Travel Play Live Issue #15

ADVENTURE

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EMPOWER

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INSPIRE

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DREAM

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CHANGE

ISSUE #15 2019

Women’s Adventure & Lifestyle

A Mother’s Legacy Nurturing adventure

Mysterious Lapland Uncover the magic

Australian Micro-adventures The ultimate bucket list

Embrace Winter Hot tips for cool weather

AU $14.95 ISSUE 15

Happy Place Runner Up

Elisha Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Bhutan)

Mum blames me for not being home very often but really, she’s the one that gave me the travel gene.

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E L I S H A

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ISSUE#15

Ella, Sri La nka 201

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“I am safe,” I wrote. “Tell mum happy birthday from me.” Not the prose I thought I would ever have to spell out using the Words with Friends app. My brother and I have played the game for years. Our chat normally limited to sibling banter and rivalry over triple word scores.

Letter from the Editor I never expected to use it as my communication lifeline.

It was April 2019, and the Sri Lankan Government had shut down social media in the wake of multiple bombings. The nation was under curfew, we were locked in a hotel room and the Wi-Fi was down.

Locals scrambled to check on their loved ones and I wondered if I’d done enough to prepare for such an event. Were all my documents in order? Did my family have a copy of my passport and itinerary? Had I registered with Smart Traveller? Did we have a plan if one of us was hurt? Was my will up to date?

As a frequent and adventurous traveller, it can be easy to slip into administrative complacency. And while it can be a chore and bore to worry about such things, it’s critical. I know my mum worries; the least

I can do is be adequately prepared.

No doubt my grandma worried about her when, in 1966 at age 18, mum hitchhiked from Alice Springs to Darwin. Must be where I get it from.

This issue, we celebrate the legacy adventurous mums (and dads) carve out for their kids. Fostering a passion for travel, sharing their love of a sport, and teaching useful skills so that the next generation can make their own way in the outdoors.

That’s not all though. We squeezed in plenty of hot tips and toasty ideas to embrace the magic of winter, and take a good look at camping options for those of you enjoying the warmth of the dry season.

Happy travels.

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

Happy Place Cover Photo Comp winner: Winner Kylie (Moeraki Boulders, NZ) The Moeraki Boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach on the wave-cut Otago coast of New Zealand between Moeraki and Hampden. (Wikipedia).

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Elisa Elwin NEW COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS AND ADVERTISING

hello@travelplaylive.com.au CREATIVE

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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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CORRECTIONS ISSUE #14 In our feature on Jacqui Bell we wish to amend the following: Jacqui’s Instagram tag is jacquiabell not jacquibell and the photographer was Alec Baker not Alex Barker. In Alice King’s story we wish to add the disclaimer: Alice and Ben explored Derby with the Blue Derby Pods Ride Experience.

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Women Embrace Adventure

Women Want Adventure

Connecting women through adventure! Our women’s only half and full day adventures, weekend escapes and extended getaways are all about getting active in the great outdoors. We strive for every woman to feel empowered and motivated to take a step outside her comfort zone in our supportive, non-judgmental environment. Travel with a purpose is our thing so a portion of all proceeds goes to the charity Restore One. Women Embrace Adventure is changing the world, one woman at a time. womenembraceadventure.com.au

Women Want Adventure is Australia’s leading women’s adventure company. Trips range from an easy day hike, women’s camping weekend or international trip. Beginners and a range of fitness and experience levels are welcome. Their adventures are for women who believe in spending more time outdoors. They focus on women who want to try something different, explore stunning places and connect to a supportive community. Women Want Adventure knows that coming on a trip will help women feel inspired and empowered. womenwantadventure.com.au

GirlsTrek

50 Days: Bhutan Happiness Tours

GirlsTrek design and deliver unforgettable and unique trekking experiences that encompass the perfect girls’ getaway. Our trips are fun, challenging in parts and rewarding. They intend to provide you with one of the happiest times in your life. Pick a destination, Australia or overseas, and you are guaranteed more than just a trek. We love our delicious food and wines, authentic local experiences and crispy white sheets to retire to at the end of the day. girlstrek.com.au

Bhutan Happiness Tours have been carefully curated by 50 DAYS with a focus on sustainable eco-tourism experiences connecting people and cultures. High in the mysterious and majestic eastern Himalayas, nestled between Tibet and India, lies the small Kingdom of Bhutan, increasingly seen as one of the last unspoiled travel destinations.

50 DAYS offers unique customised experiences for individuals, women-only or mixed groups. Our all-inclusive packages ensure reconnection with yourself and others while exploring Bhutan’s captivating mosaic of nature and lifestyle. bhutanhappinesstours.com.au

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.

Travel Play Live magazine

travelplaylive.com.au/womens-adventures travelplaylive.com.au

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c ontents

CLIMBING FIORDLAND Olivia Page GLOBETROTTING Bernadette Kelly QUEEN OF THE NILE Sarah Davis

THE ALPINE & THE SUBLIME Stephanie Quirk

NATURE THERAPY: FOREST BATHING Melanie Chatfield

ICY ADVENTURES: MONGOL 100 Catherine Wallis

EMBRACING WINTER IS ELEMENTAL Bonita Grima

LAUGHING YOGA Katrin Marras LAPLAND: FROM DARKNESS COMES LIGHT Caroline Riches TUSCANY: DON’T JUDGE A DESTINATION BY ITS REPUTATION Caroline Pemberton A HIKER’S TAKE ON A LOVE STORY Liz Windsor RIDE HIGH COUNTRY Alice Rose King WINTER IS SIMPLY A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE Hanny Allston CHOOSE YOUR OWN DAMN ADVENTURE Sputnik

MEET JESSIE THE VAN Nicole Kennon

7 ADVENTUROUS SPOTS TO CAMP WITH KIDS Kate Williams RV NOMADS: ROLLING SOLO TPL & Sunliner

A MOTHER’S LEGACY: HIKING THE JOHN MUIR TRAIL Jenny Hedley GET BEHIND THE GOOD STUFF TPL HELLO MISTER Bonnie Anderson

A SWELL WEDDING Cassie Nesbitt

FRESH AND FRAGRANT: AN AUSTRALIAN FOODIE GETS AN IRANIAN EDUCATION Julia Bartrim

GALICIA: HIDDEN DOORWAYS Jessica Gauder

SWEET COCONUT FISH CURRY Jane Grover (Our Delicious Adventure)

#AUTHENTIC: WHAT’S TRENDING IN ADVENTURE FILMS Jemima Robinson

ANTARCTICA: EXPLORING THE ICY REALM Tahlia Wood

DREAM BIG, RUN WILD Monique Bortoli

MAKING PLANT BABIES Dani Drake-Brockman

LITTLE ADVENTURES MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE TPL & Macpac

MOTHEROOD, THE MOUNTAINS & ME Kate Bown

5 TO THRIVE Nicole Rowles

WEARBLE ART MANDURAH Melanie Chatfield

A WINTER AFFAIR. Q&A JANINA KUZMA TPL

READ MORE Head over to our website for bonus content and previous articles 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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C L I M B I N G

d n a l d Fior A N

A L L

F E M A L E

F I L M

E X P E D I T I O N T O

T H E

T U S K

WORDS & IMAGES BY: OLIVIA PAGE TPL ADVENTURE GRANT: FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY RECIPIENT

Fiordland is the kind of place that haunts me, in the best kind of way. Wet luscious beech forest, vibrant yellow tussocks – partitioned by paths made from hard hoofed deer and chamois – and lakes, deeper than you’d like to imagine, sprawled far and wide. When not hiding behind swirling mists or incessant rain, a sea of jagged peaks pierce up into the stark blue sky.

My love and obsession of the place simultaneously fills me with awe and fear and has grown ever since 2010 – when I’d spent four months photographing its raw beauty from the air. From dawn until dusk the teal, turquoise and ultramarine of the rivers and the braided river-beds filled my lens.

Fiordland is located on the south west edge of New Zealand’s South Island. Helicopters are regarded as the get–around in Fiordland for obvious reasons, but I knew that one day I wanted to walk along the tops of those peaks. Fiordland’s peaks make me think of a deep sleeping Leviathan. Its spines make up the numerous intimidating points, and when it tosses and turns slabs of entangled rainforest slide off its back. When it roars, tussocks

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dance in wild masses and when it cries, its tears become cascading waterfalls that overflow onto its mossy bed. Fiordland is a magical wonderland that opens its gates to the few that dare challenge its moods.

I’d always dreamed of combining my true loves: photography, climbing, women in the outdoors and Fiordland into one. I applied for the 2018 Travel Play Live Women’s Adventure Grant (Film and Photography Category). Part of me didn’t want to win, Fiordland scared me, but, I did win.

I racked my brain to think of three women that would be up for some Type 2 (and even Type 3), fun; vertical vegetation, scrambling, rock soloing, ferocious winds and torrential

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downpours. We were going off–track, and would potentially face bad quality rock, snow, ice, bergschrunds, and river-crossings. In saying that to myself, I immediately thought of Tasmanian climbers and conservationists Liz and Rosie, and New Zealand mountain lover and Fiordland conservationist Ana. They were all skilled and intelligent women with a healthy thirst for intrepid adventures and crazy ideas.

My goal was to increase the visual presence of females in the outdoors, exploration and adventure. Like so many women of my generation I was told by the media that I was a girl and therefore it was unlikely I’d be the best at climbing mountains, winning races, surfing big waves – advertisements in magazines showed me pretty – and for

next generation to be explorers, adventurers, thinkers and eco–warriors. I want audiences to see a mountain film first, a female mountain film second. To me that is progress.

Our objective was to make a first traverse from Llawrenny Peaks/Terror Peak area to Mount Danger, then to Lady of the Snows, with accompanying first climbing ascents.

We gave ourselves 20 days, an ambitious objective. We learned of a peak between Llawrenny Peaks and Mount Danger unofficially known as the Tusk, that told of a story about a Kakapo researcher and climber Hugh Willoughby who tragically fell in his solo attempt of the peak in the 70s. It is unknown if he made it to the top. Below the peak, near Lake Liz, we learned there was once a Kakapo stronghold and that some researchers believed they might still be there. Kakapo are an owlish-faced nocturnal bird that can weigh up to 4 kg. Only 147 are alive today.

Our journey began in Sinbad Gully with a 10-hour hike that brought us to a near vertical vegetated spur. For six hours we navigated wet slabs and waterfalls, tugged and pulled at flax, tussock and monkey bush. At times the vegetation was overhanging and we’d haul ourselves up, with our backpacks pulling us down. It was a battle between us and the plants, a full body experience. At one point Liz set up an anchor made from the roots of a bush, digging mud out from under it to thread a rope when our packs were too dangerous to wear whilst soloing up a wet corner of rock.

They were all skilled and intelligent women with a healthy thirst for intrepid adventures and crazy ideas.

some reason that was enough. Today, male sports still receive over 90 percent of traditional media coverage. For so long it has created what might be considered a self-fulfilling prophecy, but slowly talented females, killing it at their chosen passions, are emerging from under their rocks – and I want to make it seen so the next female generation can just get on with kicking ass.

My goal was to find an adventure worth documenting, not to make a ‘power woman’ film but to simply capture a story about climbers brought together by the spirit of adventure and a love of wilderness. I wanted it to be about pushing personal limits and hoped it would inspire the

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There was a 50 millimetre forecast for that evening. We could under no circumstances get caught out on the lower parts of the spur, in some places a mere 10 metres wide. If we didn't get to a safe spot there was no guarantee we wouldn’t get swept or blown off. Usually, you wouldn’t go into Fiordland with a severe weather forecast, but with plans for a lengthy traverse, we accepted the fact that we would need to endure some extreme weather.

That evening we made camp nearer to the tops. We settled in for sleep, but it didn't last long.

By midnight our tents were swimming in a small lake, guy-lines were impossible to re-pin as the tent pegs were submerged in water. No one was prepared for the wind.

The gusts boomed across the headwall before they hit.

Rosie and I had to use both of our bodies to push against the tent to stop it from blowing over. In the other tent Ana awoke to Liz’s legs and arms up against the tent ceiling trying to stop it from inverting. Every time the air went

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silent we’d think it can’t get any worse and then BOOM! the fight was on. The weather cleared by 8 am. Rosie and I had fallen asleep upright with our arms outstretched holding up the tent. We endured one of the worst storms any of us had experienced. We surveyed the damage: snapped tent poles, ripped tents.

Beyond the spur, it was anyone’s guess: terrain that had never been crossed. We used a mixture of topographic maps and GPS but we honestly never knew how much scrambling, climbing and rappelling the terrain would require of us. Ana’s knowledge of the environment; the rocks, vegetation, and the weather helped us plan our route. Liz and Rosies’s time in the alpine and experience on big exposed walls made for solid team-work and good decision making. The terrain changed from hard granite to gigantic piles of choss, there was less opportunity to rope up.

Steep scrambling turned to even more sketchy calculated soloing. We had to consider every step we took. It was safer to have a little distance between each other, in case we dislodged a rock – which did happen. A large rock came hurtling down towards Rosie, with the sun in her eyes she ducked away from the sound of the falling rock and in turn dislodged another. On all sides, the terrain dropped for hundreds of metres into the cirques and valleys below. There was no room for error.

After a 12-hour-day we made it down to Lake Liz, where we set up base camp in preparation for another storm and to start planning a climbing ascent of the Tusk – its ominous peak towering above us. The landscape wavered from grey mists, gusty winds, thick rain and intermittent waterfalls as we waited for a climbing day. On the fifth day we sat huddled under our tarp as the rain pelted down, it was never a guarantee we would climb the

We stood in places no human has ever been.

Tusk, so when we got a forecast for sunny conditions it was smiles all round. The next day was possibly our only chance. Liz and Rosie packed that night and went to bed hopeful for a 6 am wake-up.

We awoke to winds so fierce you could barely stand. We were devastated, but climbing 600 metres up a ridge line no one had climbed before was instantly out of the question. The worst thing was that it was a bluebird day.

At 2 pm the wind eased so Liz and Rosie roped up with significantly less time than they’d liked – they had no idea how they would get down, and leaving this late meant it was possible they’d have to find their descent under a veil of darkness.

Given the conditions, I couldn’t accompany them to film the climb. It was crucial for Liz and Rosie to get climbing – filming would slow them down. Fortunately, Liz and Rosie managed to film some GoPro footage and our friend Simon Bischoff (who’d flown in to film the ascent) had a drone. It was nerve-wracking to watch Liz and Rosie make their way up the ridge line, often without ropes. The rock quality

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wasn't good enough to hold gear or to make anchors, and there were sections of vertical tussock – but they’d had five days of practice.

that night we felt the weight of our decision. We tried to soften our disappointment with the knowledge that there was always next summer.

Liz and Rosie summited just before dark, but it took time for them to rappel. They were thrilled to have made a first climbing ascent, calling it Kakapo Crest (600m, Ewbanks Grade 16), in honour of the endangered bird.

There was no back up plan if they couldn’t find a way off the peak, and we were extremely relieved to see their bobbing head torches in the distance, making their way back to camp.

At some point we discussed that this was the first trip we’d been on that was all female, and questioned why that might be. It was simply awesome to explore, navigate and problem solve in such a remote and unexplored area with a capable and enthusiastic group of women. We stood in places no human has ever been.

It was satisfying to learn that we could plan and execute a trip of complexity in nature, in a place where you often don't get your way.

With a forecast of 162 millimetres of rain, broken tents, low visibility and high winds we didn’t feel confident to travel along the high peaks to finish the traverse. The trip had taken almost a year to plan, and

Every time the air went silent we’d think it can’t get any worse and then BOOM! The fight was on.

Wilderness doesn't care what gender you are – you’re out there on its terms no matter who you are. It just takes one crazy idea and few willing hands to have an incredible adventure.

T H A N K Y O U

We’d like to thank all of our sponsors and all those that supported us. To the Women’s Adventure Film and Photography Grant sponsored by Travel Play Live, Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour and Jack Wolfskin – for bringing the idea to life. To Radix Nutrition, The Australian Geographic, Totem Cams, Climbing Anchors, Arc’teryx, Petzl, Bogong Equipment, Wilderness Shop – for helping us to see the vision through. To all of those who support women in the outdoors, we thank you. The film is in the editing process.

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MEET

Olivia Page

Olivia is photographer and climber. Her work can be found in adventure magazines, geographical publications and journals in Australia and abroad.

Olivia is Australia's first female Arc'teryx Ambassador. oliviapage.com.au

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GLOBE trotting

WORDS & IMAGES BY: BERNADETTE KELLY

Rarely, especially in later life, does an opportunity present itself to drop the comforts, constraints and responsibilities of everyday life, trust the universe and just go. A chance phone conversation with a friend became a call to action that offered a potentially risky, but super exciting, dreamlike adventure of epic proportions. In the five minutes it took to complete that conversation, the decision was made. Some opportunities are just too good for anything but a YES!

Sahara, Morocco

It's early August 2018. I'm 55 years old, ten years divorced, and I've just quit my job as a Magazine Editor and Event Manager. My bags are packed, and I'm about to embark on a journey that will educate, delight, challenge and inspire me in ways I cannot imagine.

I'm travelling with a core group of people, and others who'll be dropping in and out of our lives throughout the journey.

Of course, I'm not the first woman to up stakes and set off on a travel odyssey. You might be out there cycling, running marathons and climbing mountains in amazing places. If that's you, I tip my hat. No wait, it's actually a riding helmet, for some, like myself, choose horsepower. Yep, that's right. Four legs and the beating heart of another living being beneath me.

My first destination is Iceland. Astride sturdy, shaggy Icelandic horses, me, my fellow riders and trusty guides lead a herd of 70 free running equines across glacial valleys, lava fields, and through icy, fast flowing streams as we climb our way to the country's lofty highlands and immense glaciers.

From a horse's back you get a close up view. The landscape divulges it's treasures. Dozens of tiny, scattered wildflowers push through stony ground, determinedly clinging to life. For eight long days of perpetual daylight, we sleep side by side in compact timber huts and immerse ourselves in open air hot springs. We tolt – the famous fifth gait of the Icelandic Horse – our way across barren, rocky and remote settings. Our little group bonds. Before we know it we're waving goodbye, treasuring the laughter and memories. Most are returning home, but for a small group of us, it's time to move on.

Next destination, the rolling Pyrenees Mountains of Catalonia. My grey gelding, Hidalgo, carries me reliably from the mountains to the sea on this trek. It's high summer in Spain and hot. We stay in charming Catalonian farmhouses. We clip-clop our way through the cobbled streets of ancient stone villages. Smiling, waving people hover in doorways and hang from window frames to watch us pass.

We feast daily on fresh ripe fruit snatched from the abundant wild fig trees, each more fully laden than the last, and we cool our sweaty bodies in mountain river rock pools. Seven days of immersion in

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Catalonian food and culture pass by in a blink.

Flying north to the UK, our core group share a few days in the Cotswolds before parting ways for a while. I catch up with old friends in Wales and Scotland, touring with a couple of the girls through the Peak and Lake Districts, the Scottish Borders and Edinburgh, before jumping aboard yet another plane to Shannon, Ireland, to meet up with the rest of the riders.

Across a whirlwind month, we ride the fairytale forests and the famous Burren National Park of County Clare, astride an enormous, but completely cuddly, Irish draught horse named Seanachie, (pronounced Shan-a-kie) a Gaelic word for storyteller. We linger a while in the County Mayo village of Cong, sampling a high tea and a lesson in falconry on an inspiring hawk walk at the local Ashford Castle.

From there it's on to a week of five-star luxury. Each day we jump cross-country in the fields of a castle estate in County Monaghan, before retiring to the lodge spa and a silver service dinner in the evenings.

On board Bellatrix, a beautiful Black Irish mare, my visit to the Emerald Isle concludes with an exhilarating (and slightly terrifying) taste of Irish tradition, riding with the County Galway Hunt, known as the Galway Blazers, complete with hounds, dry stone walls, and hip flasks all round.

Waving goodbye to my new-found Irish mates, I board a flight to Bordeaux. My big grey mount, Taram, carries me faithfully through vineyards, villages, and historic, UNESCO listed citadels. At Medoc, he walks quietly onto the ferry. We stand together on the metal deck with the other horses and cars to cross the Gironde Estuary to the town of Blaye. In-between trekking amidst the vines, Taram waits patiently with his equine colleagues while we eat and drink our way through a selection of wineries, learning the intricacies of each variety en-route to our final destination of Barsac, near Sauternes.

Transferring back to our car, we drive down to our next stop near Arles, in the coastal Camargue region. I know immediately on arrival I'm going to love this place. The accommodation is a boutique,

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family run property with the luxury of a five star hotel and the personal touch of a family home.

The riding is truly extraordinary. The Camargue Guardians proud traditions of horses and cattle seep through every encounter. I ride a magnificent grey, Camargue horse known as Vulvarin. This area of France is an untamed, charming combination of salty marshes, rice fields, swampy pastures and wild beaches where the wind seems to snatch my words away before I can speak them. I've been to some exotic destinations, but here I feel an exhilaration and joy like never before.

abundant groves of oranges, olives and more recently avocado trees.

Even when we are caught in a torrential downpour, my enthusiasm is barely dampened. We all return to base drenched and shivering, warming ourselves with local liqueurs and a hearty dinner.

The horses have an afternoon off. Our group hikes the Caminito Del Ray. Once one of the world's most dangerous walks, the track has been restored and is considered much safer, although, with most of it being suspended off the side of a cliff face with nothing but some timber and wire to hold it up, I still find the experience somewhat daunting.

After a week that flies by all too quickly, I reluctantly farewell the Camargue. We return to the car for the long drive down to Andalucia, Spain. An overnight in Valencia and we finally arrive at the ancient whitewashed village of Carmona, our base for the week. With its ridiculously narrow, cobbled roads and labyrinthine streets it's easy to lose my bearings, but the place is so fascinating why not lose yourself?

Leaving Coin we drive to Cascais, Portugal. A couple of days for respite, and much needed laundry time, and we meet our next guides at Lisbon. We hand in the car, and are ferried by bus to Barradas Da Serra.

We tolt – the famous fifth gait of the Icelandic Horse – our way across barren, rocky and remote settings.

Each morning we are picked up by our charismatic guide, 83-year-old Fernando, and taken to an equestrian centre run by Fernando and his family. Each morning we ride out on trail horses through local farms and olive groves, followed by afternoon lessons on a highly trained dressage horse. I fall in love with Alacran, a young, dapple-grey gelding with personality plus. We are immersed into Andalucian horse culture with a visit to Jerez and the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. In equestrian circles, this place is rivalled only by the Lipizzaner Riding School in Vienna. In nearby Seville, our visit is timed conveniently with SICAB, an expolike event based around the Spanish horse.

My love affair with Andalucia continues as we move on down to Coin, in the province of Malaga. Our hosts are the lovely Miranda and Giles. They welcome us into their historic, renovated marble mill like we're old friends. Our rooms are comfortable and spacious. This is one of the only places where we have a room each. After travelling in close proximity for months on end, it's a godsend.

My horse is Embrujarda, a magnificent grey mare standing almost 17 hands high. Each day, Giles leads us through the foothills of the Sierra de Mijas Mountains. A largely agricultural town, Coin features

Riding Lusitano horses, we traverse acres of pine and cork forest, open coastal dunes and wave-crashing beaches. Long days in the saddle are rewarded with breathtaking natural scenery. We ride the blue coast in a round trip that ends where it begins, at a quiet, country style hotel on a working farm at the base of the Grandola Mountain Range.

