and white and heavy with societal expectation. I was lost and inauthentic and that was not the life I had envisioned for myself.

As hard as it was at the time, it was a pivotal moment of change.

Adventure and wild frontiers were calling.

I left my relationship, my job, packed everything I owned in my car and went in search for broader horizons.

I wanted to feel the wind in my hair and see vistas untamed. I was yearning for a wilderness dance party where I could find my colour, reignite my soul and sparkle vibrant.

It was this moment that led me back to myself.

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ARTIST

Kelly Vains @kellyvainsart

I am a self-taught, emerging collage artist. I allow fragmented pieces of magazine paper, once whole, to energetically meet on the page to create the final piece of visually challenging art.

I connect colours and textures torn and taken out of context, picking and placing them to present a new arrangement.

HASHTAG YOUR FAVOURITE FEMALE ARTISTS whose work would speak to our tribe for a chance to feature in a future TPL magazine issue. #travelplayliveloveart

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Photo Credit: Greg Mionske

Adventurous women BREAK THROUGH T R A V E R S I N G

A N D

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B A R R I E R S

The year 2018 saw a record number of women assert themselves in the world of adventure.

Not only ‘out there’ – crossing oceans, on rock faces, on mountain tops, or toeing a nylon rope stretched between two cliffs – but even more poignantly in the pages of the magazines and on the screens of our phones and televisions.

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WORDS BY: JEMIMA ROBINSON (ADVENTURE REELS)

emale-focused productions and media content has soared in presence and popularity, and we couldn’t be more excited to support the rise of women in the world of adventure. We strongly believe that media representation should match what’s going on out in the field; that space is held for adventurous women and equity is brought to the mass media we consume.

Two productions have particularly stolen our hearts and caught our eye, capturing the very essence of female strength and resilience. This Mountain Life: Coast Range Traverse, is a short film directed by Jenny Rustemeyer and Grant Baldwin, and Break On Through, is a film as much about determination and persistence as it is about climbing. Both movies showcase the fierce determination and boldness of women on their quest to shatter expectations and push the limits of what’s possible, and both are featured in the 2019 Banff Mountain Film Festival tour of Australia. Be warned, we cannot be held responsible for the sudden craving for adventure that may ensue!

In the beautifully crafted film This Mountain Life, a bold mother and daughter duo, Tania and Martina Halik take on British Columbia’s Coast Mountains. It took them over six months to ski, walk, bush-bash and swim the entire 2,300 kilometre Coast Range traverse from Squamish, British Columbia, to Skagway, Alaska. They trekked for weeks during one of the harshest winters in recent memory, with -20C temperatures and high winds.

Travelling through windswept frozen tundra and dangerously deep crevasses, the pair make their way through breathtaking, but treacherous mountain terrain, tackling head on the challenges that arise along their way; disappearing glaciers, treacherous river crossings, unrelenting snowstorms. All the while managing the huge logistical challenge of carrying all the necessary gear and re-supplying their food in the depths of the Canadian wilderness.

appreciation of their unwavering will to keep moving forwards, and their determination to complete their goal.

Their story also makes comment on ageism. Nothing curbs Tania’s enthusiasm to complete the 2,300 km journey, especially not her age, as she sets off on the dawn of her 60th birthday. Her daughter Martina says, “It’s one of the things I love best about my mom – she’s always been proud of where she is in life and what she has achieved. Embracing grey hair, laugh lines and worry lines alike, and utterly rejecting our cultural assumption that a woman’s life is simply over after 50.” With a lifetime of experience as a ski patroller, avalanche forecaster and paramedic, Tania tackles her most ambitious adventure to date with grace, steely determination, and her heart-warming excitement to share it with her daughter.

Portraying relatable female role models from all walks of life in our media enables us to normalise and encourage the practice of adventure in the outdoors at any age or life stage. This Mountain Life is a poignant reminder that our ability to push ourselves is relative to our perception. As Tania so wisely points out, “I don’t feel old, I feel like I can do this. I think for me, ‘old’ is when I’m no longer capable of sleeping outside in a tent in the middle of winter. I think people make themselves old way too early. They accept they’re old because something hurts, they stop exercising, and I think once you stop exercising, then you’re getting old. You’re just going that much faster to your grave. So, I’m fighting it. It doesn’t even have to be outside, as long as you keep doing whatever it is. Just please don’t think you’re too old to do it, because you’re not.”

On the other end of the spectrum, is a young lady named Margo Hayes, who at 19 years of age became the first ever woman to climb the 5.15a grade, one of the hardest levels of climbing routes. In the thrilling production of Break On

Tania prepared a mountain of dehydrated food for their journey, while Martina plotted the logistics for weekly food drops. Small boxes of provisions were tossed from the window of a friend's Cessna to predetermined locations, each one containing a Bluetooth beacon.

At first glance, this production is a great tale of adventure and endurance prowess, but the film also delves into the concept of letting go of control, hardship, and the capacity of humans to endure. The narrative dives into the past and takes us through Tania and Martina’s incredible journey in the face of austerity.

Growing up in the Czech Republic under an oppressive communist government, Tania faced the impossible task of providing a better life for her family beyond the smothering walls of the Iron Curtain, with an infant in tow and another on the way. Through beautifully crafted animation, the filmmakers take us on a tear-jerking time-lapse of the Halik’s precarious escape on foot through mountain landscapes from oppression to the greener pastures of Canada, giving a whole new dimension to the pair’s ability to endure hardship, a reinforced

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Photo Credit: Greg Mionske

The production has an adrenalinefueled thrill to it and has us gripping our seats in anticipation.

Through, we follow her relentless journey to be the best possible version of herself. As a child she was a star gymnast, qualifying for the Olympic recruitment program and displaying unbelievable discipline and drive. At age 10, Margo discovered the thrill of climbing and threw herself wholeheartedly into pursuing the sport competitively. After establishing herself as an up and coming climbing talent in her hometown of Boulder, Colorado, Margo heads to Europe, more specifically to the Mecca of climbing, Siurana in Spain. There, she shadowed former coach Matt Hong and Jon Cardwell in their attempt to climb the notoriously gnarly 5.15a route, La Rambla, feared by many, conquered by few. What Hong and Cardwell didn’t anticipate was Margo coveting her own dreams of sending La Rambla right by their side, using her gymnast’s flexibility and agility to her advantage out on the route. “It quickly became clear that she had done her homework,” says Cardwell, “She was ready for the fight. We started to realise that she could send this route, and she’s probably going to send this before both of us. She was relentless, she was focused.” After conquering the coveted route, Margo heads to the southern France to measure herself against the famous Biographie route under the watchful mentorship of professional climber Arnaud Petit.

showing an impressive level of perseverance and self belief. Lynn Hill says, “Margo knows there’s a way, and she’s going to find it. If you have any doubt, and you’re right at that threshold, and you believe that 5.15 belongs to men, then that little bit of weakness can cause you to fail.” Break on Through highlights the importance of ridding ourselves from preconceived ideas of our limitations to make space for our greatest possible potential.

Both films showcase the absolute thrill and beauty of the outdoors, as well as being part of a movement that supports women in breaking down barriers to the outdoor. Whether it be incredible feats of endurance by women of all ages and backgrounds willing to put themselves on the line to achieve their dreams, or the women striving to take on the realm of the possible.

Footer You can catch both Break On Through and This Mountain Life: The Rocky Mountain Traverse on the big screen at the Banff Mountain Film Festival in Australia between April and June. The world’s most prestigious mountain film festival is committed to celebrating women on the big screen. Go to BanffAustralia.com.au to find a screening near you.

With cameos by female climbing legends like Robyn ErbesfieldRaboutou and Lynn Hill, and younger talent Sasha Digulian and Paige Claassen, Break on Through highlights the growing demographic of female climbers that are willing to push the ordinary and the boundaries of what we believe is possible. Robyn says, “Today there’s definitely an evolution of more women in climbing, pushing it in every discipline, training really really hard. The girls are catching up to the guys and leveling out the playing field. Right now, what we’re looking at is this big number of 5.15, and there’s a handful of women gunning for it. And we’re all sitting at the edge of our chairs saying… who’s going to do it?”

Break On Through follows Margo as she trains relentlessly and perseveres towards her goal with aggressive conviction and incredible clout, giving us an insight into what it looks like to fully live out one’s passion. The production has an adrenaline-fueled thrill to it and has us gripping our seats in anticipation. It also captures a softer side as we share Margo’s raw emotion in achieving the goal of a lifetime, experiencing her infectious joy and tangible vivacity. The film has us holding our breath as we watch her scale jaw-dropping cliffs making history with her fingertips all the while

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MEET

Jemima Robinson

Adventure lover, film buff, director of Adventure Reels, creator of the Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour, the Ocean Film Festival World Tour and the Top Dog Film Festivals. I have a passion for sharing the stoke and adventure inspiration of filmmakers and adventurers from around the globe with audiences in Australia, New Zealand and beyond.

See this mother and daughter team on their journey of epic proportion at the 2019 Banff Mountain Film Festival.

Just one of 7 awe-inspiring films in this year’s line up.

PRESENTED BY

CANBERRA National Film & Sound Archives • 1-5 May, 5 May Family Program matinee ALBURY Entertainment Centre • 30 May AVOCA BEACH Avoca Beach Picture Theatre • 10 May & 26 May Family Program matinee BYRON BAY Byron Theatre • 20 & 21 May COFFS HARBOUR Jetty Memorial Theatre • 29 May KATOOMBA United Cinemas • 8 May NEWCASTLE Event Cinemas Glendale • 9 May. Event Cinemas Kotara • 15 May SYDNEY Seymour Centre • 7- 11 May. 11 May Family Program matinee SYDNEY EAST Randwick Ritz Cinema • 14 & 15 May SYDNEY NORTH Hayden Orpheum • 30 April - 3 May WAGGA WAGGA Civic Theatre • 29 May WOLLONGONG Uni Movies UOW • 16 May ALICE SPRINGS Araluen Arts Centre • 23 May DARWIN Deckchair Cinema • 14 & 15 May BRISBANE Brisbane Powerhouse • 1-6 April, 6 April Family Program matinee

CAIRNS Cairns Performing Arts Centre • 31 May GOLD COAST Home Of The Arts • 7 & 8 May NOOSA The J • 4 May TOWNSVILLE Civic Theatre • 16 May 2019 ADELAIDE Capri Theatre • 18 May, matinee & evening HOBART The Farrall Centre, The Friends School • 25 May. Family Program matinee LAUNCESTON Princess Theatre • 17 May BALLARAT Regent Cinemas • 12 June GEELONG Village Cinemas • 14 June MELBOURNE CITY Village Crown Cinemas • 3 & 4 June MELBOURNE Astor Theatre • 5 & 6 June MT BULLER Mt Buller Cinema • 22 June ROSEBUD Peninsula Cinemas • 15 June WARRNAMBOOL Capitol Cinema • 13 June GERALDTON Queenspark Theatre • 18 May PERTH State Theatre Centre of WA • 21-25 May. Family Program 25 May matinee Image from the Film This Mountain Life

VIEW TRAILER & BOOK NOW www.banffaustralia.com.au AN EVENT BY TOUR PARTNERS

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Photo Credit: Brett Hemmings

Born to Run WORDS BY: TPL & JACQUI BELL

Jacqui Bell is the youngest female in the world to complete Racing the Planet’s Four Deserts Grand Slam in one calendar year. The 23-year-old Australian ran 1000 km over four multi-day events in some of the world’s toughest landscapes: the Sahara Race in Namibia, the Atacama Crossing in Chile, the Gobi March in Mongolia and the Last Desert in Antarctica. Jacqui placed third overall in the female division in Antarctica and came first in the 29-and-unders in both Namibia and Atacama.