Our final destination is Morocco. A few days in Marrakech to explore the souks, a nausea inducing bus ride over the Atlas Mountain range, and a night in Ouarzazate later, we ride out from Zagora.

It's winter, but typically hot during daylight hours while freezing at night. We are welcomed with a traditional evening feast and dance celebration in Zagora. The next morning, the streets are lined with onlookers. Children run from their mud brick dwellings to watch the foreigners passing on horseback. My Barb horse, Luna, is a bundle of energy. By the end of the first day, I'm in love.

The town vanishes on the horizon. I gasp at the first sight of Sahara dunes and palm trees. The terrain is sparse and stony. We meet camel drivers, locals, date farmers, and the odd tourist. The horses drink sporadically at wells. They are tough, fast and flighty.

Our camps are rustic. Small tents. Open ground. No shelter. The chemical toilet breaks on day two. After that, we head for a rock or a bush when the need arises. There's no luxury here. The desert is a spiritual experience. Each evening, as I sit around the campfire staring up at the stars, my heart is full.

I touch down in Melbourne a few days before Christmas. Back in my world, my bank account is lighter and I'm spending much of my time seeking gainful employment. Would I do it again? In a hoofbeat.

MEET

Hot Pool, Iceland

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Bernadette Kelly

Travel Play Live

Bernadette Kelly is an Author, Freelance Writer and Communications Specialist from regional Victoria with a passion for the written word and a lifelong obsession for all things equine.

When she's not writing, Bernadette can be found on the back of a horse.

Her appetite for horseback adventure travel has taken her all over the world but she's not done yet. Her bucket list of new and far flung destinations is an ever-growing work in progress.

QUEEN

Of The

Nile

WORDS BY: TPL & SARAH DAVIS IMAGES BY: SARAH DAVIS

In April this year, 46-year-old kayaker Sarah Davis, from Sydney Australia, completed the first woman-led expedition down the Nile River.

Setting off from Rwanda in September 2018, she went in search of fulfillment, adventure, challenge, and a life less ordinary.

The seven-month expedition included 3,000 kilometres of kayaking and 1,000 kilometres of rafting through Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt. Kayaking as much as 92 kilometres a day, Sarah and her team rested mostly in campsites or were hosted in the homes of locals.

Sarah spent more than two years planning the expedition, undertaking reconnaissance trips to Africa, training in wilderness survival and even learned Krav Maga self-defence techniques.

She faced several tough challenges along the way including being arrested and detained by military police in Burundi, unexpected, life threatening river rapids in Tanzania, and changing plans in South Sudan in response to safety concerns.

Enthralled with Sarah’s journey and her drive to accomplish a world first, we asked her to share a few of the more memorable moments.

To do something like this you need a strong ‘why’, your driver for doing it.

Highlights of the Expedition This expedition was full of so many amazing experiences. Sudan was definitely one of the highlights. The scenery was spectacular as we made our way north. Paddling through the world’s biggest hot desert with sand coming down to the river was a slightly surreal experience, it was also stunning. In addition, the people in Sudan were incredible – the most hospitable people I have ever met. They are so kind and generous, always ready to help out and we could have been given beds and food every night if we’d wanted.

Another highlight was going across Lake Kyoga in Uganda. At night, we’d have to find places to get off the river and raft through the papyrus which would open out to the village. It was like going into another world. The people we met, not only in Uganda, but throughout the trip were incredibly kind and generous.

Most Terrifying Moment One of the most terrifying moments was being attacked by a hippo.

We’d accidentally got between a baby hippo and her mum. She lost it. She charged us and then tried to flip the raft. If it had been a lighter, smaller raft it would have flipped. We tried to paddle away, but she

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came again and this time sunk her enormous teeth into the raft. She put a huge hole in it. Luckily we made it to land, we leapt out and she backed off.

The boys from the team patched up the hole but I was so scared to get back on the water.

Lessons Learned To do something like this you need a strong ‘why’, your driver for doing it. For one, it was a huge amount of work and took a long time to even get to the start. And once I got going, it didn’t always go as planned.

But I kept coming back to my ‘why’ – so long as I was still aligned to that, how the expedition went was less important.

This trip has taught me so much personally – patience, accepting uncertainty and not having all the answers. It has built my resilience and ability to adapt as well as to slow down. Before this journey, every day was jam-packed. I learned the simplicity of life and to take time to enjoy the moment. I’ve also learned to live with very little and break away from my normal trappings of life.

I think we tend to only regret the things we don’t do. If you have a dream, make it happen. It may seem unachievable or impossible, but you just have to start. Regular steps, daily actions and a good dose of determination and you can have the most amazing adventure.

To learn more visit paddlethenile.com

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Yoga

LAUGHING

WORDS & IMAGES BY: KATRIN MARRAS

“You have so much energy,” people usually tell me, wondering how one person can constantly be smiling, laughing and motivating others. I have always been active and a bit crazy so it's no surprise to my friends that I've become a laughter yoga instructor.

Yoga has never been my passion. I considered it too boring. I am an action seeker, a kitesurfer, a motorcyclist. I hold a Masters Degree in sports and languages and have travelled the world. In 2018, I moved from my home in Germany to Western Australia. I teach sports such as swimming or skiing, anything that makes people move. Yoga and meditation were more like sleeping pills for me.

Laughter is a health booster by increasing the oxygen-level which leads to more energy and reduces stress. It strengthens our immune system and improves the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, laughter boosts the production of good mood hormones such as endorphins and serotonin.

People feel less pain and stress and sleep better. Our mental health improves as a result.

When I first read about Laughter Yoga two years ago, I was intrigued as it sounded like yoga – but fun. I tried it out and realised that it hasn’t much to do with traditional yoga and I felt so good afterwards that I did a course and became a trainer. I’m still a people mover, but there’s much more behind laughter yoga than just being active and having fun.

Laughter Yoga is usually done as a group exercise which also helps with social interaction and cohesion. When practised in companies it improves team building and collaboration as well as the overall productivity of the employees. It can also have a positive impact on leadership skills by teaching authenticity. I could continue naming facts and studies to demonstrate the positive effects of Laugher Yoga, but I guess you’ve picked up the message: laughter is the best medicine and it’s available to anyone. No need to be young, fit or talented, you don’t even have to be humorous.

Laughter Yoga was invented by an Indian doctor who wanted to help his patients without prescribing drugs. The concept of Laughter Yoga is based on the scientific fact that our body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter. One gets the same physiological and psychological benefits which means that we are able to trick our body by pretending.

Children laugh over 300 times a day while adults hardly reach up to 15 – a pathetic reality that is leaving laughter to chance. Apparently, at some point, we lost the ability to enjoy everyday life through a good belly laugh.

Laughter Yoga allows us to laugh without humour or a specific reason. It is a set of exercises that can be done by anyone. In order to receive the scientifically proven health benefits of laughter we need to laugh continuously for 10-15 minutes. Natural laughter comes for just a few seconds here and there, but in Laughter Yoga it can be prolonged for as long as we want.

It is called yoga because it combines laughter exercises with yogic breathing. The main characteristic of yogic breathing is that exhalation is longer than inhalation. Laughter is the fastest and easiest method of exhaling longer and floating our lungs. This brings more oxygen into the body and brain which makes us feel more energetic and healthy. The list of scientifically proven health benefits is long and becomes even longer when we talk about the positive effects on our mind, emotions, community and workplace productivity.

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I always tell my participants not to judge and to make sure they follow my instructions. Three or four laughter exercises are usually followed by a breathing exercise. Some of the laughter exercises are indeed kind of stupid such as the lion laughter, which requires sticking out your tongue and making a humming noise. Naturally, most people can’t stand one minute without having their fake laughter transformed into a real laugh.

But even those who need more time to step out of their comfort zone leave a 30-minute Laughter Yoga session with a red face. Some spiritual guru once said that laughter was the highest form of meditation and the laughter meditation is indeed another laughter exercise. As someone who always struggled with meditation, I can confirm that the laughter meditation works and helped me to clear my mind.

Being a registered Secondary School Teacher I could have used my laughing skills in a school. But I decided to follow my biorhythm and work every night online as a language teacher and Laughter Yoga trainer so that I have my days free to enjoy the outdoors. Pushing people out of their comfort zone into laughter became my passion and it is all about spreading positivity.

Life is as much fun as we make it to be.

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LAPLAND F R O M

D A R K N E S S

Comes Light

It was just after 3pm as our plane touched down at the remote airport of Enontekio in northern Finland. Snow sped past the window, illuminated in the blackness by runway lights.

We wouldn’t see the sun for another 20 hours. Welcome to winter in Lapland.

WORDS & IMAGES BY: CAROLINE RICHES

The crisp air bit us as we exited the airport, but this was the very best cold – the kind accompanied by thigh-deep snow to play in.

sprinkled with snow, and the rest of the world felt almost unreachable.

If it wasn’t for the white ground, we wouldn’t be able to see a thing. In winter up here, 250 kilometres inside the Arctic circle, it’s as black as night, almost all day. Constant darkness brings with it a feeling of isolation. It felt like we were in a quiet tent under a thick, black canvas.

Many locals like it that way. Living up here holds a badge of honour; proof of a hardy character, an understanding of nature and the strength to live among its harshest challenges. I wanted to watch these people – especially the women. I wanted to talk to them, understand a little about their lives.

I had been fascinated by Lapland since I was a child. It is Finland’s largest and northernmost province, an expanse of plains, fells, lakes and fir tree forests with a relatively tiny – and falling – population. I’d always wanted to experience Christmas here with my daughters, to play in the snow and see Santa. As we headed to our hotel by coach, I peered into the dense, dark tangle of trunks, branches and spikes

Anneli greeted us at the reception. Her face was as pale as snow, but her smile was warm and her eyes twinkled. After breakfast the next morning – when it was still pitch black – we got talking. Anneli had lived in Lapland her whole life. She loved it here, but she found it tough, particularly in winter. “We struggle a bit,” she said. “For us, when we don’t see the sun high in the sky for many months, we suffer

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depression a little.”

and settles on the ground, we can see again.”

Three months in near-complete darkness would do that to anyone. The body produces higher levels of melatonin and lower levels of serotonin, which combines to make us feel tired, unmotivated and grumpy. Lapland is known for its high suicide rate and alcoholism, which tend to affect men more than women.

By late morning we were geared up and ready to explore.

It was still dark – and ridiculously cold at around minus 15 degrees Celsius, the mean temperature for this time of year.

The cold made my toes sting through four layers of ski socks and snow boots, and evaporated the water from my eyes, sending tears tumbling down pink, frozen cheeks.

Up at these latitudes, there’s no escape from the night. People want to hibernate; they want to sleep. Actually, the best way to combat the Lapland malaise is to get outdoors and exercise, Anneli told me. “We must find a strategy to cope with the darkness. In the middle of the day when we can see a little daylight, I try to take a walk outside.”

It struck me that with these physical reactions to the conditions, and knowing the mental health issues they induce, humans don’t quite belong at these latitudes. This place is better suited to reindeer, their eyes designed for darkness, their double layer of thick fur, their noses heating the air as it enters their bodies, their hooves and claws designed to dig through and find grip in the snow. They outnumber people in Finnish Lapland, by around 200,000 to 180,000 in wintertime.

I looked around the hotel. Bridges of electric candles flickered on windowsills. These are a tradition across Finland, Sweden and Norway during the festive season, offering an atmospheric light inside and an inviting one to those outside. To me they suggest the Scandinavian desire to inject life with cosiness and comfort – what the Danes have made famous with hygge.

Light in many forms can soothe during ’kaamos’, the polar night. If the warmth of wicks and crackling fires isn’t enough, some locals resort to light therapy. Others like to go out and gaze at the moon and stars; they dazzle here. “I like to look at the light and try and notice everything – what is changing,” said Anneli. “We also try to laugh a lot. And we drink a lot of coffee.”

For Anneli, the hardest time of year is autumn. “Around October time, it is just so black. Once the snow falls

Nature has the upper hand here. People must abide by the rules defined by the elements.

But humans are strong and we adapt, and nowhere is this strength more palpable than at the polar ends of the globe. I remember learning about the indigenous tribes of Patagonia on the southern tip of South America, who would grease their naked bodies during winter; they were always fishing and it served them better than wet clothes.

The Sami, meanwhile, the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia, live on as one of the world’s oldest populations.

Nature has the upper hand here. People must abide by the rules defined by the elements.

On the main road of Hetta, Enontekio’s biggest village, a mum pulled her young son along on a sledge – it’s how people get around here. They giggled and chatted in Finnish. They’re comfortable in these conditions, I thought, and I smiled at my Australian family, who were pumping their arms, breathing into face scarves to keep warm. We were using up every ounce of our energy to do so, and it was hungry work; we were constantly starving.

When the sun finally made an appearance before lunch, it seemed to have about as much energy as we did. It hovered lazily above the horizon for about three hours, like a smudge of white light below baking paper, before giving up and sinking again.

But for those blissful short hours, twilight fell on Lapland. I remembered Anneli’s words and tried to drink in the details.

The heavy sky turned a welcome, cloudy grey and the snow, no longer glowing orange under streetlights, was awash with pastel blue and violet.

We wandered away from Hetta’s sleepy main street down to a frozen lake. A handful of small wooden houses lined the

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picking, pickling and bottling. It’s all worth it. The potato soups, hearty stewed reindeer, pickled salads and hot berry juices are delicious after a day in the snow – especially when served around a fire in a traditional canvas teepee.

There are so many fun ways to spend the dark winter days. You can cross-country ski, play ice hockey, go ice fishing and there are enough small hills to sledge to your heart’s content. We rode snowmobiles through the forests and let excitable huskies pull us in sleighs across the plains, cuddled up under layers of reindeer fur.

We didn’t see the Northern Lights but we did find Santa thanks to one group of reindeer and a couple of cheery elves. He was sitting by the fire in a hut aglow in the forest, waiting for us and surrounded by toys. It brought our children – and me – to tears.

But one of my favourite things to do in Lapland was just walk around the village and watch the locals in their daily lives.

Shoppers chatted quietly outside the supermarket on what looked like trolleys fitted with skis. Music emanated from an empty church. The woman flipping reindeer burgers in the grillikioski smiled warmly when she finally had a customer.

The potato soups, hearty stewed reindeer, pickled salads and hot berry juices are delicious after a day in the snow…

shore; an upturned boat covered in snow acted as a reminder of how this place would be a few months from now. Lapland is famous for its beautiful lakes and I imagined being here in the summer – fishing from boats on the water, enjoying picnics on the grass, hiking through the surrounding forests under the midnight sun.

But for now, snowmobiles doing donuts on the ice were lighting the fast-encroaching darkness and kids sledging down a hill to the lake’s edge shrieked in delight. Humans are always excited by extremes. Then again, it’s easy to embrace the northern winter when you dip in as a tourist.

But as I learnt a little more about Lapland, I realised nature here offers plenty of lifelines. It gives tree trunks for shelter and fuel, and provides a bounty of food. Finnish Lapland’s rivers are packed with oily salmon rich in Vitamin D. The soil gives wild mushrooms (also packed with Vitamin D) and potatoes. Bushes in the bogs and forests drip with bilberries, cloudberries and bright red lingonberries in summertime. Barley, one of the few grains that survives the Arctic cold, thickens up stews and makes flatbread.

And the reindeer, herded here for centuries, have shaped the cuisine. Alongside tourism, they provide the region’s biggest income source.

Food preservation is key and locals spend the summer months

MEET

Candle bridges glowed in the windows of wooden houses, all of modest size but all you would ever need, and all looking so inviting and cozy. White fairy lights shone from giant pine trees in gardens. This isn’t a place of excess, even at Christmas time.

Lapland is a place of simple pleasures.

People here relish the nature, the peace, the challenges of living at the top of the world and the sense of community that forms when you have to work to survive.

But while this place can zap your energy, it can also fill you with wonder. On our last day the clouds finally departed and for the first time the sun’s low, weak rays could stretch out. We were treated to a long, drawn-out sunrise followed by a lingering sunset. A threehour light show of purple, red, orange and yellow.

Fire and ice.

Trip Notes One of the best ways to visit Lapland during the festive season is as part of an organised tour out of the United Kingdom. Snow suits and boots are usually provided, which helps to keep your own luggage light.

Disclaimer: The writer travelled at her own expense with Transun. Visit www. transun.co.uk for more details.

Caroline Riches

Caroline Riches is a freelance writer from Sydney who has also been travel editor at national newswire Australian Associated Press since 2016. In her freelance work, she writes mainly on travel, health and relationships, while raising her three girls. She travels with and without her kids as much as she can, and has a particular fondness for places at high latitudes.

Instagram @caroline_riches

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© ATTA / Rupert Shanks

Don’t Judge A Destination B Y

I T S

R E P U TAT I O N

TUSCANY I’m Caroline and I’m an adventure snob. As an experienced wanderluster and a seasoned globetrotter my nose turns up at the idea of joining throngs of tourists on well-beaten paths or snapping selfies beside iconic landmarks.

For a time now my forays have been strictly dictated by set criteria: remote, hardcore and undiscovered. I’m interested in secret spots that fill pages of a guidebook that only exists in my head. I’m an adventurer after all.

WORDS BY: CAROLINE PEMBERTON

The cliché of strolling cobbled streets in Tuscany, sorbet in hand or sleeping in rustic villas with the paint peeling, holds little appeal. Sure it’s ‘pretty’ and ‘nice’ to listen to bells toiling across the lands whilst sipping on Chianti over a long Italian lunch, but it’s not ‘adventure’. Nah, too tame, and far too common for the likes of us.

And yet, upon a synchronous turn of events I find myself amongst olive groves and vineyards beneath that famous hot, hazy Tuscan sun experiencing the other side of the stereotype.

For beyond the romanticism of this place, lives enough rough and tumble exploration that I have to eat my words. Every. One. Of. Them.

(Alongside the prosciutto and cheese!)

See with a little willingness and a dose of humility, adventure can be found irrespective of your coordinates on a world map and Tuscany is no different. In fact, it proves the theorem.

ABOUT

An enormous coastline offers up an endless array of water sports from kayaking, scuba diving and even surfing (yes surfing! In Italy!

Pssst Elba Island is where it’s at). Impressive mountain ranges from the Apennines to the Alps will get your stoke on when the snow falls or put your stomach firmly in your mouth as you pick your way along the ‘iron paths’ of the Via Ferratas hanging perilously from the cliffs. Paragliders soar upon updrafts and avid rock climbers scale spires of stone.

There’s as much adrenaline coursing through veins here as there is wine tumbling into glasses.

Even if your style is slower and you enjoy a more immersive adventure, you won’t be left wanting – multi-day trekking in Tuscany is fabulous with ancient routes seeped in history zigzagging leafy forests and lofty ridgelines. Let’s not get started on the cycling, as this is a Mecca for lycra clad

pilgrims the world over. A mix of single track, freeride and downhill will tempt the most gravity hungry and the equal, if not larger amount of sensational road and gravel biking in the Empoli hills and the Pistoia mountains that will have anyone’s legs burning. In fact, this is where the world’s first cycling competition, the Firenze-Empoli was held in 1870.

Horse riding, hang-gliding or hot air ballooning; sailing, skiing or kitesurfing; bird watching, white water rafting, canyoning or caving; history chasing or even hot spring soaking – whatever your poison, you’ll find it in Tuscany.

So don’t be an adventure snob like me, dismissing on-the-map destinations, simply look a little harder, delve a little deeper and never, ever, judge a destination by it’s reputation…

Caroline Pemberton

Caroline Pemberton is a TV travel presenter, speaker and writer who was once upon a time Miss Australia... but don’t let the sash and tiara deceive you – she’s the last thing you might expect from a stereotypical beauty queen. More down to earth than diva, she’s better known as MissAdventure, an open-hearted adventurer and storyteller with a passion for sharing the transformative power of the outdoors. missadventure.com.au

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To r r e s d e l P a i n e

A

H I K E R S

TAKE on a

Love Story

WORDS & IMAGES BY: LIZ WINDSOR

A glimpse into a gloriously imperfect little adventure-plus-love tale once lived by a woman in the Patagonian wilderness.

Initially, I resisted the love story angle for a publication like Travel Play Live. Would I be failing my own Bechdel Test? Would I be disrespecting TPL’s values? No, I thought. Celebrating the strength, capability and active spirit of women does not equate to ignoring or denying their capacity to feel. In fact, far from it.

Acknowledging that aspect of my vivid little chapter in Torres del Paine is a necessary thread in the story – a realistic portrayal of the spectrum of experiences that the adventure immersed me in. The more I thought about it, the more determined I became to leave the love story within the adventure story, and recognise the true context for it. Forget the classic portrayal of the woman where her relationship status determines whether there is a happy ending for her. That’s just not the way it is.

Torres del Paine is a national park in the south of Chile, just above where the continent tapers off into a curled gesture towards Antarctica. One hike in this remote dreamland is a track roughly 150 kilometres long known as the O Trek. I arrived with my friend Fabio for eight days of pure, unadulterated rambling.

I felt strong and vital. Functioning in a state that I began to think of as ‘peak human’.

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Don’t be fooled by its proximity to Antarctica. The O Trek is not all ice and rocks. It is an endlessly dynamic environment, undulating between thick lush forest, craggy rock-strewn expanses, grassy wet fields bearing wild lettuces, wide open glacial flows and criss-crossing rivers punctuated by waterfalls.

Everybody on the O Trek hikes in the same direction. I quickly sank into the delight of having constant access to fresh people from dozens of countries; at their best, relaxed, with time for you and stories to tell. Dominique, a 56-year-

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old Canadian woman doing the track on her own had a knack for bringing people together. A Chilean couple made flatbreads from scratch. A German lady stripped off pre-shower, and chatted to me as I brushed my teeth. Turning around to an eyeful of nipples, I tried not to show surprise, and secretly admired her freedom.

wanted to be cool and couldn’t let go, despite the tinge of tragedy

On the track, I went to bed soon after dark; got up at first light. My blood pumped steadily all day and my physical cobwebs fell away.

I was listening to my body, napping on need, and being social throughout the day. I felt strong and vital. Functioning in a state that I began to think of as ‘peak human’.

about his smoking as a weakness and considered why he does it.

There is a certain piquant quality that your awareness takes on when you’re operating at peak human. Your senses step up. The vague scent of an unidentified herb being crushed underfoot. The precise, divine taste of Calafate sours at the bar in the Paine Grande refugio (yes, there’s a bar. It’s warm and has stunning lake views in the middle of nowhere).

kind to strangers.

The mind gradually sheds its usual areas of thought and begins to explore new territory. Why don’t I live like this all the time? Do we need to live like we do, as a society? Aren’t we developed enough that we don’t need to starve ourselves of anything – most of all, those things that satisfy our primal instincts; e.g. living in packs, using our senses and being active during the day? I suppose, yes. I could definitely adapt my usual lifestyle to be closer to peak human.

startled myself with shivers from his eye contact.

attached as it grows from a blasé expression of recklessness into a dowdy lifestyle habit.