In 2019 Jacqui will be racing the New Zealand 323 km ultra marathon, and hopes to finish two more overseas events, making her the youngest person to complete an ultra on every continent.

Having experienced first hand what it’s like to live with mental health issues, Jacqui is an active fundraiser for depression support services. In awe of what she has accomplished, we caught up with Jacqui to find out how she does it.

Deserts are pretty inhospitable places. Why choose to run 250 km in one?

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I was searching for a challenge of some sort to help find my focus and drive again. I knew I wanted it to be running related so I researched ultra marathon events in remote locations. I came across the desert challenge both online and through Lisa Tamati, an Ultra Runner whose book I’d read. Looking back, I didn’t know ultra running was going to become such a huge part of my life and that my favourite thing to do now would be to run in the desert!

Each desert race went for seven days and all you were given was drinking water and a tent to sleep in. How did you manage?

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Photo Credit: N_A

The self-supported aspect is a real challenge, especially the first race. You think you are using lightweight gear and only packing the necessities, but when you get your pack weighed and it’s 13 kgs, you know you have to get ruthless. I had to let go of usual comforts and get very specific, as extreme as counting out just 10 baby wipes for the week and choosing between a small hair brush or deodorant. You also learn what foods to take. If you get a craving of some sort (which trust me you do) you either need to be prepared to have it with you or dream about it everyday! In Antarctica we were fed on the boat, but honestly I prefer to be self supported. I like the idea of living very minimalistically for the week and having everything you need just on your back, it simplifies everything.

Did you make any significant adjustments to your training or gear after completing the initial races?

After the first one, I struggled a lot with my achilles and feet. I had to incorporate different exercises and recovery measures into my daily routine to ensure I was more prepared for the remaining races. I also battled pretty badly with plantar fasciitis.

Between races, I spent a lot of time swimming, boxing and on the exercise bike to give my foot a break.

Gear-wise, I made many adjustments. My first sleeping bag was 800 grams which seems light...but think again! I swapped it out for a 400 gram ultra lightweight one and felt the difference. I honed in on all my gear and by race three my backpack was 5 kgs less than race one. I was stoked and it made running a lot easier.

You switched from running on hot sand dunes to cruising past penguins. What was it like racing in such diverse desert conditions?

Photo Credit: Alex Barker

There was honestly no way for me to try and prepare for the cold weather in Antarctica. Brisbane was getting up to 40 degrees before I headed to the snow. I put a lot of hours into training, and set extremely mentally and physically tough workouts to simulate being in a situation where I would want to quit. I completed a marathon on an assault bike, an hour of burpees (815), a half marathon on a rower, soft sand running and other insane sessions which really tested me.

Namibia was by far the toughest as I didn’t know what I was in for. It was my first multi-stage ultra marathon so I was a real rookie in almost every aspect of the race. I went all out in the first few days and even ran up all the hills (wasting a lot of energy). Fifty kilometres into day four (the long day) I hit a massive wall and had my slowest and worst day of the whole year. It took me 18 hours to do 80 km and I learnt a very hard lesson.

I like the idea of living very minimalistically for the week and having everything you need just on your back‌

The Antarctic scenery was surreal, a picture perfect place.

However the course was mind numbingly repetitive at times due to the format of the race. Some days were just 1.2 km loops over and over for up to 12 hours. It was tough.

A real highlight was the Atacama Desert in Chile. On day four I had run 45 km through mud flats, salt flats and torturous terrain before arriving at a huge laguna. I stripped off and leaped about five meters into the water. I was still competing so I had to quickly scramble out via the rocks and mud, slip my shoes and

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Photo Credit: Thiago Diz

better.

Running takes you to some pretty spectacular places. What does being in nature mean to you?

In society today many people haven't really experienced what it is like without social media, television, a car, music and all the little things we are addicted too. Having the chance to experience life without all these ‘distractions’ is very eye opening. I try my best to implement boundaries with such things in my life back home, but sometimes I still get caught up in it all. Being in nature makes my mind feel at ease and I am able to enjoy each and every moment.

You have worked for years as a personal trainer. What advice do you have for people thinking about an ultra marathon or who just want to get more active?

clothes back on and run at least another five kilometres back to camp. I was on cloud nine.

Now that the deserts are done, you have set your sights on completing seven continents. What challenges are you preparing for?

If you are struggling with your mental health you don’t need to go to this extreme to get better. Find something you are passionate about and incorporate it into your daily life.

Personally, I like doing activities first thing in the morning, so I start the day with something I enjoy. Try this and you will find it may put you in the right mindset to fuel yourself for the day, paired with the right diet and nutrition. Exercise is something I enjoy, however don’t run if you don’t find joy in it.

Find something you are passionate about and incorporate it into your daily life.

The toughest race will be New Zealand because it’s an extra 83 kms on top. For me, I think a 250 km race is a big effort, so 323 kms seems intimidating. I have a strong mindset after completing the deserts last year, so think I have set myself up quite well mentally.

You have been open about your experience with depression. Is there anything that has helped you along the way?

Two years ago things hit rock bottom for me. I was pulled from my scooter in Bali on the way to dinner to meet some friends and I was lucky to come out of it alive. I spent some time in a Balinese hospital before being fit enough to fly back home where I recovered further.

What has helped is being easier on myself, not setting the bar too high and knowing my values. I know that I can react, particularly when a spanner is thrown into the works, and that bad food and alcohol (among other things) negatively affect my mental health.

Being aware of this, and acknowledging it, has been half the battle.

I would love to take up more competitive surfing. If I grew up by the beach I believe I would've been really into it.

What is the best bit of advice you have ever been given?

Two things I learned this year: There is enough room in the world for everyone to be succeeding and we don’t need to be competing but instead encouraging each other to be smashing goals Not to place my self worth on the validation of others.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?

Ambitious. I like to accomplish things that most people think aren't possible. If anyone says something cannot be done, I like to find a way to make it happen.

Driven. When I make a plan in my mind, I will do everything I can to achieve it.

Larrikin. I am a bit of a joker who can have fun and a good time.

Life is inevitably short so I like to laugh as much as I can.

Like anyone, I slip up but I don’t beat myself up about it like I once used to. I just pick up the pieces and try to learn from it. I figure out what set me off and try to avoid it happening next time.

Do you have to give up anything to do what you do?

I don’t really look at it as ‘giving up anything’ because the things that I no longer do are things that were not good for me. I don’t drink or party as much, but for me this has made my life so much

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If you could pursue any other sport what would it be?

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MEET

Jacqui Bell

Jacqui is grateful to Jaybird, Sea to Summit and Brooks for their ongoing support. @jacquibell

Tr ail Run Tr ail ain Run Mount Tr ail RunBike Mount ain Bike Paddle Mount ain Bike + Advent ur e Act ivit ies* Paddle Paddle + Advent ur e Act ivit ies* + Advent ur e Act ivit ies*

2019 Event s NEW 201 2019 9 Event Event s s NEW NEW

East Gippsland VIC - 30-31 March (3 Stages) Murray Bridge SA – 13-14 April (3 Stages) East Gippsland VIC - 30-31 March (3 Stages) Magnetic Island VIC QLD- 30-31 – 27-28 April (3 (3 Stages) Stages) East Gippsland March Murray Bridge SA – 13-14 April (3 Stages) Dwellingup 25-26April May (3 Stages) Murray Bridge WA SA ––13-14 Magnetic Island QLD – 27-28 April (3 Stages) Kalbarri WA –QLD 1-2 – June (4 Stages) Magnetic Island 27-28 April (3 Stages) Dwellingup WA – 25-26 May (3 Stages) DwellingupQLD WA – 29-30 25-26 June May (3 Stages) Townsville Kalbarri WA – 1-2 June (4 Stages) (Multisport Non-Stop) Kalbarri WA – 1-2 June (4 Stages) Townsville QLD – 29-30 June September Charters Towers QLD – 22nd Townsville QLD – 29-30 June (Multisport (Multisport Non-Stop) Non-Stop) (Multisport Non-Stop) ChartersQLD Towers QLD –October 22nd September Mackay – 12-13th (3 Stages) Charters Towers QLD – 22nd September (Multisport Non-Stop) Clarence Valley NSW – 23-24 Nov (3 Stages) (Multisport Non-Stop) Mackay QLD – 12-13th October (3 Stages) Mackay QLD – 12-13th October Clarence Valley NSW – 23-24 Nov(3(3Stages) Stages) Clarence Valley NSW – 23-24 Nov (3 Stages) HERE AT TPL WE LOVE TO UPDATE Travel YOU ON CURRENT EVENTS.

Long, Medium, Short & Junior course options TPL EVENTS Head to our website to view our event directory: www.travelplaylive.com.au/must-do-events

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Liz Sansoz Photo Credit: Fotovertical

The Future Of

O U T D O O R

GEAR is

Female

WORDS BY: SARAH JOANNA POPE

IMAGES BY: SEA TO SUMMIT

Extreme adventurer and two-time world champion climber Liv Sansoz is on a mission to climb all 82 peaks in the European Alps. She spends her days ascending mountains higher than 4,000 metres, and her nights trying to catch some sleep on that same rocky terrain. All the time relying on what’s on her body or in her backpack to see she makes it to climb another day.

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So it’s not a stretch to say that the avid climber, skier and paraglider quite literally puts her life in the hands of the people who design her gear. And yet, her approach to choosing the right equipment is pretty straight forward.

“You find the proper gear for the proper use,” she said. “You use it, try other types of gear from your friends and choose what’s right for you. Simple.”

However, designing the gear that keeps up with these kinds of high-altitude adventures is not always as simple – and designers have a multitude of factors to consider. They think about the technical side of things – the latest materials, technologies and manufacturing techniques. Then they factor in different terrains, temperatures and extreme uses (like taking on the Alps!).

“Most product engineers turn to the numbers when they start designing a piece of gear,” said Sea to Summit designer, Brendan Sando. “We can’t help but think in terms of dimensions, weight, size, materials, temperatures, R values, market demand and all that.”

To make things more complicated, designers need to think about what people want from their gear – what they want it to do and what their priorities and preferences are. This means catering for the people who measure their gear down to the gram for a thru-hike, who crave extra comfort on a 4WD trip or who are on the hunt for

the most compact gear to store on their mountain bike. Hence, there’s a lot of stuff out there that’s been created around lots of different preferences.

But what happens when most of these preferences are coming from men?