Here though, it gradually became clear that his raw, honest ways were too much for my prejudices to stand up against. He spoke He was decisive with his time. Walked the track quickly but without rushing. Each night, he’d be the first of the group to turn in – less affected by the pull of social gravity than myself, someone who regularly stays up late even when I know it is bad for me. He was I gradually learnt his stories. The dog he wants when he’s back in England. A previous pregnancy scare. Grappling with respecting his family’s wishes for how he lives his life, without disrespecting his own. I told him some of my stories. We made tongue-in-cheek apocalypse plans. I found him featuring in idyllic daydreams. I Meanwhile, life on the track was full and varied. It felt much longer than eight days’ worth of experiences, as my mind constantly processed new inputs. My legs grew stronger. I slept deeply to keep up with the exertion. And the views – oh, the views.

The grand finale was a 3am wake-up, for a climb to see the sunrise over the rock towers for which the park is named. We sat down to a breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, jam and toast, coffee, and

The track plays meandering games with hikers, like a kid does with a teddy bear. It led us through fields of horses. It unveiled curiosities: mini red pea pods here, Calafate berries there. It had a mouse chew a hole in my tent (which won’t happen if you don’t leave food inside). It fed me beautiful wine from new friends. It gave me blisters. It had me watching ice break off a glacier, with cracking, thunderous sounds of an avalanche to follow.

juice. Fabio and I hiked with two long-haired brothers that we encountered near the start. I glimpsed their faces with my head torch and we spoke extensively while climbing, before parting ways just before sunrise.

At the top, Fabio and I hid behind a rock wall with friends, sheltering from bitter wind and snow as we waited for the view to

One day, it put me in front of a rough golden beard with a man in it.

That man was Ben.

appear. Sunrise did not deliver us beams of glory, but instead, a

First impressions were easy for me to ignore. He was resourceful, but in ways that I respected only grudgingly, like when he fashioned a stick into the perfect pipe for his bag of loose tobacco.

Generally, I associate smoking with people who had always

On the way down, I saw one of the long-haired brothers and

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fog-shrouded vista that was even more beautiful. I was satisfied. gave him a familiar smile. His expression was polite confusion – it dawned on me that he never saw my face. His reaction made me giddy with laughter. Connections are fleeting.

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Spanish-speaking strangers went about their business as we floated past in our bubble of new love.

After finishing the track, Ben and I travelled together for a few sweet days. Spanish-speaking strangers went about their business as we floated past in our bubble of new love. Society glorifies the perfect love story, but my reality is grittier, and more gratifying for it. My subconscious makes a million tiny adjustments to my view of Ben over time. We drink too much on the last night and I cry myself to sleep next to him, overwhelmed by the situation. I wake feeling mortified and exposed by my display. I try to shake it off but it’s still there when I give him a brief self-conscious hug before boarding the bus to Santiago. The bus doesn’t leave when it’s meant to. He doesn’t move from the bench seat. Incredulous at the bittersweet reality of my day, I stare out of the window at his outline – all beard, sunglasses and broad lean shoulders – until my bus eventually pulls away.

At first, our contact is constant. I post him a jar of honey from

my beehive. We toy with the idea of international flights. But, the constraints are obvious. I sternly moderate my expectations – this is not an Enrique song, it’s reality. We are both settled in our respective cities. If this was ever to go anywhere, it would take a big leap of faith by somebody on the strength of very little time together. Our conversations are great, but they are just conversations.

A month after coming home, I went on a date with a new colleague. He knew I was still speaking to Ben most days and asked about it, respectfully, as we ate dinner. “You’re just latching onto something,” he suggested, as if his default view was that I would be clinging onto a tenuous possibility of love to give my life stability or meaning. I wasn’t affronted by that presumption. His point of view could be informed by any number of things but it came across as a clumsy, outdated female stereotype.

I inwardly doubted he’d have the same reaction to a man in that position. I gently redirected the way he saw it. I was under no delusions. The situation wasn’t a compromise for me. I had no interest in artificially keeping it alive, nor by drawing ultimatums, and I wouldn’t want Ben to either.

Letting contact unfold naturally with him, without any certainty, is something I see as a luxurious result of being secure. Meanwhile, I will keep living my life.

Lately, Ben tells me about looking into remote jobs. Who knows whether he would come here if he landed one. If, by some masterstroke, it does work out between us then what a sweet and unlikely story we’ll have. Chances are, it won’t, and I will look upon my time in Torres del Paine as a kickass adventure that deepened my experience of the world and the incredible people in it, including Ben. This is my own happy ending.

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R I D E

HIGH Country

P L A N N I N G

T H E

P E R F E C T

M I C R O - A D V E N T U R E O N

T W O

W H E E L S

WORDS BY: ALICE ROSE KING

IMAGES BY: BEN CIRULIS

I’ve always thought that the perfect way to explore a place is by bicycle. Walking takes me through a mere fraction of the area in the same time (and without the joyous rush of wind in my hair). And cocooned inside a car, bus or train I find myself feeling curiously removed from my surroundings, the layer of glass muffling my experience of the outside world.

But as English writer Beatrix Campbell puts it “I love everything about the (bicycle) – the sensation of the tyres on the road, the mobility – and I love the fact that you have this intimate relationship with the elements, and the landscape.”

So when it came to planning a trip to Victoria’s High Country, the one thing I knew for sure is that it would involve a bicycle (or several). But what else did I need to consider to create the perfect micro-adventure?

PLACE For me, place is as much a ‘why’ as a ‘where’. Why am I drawn to this area, what do I want to see and experience while I am here…and how do I want to feel?

Do I want the freedom of wide alpine spaces, immersion of riding through sun dappled bushland, unearthing of history from sandstone walls, discovery of stunning art installations in remote locations, the connection (and deliciousness) of tasting local produce straight from the surrounding land…or something else altogether?

North East Victoria promised us all of these, stretching south from the long, lazy length of the Murray river, over the western slopes of the Great Dividing range. As we only had a few days to play with, we decided to explore the rural Taminick, Wangaratta and Beechworth region, immersing ourselves in the living history of some of Australia’s oldest vineyards and gold era towns and surrounding Warby-Ovens

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national park.

One of my favourite parts of visiting a new place for the first time is watching my roughly scrawled mental map bloom with colour and detail. The little rural town of Benalla comes alive with vibrant street art, larger than life characters populating the sides of buildings and back alleys.

A Glenrowan vineyard I know by name alone becomes a rusty old bike leaning against grapevines, the taste of locally grown shiraz on my tongue and the owner-grower talking me through their cellar.

The topographic lines of the Warby ranges unfurl into furrowed ridges, with hazy blue vistas of the valley below.

PLAN (…BUT NOT TOO MUCH) Personally, I feel like my best adventures happen when planning meets spontaneity. So while I researched where best to ride, stay, eat, see and do (which was all too easy for this trip using the official Ride High Country website), when it comes to the trip itself, I try to stay flexible.

If I’m hurrying to keep to a strict timetable, I’m less likely to pedal in circles around the Benalla skatepark for the sheer, silly fun of it, turn off the main street to gaze down into Beechworth’s magnificent gorge, say ‘yes’ to the offer of a behind-the-scenes tour of Taminick cellars.

And those unexpected moments can be the ones which stay with me the most.

Taking local conditions into account can also mean the difference

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between being caught sweating up a hill in the late afternoon while the sun is in its zenith, and being parked in front of a cool beverage at the local brewery. (Which I learned quickly after the first day!)

Rather than be tempted to bite off more adventure and activities than I can chew, I try to plan for downtime, too. Because no one ever regretted an extra iced coffee and a lie down in the sun after riding the beautiful Ryans-Taminick loop around Wangaratta.

SEASON Living in temperate Sydney, it can be easy to forget what the true changing of seasons looks like.

In the Kings Valley and surrounds, each month of the year has its own distinct personality. There’s a kind of magic in it, knowing that if I came back even a few weeks later, the light would be lower over the fields, the days shorter and cooler, different crops and wild flora blooming and animals seen out and about.

Speaking from experience, taking the time of year into account when you’re planning activities (and what to wear) makes things imminently more enjoyable! Our early autumn trip was perfectly suited for long rides under the full gaze of the sun, while browned fields lay testament to the hotter summer months and crisp mornings hinted at colder weather to come.

In another month, visitors would be flocking to historic Beechworth to see streets set alight by autumnal colours.

The seasons are echoed by local events and activities too, with different things to see and explore throughout the year.

CONNECT The people who really know a place are the ones who live there.

Connecting with the locals is an opportunity to experience their home through their eyes.

One of the easiest ways I’ve always found to do this is by bicycle.

Before I went, I got put in touch with Michelle Armstrong, co-founder of the High Country Women’s Cycling Festival, who volunteered to take us around her favourite local loop.

From meeting Michelle for the first time at 8am on the side of the road, by the end of our ride I knew about the terrible fires that devastated the landscape 20 years ago, what moving from the city to the country and raising children here had been like, and how she had seen tourism change in the region over the years, expanding from vintage car shows and autumn leaf viewing to adventure activities such as riding, hiking and running, bringing a whole new wave of people to play and stay.

People’s pride in their region and what it has to offer was evident – and infectious. Alison Angus at Benalla’s visitor centre was bubbling over with enthusiasm and directions for their wall to wall street art. James Booth of the Black Dog Brewery lit up talking about mountain biking through the hills behind their vineyards.

And our server, Luis, at Rinaldo’s Casa Cucina said “Wangaratta wasn’t like this when I was growing up here. We didn’t have places like this. Now it’s an amazing place to raise a family.”

My favourite local though, was probably the echidna we found ambling steadily across the road while descending the Warby ranges.

As we stopped pedalling to admire him (and keep an eye out for approaching cars), the farmer across the road told us “An echidna on the move means rain’s a-coming”. And what do you know, he was right on the money, with the rain clouds rolling in that evening.

Our early autumn trip was perfectly suited for long rides under the full gaze of the sun…

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EXPLORE Adventure is something that looks very different to each person.

While I might choose to grind my way along isolated back roads on the #TourdeBeechworth loop, others may prefer a sleep in and amble along a rail trail.

But a defining factor is the feeling of putting one foot (or a whole leg) out of your comfort zone. In planning my trip, or while I’m there, I try to keep an open mind and ask myself ‘what is something I might not ordinarily do?’ It’s that sense of discovery, and expanding my own boundaries, that helps create an adventure to remember.

With boundary expanding as the definition, a lazy lunchtime wine tasting at Baileys of Glenrowan learning how to properly ‘swirl and sniff’, is every bit as much of an adventure as pushing my bicycle up an endless firetrail somewhere out the back of Beechworth.

(Though I recommend doing the latter before the former).

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned when it comes to the more physical type of adventure, it’s to take snacks! I can’t appreciate a pretty view nearly as much when breakfast was four hours ago.

HEADING HOME Eventually, all adventures must come to an end, and our High

It’s slowing down to soak up the sunrise and pausing for passing wildlife, getting back in sync with the rhythm of the natural world.

Country trip was no exception. As we started the long drive back to Sydney, I reflected on what, exactly, I get out of an experience like this one.

It’s the forging of connection with people and place, and falling a little in love along the way.

It’s slowing down to soak up the sunrise and pausing for passing wildlife, getting back in sync with the rhythm of the natural

world.

And as Terry Pratchett sums it up “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colours”.

MEET

Alice Rose 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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R I D E ,

S T A Y,

F E A S T ,

S E E

T H I N G S T O D O I N B E N A L L A , W A N G A R AT TA , B E E C H W O R T H A N D S U R R O U N D S

I M M E R S E YO U R S E L F I N

STREET ART.

THE COUNTRY EXPERIENCE.

Think street art is only found in big cities?

Think again. The buildings and backstreets of Benalla are a sensational large-scale showcase of the work of leading Australian and international street artists.

Nothing says ‘I’m on holiday’ quite the same way as being able to walk directly from a tasting at the Taminick Cellars door, to let yourself into your very own country cottage for the night as the sun sets over the vineyards.

From mist covered fields through the bushland surrounds of the Warby-Ovens national park, the 56 km Ryans-Taminick Loop is rural riding at its finest.

GET OFF THE

S A M P L E F R E S H LY- M A D E

TASTING.

D I S C O V E R B E N A L L A’ S

BEATEN TRACK. Nature and art make the perfect pairing in the otherworldly surroundings of Winton Wetlands on Yorta Yorta country. Well worth leaving the main road for.

GO BUSH.

ICE CREAM.

WARBY RANGES.

W I N E & H I S T O R Y.

A sweet treat is the perfect way to round off the seasonal, local ingredients inspired menu at Rinaldo’s Casa Cucina. Take your cone to go and wander the river’s bank as you savour it to the last bite.

Established in 1870, Baileys of Glenrowan is a certified organic vineyard containing some of the oldest plantings in North East Victoria. A guided tasting in their beautiful tasting room is as much an exploration of local history as it is of wine.

THE CRAFT OF

A TWO-WHEELED

From dad’s shed to one of Australia’s best craft breweries, Bridge Road Brewers is well worth a visit, whether that’s for beer tasting, a hearty post-ride feed or an insider’s view into the craft of brewing.

The picturesque Tour de Beechworth takes in 78 km of some of the best scenery the surrounding area has to offer. You will definitely have earned your second (and possibly third) breakfast afterwards.

GOOD BEER.

For a mountain biker, it doesn’t get much better than being able to ride straight from the town to the twisting trails of Beechworth MTB park, and then finish up at the brewery.

RIDE OVER THE

ADVENTURE.

For more help planning your trip to the region, see ridehighcountry.com.au Disclaimer: Author travelled as a guest of Tourism North East/Ride High Country.

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WINTER PERSPECTIVE I S

S I M P LY

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WORDS BY: HANNY ALLSTON

M AT T E R

O F

IMAGES BY: GRAHAM HAMMOND @ FIND YOUR FEET AUSTRALIA

Summer’s intensity has faded. Autumn’s colours have almost fallen and now the shadows of winter creep earlier into the evening. Our fingers dig deeper into our pockets and our chins nestle into our collars. It’s easy to pine for the warmth and light of summer, the beauty of autumn or the vibrancy of spring. But, thriving in winter-time can be as simple as changing perspective.

As I begin to write this article I am slightly woozy after a chilly dawn run on Mt Wellington. A warm mug of tea sits beside me and I have tugged my grey Icebreaker turtleneck sweater tighter to my curves. I revel in how the coarse wool is absorbing the rich winter sun that is seeping through the window into my studio. This is my heaven – tea, tranquility, writing and winter sunshine through glass. I marvel at the way this winter’s day is magically drawing warmth indoors from the coolness outside, creating a warm nest in my writing studio. This reality feels like such a contrast to the common negative stereotypes of winter – the cold, grey, dark, damp. I suddenly feel compelled to set this beautiful season free and in doing so, realise the gifts she provides us.

and feeling my whole body melt into the wall that props me up. Lunch momentarily forgotten about, I allow myself to hit life’s pause button and as I do I listen carefully to my breaths gently rising and falling, heralding subtle shifts occurring in my internal landscape. A moment of stillness in a busy modern world. Yes, winter gifts us sun-soaked nooks and still days. What do you do with this gift?

Winter is a matter of perspective.

Have you ever run along a tightly twisting trail under the bouncing beam of a headtorch? I love the way darkness forms a natural cocoon as I move through the night, my torch beam enticing me forwards, a seeker, an explorer. Gleaming eyes of wallabies and bandicoots watch me slip by, my trail running shoes padding quietly into the stillness. Fingers hiding in light merino gloves, ears tucked cosily into a headband. Out here, I am the queen of my kingdom and I record the silence as a memory, one to replay when life’s busyness begins once again. Yes, winter gifts us a dawn every day, an opportunity for royal moments. What do you do with this gift?

Do you linger in the winter sunshine? I love to grab my lunch and wander outdoors, pulling my scarf tighter to ward off the chill. Wandering the quieter city streets, I inevitably find a small nook out of the breeze, allowing the sun to push me to the ground. Here I take time to linger in her extraordinary warmth, turning my face towards the light, closing my eyes

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Winter brings longer evenings of darkness, shifting daytime towards night in a rapid poaching of the sun. It heralds a time for hibernation and as I am now beginning to understand, an opportunity for reflection and recuperation. After winding home along the Hobart rivulet on my bicycle, leaning into the cool air as it is sucked from the mountain’s summit, I gratefully push open the door of my home and dart towards the kettle.

Slowly fingers thaw and the mug’s steam swirls into the room. For me, this presents the perfect opportunity to write, to open my journal and move pen towards paper. Shifting from writing to staring peacefully out the window, I reflect on a day now closing, a month still unfolding and a year’s opportunities intersecting with moments already realised. What can I learn here? What have I unconsciously pushed beyond in the excited anticipation of spring, skipped gaily through in the social evolution of summer, or neglected during the purposeful work of autumn? Yes, winter gifts us dark evenings and quite time for reflection and recuperation. What do you do with this gift?

The winter days also appear stiller, calmer and more tranquil, both literally and metaphorically. The weather is often more stable, a period of grace from the winds that whip through Tasmania in spring, the intensity of summer’s heat, and the damp rains of autumn. Socially, we begin to hibernate

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too. Christmas and New Year have long since passed, and we are left with fewer commitments on our social calendars. Winter gifts us time, an opportunity for self-compassion and intimacy with loved ones. Self-compassion to me is not idle couch time, but simply an opportunity to nourish, move, internalise, give love and allow myself to receive it too. It is a time for knitwear and Ugg boots, muddy trail running shoes and hot drinks after a swim. Acupuncture and meditation, an extra hug given and welcomed in return. Yes, winter gifts us an opportunity for self-compassion. What do you do with this gift?

Embracing Winter and thriving in her presence is literally a matter of perspective.

She brings us so many gifts – crisp dawns, winter sunshine, darkened evenings and stillness. Opportunities for playfulness, creativity, reflection, self-compassion, and intimacy. What do you do with her gifts?

HANNY’S QUICK TIPS

EXERCISING OUTDOORS IN WINTER Leaning into winter and embracing the chill requires not just a change in perspective but also a change in preparedness. Here are my quick tips for exercising in winter.

Layers Even on cool days our bodies will quickly produce heat. I exercise outdoors in several thin layers as this allows me to easily regulate my body temperature. I can remove any one of these outer layers as I warm up, keeping my core and extremities a comfortable temperature. On a cool Tasmanian winter’s day I will run in: • Shorts & short socks.

• Singlet or t-shirt.

• A thin long-sleeved thermal top.

• Very light windproof jacket (or waterproof if it is raining).

• Headband.

• Fleece mittens or lightweight merino gloves.

• Headtorch.

Whilst winter brings increased hours of darkness, each of these are still an opportunity for playing, exercising and exploring. For this reason, I have invested in a high quality headtorch with enough brightness that it feels like the sun is still shining. Need a new one?

MEET

Here is what I look for: Minimum 200 lumens in brightness – the minimum brightness to highlight the irregularities of the trail or footpaths.

Curved housing – the headtorch should feel like it fits snuggly onto your forehead. Try jumping up and down, making sure the torch does not bounce as you do. This will prevent distracting disturbance of the light’s beam when you are exercising.

USB rechargeable – dead batteries and the hassle of having to shop for more can curb your winter enthusiasm. Avoid this by selecting a headtorch that can be charged via a USB cable – in the car, from your computer or a wall socket.

Exercise in the morning For me, motivation wanes as the day draws on. By late afternoon I am beginning to slow down, the pull of home and my PJs strengthening with each minute that slips past. I find mornings are the optimal time for exercising. After a quick cup of tea, gently moving and limbering up my body as I sip the warming liquid, I pull on my layers and head for the door. Watching the world awaken feels like such a natural process and it is invigorating to be a part of it.

Keep it social It can be easy to roll over and snuggle back under the blankets when the alarm goes off and darkness lingers in the bedroom. To avoid this, tee up a few days a week to exercise with friends. If this is not an option, mix up your training by heading to the warmer environs of the swimming pool, yoga studio or the gym where others are exercising and motivation feels as prevalent as the oxygen in the air.

Hanny Allston

Hanny Allston is a Telstra Business Award Winner (2018), founding director of Find Your Feet (an award winning outdoor retail, adventure tourism and performance coaching business), the only non-European to win a World Orienteering Title, and is an accomplished trail and ultra-runner. Hanny published ‘The Trail Running Guidebook’ and strongly advocates her personal philosophy, ‘Be Wilder, Play Wilder, Perform Wilder’. hannyallston.com.au

Choose

Y O U R

O W N

DAMN ADVENTURE WORDS & IMAGES BY: SPUTNIK

If there’s one piece of popular philosophy that annoys the shit out of me it’s the whole ‘Anything is possible’ thing. I know it’s supposed to be uplifting and inspiring but I call ‘bullshit’.

You and I both know it’s simply not true. By definition it literally can’t be.

Fast forward a few decades and a mid-life crisis, ah, I mean mid-life re-evaluation, desire to run the New York Marathon, turned into discovering trail running turned into discovering the outdoors turned into my own little brand of adventure. And I say my own brand, because really, there’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all when it comes to adventures.

A few years back, for example, when I signed up for a 200+ kilometre trail race through the Himalaya, my greatest fear wasn’t the distance or the altitude, it was doing a poo off the side of the mountain. I kid you not. All my life I’d strictly been an indoor poo-er, somewhere to sit, maybe a newspaper to read, that nice, soft paper to wipe with, and every bit as important, a flush button to push. I was legitimately horrified at how I was going to go to the toilet without an actual toilet.

You see, when I do adventures, I really love nature and trails and mountains and flowers and wildlife. But you know what else I really like?

Toilets. I really like toilets. And showers. Especially warm ones. Sure, I can go a day or two here or there without them, but I’d much rather not.

It actually takes the fun out of it for me. Even recently when I competed in an Adventurethon stage race, and found myself with a little time between the ride and paddle, I snuck back to my motel for a shower. It’s just how I roll.

For a long time, I felt like I needed to apologise for that. Like my brand of adventure somehow wasn’t ‘adventurey’ enough. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not necessarily a ‘glamper’ either. I’m more than happy to sleep in the back of my car, and just pass by a public toilet to take care of business. Or stay in some dusty old room wherever I can get some sleep. Actually, tents kinda terrify me. I’m scared of literally almost every living creature other than butterflies and platypuses, and fairly convinced that while statistically, approximately ZERO per cent of Australians have ever died from a snake bite while sleeping in their tents, that I will somehow be the first one it happens to. Or that a massive spider will crawl into my mouth while I’m sleeping. Or that I’ll get eaten alive by mozzies – yes, I’m that guy who suffers terribly for days from even an innocent mozzie bite. As a consequence, I rarely end

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up getting any sleep in a tent.

There was also that time I left my boots outside the tent in the Cambodian jungle, (don’t even ask me why I ever thought that was a good idea), then brought them in during the night when it started to rain, only to find thousands of massive crazy angry jungle ants had set up shop in them, and were now inside my tent, in my sleeping bag, and in my nightmares for years to come. Needless to say did not get a lot of sleep that particular night.

My point is, I still have awesome adventures. I just have to pick and choose a bit, and then do them my way.

Yes, that means there are some adventures I may never get to do. I’d quite like to do the Jatbula hike up in The Top End, for example, but realise that with my current level of adventure-ness that’s highly unlikely.

But never mind, there’s no shortage of other adventures I can fill my days with. Other adventures with toilets. And hot showers.

And I suppose that’s the great thing about adventure – it means something different to everyone. Whether it’s a bike or a hike or a climb or a swim or a paddle or a road trip, with or without toilets and crazy killer ants, by all means look at what others are doing, by all means be inspired by them, just don’t be defined by them. Your adventures are no more or less worthy than anyone else’s. A literal walk in the park may be crazy adventurous for you, while the most daring adventure you can possibly imagine is a walk in the park for others. So what? You do you.

And choose your own damn adventure.

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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. ootw.com.au

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Wafifnatirer Q&A Janina Kuzma WORDS BY: TPL & JANINA KUZMA

IMAGES BY: MARK WATSON / THE NORTH FACE

Janina Kuzma is living the dream – a professional athlete who travels the world, skiing in amazing places and hanging out with cool people. The 33-year-old New Zealand resident holds an impressive number of titles including being seven-time New Zealand Big Mountain Champion, two-time Canadian Freeski Champion, two-time World Heli Challenge Champion, second overall in the world for halfpipe, and two-time Winter Olympian. The North Face Athlete knows a thing or two about being on the mountain, and has now turned her talents to producing adventure films. We caught up with Janina to get the goss on her latest project.

You started a film series called A Winter Affair which showcases women adventurers, travelling to exotic winter locations all over the world. What are some of your favourite places to visit and why?

That’s a tough one! I guess some of my favourite locations would be seeing a different culture to what I’m accustomed to. Just recently we explored Mt Hermon that sits between Lebanon, Israel and Syria.

I was blown away by the skiing, history, food and how we were welcomed into strangers homes. It was such a humbling and eye opening experience. But if I just want to go shred I love being home in New Zealand and also skiing in Canada.

The first film in the series, A Winter Affair – EAST WEST is just about to be released. Can you tell us about it?

The story follows three athletes crossing New Zealand’s Southern Alps over the Main Divide from East to West starting at the bottom of the Liebigs mountain range and following in the footsteps of Freda Du Faur. The key message of the film is how global warming is melting our beautiful glaciers in New Zealand.

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You represented New Zealand in free skiing at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Can you share your insights from this experience?

This event was my second Olympics. Both were completely different. Coming into Pyeongchang was one of the hardest experiences I’ve had to deal with in my skiing career. I went into the games with an injury sustained from Dew Tour, two months before the Olympics. It was mentally challenging having to still perform knowing that I wasn’t in peak physical condition. What I enjoyed about the games was that New Zealand finally broke the dry spell of 26 years of obtaining a medal at the Winter Olympics. Not only did they get one medal, they got two on the same day! It was the best celebration ever.

We heard you spent your childhood exploring the steamy jungles of Papua New Guinea and Borneo. What is one of your favourite memories of being a kid?

I was born in Brisbane while my parents were living in PNG. At the age of three in PNG a civil war broke out and we left and moved to Borneo, Indonesia. My fondest memories are exploring the jungle and

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wildlife. I feel super lucky to have experienced such an amazing childhood.

As someone passionate about a sport like free skiing you have experienced some difficult situations on the mountains including saving the life of your friend in an avalanche. Can you comment on the impact losing people or serious injury has on you and the community?

Absolutely, it has made mountain safely such a high priory on how I approach backcountry skiing. Back in 2007 I was involved in a category 2 avalanche that buried one of my friends. I had recently done a backcountry avalanche course in British Columbia where we were the first students to get taught a new digging technique that literally saved our friends life.

Touring and split boarding is becoming so popular right now, and it’s great to see people getting out there, but it’s so important that they educate themselves first before getting into the backcountry. It could be a matter of life or death between you and your friends.

Whenever someone is taken by an avalanche, the loss is felt all throughout the skiing community. The mountains are such a fun place to play, but we can never forget that they are so powerful

and it can take your life if you don’t respect them.

What brings you the MOST joy out of everything?

Skiing powder!

Do you use any rituals or techniques to prepare yourself for something you have never done before?

Visualization is the key to getting through something I’ve never done before, whether it’s skiing a new big mountain line, hitting a new pillow line or hitting a big cliff. I learned this skill when I was in high school and really developed it to be a part of my tool kit to help me throughout my skiing career.

Visualization is the key to getting through something I’ve never done before...

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JANINA MOVES MOUNTAINS

JANINA KUZMA, SKIER/SEEKER/COMPETITOR SEE HER STORY AT THENORTHFACE.COM.AU/SHEMOVESMOUNTAINS PHOTOS: MARK WATSON

NEVER STOP EXPLORING Travel Play Live 035 TM

L A D Y

C A M P E R S

Jevssaien MEET

the

WORDS BY: TPL & NICOLE KENNON

IMAGES BY: NICOLE KENNON

Last year, Nicole Kennon set about renovating ‘Jessie’, a 1970 Franklin Regent caravan. We thought her van was super cute and asked Nicole if we could take a peek inside her adorable adventure machine.

What prompted you to renovate a caravan?

Jessie is actually the second caravan I have renovated.

About five years ago I went to my first music festival in Byron over Easter and it rained (as it often does). I was in a tent and the rain and the mud were just horrendous.

From that moment on I swore I would never do another festival in a tent again. Soon after that, I purchased my first caravan for $100 (it was about to go to the dump so

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I got it for a bargain). It was a York pop-up camper van and I gave it a very basic reno with new MDF walls, new cushions and some wallpaper on the cupboard doors.

I hand painted the exterior bright pink with polka dots and named her ‘Priscilla Queen of the Festivals’.

That van lasted almost five years and we travelled to many festivals during that time. When I sold Priscilla, I

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B E F O R E

knew I wanted to find another vintage van to renovate and so the search was on. I purchased my 1970 Franklin Regent in April 2018. Luckily she had good bones so I didn't need to do much to her structurally, but she looked a bit tired and needed a big facelift inside and out.

work, and I needed some assistance with painting the exterior (but I still had a go at this too!). ​ I surprised myself with just how much I was able to do on my own and the quality of the work for a first timer. I feel very proud of what I have done and think it’s made me fall in love with my caravan even more.

Over the next nine months (with the help of my amazing mum) I cut to size and re-sheeted every wall, removed, cleaned, polished and resealed every window, painted the interior, installed new cupboard doors, wallpapered the ceiling (yep you heard right, definitely a twolady job but it looks awesome!), installed the flooring and a splashback in the kitchen, prepped and painted the exterior and then sealed up every hole I could find to make sure she was watertight. The final item I installed was my own private wine cellar, as what is camping without a good red to drink at night? I named the van Jessie after my Mum, as I wouldn't have been able to do this project without her.

What’s it like travelling in your own camper?

I love that I now have the freedom to grab my dog, jump in Jessie, and go see some of the beautiful places southeast Queensland has to offer. And the fact that I'm ‘glamping’ makes it so much better!

Did you know what to do before you started?

I completed 95% of the renovations on my own and I had to learn how to do everything. I invested in some power tools (no girl should be without them). I spent many hours online watching hundreds of other people doing renos just like mine and asking them "How did you do that?" I gathered ideas, collected screenshots of renos I loved, got advice from girlfriend’s husbands and joined several Facebook groups and online vintage caravan forums to arm myself with as much information and education that I could. The only thing I wasn’t able to complete myself was the electrical

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I’ve also discovered that camping is such a serene and beautiful way to travel. I recently stayed in a caravan park on the Brunswick Heads River and got talking to some of the other campers there.

They told me they have been coming to the same caravan park at Easter for over 30 years, first as young adults themselves, then bringing their kids along, and now their grandkids too. It's just awesome that this can still happen and the tradition can live on.

What advice would you give to someone keen on restoring their own van?

Expect a lot of hard work and don't cut corners if you can.

Check out what others have done and don't be afraid to ask questions, most people are proud of their work and would love to share their knowledge with you. Do your homework, and get a professional to check it out first. Outsource the tricky stuff and then just do it! www.instagram.com/jessiethevan

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nature THERAPY F O R E S T

B AT H I N G

WORDS BY: MELANIE CHATFIELD IMAGES BY: ANDREW WILSON (NATURE. BE IN IT) TEALILY PHOTOGRAPHY (BAREFOOT WELLBEING)

Many of us intrinsically recognise the nourishing benefits of being in nature. Time spent in the great outdoors can have a positive effect on our wellbeing and creativity, and can contribute to an overall sense of joy, relaxation and balance. While Indigenous and ancient populations have been connecting with nature for more than 50,000 years, there is an ever-growing interest in Mother Nature as a healer.

Forests have long been recognised as ‘natural pharmacies’, offering a rich source of plant and microbial material with known medicinal and nutritional properties. A healthy forest ecosystem is believed to help regulate infectious diseases and there is mounting evidence to suggest that exposure to urban green spaces, plants and natural wooden materials can have a healthpromoting effect.

Much of the research into nature (or ecotherapy) has been done in Japan, where the practice of Shinrin Yoku, defined as “taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing,'' has been nationally recognised and prescribed by the Japanese health system for over 30 years. The preventative practice has been shown to lower cortisol, blood pressure, and heart rate, improve mood, lower anxiety and have a positive impact on the immune system by increasing white blood cells.

In recognition of the benefits, Shinrin Yoku is now increasingly being practiced outside of Japan. In Europe, the United States and Australia, guides trained in Nature and Forest Therapy are sharing the practice of Shinrin Yoku, and the Art of Connecting with Nature in guided group walks.

usually lasts around 2–4 hours, covers a few kilometres of trail and includes a series of ‘invitations’ or mindfulness activities.

Forest therapy guides encourage participants to dramatically slow down, lead them through meditations and specific sensory experiences, and facilitate the sharing and witnessing of what occurs between those in the group.

Louise Kiddell, creator of Barefoot Wellbeing is a Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide. She guides forest bathing and nature connection walks at Centennial Park and other locations in and around Sydney, New South Wales. She has noticed an increase in interest for guided walks in the last year. “Most people come because they have heard about forest bathing and are curious,” Louise says. “It’s too new to be mainstream popular like yoga, but I’ve heard it's colloquially been called ‘the new yoga’.”

While suitable for a broad range of people, Louise acknowledges forest bathing is particularly favoured by women. “Many already

Kara Spence is the founder of Nature. Be in It, a social enterprise which offers forest bathing walk and dine experiences for adults in Tasmania. Kara is an experienced Park Ranger, an environmental educator, has 15 years training in mindfulness and was recently certified as a Nature and Forest Therapy Guide. “I offer a nature connection experience, which is a deep human need,” says Kara. “We open the door and nature is the therapist.

Many clients express feelings of rejuvenation afterward, commenting that the experience is similar to having a massage.”

Kara is quick to point out that she is not a therapist. “If any troubling thoughts and feelings arise we encourage people to seek a medical professional,” she says.

More than just a ‘walk in the park’ and different to spending time in nature by yourself, the guided group practice of forest bathing

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practice some form of meditation or have a strong love of nature.

They understand that Shinrin Yoku involves mindfulness and nature connection, so they come to see what it’s all about.”

One thing it isn’t, Louise warns, is a replacement for conventional therapy for mental or physical health conditions, for example drugs or psychotherapy with a psychologist, if those things have been prescribed. “Ecotherapy can be a beneficial complement to other therapies, but if someone has a clinical diagnosis and treatment program, then they should stick to it, and discuss the possible addition of nature therapy walks as a complement to their existing treatment,” Louise advises.

Many of the guides Louise trained with are also psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists, and she is studying to be a counsellor herself.

“Often people come with grief. Some come to consciously sit with that grief, whilst for others they haven’t slowed down enough to realise they are carrying it until they are on the walk, and then it bubbles up much to their surprise.” Occasionally, Louise says, people experience strong sensations and profound realisations about themselves or their families. For example, a mother might have a strong and visceral memory of her rural childhood and express grief about how disconnected her urban children are from nature.

“In my experience I haven’t seen people consciously coming for therapeutic purposes in place of other therapies. However, participants generally understand that there is some kind of wellness benefit to doing a slow, mindful, quiet walk in nature, and I suppose they come to see what that feels like,” says Louise.

“Often by the end of a guided group walk, there is a warm sense of connection. People have opened up and shared something meaningful and there is a sense they’ve been heard. The witnessing of each others’ experiences by the group is very powerful.”

In addition to improved mental and physical wellbeing, both Kara and Louise remark that the people who have completed a walk

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often view the nature around them in a different, more intimate way, paving the way for a more connected and caring relationship with the environment. “There is a lot of evidence to show that feelings of love and connection to nature translate into positive environmental behaviours and so [forest bathing] could have broad-reaching implications,” Louise says.

Forest therapy guides rely on permission from Councils and National Parks to use their land, and so a cooperative arrangement and a positive perception of the practice is crucial. Some guides are also working hard to build positive relationships with local Indigenous elders, recognising the deep connection traditional custodians have with their land and seeking their permission to conduct guided walks.

“It would be great to see authorities recognise the healing benefits of being in nature and designate trails for that purpose here in Australia,” says Louise. “In Japan there are 48 Nationally recognised Healing Forest Trails and, through the advocacy of the Forest Therapy Guide community, it’s also happening in the United States and Europe.”

While not everyone has access to a local forest therapy expert or trail, making time to bring more nature into your life offers a simple, accessible, and cost-effective way to improve your health and wellbeing. To acquire adequate ‘vitamin N(ature)’ Louise suggests following the regime of the ‘Nature Pyramid’: Daily interactions with nearby nature to de-stress, find focus and lighten mental fatigue.

Weekly outings to bigger parks and waterways for longer walks.

Monthly excursions to forests or other more wildish natural areas for an extended weekend getaway.

Annual or biannual multi-day wilderness immersions or holidays to completely unplug and fill us with awe, human connection and help us remember our place in the universe.

Go ahead, take time out to luxuriate in your own nature bath. It’s good for you!

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T I P S

F R O M

T H E

E X P E R T S

KARA SPENCE N AT U R E . B E I N I T.

LOUISE KIDDELL

Listen. As you step out of the house, listen for the first birdcall, it will be there rain or shine.

B A R E FO OT W E L L B E I N G

Think less, feel more. Drop out of your thinking mind and into your thinking body. Don’t judge yourself or worry about what other people think, let your inner child come out to play and explore.

Be curious. Notice. Inquire. Let yourself become fascinated and completely absorbed in the textures, smells and sounds of the natural place you’re in.

Slow down. We spend our lives rushing, always trying to get somewhere or get something done. This is a time to enjoy the pleasures of being exactly where you are right now.

Use all your senses. Keep expanding your awareness.

Notice what you feel, what you smell, what you taste, what you hear, the sounds in the different directions, and notice how you feel inside.

Allow whatever arises without judging or trying to rationalise anything. Let yourself play if you feel like playing, embody animal movements and sounds. Let yourself be still if you feel like being still. Tune into what your body needs right now. Listen deeply.

Keep a journal. Draw, paint or otherwise create out in nature to express your experiences.

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Look. No matter how urban the setting, the sky is always there, with clouds and colours to marvel at.

Look up and watch how it changes throughout the day. Notice what you can see out the window. Step outside during your lunch break or look outside at trees.

Breathe. Smell the air after a rain. Take a deep breath as you walk to the car.

Move. Park further away or get off a stop early for some outside time.

Embrace. Bring some flowers or green clippings into your home.

Touch. When you walk past a tree brush it gently with your fingers.

Feel. Sit outside for at least 10 minutes a day. Feel the wind or sun on your face or hands.

Watch. Try a nature connection film such as The Power of One, The Mission, Baraka, Winged Migration, Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants, The Tree of Life, or Into the Wild.

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E M B R A C I N G

WINTER is

Elemental WORDS BY: BONITA GRIMA

While it may not be the case everywhere, for the good majority of us, winter means cold, wet, darker days that often see us reluctant to head outdoors; opting instead to huddle over the heater or cosy-up on the couch. But rather than hibernating during this season and counting down the days to spring, why not choose to see the bright side of winter and embrace the elements.

performed anywhere, by anyone, after gaining a little background knowledge. With its roots in Ayurveda medicine, Agnihorta is a purification and healing ceremony originating in India, traditionally practiced outdoors at sunrise or sunset, where participants recite a mantra with an attitude of loving kindness and good intention for themselves and others.

Fire Our ancient connection to fire and its importance in our lives dates back more than one million years, with our control over it seen as a cultural turning point in our evolution. As well as using fire to cook our food, it was also used as a tool for communication, ceremony, protection, warmth and light. And winter allows us to appreciate this connection even more.

Last winter, I had the opportunity to take part in an Agnihorta fire ceremony, conducted by a reiki and sound healer on their property in the south west of Western Australia. But the ancient Hindu ritual can be

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Mid-winter festivals around the world incorporate the use of fire. The winter solstice marks the darkest day of the year and often festivals occur around this time (such as Hobart’s popular Dark Mofo). The use of fire to symbolise and celebrate the imminent return of light and warmth, just as experiencing the darker moments in life, make it possible to appreciate brighter times.

But you needn’t go to the extent of rituals or festivals.

Simply gathering around a campfire, backyard bonfire, barbecue or indoor fireplace with friends and family during the colder months can be a great way to connect and invite warmth into our lives. People have been sharing stories and food around the fireside for thousands of years. It’s an inherent part of us that still brings joy today.

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Air Sometimes in winter you can feel cooped up and in need of fresh air and exercise. This is when I love rugging up and getting amongst nature trails the most.

Be it mountain biking, running on the coastal path, hiking through hills, or simply walking through the forest; getting out and being active gets our bodies moving, blood pumping, oxygen flowing, and seems to awaken and make us feel alive again.

And if you want something less strenuous, a yoga or meditation class can work wonders for your lungs.

Concentrating on the breath during your practice is a common technique for improving awareness, as well as physical and mental wellbeing.

Water Swimming is often avoided during the winter months but there’s a lot to be said about the practice of acclimatised cold water swimming, with everyone from athletes to medical professionals attesting to the benefits. While there is no doubt about the danger cold water can pose, such as ‘cold shock response’ inflicted on the body, research also suggests that cold water immersion can reduce inflammation, aid recovery after exercise, enhance the body’s ability to adapt to apparently unrelated stresses (such as high altitude stress), invigorate and even help with feelings of depression.

Winter can often get a bad rap and give us the wrong impression, for that which we often perceive to be dead, is really just lying dormant. And if we use this quiet time for contemplation, restoration and for sowing seeds of positivity, come the spring, we can reap the rewards as we find ourselves ready to blossom.

Alternatively, heated water such as natural hot springs can provide health benefits due to their high mineral content and their ability to increase our circulation and oxygen flow.

Indoor saunas, spa pools and float tanks are a great way to connect and experience the benefits of water in winter, with their ability to aid relaxation and muscle repair.

And if you prefer to be on the water rather than in it; with the right gear, a walk in the forest in the rain or a kayaking or paddle board excursion on a calm river or lake can be a magical, even meditative experience in winter when it seems the rest of the world is asleep.

Earth Getting out and getting your hands dirty in the garden can be a great way to embrace earth during winter. When it seems there’s not much going on, it’s the perfect time to prepare for spring; by raking over and loosening up soil, layering compost, pruning plants and sowing seeds for vegetables such as onions, asparagus, broccoli and broad beans.

If you don’t have your own patch, community gardens are a fantastic way to connect to others as well as the earth as they offer courses, projects and the chance to share friendship, tips and produce.

Celebrate the comfort and warmth that food can bring during this season by preparing, cooking and sharing meals with loved ones. Buy vegetables in season such as greens, roots and citrus and as much other locally sourced produce as possible. Casseroles, curries, soups, roasts, and both sweet and savoury pies and tarts are perfect in winter, often best accompanied with a cheeky glass of local red… for health reasons, of course!

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. bonitasojourns.com

For information about Agnihorta: visit agnihotra.com.au University of Portsmouth research on cold water swimming published in theconversation.com

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r e h t o SHINRIN YOKU E X P E R I E N C E S

WILDFEST

FOREST BATHING FINLAND

If you want to embrace the elements then Australia’s first and only Wild Nature Festival – Wildfest – is your ticket in the Southern Highlands, Shoalhaven and Canberra. Celebrating the Natural World throughout the month of October, choose from a series of unique and outdoor events across four categories FIRE * AIR * WATER * EARTH. Whatever your passion from heart racing adventures, soul fuelled explorations, outdoor wild food feasting or the calm quiet of sleeping under the stars, let them show you their region like never before. wildfest.com.au/annualfestival

“It’s really quite simple: forest makes us healthier, lowers our blood pressure, alleviates stress, helps our immune system to fight off illnesses, lifts our mood when we feel down, and much more!

Come to Finland and meet me. I will show you how you could improve your life by spending time in the forest and in Nature as a whole! No special skills required, just an open mind and an open heart. Bush Adventure Therapy is a diverse field of practice combining adventure and outdoor environments with the intention to achieve therapeutic outcomes for those involved.

(Mikko, Forest Bathing Finland) forestbathingfinland.com

BUSH ADVENTURE THERAPY

HUON VALLEY MID-WINTER FESTIVAL

The Australian Association for Bush Adventure Therapy (AABAT Inc.) is a not for profit organisation. Our National Forum, in Queensland (August 2019) is an opportunity to connect with like-minded people who work under the broad umbrella of Bush Adventure Therapy – practitioners, researchers, students, professionals, anyone who is interested in the use of the outdoors and adventure for therapeutic outcomes. aabat.org.au

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In the deep south, in the dead of winter thousands descend to get wild, wassail and burn a two story wicker man. Based on the age old tradition of wassailing – a ceremonial blessing of the dormant apple trees – the Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival wakes up Tassie’s apple valley with fire, feasting and folklore. Explore three days of otherworldly delights – irresistible local produce, artisanal booze, eclectic folk music and Australia’s peak Storytelling Slam. huonvalleymidwinterfest.com.au

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Out in nature our perspectives shift back into balance, our heads clear and we can see again what is truly important.

-

J E S S I C A

Happy Place Finalist

Jessica Nawurlandja Lookout (NT, Australia)

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Adventurous SPOTS T O

C A M P

W I T H

K I D S

WORDS & IMAGES BY: KATE WILLIAMS

During our family camping and caravanning travels of Australia, we have come across some amazing spots to set-up. Low and no-cost camping options allow us to travel for longer, and can offer more adventurous family experiences than caravan parks alone. Here are a few of our favourites so far...

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SANDY CAPE

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BRIDGE CREEK

F R AS E R I S L A N D, Q U E E N S L A N D

N O L A N S B R O O K (Old Telegraph Track), Q U E E N S L A N D

Fraser Island is renowned for fishing, boating and dingo spotting.

With a plethora of hidden camp spots and places to explore, you can’t beat a rooftop tent or swag getaway to this island. We recommend heading all the way up to the Carree Camping Zone (Sandy Cape) for some fun 4WD and fishing adventures.

Heading on a trip to Cape York is adventurous in itself. About halfway through the Old Telegraph Track is Nolan’s campground. It offers clear water to cool off, a wide open space for camping, and the creek bed to explore. You’ll have a prime position for watching other cars come through the creek crossing on their way through to the most northern point of Australia.

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BRUMBY’S CREEK

P E T E R M A N N , N O R T H E R N T E R R I TO RY Located near Kings Station, this camp provides a perfect little stop over on your way to Kings Canyon. With a little creek, rocky hills and some caves to explore by day, kids and adults alike will have plenty to do at camp. Kings Canyon is an easy drive away and offers a range of hikes of varying difficulty to tick off your bucket list. Once dusk hits, relax by a fire, and take in the gorgeous night sky, as sunset fades and the stars reveal themselves.

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RICHARDSONS SHACK

PLUSH’S BEND

In the Lincoln National Park on the Eyre Peninsula, you’ll find this spot on what could be your own private beach (depending on when you visit). Enjoy searching the rocky waters for Razor fish, watching the kangaroos on the beach, frolicking in the water and watching the vibrant colours of the sunset. If you’re up for it, explore the Donington Loop walking track which will take you to some beautiful beach fronts within the National Park.