Particularly in industries like climbing, men have been the ones that have spoken up about what gear they want. After all, in terms of sheer numbers, they’ve dominated most outdoor pursuits for a while. Female climbers have simply had to live with the hangover of this – with gloves and helmets that are too big and climbing boots that are too wide. They camp with mummyshaped sleeping bags and sleeping mats that are designed to suit a ‘typical man’s body’. In an industry that designs around the details – to shave off weight, generate heat or eliminate bulk – these innovations have rarely been dictated by women.

And in the past, when designers have tried to address this gap in the market for women’s specific gear, they’ve gotten it dead wrong.

Climbing clothes have taken a while to get good for women but now we’re seeing a lot of improvement.

Hazel Findlay Photo Credit: Steven Horne

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“Pink it and shrink it – there you go,” said Brendan. “Designers have made some terrible mistakes when designing gear for women. They didn’t make considered, tangible improvements to their designs. A lot of them went forward with a bunch of preconceived ideas about what women wanted and, not surprisingly, their gear bombed.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Professional climbers Collette McInerney and Hazel Findlay say changes in the climbing industry are moving things in the right direction. These days, more women have taken up the sport and more money is on the line for elite female climbers.

“The tides are really changing,” said Colette. “When I look at youth teams now, I see just as many female athletes as male athletes – and they’re crushing it! That’s what the future of climbing looks like.”

With more and more women ascending to the top in outdoor pursuits, their collective voices are ringing loud and clear in designer’s ears.

“Climbing clothes have taken a while to get good for women but now we’re seeing a lot of improvement,” said Hazel. “We’re seeing clothing with more pockets, better fit, a better range of movement and better insulation in the thighs and bum to keep you warm.”

Hardware is also starting to come to the party – with better fitting helmets and harnesses for more extreme uses. Aussie companies like Sea to Summit are making serious headway in women’s camping gear too – and have just released a comprehensive range of sleep systems designed specifically for women. We’re talking sleeping bags, pillows, liners, sleep mats – the whole lot.

“Up until now, we’ve been focussed on providing unisex options with enough variants and choice to cater for men and women,” said Brendan. “But we’ve gone with a different approach with our women’s sleep systems range. We started the whole design process from the ground up to give us a completely new perspective.”

women’s different physiology (and accommodate all that side sleeping) and their lower body temperatures.

And in an effort to learn from the mistakes of the disastrous ‘pink it, shrink it’ movement, they didn’t just release one piece of pink female gear amongst a sea of blue – they released a range of gear and sizes that provides choice. So you can still find the proper gear for the proper use – with not a bit of pink in sight.

Simple.

“It’s these small design changes that can really change someone’s experience of the outdoors,” said Hazel. “As a result, hopefully more women will feel supported in their pursuits – with fitted gloves that help us climb trickier ascents, shoes that can take on the trails and sleeping gear that gives us the recovery we need to take on mountains.”

With both big retailers and more women demanding this kind of thoughtful design, hopefully it will not only encourage women into the outdoors, but into the design space. While little data exists on the exact figures (you’ll hear anything from 5-30%), women are clearly very much outnumbered in the industrial design industry.

But until the numbers even out, there are still plenty of ways that designers can begin to deliver on the demand for women’s specific gear.

I’d love to see more designers working together with female climbers.

“I’d love to see more designers working together with female climbers,” said Liv. “These women are out there almost everyday on the terrain and have a certain sensibility and interest when it comes to gear – they have the ideas that are going to move this whole thing forward.”

A new perspective was exactly what the design team got. The closer they looked, the more and more things they found that could be tailored to women. A combination of consultation and biometric data revealed how to better cater for a woman’s size and weight distribution, the way they store heat and the way they sleep (on their side, mostly). Then, they put their designs to the test with their female ambassadors.

The result is a range of sleeping bags that offer extra warmth in the core and feet, where women typically lose heat – and a roomier style designed to fit the body shape of the ‘typical woman’. A variety of sleeping mats have been created to support

ABOUT

Colette McInerney Photo Credit: Jeff Ruepple

Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope is a Perth journalist working in the outdoor industry. When she’s not exploring her home of Western Australia—or some other corner of the earth—she’s delving into the world of outdoor gear design, flying her feminist flag or telling the stories of people who live their life on the trails.

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Happy Place Finalist

Abby Lewtas Death Valley and the Valley de la Luna (Chile)

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”

– 057 C . STravel L EPlay W ILive S

The

Adventurers

Do you remember getting postcards from loved ones recounting snippets of their latest adventures? Here at TPL, we love to get updates from our tribe on what’s keeping them busy. Whether it’s planning an epic trip, being on the road, or reflecting on achievements, we like to stay in touch and share in the excitement.

" We live in one of the flood affected areas in Townsville, so there is a massive clean up happening. Through this drama, I have realised the importance of being available for those who have lost everything. We are lucky that our place did not get fully flooded and we have electricity through our generator. I have started taking in washing for people who have no power or dryer. It seems so little, but it does help them to feel a bit normal in this chaos...It’s a small battle to get just the basic stuff sorted here. As an adventurous nanna, I am still keen to get out there and complete my TPL Adventure Grant project, but will do so when it’s safe and we have sorted things here."

Flood Relief Donations: www.givit.org.au

C a therin e Wa llis "I could have skated or fat-biked, but I'm taking on the 160 kms on foot. North to south across frozen Lake Kovsgol in Mongolia. The windchill reaches as low as -40 degrees so I’ll be wearing more clothing than I ever dreamed was possible. Sleeping in gers to the sound of wolves howling (hopefully) in the distance. How could I say no to the opportunity of participating in the inaugural Mongol 100?

It’s hard to explain the adrenaline rush that comes from signing up to something that you really don't know if you can do. It’s worth every second." www.ratracebucketlist.com/mongol100/

Jacinta War land

The Wild West Route: 2000 km from the Canadian border in Montana, through Idaho, and finishing in Salt Lake City, Utah. We were pioneers, test riding an unreleased route, revelling in the unknown and the knowledge that we were ‘giving’ to future riders. It ended up being a bit over twice that distance. We got slammed by the weather, snow made riding at 10,000ft impossible, and unseasonable monsoons made the desert a quagmire. Like many adventurers before us, we tucked tail and headed home, regretting the early end to the trip, but happy knowing we gave it everything we had. In years to come, at least we won’t say, “I wonder what that would’ve been like.”

nt TPL A dve n ture GPra e g rec ip ie n t Olivia a

Kristy Ma dill

Ros i rappe llineg, Liz a n d A n a o n the tra verse .

Tent destroying storms, torrential downpours, blow-you-off-the-mountain winds and questionable rock quality kept us on our toes. As predicted, Fiordland's weather denied us opportunity to complete the mission.

But not before we’d hiked out of Sinbad Gully and up a gnarly vertical vegetated spur to Llawrenny Peaks. We traversed a never-before-done ridgeline to Lake Liz. There, Rosie and Liz made a first climbing ascent up the unofficially named Tusk they called Kakapo's Crest, a 600m grade 16. It was hard to leave with Mount Danger tempting us to the south, but that’s life. We have unfinished business in Fiordland, so who knows what next summer might bring! Stay tuned for the full story.

g n i n fi e d Redventure A WORDS & IMAGES BY: MICHELLE LAWFORD

Being an older woman these days is exciting. We can do more than our mothers, and certainly our grandmothers, ever could. Thanks to advances in medicine, and a healthy lifestyle and fitness culture, we are now living better and longer. Sixty is the new forty they say.

The opportunities are intoxicating. But is there also a risk? Are older women encouraged to ignore what their bodies are telling them and push through in the name of adventure?

Our society is all about a ‘can do’ attitude. And yes, women can do anything. But I wonder, does that mean we have to do everything?

True feminism is about having choices; not feeling pressure to be Superwoman. We want the opportunity to say yes to everything, but not feel an obligation.

Let’s not get trapped by FOMO (fear of missing out).

imagination. We also rebelled against a stereotype that said most of us were too fat, too short, too tall, or too ugly. Just when we thought we were free of other people telling us what we can and can’t do, there is a worrying trend of women telling other women they are not adventurous enough.

True feminism is about having choices; not feeling pressure to be Superwoman.

The women’s adventure movement is, in part a reaction to the fact that historically, adventure was pretty much the realm of men. Then, we rebelled against men telling us we couldn’t be as adventurous as them. We were done with being limited by a lack of other people’s

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We have made heroines out of women who were told they couldn’t, but did anyway; women who against the odds, against advice, sometimes even against common sense, chose to ignore the limitations and warnings and showed the impossible was possible. These are truly extraordinary women and we should celebrate their tenacity and their achievements.

But what about all the women who aren’t extraordinary? Does adventure only count if it is extraordinary? What does adventure mean for women who, due to age, disability or illness, cannot do something physically extraordinary anymore?

Travel Play Live

Women don’t want to be told they are being too unadventurous. But have we forgotten that adventure is not just about pushing ourselves physically?

caution to the wind and just going for it. A certain amount of caution becomes practical. Maybe, at some point, the way I experience adventure is going to have to change.

I had some major surgery last year. I was determined that it would not limit me and I think I got the balance right. I was sensible and prudent and followed instructions regarding recovery. Once I had recovered I pushed myself hard but still didn’t do anything reckless; not by my standards anyway, although some friends would disagree. I expected a good outcome. Just five and a half months later, I was off to the surgeon again in fear it had all come apart (literally). I was really scared. I still had an adventurous mind and spirit but what if my body could no longer support those aspirations? I am pleased to report I got the all clear – this time – but it was a real wake up call.

Connecting with nature has always been a big part of the adventure lifestyle vision. Generally, adventure takes place outdoors. But nature is more than the backdrop for physical challenge. Connecting with nature is an instinct that drives us outdoors and uplifts the spirit, inspiring us to be active and involved in a more atavistic lifestyle, in harmony with nature.

When we venture beyond our predictable man-made habitat, we open ourselves up to new experiences. In east Africa, I waited for the sun to set on three lions. I then sat in the jeep for an hour, in the pitch dark, listening to them communicating with each other. There was no physical challenge, no athleticism, no risk or daring. It was just my ears having the most wondrous adventure.

I don’t ever want to retire from travelling, playing, and living life to the full, but the reality is, at some point over the next 10 years, I will be faced with limitations, no matter how fit and determined I am. Increasingly, staying fit means more injuries. Older muscles and tendons are more prone to tears. Older bodies don’t repair and recover like younger bodies, so injuries and breaks have to be taken more seriously. Adventure can no longer be about throwing

Adventurous women can be runners and hikers, surfers or bikers. They can also be poets, artists, philosophers, scientists, entrepreneurs and politicians. Having an extraordinary adventure is not just about feats of athleticism. Even at our desks, we can venture beyond our usual boundaries and send our hearts, mind and souls souring.

Adventure is about a state of mind, an attitude to life and a hunger for new experiences.

Adventure is about a state of mind, an attitude to life and a hunger for new experiences.

ABOUT

Michelle Lawford

Michelle Lawford is a wildlife photographer, writer, adventurer and advocate for the planet.