The Murray River has so many great camping spots along its banks.

If you have a boat, be sure to check out Plush’s Bend in Renmark.

With a heap of birdlife, fishing and waters to explore in your boat, it’ll have you feeling like you’re in the middle of the bush. Keep alert for snakes – we had one slither straight through our site on our first day.

L I N C O L N N AT I O N A L P A R K , S O U T H A U S T R A L I A

RENMARK, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

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PORT GIBBON

BINGARA

Port Gibbon low-cost camp requires 4WD access as the road in is not tarmac and can be quite corrugated in areas. With lots of sand dunes for both ‘dune boarding’ and four-wheel driving it surely is enticing. Keep a lookout for snakes and scorpions near your camp (we saw a few of each when we were there). If you’re lucky, you may just see the local sea lions during you mornings exploring the beach-front too!

What an incredibly ‘secluded’ feel the Bingara Free Camp gave us! Located along the Gwidyr River in New South Wales, you’ll be spoilt with sounds of wildlife and flowing water to help you relax.

Use the rapids up-stream to push you down the river on a tube, spend a few hours fishing, or explore further around the banks.

Be mindful that there’s no water or power here – so you’ll need to bring enough with you for your trip.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

N E W S O U T H WA L E S

ABOUT

Kate Williams

Kate Williams strives to be an ambassador for LIVING, rather than simply existing. Some of her favourite life roles include being a mother, wife, hairdresser and explorer. With a love of both writing and photography, Kate hopes to inspire others to dream bigger and live larger. Kate and her family of Kool Kampers capture and share the discoveries, challenges and triumphs of full-time life on the road, as the five of them explore the Australian countryside in their home on wheels. facebook.com/koolkampers

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RV NOMADS R O L L I N G

S O L O

The benefits of the RV lifestyle are not limited to travellers who come in pairs. Each year, a growing number of people hit the ‘golden years’ as single people – through divorce, being widowed, or simply because they choose to be. The desire to travel and explore doesn’t disappear with age or relationship status, and we are seeing plenty of people happy to head out on their own. The RV lifestyle is undeniably popular with mature travellers, but what are the benefits of being a solo RV nomad? We asked the folks at Sunliner to share their insights with us.

BENEFITS 1. Freedom – The single biggest advantage of solo RV travel is the complete independence and ‘no compromise’ lifestyle offered by this type of travel. No schedules, itineraries or other people’s plans or interests to accommodate, you can do as you please, leave early, arrive late, stay an extra day or week, or take a side trip on the spur of the moment.

2. Healthy lifestyle – The lifestyle of RVing can help to keep you healthy and active. There are always new places to visit to keep the mental cogs working, and walks and exploring can keep you physically fit.

3. Make new friends – When we travel with a partner or a group the need to talk to strangers isn’t as pressing. As a solo traveller, you have the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and strike up a conversation with new people. This can be the start of a fabulous new friendship or, at the very least, an entertaining story to share at Happy Hour!

4. Less drama – The confines of RV living can cause friction in the most harmonious of relationships. As a solo traveller there is no one to disrupt your sleep/wake schedule, leave things out, or put things away so you can never find them.

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5. See more and travel for longer – Without having to accommodate someone else’s interests you may find that you see and do a lot more. Travelling alone gives you the time and the opportunity to experience what it is that you like doing. You get to set the pace, have control of your budget and can determine how long you stay on the road.

6. Bring along your fur babies – If you love to explore with your four legged family members RVing can be the perfect travel option.

Your RV can be set up to accommodate both you and your pets, making it a secure and comfortable home away from home. What can be better than sharing your adventures with your furry best friend?

SOLO BUT NOT ALONE If the idea of being a solo RV traveller sounds a little isolating, never fear; there are many groups, both online and off, that connect solo travellers to like-minded wanderers. Having a few meet-ups planned or joining a digital community to exchange tips and information can help with feeling connected to a community. Check out: • Rolling Solo – an online community of solo female travellers.

• Solos Network – a group of CMCA travellers.

• Aussie Glamping Girls – a Facebook group.

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CHOOSING THE PERFECT RV FOR SOLO TRAVEL There is a lot to consider when choosing an RV that suits your needs and budget. Getting the vehicle right is critical to successful RV living. Before you hit the dealerships, classifieds or websites, take some time to work through your criteria.

Budget – The purchase price budget is obviously important but also factor in running costs, replacement parts such as tyres, fuel consumption and servicing both for the ‘motor’ and the ‘home’.

Driving Skills – Understanding your capabilities and limitations as a driver will play a big part in selecting the correct RV for you. Feeling confident behind the wheel is essential for loving life on the road. However, don’t underestimate your abilities, it is surprisingly simple to learn how to drive a bigger vehicle if you give yourself the chance. Be sure to take some lessons if you need to.

Security – When travelling solo, one of your key considerations will be personal security. Consider things like entry door security, lighting, UHF radio, ability to move from house to cabin, visibility out the windows, and privacy screens.

Let’s get physical – Your physical capabilities, height and ability to

climb ladders will all play a part in choosing the right RV and layout for you. Consider where the bed is located and if you can access it easily. How high is the step up into the cabin or RV home? Can you move from ‘home’ to the chassis cabin? Can you reach the microwave or cupboards easily? How does the awning operate – is that easy for you to manage? Can you access and change the tyre if required?

Where do you want to travel? – Are you planning on heading into the wilderness and unplugging from the world? Or are the comforts and social life of caravan parks more your style? Perhaps your dream is to visit country towns and stay in showgrounds and pub camping spots. Or do you want to do it all? The capacity of your RV, in terms of how much water it can carry and how much power it can generate and store (solar panels, generator and batteries), will determine how long you can be unplugged and away from civilisation.

How much gear? – What are your essentials? What tools, equipment, toys or personal belongings do you absolutely need to bring with you?

WHAT TYPE OF RV IS RIGHT FOR YOU? A motorhome is the most popular choice for many solo travellers. There’s no need to worry about hitching a trailer to your car, it’s easy to park and reverse, and you don’t have to go outside at night or in the rain to move from ‘home’ to ‘motor’. The compromise is that you will need to plan ahead with shopping and sightseeing before setting up your campsite for the night as it is more difficult to just nip into town. Many travellers take a bike with them for this purpose.

A campervan is even easier to drive and park, but does make for more compact living on the inside. It also comes with less accessories which can require more frequent caravan park visits to top up water and power.

Disclaimer: This article is sponsored by Sunliner Recreational Vehicles.

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Not all journeys come in pairs.

Start your solo adventure today.

Sunliner RV has created a collection of RVs designed specifically for the Solo RV traveller.

Established in 1974 Sunliner is a market leader in the design and manufacture of premium Australian made recreational vehicles.

Choose from a wide collection of layouts, sizes and options within the Sunliner range of RVs. Your perfect travel companion is just a click away.

Enjoy the freedom of a fully self-contained motorhome secure in the knowledge that you can travel wherever the road takes you. Relax in comfort and wake each day in your own bed in a new destination.

Experience the security of a motorhome designed with the awareness for the needs of a solo traveller.

Start your Solo RV adventure today Travel Play Live 050at www.sunliner.com.au

sunlinerRV @sunlinerRV @sunlinerRV

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

A

S W E L L

WEDDING WORDS BY: CASSIE NESBITT

IMAGES BY: ED SLOANE

We met while getting ready for a surf at a break in our home town of Barwon Heads.

I remember being amazed at how well Tom surfed, and hearing his endless travel stories of chasing swells around the world.

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We had spent so much time surfing that everything was running very late. I had planned to have our beach ceremony set up and all ready and perfect before our guests attended so they could be blown away at how amazing it looked. But despite meticulous preplanning our guests had to wait for almost an hour before anyone from the bridal party arrived, and all the planning fell to pieces.

Our incredible friends and family had to set up the ceremony themselves. They put it together as best they could and none of it went to plan, but it was a reflection of how much they loved us and how lucky we are to have them in our lives. I feel the haphazard throw together they pulled off was so sweet and so much better than perfect styling anyway.

We said our personal vows on the beach and concluded the ceremony ringing Buddhist bells collected from our travels.

Buddhists believe that bells help keep bad spirits away and can also call on good spirits or in our own words: bring the good vibes and keep away the bad vibes. We could not be more stoked on how epic, fun and love filled our special day was and how much it reflected who we are.

We surfed together that afternoon for five hours until the sun was well and truly gone and our arms were too tired to keep going.

It felt surreal going from salty curly surfer hair to stunning perfect bride hair in an hour.

Tom told me that on the day we met he had instantly fallen for my glamorous sunnies and curly hair.

Fast forward four years and Tom proposed to me with a very special custom takayama DT pig surfboard instead of a diamond, knowing that my true loves – including surfing, the ocean and adventure – could never be represented by a diamond.

Five months later we got married. It was a no-brainer that we would host our wedding on the beach in Barwon Heads (and hire kombis as homage to my dead kombi which toured me around Australia on many adventures). We both adore living in Barwon Heads and all that this special place and community have given to us. We made every effort to use and support local and adopted it as our wedding theme. As a neurologist, it was also a privilege that two of my patients collaborated to create my wedding bouquet and flower crowns.

We started in the dark early hours of the morning with the main event of the day – a group surf session with our whole tribe of friends and family.

A month before the wedding we sent a special prayer to Huey (the god of surfing) asking for perfect surf conditions and he delivered with the most pristine long peeling waves and a gorgeous sunrise. I think this was the most fun I have ever had in my life – surfing side by side with all my favourite people surrounding me in the water. Everyone surfing was in such a good mood we spent the morning catching endless party waves and attempting to tandem surf together. As the bride and groom, everyone let us have the best waves.

Following the surf, we had the fastest preparation ever. It felt surreal going from salty curly surfer hair to stunning perfect bride hair in an hour.

MEET

Dr. Cassie Nesbitt

Dr Cassie Nesbitt is a part-time neurologist, part-time volunteer doctor, and full-time surfer and adventurer. She spends almost all of her free time surfing and finding the best swells along the surf coast of Victoria and around the globe. Her life ambition is to surf in every country that has a coastline.

When not surfing Cassie can usually be found hiking, trail running and practicing yoga. Cassie specialises in the field of neurology-immunology, practices holistic medicine with a focus on building and maintaining wellness, and has also completed level 1 and 2 yoga teacher training.

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GALICIA and its

H I D D E N

D O O R W A Y S

There is a place, once known as the end of the earth, with rolling green hills, a wild and untamed ocean and a lighthouse with the head of a great monster buried underneath. When the rain comes down, locals hurry along wet cobblestone paths to reach the warmth of a local bar, where, if you know the right door, you can find renditions of old folk songs being sung along with clanging tambourines and clacking shells. This is the magic of Galicia, a region found in the far north-west corner of Spain.

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WORDS BY: JESSICA GAUDER

For one long rainy winter, I called Galicia home, and was fortunate to be able to experience its different faces. Like many other parts of Spain, Galicia has a very distinct history, language and culture, and each city in the region has its own character. When I arrived, I lived in the city of A Coruña and was equally enchanted and bewildered by the culture I found there. The city winds its way around a peninsula that meets the Atlantic Ocean, and there is always a salty, humid wind blowing off the ocean and through the streets.

At one end of the peninsula is the glass gallery, a landscaped boardwalk, bordered by rows and rows of apartments with the typical Galician architecture of square, white paned balconies on the outer edge of the buildings.

On any given day, in the rain and wind, you can see a spectacle specific to A Coruña; grand looking matriarchs wearing pearls and fur coats. Surprisingly, in this very far corner of the world, every woman and her tiny chihuahua consider themselves fashionistas, for it is the home of fashion label Zara.

They are integral to the economy and as such, have a monopoly on the fashion choices of the city. I was constantly bemused by the fact that in a crowded bar I could only ever find four colours of clothing, black, maroon, forest green and mustard, the colours of the season.

My colourful dresses spent the whole year tucked in my suitcase!

I would arrive in Santiago de Compostela and take the final leg out to the small village where I worked, Sigüeiro. At the public primary school where I was placed, I got to laugh, play and fight with kids, and each day they taught me the things that were important to them.

First and foremost, it was always football players and Latin pop stars, but there was also a love of Galician literature, music, language and a deep pride of their heritage.

After several months of taking my daily train trip, I decided to move closer to work, and so the next leg of my adventure began. I moved to Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia and site of the world-renowned Cathedral where St James is said to be buried. While many pilgrims and tourists alike pass through Santiago at the end of their journey along the Camino (an epic hike that passes through France, Spain and Portugal), I took in the splendour of the cathedral every time I left my tiny cottage on the edge of town.

Although the rain and the cold persisted, the beauty of the forests and moss-covered trees, ancient monuments and cobblestone streets lifted my spirits. It was here that I found the magic, and a warmth that felt like home. When I stepped out of my front door I was greeted by terraces of vegetables, garden structures held together by twine, and a long path lined with roses. At the end of that path was a field where I could see the cathedral in all its glory. Around the corner a little bit further, was the edge of town and a bubbling stream that ran ice cold. In that place it was easier for me to understand how the pagan myths and rituals entwined with Galician culture, like Meigas (the Galician word for witch), hiding around corners causing mischief.

On any given day, in the rain and wind, you can see a spectacle specific to A Coruña; grand looking matriarchs wearing pearls and fur coats.

Past the port, at the other end of the peninsula, is the roman lighthouse, the Tower of Hercules. It is the oldest working Roman lighthouse in the world, and really is something to behold. In Galicia there are several different legends surrounding it, but the most famous is that it is the sight of the battle between Hercules and Geryon, after which Hercules cut off the monster’s head and buried it where the lighthouse now stands. The emblem of the skull and crossbones representing this story can be found in little details all over the city, as well as in its coat of arms.

Somewhere in between all the mystery, myth and high fashion, there is the everyday, and this is where I found the joy of living there. I had my ritual of walking down the hill in the cold and the rain to the beautiful old train station, to get my morning coffee and if I had time, a tortilla bocadillo (Spanish omelette in a crusty roll, heaven!). I would sit in my toasty warm allocated seat for half an hour and stare out the window at the rolling green hills for miles and miles, dotted with quaint Galician villages and often covered in dense morning fog. It felt like a window into another world, and of course for me, it was.

ABOUT

One of my most treasured memories of Santiago was having the opportunity to join a grass roots Galician women’s circle which played the traditional tamborine (pandeireta galega) and sang traditional folk songs. The group had a strong objective of promoting and preserving Galician culture, and so they met every week in a dilapidated old house used for community projects, to sing the songs of their ancestors, which they informed me were mostly about ‘rolling the hay’ and getting into trouble (*wink)! I felt safe and comfortable there, it was an unpretentious place where women sat around sharing home made cakes and smoking cigarettes.

From the outside, Galician winters can seem harsh and abrasive, but if you stay long enough to let the magic creep under your skin, you’ll never get it out, and maybe, you will see a Meiga whispering in the corner of a rowdy Galician bar.

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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#authentic Keeping it real: What's trending in adventure films WORDS BY: JEMIMA ROBINSON

Before social media came along people envisioned grand adventures, found ways to make them happen and shared their stories as an afterthought. Sure, they may have told the occasional tall tale, but there were no mountaintop selfies or Valencia-filtered sunsets. Adventure was about seizing the day and experiencing it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

When asked why he wanted to climb Mt Everest, British Mountaineer George Mallory is famously quoted as saying, “Because it is there”. But his less publicised full response is something we can all relate to: "What we get from adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life.

We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to live. That is what life means and what life is for.”

Yet these days, our desire for acknowledgement often outweighs our desire to go on an adventure for its own sake. And although we know social media is just a series of highlight reels, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if we don’t have life-changing experiences, captured in Insta-worthy photos, we’re not doing adventure right.

But, in adventure, as in life, things aren’t always perfect. Sometimes the weather is rubbish or we run out of puff. Even the best of us get scared and injured. Luckily, these challenges enable us to see what we’re really made of and encourage us to find joy in each moment.

Given that “doing it for the 'gram” has become so influential, it’s refreshing to see truth trending in women’s adventure films; capturing the reality of outdoor life, warts and all. It’s not all about flawless physiques and impeccable styling. The films that win hearts are those that embrace rawness and authenticity rather than being super smooth, scripted productions.

Here are some of our favourite new short films about the joys and challenges that come with being an adventurous woman. You can watch all of them in the upcoming 2019 Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour.

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Mel Supportive fellow adventurers and unquenchable enthusiasm have paved Mel Stamell’s path in adventure. The 35-year-old has tried it all, from kayaking to caving, mountain biking to skiing. But the Canberra local has had to overcome some pretty unique obstacles and is passionate about pushing boundaries. You see, Mel has a rare form of dwarfism, and a lot of outdoor gear doesn’t suit her. Always up for a challenge, and armed with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering, she’s built a lot of her own equipment including a fibreglass kayak. Her aptly named film, Mel, showcases both her skill and her spirit.

Credit Lyndon Marceau

Divided If you like your inspiration served up with a healthy dose of laughter, Scottish film Divided will tick all your boxes.

Divided follows cyclists Lee Craigie and Rickie Cotter on the Tour Divide, a 4417 kilometre self-supported mountain bike race from Canada to the Mexican border.

This heart-warming film was largely shot on iPhones, from bicycles: proof that a great story always trumps a slick production. With the women cycling 190 kilometres a day, Divided explores the places we reach emotionally when we push our bodies to their physical limits.

Credit Divided

Run India Australian film, Run India, features Samantha Gash and is as raw as they come. Sam is an endurance athlete, lawyer, Survivor contestant, and motivational speaker. Despite all this, she is remarkably relatable, thanks largely to her honesty. Sam’s willingness to put herself out there in Run India leaves a lasting impression.

Having achieved her goal of becoming the first woman and youngest person at the time to complete the Four Desert Grandslam, four 250 kilometre desert ultramarathons in a single year, she didn’t want to stop running – but she did want to run with more of a purpose. So she teamed up with World Vision to run across India, shining a light on the plight of Indian girls and their quest for gender equality. For 77 days, she ran through heat, crowds, and dust. She dodged cars, buses, bikes, cows, and the odd camel. Running 3253 kilometres across bustling India is an achievement in itself and to have captured the journey on tape only adds to that. The end result is impressive, given that the film was shot on the run by a single film-maker, Steve Young, with no backtracks or reshoots. Dishing up inspiration in spades, Run India is a brutally honest account of the ups and downs of Sam’s trip – bowel movements and all.

The Paige Alms Story Paige Alms knows a thing or two about pushing her limits. She’s one of only a handful of female big wave surfers worldwide, but her board isn’t plastered with big name sponsors. Women have only just begun to see pay parity when it comes to surf competition prize money, so Paige has worked in construction, floor sanding, and hospitality over the past 10 years to fund her passion for riding the world’s most ferocious waves. The Paige Alms Story showcases this single-minded passion.

Paige dropped out of the surf competition circuit because she didn’t feel she had the opportunity to be judged on her best surfing. She began to focus on the huge waves that most inspired her and, along with pioneers like Keala Kennelly, she’s carved out a place for women on the big wave scene simply by showing up. Her drive shines through on waves like Jaws, where the paddle out is so intimidating that most surfers are put off. Her addiction to these monstrous waves, and her love of the surf sisterhood, come straight from the heart and onto the screen in The Paige Alms Story.

With stories as personal as these, huge camera rigs and extensive editing aren’t necessary.

These films (and more) will feature in the 2019 Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour. This unique program won’t leave you asking “Why?” Rather, you’ll walk out thinking “Why not?!” gutsygirlsadventurefilmtour.com.au Credit Paige Alms

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Gutsy Girls Adventure Film Tour

GutsyGirlsAdventureFilmTour

Gutsy Girls A DV E N T U R E

A UNIQUE SELECTION OF SHORT FILMS FEATURING INSPIRING ADVENTUROUS WOMEN

ACT Canberra, National Film & Sound Archives: 17 August NSW Albury, Albury Entertainment Centre: 23 August Avoca Beach, Avoca Beach Picture Theatre: 2 August Byron Bay, Byron Bay Theatre: 28 July Katoomba, United Cinemas: 1 August Newcastle, Event Cinemas Kotara 3 August Sydney East, Randwick Ritz Cinema: 25 July Sydney North, Hayden Orpheum: 24 July Wagga Wagga, Forum 6 Cinemas: 21 August Wollongong, Anita’s Theatre: 31 July

NT Alice Springs, Araluen Arts Centre: 24 August Darwin, Deckchair Cinema 14 August QLD Brisbane, Schonell Cinema: 18 July Cairns, Cairns Performing Arts Centre: 26 July Gold Coast, Home of the Arts: 27 July Noosa, The J: 10 August Townsville, Coming Soon SA Adelaide, Capri Theatre: 3 August

TAS Hobart, Utas Stanley Burbury Theatre: 17 August Launceston, The Tramsheds: 15 August VIC Ballarat, Regent Cinemas: 22 August Geelong, Village Cinemas: 9 August Melbourne City, Village Crown Cinemas: 6 August Melbourne, Astor Theatre: 8 August Warrnambool, Capitol Cinema: 20 August WA Perth, State Theatre Centre of WA: 26 July

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

www.GutsyGirlsAdventureFilmTour.com.au BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

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Photo of Samantha GaSh taken by Lyndon marceau

E V E N T

I N

F O C U S

Women WILL

G AT H E R

With the strain of the ongoing drought weighing heavily on the minds of our Aussie farmers, it’s not often that rural women have the chance to take a break, come together and honour the strength and resilience it takes to live a life on the land.

Being a young mum and farmer’s wife in a small community town, the opportunity to overcommit is endless. When the possibility of a ‘Rural Women’s Gathering’ was thrown about in Walcha, one could not help but want to learn more. What is it you ask? A weekend event for rural women – and by rural women, we mean ALL rural women including: farming women; Aboriginal women; women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; mining women; women in the fishing industry; women who live in regional cities, towns and villages; and coastal women.

in Walcha, NSW (possibly the coldest place in winter I have ever been, but also the most beautiful by far). Our guests will experience and interact with some of Walcha’s most truly inspirational women, take part in interactive workshops over the course of the weekend, enjoy a fabulous cocktail party and frock up for a Gala dinner.

The purpose? To provide an opportunity to connect with others, develop new and exciting friendships, voice issues that matter to them, provide support and perhaps even a shoulder to cry on, and also, very importantly, EMPOWERMENT.

Don’t worry, all the hard working significant others are not forgotten. We have a diverse and interesting partners program to keep them entertained for the weekend so you can focus on getting the most out of the event.

The gathering is a three-day event to be held

MEET

Women attending the event aren’t just farmers, wives or partners, they are the backbone of our rural and farming industry. Our hope is that all the women who attend walk away with a smile on their face and a bunch of new friends.

The Rural Women's Gathering Supported by the RWN, the first Rural Women's Gathering was held in Orange NSW in 1993 with over 400 attendees. The event is held in a different location each year throughout NSW and guests who have previously attended can't help but come back! dpi.nsw.gov.au

rwg2019walcha.com

Chloe Hoy

Chloe Hoy is a young mum of three girls, a farmer’s wife, pharmacy assistant and serial over-committer.

Originally from the city, after meeting her husband and moving onto the family property in Walcha NSW she quickly learned that in order to get things done inside the house, she needed to help her husband outside the house and was drenching sheep and pulling lambs like a pro before she knew it. Chloe believes in empowering, inspiring and supporting rural women.