Her goal is to inspire, excite, and promote awareness and action. All profits from sales of her photography are donated towards research and conservation programs that protect wildlife, habitats and support local communities living in harmony with wildlife. www.wild-photography.com.au

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MICRO Adventures B O N D I TO CO O G E E COAS TA L WA L K

WORDS BY: NATALIE DRAKE-BROCKMAN

While we were planning a recent three week trip to regional NSW we were considering options for our overnight accommodation the night before flying home to WA. We could either stay really close to the airport or we could make use of this time and be closer to the CBD and grab some yum cha from Chinatown and visit the Harbour Bridge. Well we did both of those and we also rejigged our complete itinerary based on an idea I had to stay at Bondi Beach. A place I knew was close to Sydney but that I’d never experienced on my many trips over the years. We decided to stay for a little while and seek out Eastern Beaches micro adventures.

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f course, I jumped on the opportunity to connect with some of the Travel Play Live Tribe and scheduled in a meet up at Bondi. It was a great time spent getting to know each other. Thank you to the lovely Tribe members who met me for coffee at the Beach: Terra, Nikki, Heather, Larisa & Shannon. (Pictured below).

I mentioned that I had planned to walk the Bondi to Coogee trail and of course those who’d experienced it sung its praises. One of them actually commented that she must do it more often because it’s so wonderful. You know, when we take for granted what is on our doorstep!

In that moment I felt a pang of excitement knowing my adventure would begin the next day. I felt confident that this was going to be an enjoyable and rewarding micro adventure because I had done some research (some tips to follow).

I had considered that my boys (9 and 7) would likely need regular breaks (I didn’t prepare for the emotional outburst at the end from my youngest saying - while bawling - “that was really, really hard Mum”. Five minutes later he was joking around with his brother and talking about how great it was) and that we (hubby and I) would not want to hear them whining about how they needed a break or “are

we there yet” so we had to find activity along the path. Well that clearly wasn’t a problem.

I knew I wanted to gaze at the magnificent view (it was incredible), breathe the fresh air (away from the big City - so so close though) move the body, learn some history and tap into the local culture.

Sure, we visited Bondi Beach. It was fabulous. As was watching the Bondi lifesavers film a fallen roller blader rescue, hubby bringing home a free Missy Higgins, Sound of White sheet music book (handed out free by a local bookstore), the graffiti art etc... was kinda cool... but this Walk was amazing!

So back to the Walk. We planned a half day adventure. It probably turned into three quarters. We packed our own lunch and so there was no cost involved other than our rewarding refreshments at the Coogee Pavilion, after our 6km trek, and our lift home. So hours of breathtaking (figuratively and literally - there were a lot of stairs) entertainment and we spent probably less than $100 for the day including everything.

What I loved; Panoramic views. This is one magically rustic coastline with full oceanfront elevated views across the Pacific Ocean.

The unique swimming coves. The path was winding and as we meanendered around each corner I was delighted to discover another unique and interesting coastal experience. Rock pools, ocean baths and much more for you to discover for yourself. It was evident there was a strong aquatic community sports and recreation culture along this path. Boats, surf life saving flags and uniforms, paddle boards, surf boards, beach volleyball nets...

The village feel. Around each corner I almost felt like I was crossing the border from one community to the next.

The real estate. A fabulously messy and eclectic cluster of old funky retro beach shacks and mansions. I wondered how many of them were actually occupied or were a forgotten asset of the more affluent of society. If the walls could speak I’m sure they would

The path was winding and as we meanendered around each corner I was delighted to discover another unique and interesting coastal experience. Rock pools, ocean baths and much more for you to discover for yourself.

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whisper fascinating stories from those who were privileged to stay and play in these coastal homes over the generations.

Nature. Established flora and fauna. You could see and hear the birds and we managed to find shade as required along the path.

The air was fresh and clean. Our land abounds in nature's gifts... even on our doorstep, less than 10km, of Australia’s largest city too cool!

Our land abounds in nature's gifts... even on our doorstep, less than 10km, of Australia’s largest city!

People. As I people watched I noticed the frustrated jogger pushing his way through the crowded path. I wondered if he was a local who felt entitled to that path. I watched the surf life savers

and what seemed like locals keeping a watchful eye over those who dipped their toes in the ocean. I wondered how many tourists actually understood that their safety would be significantly compromised if they chose not to swim between the flags.

I noticed the paddle boarders and the hippy dancing on the beach - was he high on life? The surfers, the families, the groups of young people gathering and having the time of their lives. I wondered if the children who grew up along this Walk were taking part in the clubs. If their parents and grandparents were on the boards of all the community sports and recreation clubs along the path. How very lucky they were to have this public asset on their doorstep and a local and state commitment to invest dollars to maintain these spaces for everyone to enjoy.

I noticed a woman who found a quiet space on a cliff to practice your plank with a view. How very crafty of you. I hope you don’t mind that I captured this moment. (Can you spot her in the hero image?) If it’s you, please make contact as I think you’d enjoy our magazine. Yes, this is what I was thinking in that moment.

I wondered more about the women who I will refer to as the women of the waves. I conducted a bit of research after my walk and asked four women from the Bondi Icebergs and Bronte Surf Life Saving clubs about their participation in sports and recreation clubs along the Eastern Beaches.

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W O M E N

O F

T H E

W A V E S

Collectively the ladies (Nicki, Bec, Natasha and Gaby) are members of The Bondi Diggers, The Bondi Mermaids, Bondi Icebergs, Bondi Amatuer Swimming, Bondi Morning Puffer and the Bronte Surf Life Saving clubs. I asked them what value they place on their involvement.

Nicki (Bondi Icebergs) “Bronte Surf Life Saving Club fulfils all my needs for 'club' life.

It provides a wonderful connection with the local community, “Nobody cares who you are, or what you do for a career – it is all camaraderie between patrollers and training buddies that leads about the camaraderie between the members. We actually look to lifelong friendships, and the opportunity to 'give back' that forward to Sunday’s to see everyone, and get sad at the end of the seems like an anomaly in this high pressure age of working to pay season. Being part of a community like Icebergs, is wonderful for the mortgage! The Bronte community provides truly invaluable the soul.” support to members; when things go wrong, Club members come Bec (Bondi Icebergs) with open arms and hearts.

Our Nipper children grow up, move on to other things, but many of the parents remain to “In late January, on a hot evening after the The ladies offered the patrol and play key roles in the Council Lifeguards had knocked off for the following tips to remain safe Club going forward.” day, we had some visitors to the beach who along a very busy and rustic Gaby (Bronte Surf Life Saving) had little or no experience in the ocean. They coastline; “I place a high value on the clubs I am involved in - for the physical activity, connection to nature and movement and also for the connection to the amazing people I have met at them. The Clubs, and their swimming races based at Icebergs, make me smile nearly every time I'm racing.”

Natasha (Bondi Icebergs) “I am not very good but will always keep moving no matter how slow I am. I feel a great sense of self achievement after completing something like the Alcatraz swim. Mentally you can be at peace with the world when the only element between you and the world is the water. I love it.”

Enjoy the views but take care when you’re attempting to capture your selfie from the dangerous cliff edges.

If you are walking along the waterline never ever turn your back to the waves. Always be alert as to what the tide is doing and watch out for rogue waves that can jump up out of seemingly nowhere and wash you off the rocks you may be exploring.

If you do not know how to read the water and know if there is a rip running or not, don’t risk your life.

Don't go into the ocean unless you can see a patrolled beach with the famous RED and YELLOW flags to swim between.

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chose what looked like the calmest place on the shore for a dip - which turned out to be the rip (The Bronte Express) - and were quickly dragged out to sea. Meanwhile up in the Club, Lifeguard and Club member Harries, was teaching Pilates to a group of Bronte Lifesavers and community members.

Very quickly an after hours mass rescue was underway with the Pilates class racing out to the distressed swimmers' assistance. If it wasn't for the fact that the Bronte community was down there in numbers, lives would very likely have been lost. The unofficial motto at Bronte Surf Club is 'train hard, rescue easy'.

That was no easy rescue, but our members were equipped to get in the water and save lives.”

Gaby

Gaby

Bec

Natasha

Nicki

Do you think there are more females participating in community sport and recreation clubs? Is this evident in your club?

walk/coastline, what other off-the-beaten-track, free nature based micro adventures would they recommend our adventurous audience seek out in their region.

“Women were first allowed to become members of the Bondi Icebergs in 1995. Yes membership has grown steadily ever since.

There are some members who would never have known what it was like in the very early years and it feels as though there was never a time when women were not allowed to join. We started our own winter swimming club in 1992 because we could not join the ‘Bergs and this still runs today albeit with a much smaller membership because most ladies just join the ‘Bergs now.”

Nicki: The Malabar Headlands Following the coastline of Botany Bay’s north side, this walk traverses the cliff line with spectacular views across the South Pacific Ocean. The walk will take you through bushland, past beaches and around two golf courses. With good side trips out to Bare Island and down to Brown’s Rock, this walk explores all the environments that the north side of Botany Bay has to offer” (www.wildwalks.com.au).

Nicki “I can only speak for our Club, but the answer is a resounding 'yes'.

The excitement in the Club over the past two seasons has been the board training programme for ordinary patrolling members. The take-up for this among the Club's women has been excellent. When the women are 'out the back' there's a lot of talk, so much laughter, wonderful camaraderie and (yes!) some hot competition.”

Gaby Is a stronger focus on sustainability and protecting the environment evident along your coastline? Can you provide examples?

“At Bronte we take sustainability very seriously. We support the Plastic Free Bronte initiative and patrollers often do a line sweep of the beach at the end of the day, collecting rubbish. Apart from cleaning up the beach, it reminds visitors to remove all they have brought with them.

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that surf lifesavers love the ocean, so we treat it with enormous respect.”

Gaby “Because we are in the ocean a lot, I can see the direct improvements of the removal of single use plastics. Small actions like not using straws is also very noticeable in the lack of them washing up.”

Bec: Watsons Bay to Rose Bay. There are some lovely harbour beaches to explore, some wonderful cafes along the way, and another glorious view of Sydney Harbour!

Natasha: The Hermitage Foreshore walk (and if you follow the coast further to experience the harbour beaches past Nielsen's Park) is this beautiful stretch of National Park with harbour view and swim experiences dotted along (and shade in many parts). Another ocean beauty in the area is Diamond Bay on the ocean coast side, it is an incredible, raw, craggy section of cliff popular to climb (and to gaze at, ponder from, and watch the moonrise from) - one of my favourite parts of the Sydney coastline.

Gaby: Although as a Lifesaver I have to encourage all visitors to Bronte Beach to swim inside the red and yellow flags, swimming around the rocks and reef at the southern end of Bronte beach in the right conditions provides a unique chance to observe seagrass and fish on the edge of our big city. Chat to the Lifesavers about where it's safe to swim when you arrive at the beach...if you're lucky, you might see one of Bronte's blue gropers on the reef on a day of little or no swell. And if you're even luckier you'll see a pod of dolphins out in the bay. Back in January we had a visit from a seal who competed with surfers for waves. I paddled out to chat to him - from a respectful distance - and he lay on his back and waved his flippers around with great nonchalance.

Nicki “There is continuously work being done along the coastline. In particular the Bondi-Coogee ocean walk is always well maintained, ensuring the safety of all those who utilise it. Protecting the environment is clearly a major factor in the layout and state of the walk.

Locals take pride in the wonderful attraction that it is!”

Bec “Both the council and environmental groups are working to increase awareness on sustainability and protecting the environment, including using artwork and reminders about Take 3 for the Sea (concrete blockades on the North Bondi Promenade have recently been painted with Take 3 for the Sea artwork). I would love if businesses would refuse to sell single use plastics - the problem is so massive.”

Natasha

Visit www.travelplaylive.com.au to find a MASSIVE list of micro adventures recommended as favourites of our community members.

Both clubs are very inclusive and welcome new members.

Visit their websites for more information or to sign up.

www.icebergs.com.au

We asked the ladies, apart from the majestic Bondi to Coogee

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www.brontesurfclub.com.au

Discovering The Best

MICRO ADVENTURES Low cost or often free nature based micro adventures are real. The skill is to know where to find them and these are some of my tips to scratch the surface and seek out the most authentic and rewarding experiences that you usually won’t read about in the glossy magazines. Best of all, they are a low cost or free experiences with a huge return on investment - usually only your time, clothing, gear, sunscreen, water and your picnic lunch.

T I P S

T O

F I N D

Local government

Search the local government organisation and jump on their website.

The clever ones will have these sorts of experiences screaming at you from the home page. For the others, you might have to navigate the menus or use the search box to type in WALK or RIDE for example. If you’re not finding a list of walks, beaches, parks and playgrounds etc then I’ll eat my hat.

Visitor centre

Repeat all of the above. Remember that these are not for profit organisations and so there often isn’t a budget for fancy digital technology but in this day and age if you have to walk into a visitor centre, grab a printed list of walks and chat to the friendly locals then so be it.

Chat to some locals

While you can do this if you walk into the local visitor centre, you’ll be surprised at the effectiveness of stealing a conversation with a local once you arrive on the ground at your destination. I know this option isn’t for those who like to plan ahead. For the more spontaneous adventurers this is so very effective. You can always leave gaps in your itinerary to do something spontaneous. Keep your options open.

Ask your colleagues and loved ones

Post on your social page or send a group email - “anyone been to x and if so what are some of your tips to tap into nature based experience and the local culture?”.

A F F O R D A B L E

L O C A L

National parks

Most state and territory national park websites are getting their digital technology up to speed now. In WA you can now book a camp site ahead from the parks website. This is how it should be. The really great ones will have more information on the best walks, paddles and other experiences.

Find the community Facebook page

These are the pages that most of us join with gusto to begin with and then often jump on and off just to find the information we need or to ask a question to the community. Use the search function in the social media page and put the words of your destination, community, tourism, Q & A. A decent list should arrive and you can jump on these pages and fire away your questions.

This is sort of like having a chat with a local but with that impersonal digital approach.

Community newspaper

Unfortunately these are few and far between but if you can grab hold of one of these beauties you are likely to lift out snippets of awesomeness. This is where you hear it from the locals first. Bring back the community newspaper. I love flicking through those inky pages to get all the local juicy gossip. Sadly they are in decline and may not in fact provide you with any useful information either. It’s a risk but I say jump in!

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A W E S O M E N E S S

Blogs

Find out who the local tourism bloggers and general socialites are. I confess I am one of them in my local community.

I have a Facebook page of things to do and what’s new page for my city.

Because I love it, I want more people to get out and about, I want to feel that vibe of people gathering and enjoying the best of what the city dishes up which is usually the natural environment.

The foreshores, the beaches and parks and activities within them. These are the pages where you’ll find details on the local community market, the food truck and free concert in the local park.

Search Engine

Spend some time researching by surfing the Net. Enter key words and click through links. Again, dig a bit deeper and you’ll be surprised what you find.

Most probably all of the above plus some honest reviews of experiences that you are short listing. This is how I found the Bondi to Coogee walk along Sydney’s Eastern Beaches and soon this is where you’ll find a huge list of micro adventurers, recommended by our Travel Play Live community (jump on our website to check it out - navigate the menu, use the search box but I guarantee it will be shouting out at you from our home page) www. travelplaylive.com.au.

C raving Awalking WELLNESS MINI-GETAWAY ON A BUDGET?

There are some gorgeous trails, walking tracks and lookout points to explore in Pacific Palms on NSW Mid North Coast, recently renamed The Barrington Coast. The Barrington Coast boasts magnificent national parks and the 2019 Wotif Aussie town of the year award.

Forster was voted one of ten most deserving

look forward to. You’ll need to plan where you are

locations that have made a unique contribution to

going to stay, this starts with finding accommodation

Australian tourism, destination’s affordability, demand,

that is well located and well-priced. You can easily find

accommodation and traveller reviews.

great accommodation in Pacific Palms. For fantastic

Pacific Palms is just a 3-hour drive from Sydney and a

accommodation in Pacific Palms, consider Blueys Motel

2-hour drive from Newcastle.

or just give them a call on +612 6554 0665. Motel

If you are planning on a micro adventure break on a

accommodation starts from as low as $128 per night

budget, then you certainly have a lot to look forward to.

With breathtaking beaches, untouched waterways,

for a Queen Standard and up to $250 per night for a 2 bedroom unit.

high-altitude rainforests, fertile valleys, charming Forster

Blueys Beach is one of the best tourist destinations in

and Tuncurry twin towns, Pacific Palms on the Barrington

the Pacific Palms region of NSW. While it is a rather small

Coast is a fantastic micro adventure playground located

suburb, there are just over 80 accommodation properties

in a world heritage site.

in the area. The majority of these are holiday homes.

The Barrington Coast includes 63 state forests, 15

There are a handful of apartments, a resort. The friendly

national parks, 38 rivers, and several nature reserves and

Blueys Motel team at reception will have no trouble

conservation areas. If you are planning an upcoming

recommending other accommodation in Pacific Palms for

visit to the region, then you certainly have plenty to

your micro adventure getaway.

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D I S C O V E R

-

B A R R I N G T O N

Booti Booti, Wallingat and Myall Lakes national parks offer beaches of all shapes and sizes, forests by the ocean, a network of coastal lakes and a wide range of flora and fauna species for you to discover and explore.

To plan in a great hike, Booti Hill Lakeside Walking Track is a loop that will take about three hours.

Pack a day pack, good walking shoes, lunch container and water bottle. There are so many perfect spots to grab a bite to eat along the way, either by the lake, beach or amidst a lush forest.

Start at Elizabeth Beach north carpark. Look for the wellposted sign on the southern side of Booti Hill. You will be straight into ascending steps. The hike is moderate to steep

C O A S T

grade. Make your way up the hill, head along the ridge through bushy scrub and into a subtropical rainforest. Take in the views of Lindemans Cove and Seagull Point, great for the whale watching season. Keep an ear out for the eery sounding Catbird and look up to see some of Booti Booti National Park birds, home to over 200 species.

Follow the trail down the northern side of Booti hill descending through the Banksia trees. At the bottom of the trail, you will pop out onto the southern end of the spectacular Seven Mile Beach. Take a dip or a mini-break before making your way across the Ruins campground, the Lakes Way and follow the signs for Booti Hill Lakeside Walking Track loop towards the Sunset Picnic area. This part of the walk is easy and you can take in the scenic shoreline of Wallis Lake for over an hour. From Sunset Picnic area, cross over The Lakes Way onto the well-marked fire trail for the last part of the walk, then head down the stairs you started on back to Elizabeth Beach north end carpark.

Finally, some relaxation. Rejuvenate and refresh back in the Blueys Beach village. Blueys Beach Natural Health Centre lets you plan in a little bit of balance and harmony. Book ahead for yoga, qigong moving meditation class or a wellness consultation. Indulge in a remedial, aromatic relaxation massage followed by a cleansing cup of freshly brewed organic herbal tea or glass of champagne and relax with am an aromatherapy foot bath.

the Barrington Coast is a fantastic micro adventure playground located in a world heritage site.

Photo credit: Michael Hruby

ABOUT

Blueys Motel

Blueys Motel located in the heart of Blueys Beach in Pacific Palms – close to all the attractions mentioned above.

Take a look at our range of motel accommodation and call our friendly staff with any questions on +612 6554 0665 or visit blueysmotel.com.au

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F E A T U R E

T O U R

Heart

BIG

ADVENTURES

F I N D YO U R S E L F. B E YO U R S E L F. C H A L L E N G E YO U R S E L F.

Women are increasingly inspired to get outside their comfort zone and try new experiences that a generation (or even half a generation) ago didn’t exist for them. One of the biggest industries to see this change is the adventure space. Walking, hiking, trekking, bushwalking, tramping – whatever you call it in your world – is one of the most cost-friendly, physically accessible, minimal gear-needing activities you can do.

WORDS & IMAGES BY: LISA MURPHY

It begins as trail-time and turns in to something far more beautiful and cathartic. It joins women with other women, offers engagement with nature, and allows the chance to connect with the inner self and get off the grid. Trails offer different degrees of difficulty, challenge, fulfilment, empowerment and reward, and participation can change women’s lives.

We see many women gain confidence and self-belief on the trails. It’s common to hear stories of women who have lost their sense of self through a lifetime of putting others first. The opportunity to take

MEET

time out on the trail is a gift, and offers a moment to pause, reflect and grow.

local tour operator in South Australia so

When we started the Wise Women Walking program in 2016, we had goals of taking women on life changing walking experiences. For beginners though, we realised that in order to reach that goal we needed to offer so much more.

Following the initial trip, we shifted focus to be more educational. We developed more options for beginners to come bushwalking, and information nights to learn about gear requirements, overnight hiking, and navigation. We became a

and take women to hidden gems with

we could create our own weekenders trails, amazing scenery and the chance to reconnect with themselves.

We are a tour operator with a difference.

Our program strives for positive outcomes for women both physically and mentally – this is what makes us unique – and we choose amazing destinations both in Australia and overseas to achieve this.

We wander where the wifi is weak but the connection is strong.

Lisa Murphy

Lisa Murphy is the founder of Big Heart Adventures and the Wise Women Walking program in South Australia leading outdoor experiences to inspire the intrepid female traveller. Seeing first hand the benefits of getting off the grid and engaging with nature, Lisa has a passion for encouraging more women on the trails to experience positive outcomes. www.bigheartadventures.com.au

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Women of Wander

Women Want Adventure

Women of Wander trips accommodate a variety of women on intimate, multi-day adventures that explore some of Victoria's most beautiful landscapes. The journeys are designed to challenge you without putting unwanted strain on your body. The goal is to have you strut across the finish line with a body full of energy, a head full of ideas and a heart full of friendship. With a menu full of fresh and organic plant based meals, it feels like a health retreat on legs.

From first timers to trail heads we have the journey for you! www.womenofwander.com.au

The concept of Women Want Adventure was born from conversations with real women. We saw the need to inspire, empower and connect women through adventure to break out of their comfort zones and explore the outdoors in a safe and supportive environment. As a community, we aim to give women access to outdoor adventure in an exciting and new way. Our trips are inclusive and lead by female guides who are qualified and trained. Trips give women the opportunity to get fit, explore places they may never have ventured alone, make lasting friendships and laugh! www.womenwantadventure.com.au

WE LOVE TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S ADVENTURES

Immerse yourself in local cultures, experiences and discover the joy of adventure in these group tours you will remember for a lifetime. Don’t let your age, size, fitness level or skill stop you from discovering the power of travel.