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F E A T U R E D

E V E N T S

Adventurethon

Stuck In The Middle

We believe in providing an environment where anyone can challenge their comfort zone; being a short taste of a new sport or a multi-hour endurance test of skill, attitude and focus. Everyone can complete an event, the hardest part is deciding to give it a shot.

Catering for the First Time Adventurer or the Hardcore Seasoned Athlete.

Remaining 2019 events: Townsville (29 June), Charters Towers (22 September) & Mackay (12 October). adventurethon.com.au

When: 18 - 25 October, Exmouth, Western Australia Roll with us to the coral coast.

Pack the van, caravan, camper trailer, tent, car, motorhome or just fly in and join us on our 3rd Annual Rolling Solo Roadtrip & Women’s Camping Adventure … this year to Exmouth, Ningaloo Reef and the Coral Coast in Western Australia for seven balmy nights. Coral Coast ocean breezes, west Australian sunsets, Marine Life Tours, fun, activities, workshops, friendships and of course glamping in 4 1/2 star holiday park by the Ningaloo Reef – thongs are optional – but sand and fun is not! stuckinthemiddle.com.au

Fearless Women’s Circle

Oxfam Trailwalker

When: 24 July, Dwellingup, Western Australia A two-day celebration of fearless women aged 18 years and older. Join us in the tranquil setting of the Dwellingup forest as we embrace the concept that ‘Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone’. We will welcome women and people who identify as women from all walks of life and embrace our differences and individuality. We will focus on health and wellness, spirituality, connection, fun and mental health. Camping and bunk tickets available from as little as $160 with dinner and breakfast provided.

Tickets available on the event listing within our Facebook page. facebook.com/fearlesswomenscircle

When: 23–25 August, Sydney, New South Wales Oxfam Trailwalker is an inspiring and challenging event that changes lives, including yours. Oxfam Trailwalker Sydney, being held 23–25 August 2019, sees over 700 teams walk through beautiful, rugged bushland from the Hawkesbury to the Harbour. Oxfam Trailwalker is not just a tough physical and mental challenge – it’s also a rewarding fundraising challenge. With every step they take, teams raise money to help fight poverty around the world. Show your support to a team or make a general donation now. trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/sydney/

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DREAM

BIG

Run Wild WORDS BY: TPL & MONIQUE BORTOLI

IMAGES BY: MONIQUE BORTOLI

Outdoor adventurer Monique Bortoli is powering towards her goal of completing 10 challenges in 10 months to raise $10,000 for the Yacaaba Centre and support people impacted by family violence. Now half-way through her quest, Monique has paddled 55 kilometres on a SUP, run 25 kilometres to the top of Mt Kosciuszko, tackled two team events including the Geoquest 24-hour adventure race in Yamba, and completed 79 laps of her local mountain in Port Stephens, Mt Tomaree; one lap for every woman lost to family violence in 2018. Monique has already raised over $8,000 and she’s not slowing down. Inspired by her determination, we asked Monique to spill the beans on what drives her and what the campaign has been like so far.

Let’s start with why…

It all came about very organically. I just knew it was time for me to help those who have helped me. I knew I could do something out there and epic, but anyone can do that once. I needed to do something that would create awareness, raise money and give back.

The Yacaaba Centre is where I first turned for support. They opened their doors, helped me find services and helped me put things in perspective. There was no judgement, there was no blame, there was just hope. The campaign is my way of saying thank you. It’s about encouraging our community to get involved, to speak out, say no to family violence and say enough is enough.

It’s quite a big goal you have set yourself. Has anything taken you by surprise?

I think the biggest shock has been the support I have received from far and wide, the messages of support, the messages and stories of survival, and the incredible people I have met. The community has really gotten behind me. Every single person I encounter has a story to tell and I feel so privileged that they feel they can share those with me. It keeps me motivated knowing that what I have planned is making a difference.

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Have you had to make any tough choices to do what you do?

I don’t find them tough. I know what the goal is and I put things into perspective that way. I may miss the social side of things when it comes to going out, but I get to see some incredible places. I get to run wild and make a difference. The toughest decision I find is making sure I’m up and ready to go each and every day.

I’m lucky that I can fit most things around my little boy Heathy.

He comes to training with me, gets involved and helps with the campaign. Once I finish my last challenge we are going to head away for a weekend, probably to the Blue Mountains, that’s his favourite place for some downtime. He’s been amazing right throughout. He knows why Mum is doing what she is doing and very proud of that, but we need a little holiday to explore and play and have some time out doing some kid adventures. He is a huge part of everything I do and my fave little support crew.

Have there been any “aha!” moments along the way?

Wow, I’ve had a few. The campaign has really helped me to heal from my own story. I didn’t think someone like me had a voice to make change. I’m just doing my thing, running wild right? No, I’m creating change and making a difference. By speaking out and using our stories and our voices, we CAN make changes. If I can help one

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How important is nature to you?

For me, it all began as my way of healing, I knew I needed to get outside, enjoy the sunshine and put things into perspective. So I started walking, hiking, heading to the beach and getting outside.

This journey of healing eventually brought me to trail running and ultramarathons, and now my favourite pastime: adventure racing.

It also brought about my 10 challenges campaign. It gave me the confidence to finally give back and support those who supported me.

It gave me back my voice to talk about my story, it has helped me to share my story and in return helped others. Now you can’t keep me inside; nature is my playground and I love sharing that with everyone I meet.

person from this, that is enough. I finally believe in myself. And, I’ve also realised how powerful as a community we can be.

What’s next?

I have a few more 24-hour adventure races to complete, including WIldside and Hells Bells and a couple of ultramarathons. My last challenge is an exciting one and not something I’ve done before. I am used to non-stop go go go but I’ve been invited to do a multi-sport stage race in the Clarence Valley with Adventurethon. A weekend of running, riding and kayaking and a mystery discipline, plus a night under the stars camping. How cool is that! The challenges are not all set in stone. I keep an eye on my body and make sure it’s happy and healthy. I take each challenge as it comes and we change things as we need. Adventure is my long term goal, it doesn’t finish when the last challenge is done. This is my life and in 2020 I would love to be able to step up and complete the A1 Adventure Race series in Australia and take on the legendary event of Godzone one day.

I keep motivated knowing there is something magic in every day. I learn something new and I’m one step closer to all my goals.

What’s your secret to staying motivated?

I keep motivated knowing there is something magic in every day. I learn something new and I’m one step closer to all my goals. I love the start of every new day and every new blessing we have.

I drag my friends along to events, make every moment fun and ensure there’s always a story to tell. Every adventure I do has a moment in time that I can never forget; a story I can tell for a lifetime. Those moments last forever. The sunrise on the side of a mountain, the waves crashing one at a time. The moon guiding your trek. The mud splattered grin from riding your mountain bike. Every moment brings a smile to my face.

As an inspiration to many of us, is there anyone you look up to?

I’ve been incredibly blessed when it comes to role models. My biggest role model will always be my mum, she’s the one that believed in me when I couldn’t. I shall never forget that. My friends are also my role models. They don’t allow me to forget that anything is possible and we all have each other’s backs. They are my rocks and the best people I could ever be surrounded by. They never give up on me, they pick me back up and push me forward every single time.

You founded Elemental Adventures, a fun and free-spirited brand that sounds a lot like you. Can you tell us a bit about it?

It began as a way of motivating people to get active and outside. My passion has, and always will be, showing people, especially women, that parenthood, your past and your responsibilities don’t have to hinder your passion in life, whether it be adventure, running, anything you love. If you want something, make it happen.

I feel by sharing my story and my life, I may inspire one person to get out, get healthy and get active. You CAN be in charge of your own life. We get so overwhelmed by responsibility and what we are taught is important, we forget what we love and who we are. We feel we have to live up to expectations from so many sources: family, friends, social media. We forget we have a responsibility to ourselves.

Any last words?

Seriously, open the door, walk outside and just explore. Look at the stars, see what’s around you and make memories you will never forget. Grab your friends and go play like you used to as a child.

Dream big, run wild, and live an adventurous life.

To donate, visit: au.gofundme.com/10-challenges-10months-10000 Domestic violence (family violence) happens when someone uses violence to maintain control over someone they are close to.

This can involve actions or words that hurt, scare or bully others. If you are concerned that you or someone you know may be experiencing domestic violence visit healthdirect.gov.au/signs-of-domesticviolence for helpful information on what to do. For immediate support contact the National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Service on 1800 RESPECT or 1800 737 732.

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.

-

B E N J A M I N

F R A N K L I N

Happy Place Finalist 062

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Jada Forster (NSW, Australia)

find your value

bella rae magazine

stories, music, poetry, sports, recipes and projects for young women

on sale now www.bellaraemag.com

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L I T T L E A D V E N T U R E S Make a Big Difference We are big fans of nature-based micro-adventures. From half to full-day options, they are typically close to home, accessible, cost-effective, fun and can help us to decompress from our noisy lives. In issue #14 we shared the NSW Eastern Beaches (Bondi to Coogee walk) microexpedition including tips on how to tap into grass roots networks and local culture to get the most out of a short stay. This issue, we invited Macpac to share their favourite micro-adventure items so you don’t have to worry about what to take. All you need to do is grab your gear and go!

BASELAYER: MERINO 150

FLEECE: QUEST HOODY ESSENTIAL LIGHTWEIGHT MID-LAYER: NITRO PULLOVER

JACKET: DISPATCH JACKET

INSULATED JACKET: ICEFALL DOWN JACKET

PACK: FIORD 28

VEST: ACCELERATE VEST

ESSENTIAL TIGHT: THERE AND BACK TIGHT

www.macpac.com.au / www.macpac.co.nz

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M I C R O A D V E N T U R E S An Australian Adventure Bucket List Our Tribe members (subscribers) enjoy entering our quarterly competition giveaways and we always ask entrants: “What is your favourite local FREE half-day nature-based adventure?”

We have compiled an incredible list of spots which we are excited to share because it has been created by YOU, our readers, who know and love the places. Checkout the full list at: travelplaylive.com.au/micro-adventures.

But for now, here are a few to whet your appetite for your next getaway.

NEW SOUTH WALES

B O U D D I C O A S TA L W A L K (Bouddi National Park) “Bouddi National Park is located near Gosford on the New South Wales Central Coast. You’ll find several great walks, as well as opportunities for camping, swimming and fishing.

The Bouddi Coastal Walk is known for its beaches, boardwalk and birdlife.

Go whale watching, picnic or swim at Maitland Bay, or simply absorb the ocean views.”

Image & Words: National Parks (NSW) Recommended by: Barbara (Surry Hills) Janine (Sydney) Do the Great North Walk.

Jo (North Curl Curl) Climbing and walking with my kids at Barrenjoey Headland. Finishing with searching for treasures on the beach.

Lauren (Merrylands) I love going on spontaneous solo adventures camping in my tent at the free camping grounds in the Blue Mountains. I go on bushwalks, explore new places and wander along paths I have never been before. I also make bouquets out of the wildflowers.

Cecilia (Moruya) Bingie Dreaming track.

TASMANIA

M O U N T W E L L I N GTO N Photo credit: discovertasmania.com.au Recommended by: Ta (Hobart) Ruth (New Town) Hartz Peak walk, Hartz National Park Lindy (Weegena) Paddling down the Mersey River between Kelly’s Cage Bridge and Dynans Bridge Road, Weegena.

Wendy (Devonport) Surfing at Turners Beach – it’s free. It can be as long as you like. There is a big empty beach – room for everyone, even older beginners like me! You might go into the water feeling grumpy or sad but you come out renewed.

Rachael (Lapoinya) Anniversary Bay, Rocky Cape National Park.

If you’d like to share your experiences with us on Instagram please be sure to tag #travelplaylivemagazine #tplmicroadventures.

We’ll add your adventure to our list.

TPL: Nat is heading off on an international solo adventure later this month to the UK and Europe and can’t wait to share some of the nature-based micro-adventures she finds on her journey.

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AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

N A M A D G I N AT I O N A L PA R K & B L U E R A N G E H U T “Blue Range Hut is about 30 minutes from Canberra. The recreation area is surrounded by debris from a heritage listed World War 2 Italian internment camp so you get a bit of a history lesson on your half day out. In addition, Blue Range Hut is a great base for accessing some of the glorious alpine walking trails of northern Namadgi National Park and is pet friendly so your beloved dog can also enjoy a halfday nature-based adventure.”

Image: Visit Canberra Recommended by: Nicole (Canberra) Jennifer Davis (Canberra) Mountain biking the Centenary Trail that was built to celebrate the centenary of Canberra.

The trail is over 100 km and circumnavigates Canberra including some of the fantastic nature reserves that are right on our back doorstep.

Sheena Ireland (Kippax) Walking the Murrumbidgee Discovery Track in Canberra. The shorter walk to Kambah Pool, where you can then enjoy a refreshing swim. Beautiful country, native plants, kangaroos, wombats, birds and a gorgeous swimming hole. What more could you want for a half-day in nature. And for us Canberrans, it’s on our doorstep! Love this bush capital of ours.

VICTORIA

QUEENSLAND

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

S U R F COAS T WA L K

DAISY HILL

R O C K Y P O O L WA L K

“Walking the surf coast from Torquay to Anglesea in Victoria. The path takes me from sandy beaches to beautiful cliff tops with magnificent views and parts of the walk are through bushland. It gives me the best of everything.”

Photo credit: @surfcoastwalk Recommended by: Katrina (Bannockburn)

“Mountain biking at Daisy Hill forest. Me and a friend, or with the kids and other families.”

Photo credit: parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/ daisy-hill/ Recommended by: Erin (Brisbane

Rocky Pool Walk in Kalamunda! Or Lesmurdie Falls and some nature based parkour.

Photo credit: parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au Recommended by: Veronica (Bayswater)

Katherine (Melbourne) Riding my bike along The Main Yarra Trail! It’s right in my backyard but I feel like it takes me miles away from the city! From the Fairfield Boathouse (the perfect place to start and load up on coffee) the trail follows the Yarra River.

Andrea (Croydon) A hike through the Dandenong Ranges amongst the tall Mountain Ash and stunning tree ferns. Spotting lyrebirds, echidnas and so much more wildlife. Definitely my happy place.

Amber (Brisbane) Scrambling and swimming at Northbrook Gorge.

Jess (Steiglitz) Green Mountain National Park, it’s often less crowded than the rest of the Lamington National Park.

Leesa (Elanora) Hiking and laughing with a bunch of ladies at Springbrook National Park. Always new stories, education, support and love shares.

Bridget (Burleigh) Surfing and hiking at Burleigh National Park.

Mel (Wodonga) Hiking up Mt Bogong.

Michelle (Iluka) My favourite local FREE half day (sometimes full day) nature base adventure is discovering a place that I have never explored before.

Whether it be hiking or kayaking in a new nature reserve, beach, river, park or National Park.

Carol (Perth) Mountain biking on the Munda Biddi in WA. Bernadette (Kelmscott) My favourite would be a run up Mt Cooke on the Bibbulmun Track with a summit sandwich at the top!

Clodagh (Albany) Walking the Point Possession trail, then swimming at Whalers Cove.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA NORTHERN TERRITORY

GABO ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE RESERVE “A boat ride to the Island, that boasts a pink granite light.

A hike along a tussocky track, where penguins come at night.

Turquoise water in the harbor, nature in full bound.

A place to Travel, Play and Live, with not another soul around.”

Photo credit: Park Web. (TPL: Naww, we love that you wrote us a poem Chelsea (Mallacoota). Thank you!)

B E L A I R N AT I O N A L P A R K “Hiking in Belair National Park with my border collie Elsie and my friend Nom.” Photo credit: fleurieupeninsula.com.au Recommended by: Kathryn (Hawthorndene) Kathryn (Hawthorndene) Bushwalking along Cape Jervis Sonya (Keith) Going to the beach at Robe or the Coorong, watching the waves and walking along the beach.

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O R M I S TO N P O U N D WA L K (West McDonnell National Park) “Ormiston Gorge is a great place for a swim, or to see the towering walls of the gorge and pound, local plants and wildlife. Located 135 km west of Alice Springs in the Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park, it is accessible by sealed roads. A three to four hour circuit that follows the rocky slope into the flat expanse of the pound and back along the gorge by the main waterhole.”

Image & Words: NT Government Recommended by: Siang (Alice Springs)

5 Thrive to

N I C O L E

R O W L E S

Nine News

WORDS BY: TPL & NICOLE ROWLES

Nicole Rowles is the weather presenter for Nine News Regional Queensland and Darwin.

1. As an avid rock climber, surfer and hiker you enjoy being active. What does being adventurous mean to you? To me, adventuring is about packing as much living as possible into a single expedition that has no known outcome. It’s about pushing beyond the little voice inside my head that’s telling me I’m going to fail. Adventure is allowing risk and discomfort to reshape my expectations of myself, so that I can strive towards bigger and better goals. Being adventurous is about discovering how fearless and capable I can be when I am truly free to push myself.

2. What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? I heard a quote recently from a mountaineer called Renan Ozturk. He said, “Don’t ever leave your truest self behind.” I love the idea of always striving for a way to fight for our most authentic choices, and for the things that bring us the most joy.

3. When friends visit from out of town, what hidden gems do you explore? It depends on what their interests are, but one of my favourite outdoor experiences with friends is the Twin Falls hike in the Gold Coast hinterland. It’s a beautiful walk, behind waterfalls, through a cave, and ending atop a plateau that looks down over the beach. It’s accessible and relaxing; anyone can do it!

4. You are involved in supporting and inspiring women to get outdoors. What is the best thing about being in nature? I think that epic, untamable beauty helps us to remember how small we are. Then, everything overwhelming becomes minor – our worries, our everyday stressors, and our fears.

5. Have you ever high fived yourself for achieving something you never thought you would? What was it? All the time!

Recently, I completed my first multi-day climbing objective, sleeping on the wall for a night. It was gruelling, mentally and physically. I spent a lot of time feeling completely maxed out, scared and teary. But waking up to watch the sun rise from a hammock, suspended 70 metres up a cliff, was an unforgettable moment. I’m so glad I persevered so that I could experience it. I’m still mentally high-fiving myself for that!

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GIVE AWAY

An online based homewares shop located in sunny Perth Western Australia.

A one (wo)man band, Wonder & Luck is owned and operated by a creative, design obsessed mum of three Dani. From the very beginning, the intention of Wonder & Luck has always been to create a home wares store full of beautiful curated goods that celebrate functional and sustainable design, inspire creativity and support original handmade product.

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An Avalanche in the Alps, Philip James De Loutherbourg (1803)

T H E

ALPINE and the

Sublime

WORDS BY: STEPHANIE QUIRK

I am going to climb Everest next year.

Why? Because of painting.

Let me explain.

I have always liked being outside, but I mean, I was no avid trekker. I was an artist. I studied Fine Arts for seven years at university, and whilst undergoing my Masters I came across an artistic philosophy called the sublime. It is an idea, depicted in Romantic paintings of the 18th Century of wild, turbulent and remote landscapes. Often with a subject in the foreground, back to the viewer, contemplating the whole panorama.

These paintings represented a feeling, a 'sublime' state, in which the subject is captivated within the moment, transfixed by the enormity of the scene and the contrasting proportions of themselves as a tiny human.

They feel a kind of 'pleasurable terror', where their insignificance in the grand scheme of things induces a fear of mortality, but they are removed from danger enough that this joyous release from worry about everyday banality is accessible. In other words, you can't sweat the small stuff if you know in your body that one day you'll die.

One of the key writers on the subject of the sublime was Edmund Burke who in 1757 published a dissertation of aesthetics called A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. He gave English romantics a manifesto of such, in which he outlined the qualities of the sublime, and gave romantic artists theoretical gravitas for their artistic expression. He wrote, "Indeed terror is...the ruling principle of the sublime."1 Mountains, sky, and clouds can all be understood with reason, that is, human consciousness. They can be measured, mapped and conceptualised. We get them. They are not the sublime, however, but the stage which sets a sublime experience. A sublime moment occurs when both the stage and the person meet – kinda like an installation artwork – they both have to be there for the experience to unfold. The sublime is held in a moment in time, it’s an experience which is hard to document, describe or articulate. It moves you deeply and profoundly.

Whilst I was researching the sublime, I was doing a lot of painting in the studio, training martial arts and dabbling in marathon running. The

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process of all three often had me slip into a ‘flow’ state. A seductive, creative moment in time where my ego seemed to dissolve. In the studio, I was both the maker of the artwork and simultaneously watched it being made. Sparring, I would dissolve into call and response movements, intuitive and reactionary without thought. When I ran, it made hours of training compress into mere minutes. I wondered if the sublime feeling was like this? A moment free from time, or more so, you become time.

You are the world, and the world is you. I thought: “What if I go to the mountains in those paintings, will I have this feeling?”

So I decided to climb Everest.

It was ginormous, I was fanciful, but I knew nothing about mountains or mountaineering, and when looking at pictures of mountaineers (those people with ice axes attached to ropes climbing ridges in the clouds) I didn't really know what they were doing. I am not a girl to do things by halves, however, and at the time it was the only mountain that I knew. So, Everest it was. And Everest it is.

Fastrack six years and in April 2019 I set off to Ama Dablam, a jewel of a peak in the Himalaya. Everest is set for April 2020. I have been on an incredible mountain journey so far, climbing in America, Argentina, and Tanzania. I even moved to Chamonix France for one year to cut my climbing teeth. During this time, I have learned so much, thought deeply about the sublime, and explored what I actually feel in the mountains.

Honestly, it is still mostly terror.

I don't use that word lightly. The seizing, gripping, body-freezing hands of terror, have held me a few times. Sometimes it's been a real mental battle. I've had to give myself a good talking to just to get down off the side of a mountain. Maybe I am scared of heights. If so, I wonder why I am still possessed to climb Everest? It has now become a feeling that draws me from my stomach, an ache or urge, hard to articulate, a fire? I just know I have to get there. I believe the constant fear is because each mountain I climb I’m pushing myself a good step further past my comfort zone. Fear and excitement are separated by a knife edge, and sometimes

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I tell myself that I am excited to get through it. It puts a more positive spin on it I suppose.

But I was intrigued. I had to go back and research further: “Why the heck do I want to keep going back to the mountains? What am I doing loving this Type 2 Fun adventure?” (Type 2 Fun is miserable whilst happening and fun in retrospect. Think cycling across the country, ultramarathons, and more on point, alpine climbing. In

Wanderer About a Sea of Fog, Caspar David Friedrich (1818)

out I need a community to support me, I have learned about motivation and planning expeditions. What courage is and what it feels like, and where fear physically manifests in my body. I mean, I’m still an artist, and sensitivity to feeling and experiencing the world is my jam.

The good parts about this Type 2 Fun mountaineering project? I get ‘face melts’ (one of my good friends Harriet verbalized the feeling for me). There is a point I reach during a training walk, and often a hike in to the basecamp of a mountain, where my whole body melts as if I am slipping into a warm bath. There is something about being in nature that resets you, makes you remember your true self, melts away the trivialities and stress and just makes me a better person altogether. The day after a really big hike, I wake up and feel like my legs have had the dust shaken out of them. Light, fresh and clean, my body is back in tune.