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When Life

THROWS YouLEMONS B E S U R E T O G E T S O M E J U I C E I N Y O U R E Y E S

WORDS & IMAGES BY:

LUCY BARNARD

When Mum came to visit over New Years, I had one very simple goal in mind: give her confidence I’m safe. Yes, I wanted to enjoy family time blah blah blah, but underneath it all, I wanted to share my life with her so she could experience what I’m doing, and better understand the day to day.

I’m an Aussie in pursuit of becoming the first woman to walk the length of the Earth. It bugged me that of all the people who have attempted the hike, about 10 men have completed it but no women. So I began planning. Yes, just like that.

Two years on, I’ve walked the length of Chile, through Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, the Andes of Chile, and most recently the Atacama Desert. Shortly, I continue from the edge of the desert to the mountains of Peru, then through the Amazon towards Colombia.

But since it’s searing in the desert right now, there hasn’t been a better time for a visit from my Mum. After two years apart, nothing compares to a reassuring hug and time

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together for her to know – and I mean knowwww – I’m ok.

We had five weeks together for me to show off how well I’m doing.

A stolen passport, five muggings, two stolen phones, clothes missing from the laundromat, and heaving tears at the airport later, I think it’s fair to conclude: I failed.

From the beginning Mum arrived at the airport in Chile where we were to reunite before travelling to Ecuador. Rather than entering through the arrival gate, she mistakenly used an exclusive gate where the media and TV cameras hangout. Later, I thought this was pretty cool of her, but as I stood waiting for

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ages among the commoners, I worried.

Eventually I found her, alone and feeling forgotten. We were robbed of our teary reunion, and as it turned out, Mum was robbed of her passport. Of course we didn’t realise until we were preparing to fly out for our holiday. Many, many, many phone calls later, we had our solutions.

We were going to miss our flights. The LATAM service desk advised me to miss mine so I could help Mum. Later, I’d need to pay a small rescheduling fee but there was plenty of space for us on the upcoming flights. Mum could get an emergency passport within three days, and my sister would meet us in Ecuador as originally planned, albeit late.

How’d we do? Mum’s flights had been organised by a travel agent, and I had booked mine to match. Mum’s flights were rescheduled for free, and mine for a small rescheduling fee of $1400 (I should have said six muggings). Mum’s emergency passport was ready in two and a half days, however while waiting for us in Ecuador, my sister was mugged multiple times and had her phone stolen.

Lesson: Use a travel agent, it doesn’t cost any extra and they have more negotiation power than you do when the airlines have you in a noose.

We arrived in Ecuador to meet my sister, and wandered down to a famous market place. We were really excited to see some artisanal craft, but on the way, Mum was cut off by three very short, very old, very round, and very cunning women... who stole all the money out of her pockets. The salt was at the markets where we saw mass produced everything, artisanal nothing, and a lot of “baby alpaca”.

Lesson: Carry your money in the chest pocket of your jacket. Be cautious in city markets. Vigilance.

My Mum and sister had booked a week long trip through the Amazon, so I took a timeout to write a blog and catch up on admin. Naturally this should include a beach view, so I jumped on a bus headed for the coast, palm trees and cocktails.

I had my backpack zip tied, and a small backpack on my front for fast access to the essentials. Within five minutes on a crowded bus someone had opened the bag across my front, reached their hand down into my pack and stole my phone… without me noticing.

Lesson: Thieves are magicians. Sometimes vigilance isn’t enough. Avoid the trolleybuses in Quito.

Over the final days with my sister, we decided to keep it simple and stay somewhere nice before seeing her off. It was fabulous.

Mum and I continued on to Peru, saw Machu Picchu and had one of those profound experiences where you say stupid stuff to each other about the essence of life. Later, we visited Lake Titicaca, Mum’s life long dream, which turned out to be a total money racketeering, child exploiting, scam. We know people who’ve had a great time there, but be warned, there is a considerable difference between a fake experience, and an authentic one. I'll leave it there.

Lesson: Do your research. Vigilance.

Not wanting to go home feeling dirty, we returned to the city, and at the recommendation of a friend, took a cooking class: another highlight. While for the most part our trip was disastrous, some good ceviche and a strong pisco sour helped turn things around.

I’m an Aussie in pursuit of becoming the first woman to walk the length of the Earth.

I won’t say ‘if you don’t set goals you don’t get disappointed’ and other self defeatist crap. We had a good time, shared a lot of stories and sobbed in front of plenty of strangers while reminiscing over family stories… because we’re sentimentally embarrassing like that.

But it did get me thinking about failing spectacularly, my list of goals from last year, and how bruised I feel when I see people ‘dominating 2019’ (in January) according to their social media.

Come into my headspace.

Last year I publicised all the things I was going to do and attempted to bully myself into public accountability. Aspirations included: • Cover 7500 km to reach Colombia • Give up sugar • Publish more blogs and vlogs • Learn night photography • Get a dog Out of all of these, I only succeeded in two. Sugar, because I had so many loopholes it was almost impossible not to, and I got a dog.

The others? I didn’t reach Colombia, not even close. I walked to the top of Chile, a miserable 3000 km which, according to

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Google, only requires 23 days. Not true.

So, what to do when feeling derailed? I chose to talk with a friend who I was confident would say what I wanted.

Not this time underachiever.

Rather than focusing on what I haven’t done, he asked me to look at what I had. He rambled on about online content, route setting, collaborating, advising, safety and risk... I could go on but admin is boring enough without writing about it.

He then asked some annoying questions like: 1. Would you prefer to have walked to Central America, only have a year left on your walk, and be calling me about a stress fracture? No. 2. Would you rather have walked to Central America, and not met the people you have, or remember half of what you’ve done because you’re exhausted? No. 3. Would you rather risk your safety and be unprepared? Yeah yeah yeah.

...some good ceviche and a strong pisco sour helped turn things around.

Feeling appropriately schooled I realised most of my goals were adding to, and not building on, what I was already doing. It’s a subtle difference but ultimately I should be celebrating anything additional to what I’ve achieved.

Yes, we must face the risks, as does anyone in the pursuit of a goal. But we face them together, and that makes us just a little less vulnerable than coping on our own, which has been my hardest lesson. www.tanglesandtail.com

I also realised that I rang the wrong friend, so I tried again.

Together we bitched about the first friend and his annoyingness, and later she tagged me on my trail map and said she couldn’t stop staring at how far I’d gone. Yet from where I stood it was a map of not-enoughs as the occasional observer will write, while questioning my credibility.

Then, in my final attempt at beating myself up, I read Martín Heidegger who said something like; “We need to come to terms with the fact that we are going to die and stop wasting time pleasing the people who never really liked us in the first place.”

Some perspective, some realism and some consideration to ‘who’s it all for in the end anyway?’ and I found myself back at the stick-itto-the-man mentality.

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As for Mum? She’s no more confident than before, but firmly stands in my corner, encouraging me to be the woman she taught me to be.

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d l r o w e h t e r Ex plo e m i t a t a p e t s e on Inspiring and empowering Australian women to take hiking adventures around the world since 2006

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Mothers Day Happy Place Cover Photo Comp sponsored by Macpac

Tag #travelplaylivetpl and #travelplaylivemagazine your Happy Place moments.

Find more information and enter online at www.travelplaylive.com.au The winning image will be published on our issue #15 magazine (June On Sale) cover.

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The

I N I T I A T I O N

WALK In 2015, my husband and I took our children out of school and travelled around Australia for 387 days in a caravan (named Beauty) and a beast of a 4WD (named Beast).

WORDS & IMAGES BY: KEMI NEKVAPIL

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hile in Kakadu (Northern Territory), we had the privilege of being invited to a beautiful river festival where young boys were being initiated into their local dance traditions by the older men of their mob.

It led to a conversation between my husband and me about initiation and how important this ritual is for teenagers. That if their ‘elders’ do not create rites of passage for them they will create rites for themselves that may not be ideal.

When our son turned 12, my husband walked the Larapinta track with him – a 223 km hike through Alice Springs.

When my daughter Ella turned 12, she and I chose The Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia. The name comes from the Bibbulmun, or Noongar people, the Indigenous Australians from the Perth area.

The beauty of walking in the bush is the silence, the smells, and the air.

To walk the track from end to end is 1000 km, but we would walk the first section from Kalamunda to Dwellingup. The plan was to walk 211 km over 14 days, we actually ended up walking 250 km (yes, there were some wrong turns).

From the very beginning, I wanted Ella to have ownership over her walk. Part of the initiation experience for a child is stepping out of childhood and moving towards a level of responsibility for oneself.

Ella decided the distance we would cover every day. Although only 12 years old, Ella is a very experienced hiker and camper, and I fully trusted her to know how far she could walk and when her long-distance challenge day would be. Most days we walked an average of 15 km. She chose the last day as our longest day, when we would walk 20.7 km… towards pizza!

She also chose the meals and snacks that would fuel her; she needed minimal consultation from me. She would carry all her supplies, except for the tent.

I would like to say that we trained hard for our trip, but the truth is we did a couple of 10 km hikes, Ella had a few scout camps, and that was about it.

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We flew to Perth from Melbourne and the night before the walk we stayed in accommodation.

Our host, Carol, agreed to take us to the beginning of the trail the next morning.

There are always nerves the night before any adventure. The way I cope is to keep packing and unpacking my backpack; so that afternoon and into the evening there was a lot of packing and repacking, until we wore ourselves out and fell into bed.

Our first day of hiking would be 12.2 km. It was hot. It was a little tiring as we both had heavy packs: mine weighed in at 27 kg, Ella’s at 15 kg.

If you are a member of the ‘pack weight police’, I am strong and so is my daughter. We love our books and journals, and we were happy to carry them. Each hiker has to work out what matters to them and then be glad to carry it. Every time I fell onto my comfortable sleeping mat, I never regretted the weight of it.

The beauty of walking in the bush is the silence, the smells, and the air. Although our packs were heavy, our hearts were light. We saw so much beauty that first day, we had rests as we needed them, and we enjoyed being ‘free’.

Hewitt’s Hill camp had a beautiful hut, and Ella wanted to be where the action was, which meant sleeping in the 3-sided hut with the other long weekend walkers. But as the afternoon went on and more

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people arrived, she agreed that setting up our tent in a quiet spot would give us a better night’s sleep.

As I like solitude and Ella loves company, we agreed to alternate nights for who got to decide if we’d sleep in the communal hut or in our own tent.

We met Rod on the first night, and as he arrived at camp he said, “I never thought carrying a pack this heavy would be so hard!” “How heavy is it?” Ella asked, “21 kg”, he gasped. “My mum’s is 27 kg!”, she responded with a grin.

Ella said to me, “Mum the first rule of scouts is not to panic. She then harnessed her leadership qualities. She needed to; I was panicked. She instructed me to call the track office and check what was happening. It was confirmed that there were controlled burns to the west of us, but they were in hand.

As the sun was setting, we sat together on a fallen log, drawing plants and writing about the day.

The next few days were similar: flowers, beauty, heat, peace and snacks.

One of the joys of multi-day hikes is that all you have to do is walk, eat, sleep, repeat. A rhythm forms very quickly.

During the first few days, Ella would fall over within the first kilometer as it took a while for her feet to warm up in the mornings.

She always wanted to start the day with games and chatter; I wanted to start the day with forward momentum and silence. We learnt to compromise and work with both our personalities, and we created a nourishing rhythm over the two weeks.

Whoever woke first would make the herbal tea. We have learnt over the years that you do not leave the tent in the morning until your sleeping bag and mat are packed and you are dressed, so we would usually wake each other with the hiss of our sleeping mats going down.

It was roughly day three when we got lost for the first time; we realised we were walking in circles, and Ella fell into a bit of a slump. Part of me wanted us to figure it out, survival style, but survival includes asking strangers.

Day four was challenging. It was physically and emotionally hard. There were a lot of long ascents and never-ending descents on 4WD tracks. The temperature was around 32 degrees. A constant concern is keeping hydrated, but you can only carry a certain amount of water, so you don’t want to run out before you reach the next hut. But, when we reached Waalegh hut, it was breathtaking; hard work to get there, but worth it.

A few days in, we were the only two people at the hut. We had arrived quite early in the day and were relaxing, reading and drawing. Suddenly I noticed that the sky was getting hazy. Then I smelt smoke. Ella said she could also smell smoke. I calmly told her, “We should go now,” and I started packing up. I was scared. Being English, fire as a way of life is not what I grew up with. I don’t think ‘controlled burning’, I think ‘death’.

Ella came in for a hug. “You looked so worried, Mum.” “You’re my baby”, I said crying. Once my heart had calmed down, Ella said, “Mum, did you think we were going to be able to run from a bushfire?”

When we were just over a week into the hike, we had to climb two very steep mountains, in strong wind and rain. We had been carrying our food in our dry bags, which had worked well up until now. We managed to mentally tackle the mountains, because we knew we could put dry clothes on at the other end. But when we got to the hut, everything was soaked. Jackets. Sleeping bags. Socks. Fleeces. That was a miserable afternoon being cold and trying to dry wet clothes in the rain.

As we were the only ones in the hut, we had decided to put the tent up in the hut for extra warmth and protection from the rain.

As we settled down for the night, I heard thunder. I heard it before Ella, so I prepared her, telling her that we were about to experience a storm.

It was a brutal storm. It only lasted for about 15 minutes overhead, but it was terrifying. I lay there holding Ella tight, singing her songs I knew from when she was younger, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible. She was shaking in my arms, and my heart was beating out of my chest. The hut we were huddled in was the rebuilt version of the one that had been struck down by lightning a few years earlier. Our fear was real.

Mum, did you think we were going to be able to run from a bushfire?

Watching my inner chatter was fascinating. On the first few nights when we could still hear the noises of the city, there were a lot of motorbikes and ‘doof doof’ music. I worried that the camp would be attacked by a drunk biker gang.

But up here, no sober or drunk person would try to get here in the dark. The environment was our protector. Our shield. Our comfort.

Being out in the bush with a savvy 12-year-old did make me reflect on all of the myths I learnt about the ‘scary outdoors’ growing up in England. I am so glad that Ella has a powerful relationship with the land and nature. One day she said to me, “I am more scared in the city than I am out here”. I was in awe of her confidence in the wild. I have had to reclaim my ‘wild’.

Although this was to be Ella’s initiation, it was also mine. Mother Earth threw some challenges our way.

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“I want to go home, mummy.”

“I know darling”, was all I could say, because

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the top of a mountain. We were half settled in when Ella said, “Mum, I don’t want to be up here all alone on the top of a mountain with a storm coming.”

We had already walked 17 km that day. To get to the next hut, we needed to walk another 15 km, 32 km altogether.

We had been using the sun as our clock, and I knew that it was around 3pm. We had about 3.5 hours of daylight left.

Ella was keen to know what I wanted to do, but I told her it was her walk, that she had to choose. She took a moment and then said: “Let’s do it!”

We practically flew down the mountain, a four kilometre descent in 20 minutes, and walked and walked. We had to get to the next hut before the dark and before the storm.

It was hard, but we kept moving forward. The dark came. Ella was up in front with the headtorch, I was following behind, letting her lead. Eventually, we reached the hut. We were exhausted. Ella had planned her long day to be 20 km; we had just walked 32 km. We high-fived.

I was in awe of her confidence in the wild. right then at that moment, I really wanted to go home too.

Once the storm had passed, it took us a while to settle down, as we were both pumped with adrenaline. I hardly slept that night, just wanting the sun to come up. I was so relieved that we were okay, as I looked at Ella sleeping, I burst into tears.

And then there was the day I fell on gravel and had to bandage up my gashed arm with a sanitary pad.

And then there was the day we got lost, so we decided to walk to the next hut, and a planned 18 km day became a spontaneous 27 km day.

And then there was the day we picked up our food box at the local roadhouse and had hot chips and way too much sugar.

And there was the day when we had been warned of another storm coming. We had planned to stay in the old worker's cottage at

MEET

There were only three people in the hut and everyone had gone to bed, but a dad and his 13-year-old daughter decided to get up and make us a fire and a hot drink, they were our track angels.

On the last day we had to walk 20.6 km, and although we had walked 32 km the day before, this final day seemed never to end.

I let Ella know how happy I was that we had made this happen. That if she wanted to complete the other sections during various stages in her life – when she finishes school, leaves uni, or needs a break from ‘life’ – no matter how old she is, all she has to do is tell me and I will walk with her until the very end.

There was no fanfare when we finished.

As we walked through the town, no one knew what we had just accomplished. That we had just walked 250 km in 13 days, mother and daughter leading each other. No one knew that we had been challenged by the elements and by our own minds. No one knew how far we had both come internally and externally.

But we knew. It was our little secret.

I asked Ella what one word summed up her initiation walk, “Pride Mum. I’m really proud of myself.”

Kemi Nekvapil

Kemi Nekvapil is an executive and personal coach, speaker and author, who has worked in the wellness industry for more than 23 years. She is also a passionate endurance athlete, mum, wife, hiker, adventure seeker and ice-cream lover.

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{Travel Play Live}

MOTHER'S DAY

s a e d I t f i G QUEST

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Made with a cosy acrylic/woollen blend, this beanie will provide the extra warmth you need while looking great too.

a wide range of adventures.

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RRP $29.99 Keep Mum warm and cosy this autumn with Macpac’s lightweight merino neck gaiter. Made from superfine merino it’s extremely soft and 100% itch-free - perfect for everything from chilly morning walks to hitting the slopes. Neck gaiters are our favourite neckwear as they avoid the bulk and length of scarves, sitting comfortably around your neck to keep out cold drafts.

As a bonus, they’re extremely easy-care – you can just throw it into the washing machine whenever you need to.

www.macpac.com.au

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Book an Adventure Tour FOR/WITH YOUR MUM

Take Mum on an adventure of a lifetime. Immerse yourselves in local cultures, experience and discover the joy of adventure in these group tours. Don’t let age, size, fitness level etc. be barriers to your participation. You deserve this break for yourself, your Mum or all of the above. Head to our website to discover the next adventure. Many of the tour operators listed in our directory offer women only experiences. PS, we’ve heard hinting can be effective in subtly suggesting present ideas. www.travelplaylive.com.au/womens-adventures

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Jane Grover Our Delicious Adventure – Recipes and Stories of Food and Travel, Jane entertains with the family’s travel adventures and her delicious recipes. Available NOW. www.janegrover.net

Adventure Reels Film Tickets RRP $35.00 This Mother’s Day, give your mum the gift of adventure AND a date with you at the Banff Mountain Film Festival or Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour. Screening all over the country, tickets to these inspirational adventure film festivals are sure to enthuse everyone from the avid outdoor person to the armchair adventurer. Even more, it buys you some quality time with your mum at an exciting event that can be made into an annual tradition. www.adventurereels.com.au

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When I was growing up, my dad took me on roadtrips and we stayed in motels, but my mum taught me how to camp.

We had to work together to put up the tent and gather wood for a fire. She taught me how to cook a marshmallow so it was gooey inside but didn’t slide off the stick into the flames. Now, when I lie on my back and look at the stars listening to the breeze or a chorus of cicadas, I think of her.

We believe in mums and daughters having adventures together.

We believe mother-daughter relationships are worth working for, protecting and treasuring.

Being a mum is hard. It takes patience, endurance, deep breaths and sacrifice.

Being a daughter is hard too. It takes courage, trust and a willingness to listen and learn.

Sometimes we misunderstand each other. At times our relationships are tricky to navigate, but what wonder and joy the journey holds when we choose to stop and see each other with fresh eyes. When we take a risk together and explore new territory. When we act goofy to make the other giggle. When we hold each other as we fall apart.

We can delight in the incredible woman we get to call our own. Mother. Daughter.

So, step out of the ordinary with your mum today. Ask after her heart – what lights her on fire? What does she dream about? What is she afraid of? How can you be her biggest supporter? Don’t let her tired eyes or busyness fool you girl. You mean the world to your mum. If it’s been a while, start planning your next mother-daughter adventure now!

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We want to share our love for your business with our community and encourage others to join our tribe.

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Happy Place Finalist

Globetrotting Mini's (The Allora Sunflower Fields, Queensland)

“Never put an age limit on your dreams.”

–

D A R A

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T O R R E S

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Photo Credit: Surfing Australia

MCihlallikeer D E T E R M I N A T I O N

Seven minutes. One wave. Third place. A National title I’d worked hard towards was in my grasp. What is it, in situations like these, that brings out a different side to you? That brings out your full potential, testing your limits and pushing you to achieve the unachievable?

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WORDS BY: MILLIE CHALKER IMAGES BY: SHANE CHALKER

What is this strange force inside us that we call determination?

It’s defined as the quality of being determined; firmness of purpose. But I believe it is more than just a quality, it is a force we all hold inside of us, one that comes out right when we need that extra push in our lives, whether it be at work, finishing a test, running that extra kilometer, or, in my case, catching a wave to win a National Title.

I always hear people telling themselves, “I’m not good enough, I’m not ready to do that”.

I believe that if everyone waited until they were ‘ready’ or ‘good enough’ to do things nothing would ever be achieved.

At age 14, my Mum signed me up for my first big competition and I was nowhere near ready. I didn’t even think I would be able to get out the back of the waves – but I was not afraid of failure. I think that all women, young and old, need to hear that message. Don’t be afraid of failure. Don’t wait until you are ‘ready’ to go and pursue your dreams; just give it a good shot with a positive, never-give-up attitude. If I waited until I was ready, I wouldn’t have entered all the competitions I’ve done in the last three years, nor achieved everything I have as result.