Being a visual artist, I can see this search, this hunt, and the representation of this feeling of the sublime is still very relevant. It’s even portrayed in a contemporary context. Those 'mountain babes' on Instagram, back to the camera, arms thrown in the air. They are rejoicing the intertwined feelings of fear and freedom, experiencing release from the grip of anxiety and stress prevalent in current society. I used to think those girls were posers, adventure models who were doing it wrong. But I realise that many of us want to experience the sublime. ​To experience fear, your body alive and the world so very full and immediate. To be taken out of the everyday, and connect with something that is greater than ourselves, greater than time and place. Connect to what it really feels like as a human, a part of humanity: this collective experience.

A seductive, creative moment in time where my ego seemed to dissolve.

References 1. Burke, Edmund, and James T. Boulton. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. London: Routledge and Paul, 1958. Print.

2. Krebaum, Emily. Exploring the Sublime in Art. ESSAI: Vol. 14, Article 22, 2016.

3. Lyotard, Jean-Francois. Lessons on the Analytic of the Sublime: Kant's Critique of Judgment, 23-29. Stanford, CA: Stanford UP, 1994. Print.

comparison, Type 1 is just simple fun; dancing, water slides, mimosas.) I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am all for champagne and water parks, but I had to understand why Type 2 Fun moved me so deeply.

I discovered: “Fear of death threatens one's self-preservation and draws the strongest reaction, which explains how the sublime is separate from beauty. Beauty charms the viewer, but the sublime moves the viewer because it both pleases and terrifies them, leaving a lasting impression that beauty cannot achieve.” 2 Whereas pain is connected to fear, pleasure is connected to awe; the combination of the two feelings make what Burke (back to our philosopher on the sublime) refers to as astonishment. He explains, "...astonishment is that state of the soul in which all its motions are suspended, with some degree of horror...the mind is so entirely filled with its object, that it cannot entertain any other." 3 Since my studies in art, I feel like this whole mountaineering thing has become a research project. I am my own guinea pig. Apart from the skills and fitness that I am acquiring, I am seeing what behaviours are getting me in a ‘nuts and bolts’ manner to a mountain. I have figured

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MEET

Stephanie Quirk

Stephanie Quirk is a high school teacher, adventurer, artist and writer based in Sydney. She merges her interest in art and philosophy with being outside and under the sky. Greatness, grandeur, awe and wonder. Those things excite her greatly and keep her in the pursuit of immersion. She aims to climb Everest in 2020. stephaniequirky.wixsite.com/theblueofthesky

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The M O N G O L I C Y

A D V E N T U R E S

WORDS BY: CATHERINE WALLIS

IMAGES BY:

LEO FRANCIS

The chainsaw sliced through the ice, creating perfect blocks slotted around the poles like Lego construction.

The start line was up! I’d flown thousands of kilometres from home to reach the provincial town of Moron in northern Mongolia, travelling further north by bus and car to Khanke, a small town bordering Russia.

While I tested out my crampons, and others strapped on their ice skates or bike snow tyres (some for the first time), an assembly line of talented ice construction workers built the frame for the starting arch.

Bemused locals chuckled as we interrupted their otherwise peaceful ice-fishing to take photos of the deep holes they had drilled, and their catch (another first, certainly for me). A couple of the slightly more adventurous dashed from the sauna and plunged into the icy lake.

Six months earlier, browsing the internet in search of my next adventure, I came across an advertisement for the Mongol 100. Billed as ‘the most surreal, audacious and hauntingly beautiful adventure challenge known to man,’ I was instantly attracted to the spectacular images of black ice and remote campsites. My recent challenges had been in desert environments, and the contrast of a location that could reach minus 40 degrees was stark and appealing. I signed up and pulled out the route map.

Lake Khovsgol was formed over two million years ago, and is one of 17 ancient primeval lakes on Earth. It is a protected remote wilderness area bounded by ancient boreal forest, where wolves and reindeer roam. The lake itself contains 70 percent of the freshwater of Mongolia and 1 percent of the entire global supply of fresh water; it is the purest fresh water on Earth. In March, it is frozen – solidly frozen – to a depth of approximately 2 metres. The Lake is considered sacred and you

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cannot camp on it and so the route heads south, criss-crossing the Lake for a total distance of approximately 100 miles (160 kilometres) over four days.

We were up before dawn for the start; balaclavas protecting our faces from the cold morning air. I moved continuously as I waited for the countdown to prevent the cold radiating from the ice through two pairs of thick merino socks and into my toes. Strangers hugged each other enthusiastically and shared best wishes for the unknown ahead.

Then, we were off!

I am a self-confessed plodder: steady, focused, and definitely not fast. I enjoy the challenge, as well as absorbing every moment of the scenery. And there was so much to see! Smooth black ice, sharp protruding ice like window-glass, snow covered sections with intricate snowflakes, and everything in between. Snow-capped mountains to the west, thick forest to the east, and the occasional local vehicle, steaming along the ‘ice highway’ to Russia. Every 10 kilometres was a checkpoint, manned by enthusiastic local and international volunteers, providing hot tea, energy bars and all-important hugs. And, behind the checkpoint vehicle, a bucket and bag toileting arrangement, to preserve the pristine lake environment if not the modesty of the challengers.

As the day went on we became quite spread out along the route, with

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the skaters, fat bike and sub-four-hour marathoners far away in the distance.

The safety vehicles were sleds pulled by Mongolian horses; short, squat animals with bells attached to their manes that could be heard approaching for miles. I heard a rumour – never substantiated – that anyone that needed a lift on the sled would be warmed up with felt blankets and a shot of vodka.

At the end of the stage we reached the bank of the lake, where the amazing local team had set up a series of gers and built a massive campfire, surrounded by ice cut from the lake for fire safety. The sunsets here were truly spectacular; pinks and oranges against the white of the ice, eventually replaced by an ink sky of a million stars. Foot inspection determined what I had feared – that my heavy-duty crampons were inhibiting the movement in my forefoot, resulting in massive pressure blisters. It was a problem shared by those of us with this model, while those with the smaller crampons had fared much better. Fortunately, as a crampon novice, I had also brought the smaller pair and changed over for the remainder of the event.

I was instantly attracted to the spectacular images of black ice and remote campsites.

Exhausted, we collapsed into the warmth of the Mongolian ger – a perfect environmentally adapted round felt tent, with a wood-burning stove in the centre to keep the cold at bay. Eight challengers to a ger, plus three local volunteers, our ‘fire fairies’, who stoked the fire during the night as the temperature dropped to minus 25 degrees.

Day three was my low point. The 42 kilometre leg started with a long, technical, ankle-breaking section over uneven and sharp ice. Technical terrain is not my strong point and the concentration required sapped my already depleted energy. Finally, out onto the black smooth ice after more than two hours, I still had over 36 kilometres to go.

I think hitting a low point is inevitable in this kind of event, and for me, reaching this point and what I choose to do with it is part of the reason that I come. This is the point where I need to battle my innermost and deeply held beliefs about my self-worth. That I am too fat, too unathletic, too stupid. That I was an idiot to think I could do this. That I don’t belong here, in this place, with these people. Where I must work hard to cultivate the ability to get out of my own head and just keep moving forward. After all, as a friend once told me: walking is just one foot in front of the other.

MEET

As the sun commenced its descent behind the mountains, the campsite was still nowhere to be seen. But as I reached the last few kilometres I was joined by others: one, then two, then three and four. Seeing me from the campsite perched high on the bank, they had come to help me over the line. As I made the final ascent, they gathered at the stage finish, these friends of a mere five days, making a human tunnel to welcome me home. And, bringing me a beer. There was no greater sense of belonging.

Catherine Wallis

We gathered after the challenge to celebrate in a large ger in the town of Khatgal. Vodka flowed freely as we thanked the team of local and international staff who had got us across the lake. We were each gifted a carved reindeer antler from the local Tsaiga people as a memento of our time here.

We followed the local tradition of passing the sheep-skin, to collect money and other gifts to be shared among the drivers and camp helpers. None of us wanted this time to end.

Catherine Wallis is a plus-size adventurer who wants to inspire everyone, but especially women, to get out and see the world – regardless of their body type. She believes that through modelling and highlighting adventure for all, but especially women who are not ‘young and athletic-looking’, we can open the possibilities of travel and adventure.

Instagram @plus_size_adventurer

It is a very long way to travel for a challenge. But nowhere else is like this place. The crisp air, the endless patterns in the ice, the smoky gers. Awaking to find wolf footprints in the snow. Sharing a laugh and a feast with people with whom I can only communicate through (usually unsuccessful) charades.

Crossing ice in a 2WD vehicle and watching as fires are lit beneath the engine in the morning to warm it sufficiently to start.

The next Mongol 100 will be held on 1-8 March 2020. https://ratracebucketlist.com/mongol100/

I shared all this with the most inclusive, positive people from around the world. I can’t wait to go back.

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A Mother's

LEGACY H I K I N G

T H E

J O H N

M U I R

T R A I L

WORDS & IMAGES BY:JENNY HEDLEY

Grandma taught her kids and grandkids to loathe the predictable. “I’ve had it,” she scolded her four children. “You aren’t a bit grateful. I’m leaving to climb Mount Everest.” But she didn’t. She rode a camel across the Sahara in nylons, high heels and a polka dot dress instead.

When Mum was aged 10, my grandpa led her brothers’ Boy Scout troop up Mount Whitney (4,418 metres), while my aunt and she sipped milkshakes down at Bono Bonanza’s in Lone Pine, California.

The two sisters envied the boys with their backpacks and ragged jeans and t-shirts – the afterglow of adventure imprinted on their dirty, sunburnt faces.

John Muir’s My First Summer in the

Sierra, published in 1911, was Mum’s second bible. Muir is best known for leading Teddy Roosevelt on a three-day wilderness expedition in 1903, which inspired the US president to establish five national parks. Mum’s teacher scrawled on an essay she wrote about Muir: Was he running away? Was it an over-glamorised perception of nature and an inability to get along with society? Mum stormed out of class, wondering what the professor could possibly know in his coat and tie and shiny shoes.

By the time I reached Yosemite, I was forged like steel, ready to battle for a better life…

Muir’s words filled her with yearning, beckoning her into the great outdoors: “Few places in this world are more dangerous than home. Fear not, therefore, to try the mountain-passes. They will kill care, save you from deadly apathy, set you free…” – John Muir, The Mountains of California

Two sisters And so, aged 18 and 16 respectively, my Mum and my aunt set out to hike the 339 kilometre John Muir Trail (JMT). They could feel, with every molecule of their being, an unmistakable memory pulling them

Following in her footsteps Aged nine, I earned a Squirrel Card for hiking up Taquitz Peak, and I was hooked. At age 13, Mum and I hiked up Half Dome. From a perspective of limitless possibility, atop the glaciated crest, we surveyed the achingly beautiful Yosemite Valley below. When I was 26 years old, Mum’s cancer came back after two decades in remission, and she asked me to hike the JMT in her honour. “Tell the squirrels that you’re a Muir,” she said, in a morphine-induced haze. I shouldered the weight of Mum’s terminal illness, her tattered Starr’s Guide, my 23 kilogram pack, and set out on my own.

My footsteps became a walking meditation as I worked through anger – desperate to understand why? Up and over 3,500 metre passes, and down through desolate valleys of grief. I swam in lakes of inspiration, where boulders the size of VW vans reassured me of the continuity of life. My heart softened and the wind whipped away my tears as I coyote-called from mountaintops.

I felt myself melting, then crystallising like granite, ready to stand sentinel at Mum’s bedside until it was time for her to return to ashes and dust.

outside of their rooms, away from the stagnant seasons inside. They would live off bread and hot tea like Muir, plus chocolate, dried fruit, and onion soup over rice.

They would travel without a tent like Muir who slept on “pinetassels” or a wool blanket.

Three is a crowd

I remember Mum’s stories by heart. How my aunt and she set off wearing halter tops and cutoff denim shorts, their long braided hair tied back with bandannas, ankle-high Red Wing construction boots rubbing their blistered feet. How they took 25 days to hike from Yosemite to Whitney Portal instead of the 15 days they had planned for, and how, when they ran out of food, they hitchhiked to resupply. The night they didn’t hang their food because they thought bears didn’t roam above the treeline. A bear sniffing at, then heaving their packs; the half dozen brown bears wading in the lake nearby; and the full moon rising over the peaks, flooding the meadow with light – spooking the bears – saving the sisters.

“Storm clouds gathered over gothic, razor-edged peaks. Thunder threatened near Mounts Banner and Ritter. Started to feel only human, the magnificence of landscape overwhelming. Nothing will ever be the same.” – Mum’s journal entry, 27 June 1972 The sisters grew strong, their legs and arms taut, their long hair sunbleached and their eyes keen – watching, gathering.

“The last day – so strange to think we wouldn’t be sleeping outdoors tonight. Gulped down M&Ms purchased from the supply store at the trailhead. Hitched into Lone Pine. Suddenly nauseous from the bombardment to the senses. Everything moving too fast: cars, people coming and going, doors slamming, traffic lights, radios, fumes from sizzling burgers, silverware clanking on a Formica counter. We wanted to turn back.” – Mum’s journal entry, 7 July 1972 The sisters took their packs off and walked around light as feathers, feeling superhuman. Knowing that they would never want anything more than this: the mountains, the trees.

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In the summer of 2008, a few months after Mum died, my cousin suggested that we hike the JMT in memoriam.

I invited my childhood friend Carly along. Our trio was doomed from the start: my cousin was recovering from knee surgery, Carly had altitude sickness and I was unaccustomed to the time zone. Carly and my cousin each felt like a third wheel, and I was too overwhelmed by grief to build a bridge between the two.

After a week in the woods, we were guided off the trail by a park ranger. Our heavy resupply boxes – filled with additional maps, squeeze tubes of peanut butter, chocolate, trail mix and socks – were still waiting for us at Muir Trail Ranch and at Red’s Meadow Resort.

Defeat weighed heavy as I flew back to Australia, leaving my family 13,000 kilometres in rear view.

In memoriam, take two In 2014, I took an ultra-lightweight approach to the JMT. My pack had a base-weight of 8 kilograms, including a bear canister, and I had enough food to last me until my resupply on day eight. This time, I had trained for months. The only hitch: a hiker had gone missing on the Whitney Trail the week before.

On day three, as I headed north towards Forester Pass (4,009 metres), I met a man with fuzzy grey hair down to his shoulders and a machete belted at his hip. He said that he lived in the mountains and had run out of food. I offloaded precious dehydrated meals into his outstretched hands as I nervously eyed his knife. When he asked if he could follow me over the pass, I was too afraid to say no. He kept up with me until we met thigh-deep snow on the backside of the pass, then I put some distance between us. I hiked by the light of my headlamp until 10 pm, then camped on my sleeping pad and tarp, hidden amongst boulders. The next few days I constantly looked behind me, and my pilfered food rations wore thin.

On the seventh day, my muscles burned with lactic acid and I cinched

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I remember Mum’s stories by heart.

How my aunt and she set off wearing halter tops and cutoff denim shorts, their long braided hair tied back with bandannas…

my pack tight around my shrinking waistline. As the sun nodded off behind Muir Pass, a couple of hikers asked if I was okay, and offered granola bars to help me over the pass. The next day, when I picked up my resupply at Muir Trail Ranch, I learned that the body of the missing hiker had been recovered from the Mount Whitney Trail; when he took a shortcut on descent, he fell into a chute and died from traumatic injuries. I felt chagrined for suspecting the man with the machete. That fatal accident reminded of the power of nature and the impermanence of life. When I emerged in Yosemite Valley on day 14, I finally felt at peace, grateful that Mum lived long enough to become my hero.

Hiking plus one The next year, my relationship broke down due to family violence.

When I was two months pregnant, I sought answers on the JMT, again. Forest fires raged across California – the worst in a decade – mirroring my emotional unrest. This time it took me three days to hike to Trail Camp from Whitney Portal, a distance of only 10 kilometres.

I was completely debilitated by altitude sickness, unable to move at more than a crawl. “You’ve got a long way to go,” said one hiker as he sped past. I surrendered to my snail’s pace, humbled by the trail.

When my son was two months old, I felt the mountains calling me. Most people would have said I was crazy to hike with a baby, but I knew that Carly would be down for adventure.

We set out from Idyllwild, California, where I earned my Squirrel Card so many years ago, to hike Mount San Jacinto (3,302 metres). I strapped my baby boy to me with a soft wrap so that I could still wear my pack. The familiar pattern of my heartbeat and the gentle rhythm of my footsteps soothed him to sleep for much of our three-day trek. When he awoke, it was in wide-eyed amazement at the wind rippling through 100-year-old pines. I placed each footstep deliberately and planted my poles for balance, determined to keep my baby hiker safe. When we reached the summit, I felt once more that anything was possible.

In a dozen years or so, my son will heft his own pack. I will tell him stories of his grandma, who had his same strawberry hair, and my own tales of perseverance. Together, we will follow in the perpetual footsteps of our heroes, enjoying the flicker of sunlight dancing through tall trees and the unadulterated pleasure of wild spaces which are the legacy of conservationists – like Muir – and the inheritance of future generations.

Descending from Whitney towards Guitar Lake, my ankle collapsed under the burden of worry; thoughts of my soon-to-be ex, plus pregnancy hormones, triggered my misstep. I hobbled over to a clear, icy tarn and soaked my sprain. I wrapped my ankle and strode on through the haze of smoke and raining ash, in spite of the pain, becoming more sure-footed with every step. By the time I reached Yosemite, I was forged like steel, ready to battle for a better life – free from abuse – for my baby and me.

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ABOUT

Jenny Hedley

Jenny Hedley graduated from RMIT University’s Professional Writing and Editing program and is studying creative writing. She lives in Melbourne with her son.

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Working with a curative philosophy inspired by tradition, MATTER sources heritage prints and styles while reinterpreting them in a modern manner. Our purpose is to impact change beyond textiles – to make rural artisan production sustainable, shift designers’ approach to their process, and inspire customers to value provenance. shop.matterprints.com

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HELLO MISTER

WORDS BY: BONNIE ANDERSON

IMAGES BY: JAKE ELMS

Somewhere between Sumatra’s Pasamah highlands and the Indian Ocean. Somewhere beyond the beautiful Islamic mosques and Hindu-Buddhist temples, we were lost.

Between serrated fronds and megalithic statues en route to a surging waterfall. I could no longer see the lucid lines of the horizon where lava once glowed orange like the ritualistic burning of coconut husks our neighbour, Mah, ignited each night at dusk. I could no longer hear her joyous cackle or the distant calls to prayer in town.

The father holding his angelic daughter (whilst openly wishing to solicit me for sexual favours) had gone, and so had the gangly local surfer I’d been watching from the reef. This island is a real mosaic. Cracks

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cut through the most beautiful pieces, making it all the more rich and resplendent. Nothing is hidden. Sumatra bares all.

Incongruous scenes of life and death bled into the past as I looked behind our speeding motorbike. Kittens being kicked away from mongered fish at the market. Disease encrusted dogs birthing puppies in the shade. Contrails of intermingling fabrics in the wake of running children, seemingly dressed for an occasion. Motorcycles stacked with fresh harvests dare to break through the wooden slats of old swing bridges.

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Women in lotus position armed with machetes to dissect fruits glimmering against purple tiles. Barefoot builders balanced upon bamboo scaffolding with the same precariousness as the lit cigarettes on their lips. The free will of life is unrepressed, and in constant displays of growth, trade and rot. This unrestrained culture catches the eye from first light to starlight. It’s tempting to close my eyes and feel the warmth and the breeze, but unctuous scenery tempts me more and they stay wide open.

Lush banana trees fruiting layers of green half-moons mottle the light above us, adorned with homemade lanterns made from cut plastic bottles. Women in long embroidered skirts carry goods on their heads, floating gracefully uphill. Shacks lay open like oyster shells with pearls of children magnetising our gaze. “Hello Mister!” Their faces lit up. It was the same welcoming feeling as having rose-petals thrown before our tyres, as the laughter of silky-haired kids bloomed behind us. I tried to take a photo of a girl smiling in her pyjamas. She vanished back into the open doorway. Her eyes an earthy hue, similar to the green edamame beans offered from a roadside rickshaw.

The architecture of the higher mountain villages grew a little more opulent, although no more private, with prayer flags of laundry strung between the rooftops, meant to resemble curving horns of the sacred water buffalo. I clung to Jake as he rode us through dreamlike towns giving way to panoramic jungle. Tiers of rice paddies lay like broken mirrors. On my left, lucrative harvests of tea and other botanicals are spread over tapestries between brass-plated gates while workers moved in a sea of green on my right.

sweet singsong voices. I held onto Jake and thought of an Indonesian proverb I’d read: “Asam di gunung, garam di laut bertemu dalam satu belanga.” It translates as ‘Tamarind on the mountain, salt in the sea, meet in one pot’ and it means that when things are destined to meet, time and distance are overcome.

Across eight provinces containing the earth’s rarest flower, over thirty active volcanoes, large rivers, humble towns, and luxuriant ecosystems that dwarf the biodiversity of South America’s renowned Amazon, this Indonesian island lives in harmony as a conjoined home of opposing landscapes, religions, architecture, customs and languages. Everywhere is the unlikely meeting of tamarind and salt, but now it was so tangible because of the contrast between where I thought I’d be and how I thought I’d get there.

We all thanked the salt and pepper haired elder and sped off into the mouth of the cold jungle. After a fair climb through slippery forest, past a few wide-eyed men congregated around a gazebo, past a broken down temple and up mossy stairs hidden under forest growth, all the colours of the rainbow spread out as light hit the mist of a white horsetail rushing from great height. Maybe ten stories, maybe less, but enough to crane our necks in awe. Adi was wearing jeans, wet from the weather, and sandals turned brown by the trek. He had spontaneously changed his plans, to grant our wishes and take us to swim, and this is what he said when we offered him a few rupiah:

This unrestrained culture catches the eye from first light to starlight.

Beauty and freedom exist in aloof omnipresence here. They beckon no reaction. In the timeless way people live, in the unimportant spaces, the breaths between breezes where buffalo meditate and the elderly stare from their home steps, every moment is fulfilling because there is no pressure to be perceived as beautiful. Whether or not I can describe this wonderful land with dignity, its loveliness will remain as fact, unaffected by opinion or perspective.

After attempting to find the nameless waterfall ourselves, tracing and retracing our tracks through sparsely scattered housing laying low in the valleys, we pulled over by the papaya trees. A Sumatran boy with perfect English stopped and squinted through the beginning rain. A smile carved across his face. A few pimples signalled his youth. We exchanged pleasantries. Apparently waterfall is the same in English and Indonesian. He was on his way to buy chickens for his family and it was his pleasure to help us. His name was, is, Adi and we followed him to find the way.

Waving down a white-browed local looking to confirm where to go, all three engines hummed under the rain. Jake and I listened to their

MEET

“No, please I don’t want it. I am only happy to show people my beautiful country.”

Maybe he had girl troubles, and wanted to escape for the afternoon by clambering about that pristine fall with us. Living in a predominantly matrilineal society in west Sumatra, where the Minangkabau ethnic group believes two Malays appeared atop of Marapi volcanic peak before 1000 B.C, means following the tradition of the one Malay that followed a maternal line of descent to form the Minangkabau. This means property is passed down through the female line and wanderlust is instilled in the men who have ‘visiting status’ in their matrihouses, the homes of their wife, her mother and sisters. Maybe Adi had been looking for a reason to put distance between him and his return to his matrihouse, perhaps fed up with making fried tempeh for himself and then being asked to share until all that was left was a few crumbly pieces swimming in the fryer. Was this a man who needed a little peace and quiet or a genuine soul connecting with the present? Maybe his shaver had gone missing for the last time, but, more likely, we’d met a sincere representation of what it means to be Sumatran, surrendering to the joy of giving, unaware of his own to-do list in the face of our helpless expressions under those papaya trees.