In 2018, I made it to the final of the National Titles as the youngest of four competitors, all with many more years experience than me. I was the underdog for sure, a 16-year-old competing in the Open Women’s Division; giving Nationals a crack. The one last piece of advice from my dad before I

ABOUT

paddled out was, “Go and get busy, you have 25 minutes and 12 waves.”

I took this advice a little too far: I used 11 of my waves, and, with seven minutes of the heat still to go, I was in third place.

At this point I began to doubt myself, I had hoped to improve my 2017 result of third and things weren’t looking good. But, I kept my positive mindset and was not afraid of failure – and that’s when determination kicked in. I still had one chance to better last year’s position. The odds were against me but I didn’t let that bring me down; I never gave up.

Then, with 30 seconds left on the clock, I used my last chance up, taking off on the last wave, a clean roll right on the ‘end of the heat’ buzzer.

The judges put the competition on hold while they gave their final scores. I was waiting on the beach when I heard them announce that my wave score was not only enough to improve my position to second place, it was enough to move me from third to first! I could not believe it. And, just when I thought my day couldn’t get any better, I was presented with the Spirit of Bodyboarding award and trophy at the presentation ceremony.

This was not only out of the women’s division, but the WHOLE competition, including all the men!

This experience was one I will never forget. It also taught me a life lesson: don’t be afraid of failure, never give up, and always stay positive. Let determination take over to unlock your full potential.

Millie Chalker

Millie Chalker is a 16-year-old bodyboarder from Forster Tuncurry (NSW).

She is the current Open Women’s Australian Bodyboard Champion, and she is passionate about promoting female bodyboarding. Millie would love to see more girls of all ages take up bodyboarding and join the strong community of women who support and encourage each other.

Millie was our Happy Place Cover Photo winner for issue #13 Instagram: millieechalkerr

E V E R Y D A Y A D V E N T U R E R S

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SCHOOL LIFE O F

When a young boy saves your husband

WORDS BY: JACQUI HOLTH

IMAGES BY: JACQUI HOLTH & KY FURNEAUX

Torstein and I met in 1995 whilst working on passing yachts on the Caribbean island of Antigua. We hadn’t even spent a week together when we decided to go travelling in Nepal. It was a baptism of fire.

We connected immediately. I knew he was ‘the one’ from the start. But, I hadn’t expected our lives to be brought together so dramatically. He was 29-years-old and I was merely aged 24, fresh out of university with a passion for travelling. He booked a flight to Kathmandu and then jumped on a flight to Pokhara to join me.

We headed to a remote region in the west of the country to raft the crazy Karnali river, amidst a largely untouched and unexplored area with stunning scenery and incredible wildlife.

We spent 10 days rafting the river before arriving in Bardia National park to seek out the Bengali tigers, one-horned rhinos and Indian elephants. Then, Torstein got ill. At first we thought it was ‘Delhi Belly’, the affectionate name given to food poisoning, but it became clear during the next two days that it was something more serious.

Picture the isolation and lack of facilities in this community. The cottages had dirt floors, no running water, electricity for only a few hours per day, no phones, no cars, and the closest ambulance was over two hours away. The local community ‘nurse in training’ came to visit, but he too was unsure. The nurse provided a saline drip and I knew I needed to get Torstein out of there.

With temperatures soaring close to 40 C, his condition deteriorated quickly. I realised it was serious when he drifted in and out of

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consciousness. I was beside myself with worry. There were no nearby hospitals. I needed to get him to Kathmandu, but how? He was barely conscious and couldn’t walk.

The Khadka family, who owned the cottage where we were staying, offered to help. While their english was poor, the gravity of the situation was clear and they rallied the village to help the foreigners. Their teenage son Bikram found a couple of bicycles, and he and I used them to locate a car so we could transport Torstein by vehicle. We drove across a river in extremely difficult terrain to get to Nepalgunj, the closest airport where we could fly to the capital. Two days later Torstein had life-saving surgery in hospital in Kathmandu to prevent his intestine rupturing into his stomach cavity. Due to the lack of blood storage facilities at the hospital I had to rally four foreigners from the local bar to donate blood. Had we stayed even one or two days later in Bardia the doctors told us he would have died.

The following year, in 1997, we returned to Kathmandu to thank the surgeon, the clinic and the hospital; and travelled the world to thank those who donated blood. But we didn’t make it back to Bardia where it all began. Torstein and I married in 1999 and had our son in 2002. We called him Aymon ‘Bardia’ Holth in recognition of the people to whom we owed so much.

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When Aymon was aged 11, we took him to Bardia, one of the poorest communities in all of Nepal. The local family who had helped us recognised my husband and I immediately and we embraced from our souls. Before that, they hadn’t known whether the ‘foreigner’ had survived. Bikram, the young boy who’d helped me all those years ago, was now a grown man. He was also the Principal of a small english speaking community school which he’d set up from their family home.

On the spot, we pledged to help Bikram realise the school he visualised. I am a strong believer in the ability of one person to make a real difference and our duty to support the ones who do.

At the time, I did not know what that support would look like, but there was no way I could turn my back on a family who was not only there for us when Torstein was so ill, but was also committed to helping their community.

Bikram and his father had done an incredible job to get the school up and running. In 2000, with a vision and some money gifted by a generous Australian donor, the BBAS Memorial school was born.

The school creates a future for children whose families can afford to contribute a few dollars per month as well as those who are ‘landless’ and can’t afford to pay for education. While Bikram has created an amazing place where over 500 children are educated, the conditions are incredibly uncomfortable and in desperate need of an upgrade. Up to 51 students are in one class room and while the school desperately needs to expand,

there are limited funds to do so.

The most shocking part came when Bikram explained why the school was so important. According to Caritas India, children in western Nepal are being trafficked into India in higher numbers than ever before. Girls in particular are at risk. Numbers have increased five-fold since 2013 with many ending up as sex workers or in forced labour. Boys are also taken and put to work in construction under terrible conditions. Poor and uneducated families are often preyed upon by traffickers and this is why we, together with Bikram, believe that the expansion of the school for the children of Bardia is vital. It is hard for us to even imagine one of our children being exposed to such situations, it just doesn’t enter our thoughts.

Bikram says Bardia school students attain jobs and give back to the local community, some return to the school to be teachers while others have become national park guards and protect rhinos from poachers. Both Bikram and government officials believe having a job provides security and can help prevent people from being trafficked.

I am a strong believer in the ability of one person to make a real difference and our duty to support the ones who do.

Since my initial visit, I have taken on the job of helping Bikram to expand the school in Bardia. The commitment to give back to this community started as a personal pledge, but it is so much bigger than that now. Other wonderful people have joined me to make this a reality and we welcome further support. I am juggling all this along with normal family life in Australia. I have my own businesses, a teenage son, a husband and a dog to look after. It’s really hard work, but utterly worth it.

My commitment to helping the Bardia school children is unshakeable. For so many years I have enjoyed what Nepal has to offer in terms of mountains and rivers, and I know a project such as this can impact generations to come.

I think many of us have already begun to realise that true fulfilment does not come simply from what we do for ourselves and the experiences we undertake, but from what we can offer others.

On a recent trip to Nepal I was struck by the joy on the faces and in the hearts of the children we spoke to and shared moments with. We spoke with several children to understand what they want to do with their education. Not one of them said a new car, a new house, a holiday, or money. Instead, they all want to return to their village with their new skills and make a difference to their community.

ABOUT

Jacqui Holth

Jacqui Holth is founder of Adventurous Life Project. Adventure and the outdoors fuel her soul. She is energised and complete when she is connected with the wilderness, from mountain peaks to the open ocean. She has sailed across the Atlantic, conquered 6500m peaks, and slept in a tent for about a year.

She now helps others live their own adventures.

Bright Futures of Bardia crowdfunder: www.chuffed.org/project/bright-futures-of-bardia

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TOMATO, BASIL AND FETA SALAD This is a simple seasonal summer salad which is quick and easy, and tastes great.

My favourite dishes involve using fresh produce in season, which require you to do very little and rather let the food do the talking!

SERVES 6 (V & GF)

METHOD

INGREDIENTS

1.Cut the tomatoes anyway you like, depending on

1 kg tomatoes

size and variety, such as thick slices, quarters or halves.

(homegrown or organic for best flavour)

Arrange onto a serving plate.

60g feta

2.Break up the feta and sprinkle evenly over tomatoes.

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Scatter the basil leaves over. Drizzle with the oil and

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

balsamic, and serve immediately.

1 tbsp caramelised balsamic, or balsamic vinegar

feta is a brine curd cheese traditionally made in Greece. It is commonly produced in blocks, and has a crumbly and slightly grainy texture. It is cured in a brine solution (based on water or whey) for several months. When removed from the brine, it dries out rapidly, which is why it is often stored in liquid. It was initially made with goat or sheep milk, though nowadays it is made commercially from pasteurised cow’s milk. It can be used in sandwiches and salads, or cooked in pastries and other dishes. It is a good source of protein, riboflavin (vitamin B2), cobalamin (vitamin B12). Calcium and phosphorous, though is high in cholesterol, sodium, and saturated fat, so should be eaten in moderation, combined with salads and vegetables.

SPECIAL THANKS

©Jane Grover – Recipe from Jane’s cookbook "Naked Food - The way food was meant to be" www.janegrover.net

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PRAWN AND MANGO WITH GRILLED HALOUMI SALAD My husband Paul grew up eating fresh caught and cooked school prawns. Although they are laborious to peel, he has now convinced me that they are the sweetest and tastiest prawns you can eat. This salad was inspired by a kilo of ‘as fresh as you’ll find’ school prawns, that we were fortunate enough to purchase from a local fisherman just cooking his morning’s catch on the shores of Lake Macquarie last summer!

SERVES 6 (GF)

METHOD

INGREDIENTS

1. Cook the slices of haloumi cheese in a dry frying pan,

200g haloumi cheese, sliced thinly

over medium heat, for one minute on each side until golden

120g mixed salad greens

brown. Set aside to cool.

1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves

2. Combine all the ingredients, except the prawns, in a large

2 lebanese cucumbers, cut into 3cm dice

bowl and toss to dress.

2 mangoes, peeled and flesh thinly sliced

3. Arrange the salad on a platter. Sprinkle the prawns over,

1 avocado, peeled and cut into 3cm dice

then the haloumi slices. Finish by squeezing the lemon juice

1 small red chilli, deseeded and

over the prawns and haloumi.

finely sliced (optional) juice of 1 lime

Note: This salad is best eaten immediately, as the lemon,

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

lime and prawn juices will cause the salad leaves to wilt and

1kg cooked school prawns,

soften.

peeled and chilled

V option: Substitute toasted whole almonds for the prawns.

juice of 1/2 lemon, to serve

mangoes come from a tropical fruiting tree, which produce a fleshy stone fruit, oval in shape, yellowy orange in colour and sweet to taste. Mangoes which are native to India, are now grown all round the world and make up approximately half of all tropical fruits produced worldwide. Rich in antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients, they are best eaten raw as a fruit or included in a salad. Very ripe mangoes are perfect for making a sauce or chutney.

SPECIAL THANKS

©Jane Grover – Recipe from Jane’s cookbook "Naked Food - The way food was meant to be" www.janegrover.net

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