Bonnie Anderson

Bonnie Anderson is based in Mornington, Victoria, and looks forward to writing more snippets about exploring here and there. As a child, she never thought she’d travel much, or write, but here she is as an adult, doing both. bonnienepean@gmail.com

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FRESH+ FRAGRANT

A N A U S T R A L I A N F O O D I E G E T S A N I R A N I A N E D U C A T I O N

WORDS BY: JULIA BARTRIM

IMAGES BY: JULIA BARTRIM AND MUSTAFA AKRAMI

I was nervous as I paced the international airport in Mashhad. It was hot in the arrivals lounge and my woollen hijab and mantu were making me sweat. I was about to meet my partner’s parents for the first time.

When they finally emerged, two tiny stooped frames lugging one giant black suitcase from snow-bound Kabul, my nerves were immediately assuaged by Mustafa’s mum Zahra’s contagious smile.

Back at the hotel, when Zahra unpacked their suitcase in the lounge room I got a surprise. Instead of clothes, she pulled out piles of cucumbers, bananas, tomatoes, fresh pomegranates from Kandahar – the best in the world – and phials of saffron from Herat.

Next to emerge were plastic bags of green and black tea, pistachios (soaked in lemon juice), fresh walnuts, peanuts and one colossal bag brimming with toot (dried mulberries). The clothes took up a little pile in the corner of the bag, dwarfed by the fresh produce.

“I told them we could buy all this here,” Mustafa said to me in English, a little frustrated. It was my introduction to Afghani/Irani food culture. Fresh, simple, natural foods rule the day.

In fact when I lost my head in a Mashhad patisserie days later and brought home a giant box filled with exquisitely crafted pastries, Mustafa’s parents refused to touch them. “Too sweet,” they said, bypassing the decadent shirini for oranges and walnuts.

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Mustafa’s parents taught me an important rule: in this part of the world, tea is king. At the hotel every morning we sat on the floor and Zahra rolled out a sofreh. We filled two large thermoses one with black tea and one with green, to be consumed with freshly baked crunchy sangak or barbari (Irani flat breads) and cheese.

Each morning I would re-fill both thermoses at least twice; chai zeeard anyone?

We flavoured the tea with pale pink gole mohammadi (Mohammadi rose buds), cardamom pods and saffron. Luxurious saffron is a vital commodity in Iran and Afghanistan and is considered to have many health benefits. The Mashhad region is prime saffron country but a struggling economy has seen many farmers swap saffron (which is labour intensive) for pistachio nuts.

Nonetheless, when we visited Reza Bazaar in Mashhad, near the famous Imam Reza Shrine, we still found shops selling purely saffron. Soft pyramids of the red stigmas sat serenely on white place cloths. Farmers from the ancient town of Neyshabur wandered in to sell their harvest as we purchased a modest supply.

After a week with Mustafa’s charming parents, drinking tea,

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cracking nuts and wolfing down chelow kabab, we caught the train to Tehran, a 10 hour trip across almost empty desert, bordered by snow-capped mountains.

My partner grew up in Iran and his friends welcomed us to the capital in style. On our first night in the city they took us to Bame-Tehran (The Roof of Tehran) on the slopes of Mount Tochal.

It was cold on the mountain and we downed steaming hot bowls of ash while sipping tea and gazing at the glittering lights below. Ash is a popular Persian noodle soup served with a big dollop of yoghurt. The soup is heavily flavoured with herbs like coriander and parsley and has much in common with ghormeh sabzi, one of Iran’s best loved dishes (apart from chelow kabab).

We got the opportunity to sample home-cooked ghormeh sabzi when Mustafa’s friend Jahwad invited us to his house for a dinner party. I sat there, a pampered guest, downing a small mountain of sweet pastries and European chocolates while Shamzee prepared a delicious sabzi.

The meal was delicious, filled with fragrant delicate flavours.

Obviously I asked if I could move in.

The next day when Jahwad’s charming employee, Mona took us to Imamzadeh Dawood (a village built around a shrine in the Tehrani mountains) I was keen to sample more local treats. We crunched through the snow to reach market stalls selling large flat squares of dried fruit, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, olives and pickled vegetables.

To escape the cold we slipped into a restaurant above the markets where we scoffed chelow kabab – lamb kebab served with grilled tomato, fresh onion and Afghani flatbread.

And of course tea. It wouldn’t be Iran without a pot of fragrant tea to share among friends.

She combined lamb with turmeric and fresh herbs – coriander, fenugreek, parsley and chives in a giant pot and then added tomato paste and dried lemons. She let the stew brew for a long time. And I mean a long time.

Iranis don’t eat until late. When we sat down for dinner at 11pm I was semi-catatonic but Shamzee and Jahwad’s beautiful young daughter Nazaneem was still leaping about the furniture like a cat.

Shamzee served dinner on a 4 metre long sofreh to accommodate the 15 guests. To accompany the sabzi, Shamzee and the other women had prepared huge platters of rice, flavoured with saffron, fresh flat breads and, individual bowls of Shirazi salad (a simple salad of finely diced cucumber, tomato, onions and lemon juice).

IRANIAN

SPICED TEA

ABOUT

Iran grows some of its own tea in the Caspian Sea region but also imports the dried leaves; such is the popularity of the drink. Persians drink their tea in glass cups so they can keep an eye on the consistency and colour of the tea. This recipe can be made using green or black tea.

Combine the following ingredients in a large teapot and then add hot water.

Black or green tea (1–2 teaspoons, depending how strong you like it) Green cardamom pods (4–5) Saffron (a couple of threads) Rose buds or petals (half a dozen) ¼ a cinnamon stick Allow the tea to brew for two minutes and then serve and enjoy!

Julia Bartrim

Julia Bartrim is a professional freelance journalist with a passion for storytelling and for understanding different cultures. She lives in the Moreton Bay Region with her partner Mustafa, who made this story possible by sharing his culture and stepping in to translate whenever the author's confusion reached fever pitch.

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SWEET COCONUT FISH CURRY When we ventured to the bottom of Victoria in Wilsons Promontory National Park to camp, we had an abundance of freshly caught bream stored in our camp fridge. Mr G was a little skeptical at the idea of me cooking his bream catch in a curry, but that evening my sweet and creamy coconut fish curry forever altered his perspective.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS 3 large potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped 3 cups (750ml) fish or vegetable stock 2 tbsp coconut oil 1 onion, diced 3 carrots, diced 4 celery sticks, diced 1 tbsp curry powder ¼ cup (40g) unbleached plain flour 3 green shallots, roughly chopped 400g bream fillets, skin and bones removed, roughly chopped 270ml can coconut cream ½ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp ground white pepper steamed basmati or brown rice, to serve

ADVENTURE HUB

METHOD 1. Steam or boil the potatoes until tender but not falling apart.

Drain. Set aside.

2. To make the curry, heat the stock in a small saucepan. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes until softened and lightly coloured, stirring occasionally.

3. Reduce to a medium heat. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

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4. Add the hot stock a little at a time, stirring until smooth after each addition, until all the stock has been added and a smooth

We'll share industry news, updates, tours and other event information from time to time, but this group is mostly commercial free.

thick sauce has formed.

5. Add the potato, shallots, fish pieces, coconut cream and salt and pepper. Simmer, covered for 7-10 minutes, until fish is cooked. Serve the curry with steamed basmati or brown rice.

GF option: Use a gluten-free flour such as coconut flour, rice flour

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or quinoa flour.

©Jane Grover – Recipe from Jane’s cookbook: Our Delicious Adventure – Recipes and Stories of Food and Travel www.janegrover.net SPECIAL THANKS

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travelplaylive.com.au

Exploring the

I C Y

R E L M

of

ANTARCTICA WORDS & IMAGES BY: TAHLIA WOOD

Antarctica is often surmised as ‘the last frontier’, typically depicted with a rich history of well known explorers including Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen and Sir Douglas Mawson. A truly awe-inspiring, rugged place that is now surprisingly accessible for adventurous folk.

At the age of 19, I was working for an expedition cruise operator that travelled to both the Arctic and Antarctic. Each voyage was an entirely new journey, and while I may have travelled to a few of the locations many times, each experience was different. Varying times of year, weather, different passengers, rotating staff, changing ice conditions and wildlife. Every trip was a life altering experience, a journey for the soul. These experiences shaped me into the person I am today.

One moody, windy day we were out on the choppy water Zodiac cruising – Zodiacs are rigid inflatable pontoon boats that can drive right up onto the shore and manoeuvre easily with up to 12 passengers onboard. During the cruise we admired the ever-changing ice formations around us, the most vibrant blues our eyes could perceive, each piece looked as if it were meant to be in an art installation. If only these incredible forms of nature could be displayed in museums and galleries, perhaps then humans would wake up and see just what we are taking away from our planet, from our own psyches.

Unexpectedly, we spotted a leopard seal napping on an ice floe. Popping his head up when he heard our engine, he didn’t seem phased, but was somewhat curious. We approached very slowly to not scare him, stopping about 10 metres away. At that moment the driver cut the engine completely; silence. No buzzing, revving or churning, no talking, just the quiet of an immense region.

Then, there was sound. The crackling, popping and bumping of ice against one another, water crashing onto huge icebergs; slowly moving, turning, crunching. And then a noise I had not expected, completely foreign to me, it was beautiful and eerie at the same time. The leopard seal had begun to vocalise – a very rare occurrence and one that shook me to my core. I felt it, I felt the vibration of the astounding animal and was truly present in the moment.

That’s the beauty of Antarctica, it forces you to forget about daily life and worries and instead, catapults you into an experience where only that moment exists. There were days where we would land the Zodiacs on the rocky shores and enjoy watching and interacting with penguin colonies. At certain times of the year they’d be building their nests and we would watch as they stole rocks from their neighbours to build the best home. They’re comically cute creatures and are hilariously clumsy on land, but once they dive underwater they turn into aerodynamic jets, agile and fast.

I’ve had the opportunity to kayak away from the Zodiacs and the hum of

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the ship, finding stillness. I’ve been fortunate to have had countless whale encounters, humbling experiences with beings that bring a sense of wisdom and calm.

At times I’d enjoy moments of gratitude by myself. Drinking a cup of tea on the bow of the ship while passengers were on a shore excursion. Basking in the enormity of the snowy mountains and glaciers that hugged me. The sunsets are hard to describe. As the sun went down, the mountains would turn shades of deep pink, orange and yellow, reflecting off the still water and illuminating icebergs. The sun would disappear below the horizon briefly before rising again. These confusing sunsets don’t occur all summer long, however are very special when you get to witness one.

Many of these soul nourishing moments happened while I was with passengers or other staff working alongside me. Close bonds are formed instantly when sharing such experiences. I spent time with some of the most driven, badass, intelligent, down to earth humans I have the pleasure of knowing.

Many were women, working long, hard seasons in Antarctica driving Zodiacs, planning logistics, leading expeditions, providing expert knowledge, delivering amazing service and cooking delicious meals. Wild women are killing it in Antarctica and have created an inclusive atmosphere of ‘anything is possible’.

Every time I go back I feel a sense of going home, a feeling of connectedness with myself, with other humans, with the Earth; a sense of wholeness.

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MEET

Tahlia Wood

Tahlia Wood, born in Perth, Western Australia, was fortunate to travel from the age of four. Her first memories are from Nepal, trekking through the beautiful Himalayan villages to Everest base camp. Since then, she has travelled extensively and has lived in Canada for the last six years. She currently resides in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island where she works on a water buffalo dairy farm and enjoys exploring the mountains.

Simple

PLEASURES M A K I N G

P L A N T

B A B I E S

There is something incredibly grounding about being surrounded by nature and greenery, and indoor plants are the perfect way to incorporate nature into your own home.

One of my favourite gifts to give to my loved ones is a cutting or two of my hardy, black-thumb resistant plants. Come to my house and you will likely find jars and vials of cuttings – in various stages of growth – all over my kitchen.

Not only are plants wonderful for their calming effect and known air purifying benefits, when you grow your own, it’s also pretty damn economical.

Today I will show you how to take cuttings from a beautiful little plant (and one of my favourites) Ceropegia woodii, commonly known as Chain of Hearts. This is an easy plant to grow, doesn’t need frequent watering to survive, and cuttings quickly form roots.

S T E P

4

Place a cutting in your jar and fill with water until just above the root nodes.

WHAT YOU NEED

All you need to make your own babies are:

S T E P

2

Sharp scissors

Make a cut approximately 2–3 cm down

Glass jars

from the node and another just above the

And your plants of course

second or third lot of leaves.

S T E P

5

Place in a brightly lit spot, changing the water every few weeks. (I like to keep mine near my kitchen sink so I don’t forget S T E P

S T E P

1

them). You should see new root growth

3

forming within a few weeks. Your babies

Look carefully along the stem of your

Gently nip off the bottom leaves next to

will be ready to plant in a mix of 50/50

Chain of Hearts and notice the tiny

the rooting nodes.

regular and succulent potting mix when

nodules near the leaves. These little nodes

they have developed several root strands

are where new roots will form.

and are at least 5–10 cm in length.

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Dani

Hi I’m Dani, owner and operator of Wonder & Luck homewares and lifestyle, mum of three small people and one fur baby, and a crazy indoor plant lady. wonderandluck.com.au

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M O T H E R H O O D

the

Mountains & ME WORDS & IMAGES BY: KATE BOWN

Home was brimming with three children under three. Washing cascaded, love enveloped, and the chaos consumed. We yearned to ramble in the mountains and weave wild adventures into our lives. And so, we began planning our escape. My husband Anders suggested a bushwalk to Tasmania’s Frenchmans Cap with Arthur, the baby of our brood. My heart leapt, “Yes”.

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‘Frenchmans’, as it's affectionately known by Tasmanian bushwalkers, is a 1446 metre quartzite mountain in Tasmania’s Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Walking the 46 kilometre return track is a serious undertaking. The track is muddy and sections are rocky and exposed. Walkers are also vulnerable to the notorious ‘westerlies’ which can bring snow storms year-round. It would be my first time walking to Frenchmans – though it had been a dream for years.

Carrying a five-month-old baby on a three-day bushwalk to Frenchmans raised more than a few eyebrows. As a friend wished us well, she confided, “I hope the baby doesn’t cry all night”. There were many things that worried me: being five months post C-section, Arthur’s extra weight, and the enormity of caring for a baby in the wilderness. But in my heart I knew that a family bushwalking adventure was just what we needed.

Slowly the trip began to take shape. Grandma’s babysitting service was arranged. Weather outlook patterns were scouted for windows of calm conditions, and family bushwalks were embarked upon in Hobart’s surrounds. I started a packing list, though it was difficult to decide what to include. With an extra ten kilograms of baby to carry, Anders and I would be leaving the novels and spare clothes behind. In the evening, after the children were asleep, I agonised over how many nappies to carry and how to dress Arthur for his first trip. Anders kindly offered to organise the food after sensing my growing anxiety. We packed as lightly as possible for people who don't like to eat dehydrated meals. Thankfully, this time Anders left out the whole pumpkin and bottle of wine. I took a deep breath and stuffed it all into two walking packs.

After two aborted attempts due to poor weather, sick children and work commitments, we were finally on our way. Almost.

An unsettled afternoon with Arthur and my hopeful diagnosis of teething meant a trip to the chemist. As I dashed to the counter with my basket of wonders, the cashier smiled politely and said, “Dear, you are a mother in need”. I did not have the courage to tell her our bushwalking plans.

Out in the wilderness, we relaxed in the knowledge that babies don’t need much but love, food, and warmth. Teething rings were replaced with sticks, sensory cubes with rocks, books with a parent’s imagination, white noise with the rush of a river, and lullabies with the gentle rhythm of our walking.

After lunch, we walked joyously together along the Lodden Plains, Arthur beaming on top of Anders’ shoulders, his sunhat tied underneath his squishy double chin. I watched my feet make tracks in the sunburnt mud.

I listened to familiar calls of the Black Currawong and the rustling of the buttongrass heath. I felt alive and full of love for our little family and our island home. Suddenly, it seemed like all the hours of preparation had been worth it.

As we started our ascent of Phillips Lead, we delighted in curious walkers exclaiming, “There was a baby!” Navigating the steep and slippery terrain with Arthur strapped onto my front was challenging. When my legs crumpled under the weight, walking became more like acro-yoga, a delicate play of strength, balance and trust. At the top of the range I stopped to give Arthur a breastfeed. I was so pleasantly exhausted I didn’t notice I was tandem feeding a leech.

We arrived at Lake Vera Hut as the sun was setting. Arthur explored the hut on his tummy, delighting many new arrivals when they found a baby under foot. We set about preparing food and sleeping arrangements.

After dinner, we walked along the duckboards in socked feet to find our tent, pitched alone, with nothing but the stars and the distant mountains for company. Warm and snuggly under wool and down, we savoured our decision to move outside and avoid the orchestral snoring inside the hut. Arthur did wake more than usual, but it wasn’t too difficult to cuddle, feed and settle him next to us.

Out in the wilderness, we relaxed in the knowledge that babies don’t need much but love, food, and warmth.

We arrived bleary-eyed at the township of Derwent Bridge just before midnight. We had booked a hotel for the night so we could enjoy a complimentary hot breakfast and get an early start as the trailhead was just up the road. As if anything with babies goes to plan. Arthur woke before daybreak and we made the bittersweet decision to skip breakfast and make tracks.

A fine drizzle fell as we followed the winding path from the Frenchmans' car park down to the Franklin River. We’d agreed I would hold Arthur on my front in a baby carrier and have a pack on my back filled with lighter gear. Anders would carry the heavy items in a larger backpack. If I had timed it right Arthur would be ready for a sleep by then and we could get a few kilometres under our feet.

Arthur shaped our days on the track. We trudged while he slept and rested our legs when he grew hungry. Our arsenal, if the weather turned nasty, included walking underneath an umbrella, zipping Arthur inside my extra-large jacket, and as a last resort pitching our tent.

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As the sun rose, we unzipped the tent fly to watch the days first light erupt on the mountains around us. A few hours later we were

quickly. Arthur slept soundly in the carrier, enjoying being held close.

It was a glorious day in the mountains, not a flutter of wind and a crisp autumn sky.

Excitement bubbled as I opened the door of the newly built Lake Tahune hut. The sheer cliffs of Frenchmans loomed above. We were almost there. I found a sunny spot to breastfeed Arthur and wished that we had more time to stay here overnight. The view of the forested valley below from the windows, the proximity to the summit and the hydro-electric heating were very inviting. Another trip perhaps.

We unpacked lunch and despite not having any teeth, Arthur was enthusiastic. We had tried our best to cater for a baby in the wilderness: avocados, bananas, and squeeze tubes of pureed food. But alas, what goes in must come out and so there was nappy changing to be done in the wilderness. We double-bagged the dirty nappies which helped to contain the aromas as we carried them. Unfortunately, we missed out on the joys of a lighter pack at the end of our walk. While the weight of our food progressively dropped, the weight of the bag of nappies grew.

I agonised over how many nappies to carry and how to dress Arthur for his first trip.

standing atop Barron’s Pass: faces smiling, chests heaving with exhaustion, legs groaning, and voices laughing. The clouds parted and there was Frenchmans, the mountain we were chasing, its marbled peak glistening in the sun. We were mesmerised. Arthur snuggled against my cheek as we attempted a family self-portrait. Kingbilly pines fell away steeply in all directions. The rocky peaks surrounding us stood like guardians to the Tasmanian wilderness. My thoughts drifted.

Five years ago, I had almost lost everything.

Aged 27, I’d been diagnosed with a life threatening brain tumour. With time, the turmoil of surgery and treatment faded and were replaced with the joys and responsibilities of motherhood. I knew I’d been lucky to survive and to give birth to three precious children. But it was here, in the mountains, with my husband and our youngest, that I finally felt whole again.

Once Arthur was settled I followed Anders as he danced across the boulders on the track. We were on our way to Lake Tahune hut. Tucked beneath Frenchmans east face, it provided the perfect base for those wishing to summit. We planned to have lunch at Lake Tahune before climbing the final few kilometres to the top and returning back to our camp at Lake Vera. It was to be a long day but the next few hours went by

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Outside, Frenchmans beckoned, the weather was sublime, but in my heart I felt it was just a little too far. We were a long way from our camp at Lake Vera, deep in the wilderness with a baby. Perhaps, the summit could wait. Besides, Anders had summited before and I was grateful to have made it safely this far. We needed to let go of expectations. It’s the journey rather than the destination that’s important.

We giggled as we posed for a visiting photographer before returning to Lake Vera. Arthur cried and grizzled for much of our descent despite our valiant attempts to comfort him. After walking for five hours and arriving at nightfall, we felt we had made the right decision to turn around.

That evening, I was certain that Arthur would cut his first tooth; but of course it didn’t arrive for another two months.

Once home, I reflected on the three glorious days we’d shared together.

What an adventure it was. I’ll never know if Arthur was aware of his trip into the Tasmanian wilderness. I’m sure he was fascinated by his new surroundings and he would have loved listening to our cheerful voices as we walked along the track. Frenchmans had stirred something within me: a quiet confidence, gratitude for life and love, a rediscovery of the wild adventurous woman I thought I’d lost.

A year on, I try to make time for the things that matter the most to me: love, family, the mountains. And when all is still, I dream of our next wild adventure. A family traverse of the Tasmanian Arthur Ranges perhaps.

Kate Bown

Kate Bown is a mother of three, wife, adventurer and teacher who lives on the foothills of kunanyi (Mt Wellington) in Tasmania. She loves drinking tea, playing in the mountains, family e-bike adventures, cooking for her tribe, knitting jumpers and snuggling her pet cockatoo.

In the quiet spaces of family life, she likes to write stories about her adventures. katebown.com

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WEAR ABLE ART

M A N D U R A H W E S T E R N A U S T R A L I A

“THE BODY IS A VEHICLE AND THE STAGE A CANVAS FOR ENCOURAGING NEW WAYS OF VIEWING THE WORLD THROUGH REVOLUTIONARY WORKS OF ART FOR THE BODY.” – WEARABLE ART MANDURAH

SCARLETT

Monica Goodall

IMAGES BY: STEPHEN HEATH PHOTOGRAPHY & MAPTO WORDS BY: MELANIE CHATFIELD

Highly Commended Tertiary Student Award CORAL

Nasrin Qasemi competition attracts artists from around the globe and culminates in a dazzling, choreographed stage performance that brings art life, transfixes audiences and showcases the work of competition finalists.

This is no ordinary fashion event. Imagine elaborate and provocative sculptures. Think Jean Paul Gaultier meets Lady Gaga. Or ostentatious costumes from Rio Carnival.

Inclusive of all skill levels, ages and design forms, the competition invites artistic expression and creates opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to participate. All art forms are encouraged including sewing, felting, weaving, dyeing, leather tooling, beading, painting, knitting, crocheting and more.

Each original garment offers a new perspective on design as artists manipulate and transform fibres and finished fabrics, use traditional techniques in non-traditional ways and repurpose old materials. Careful consideration is given to the overall presentation of each piece including hair, make-up, movement and choice of model.

Along with their garment, each artist submits a statement describing their creative process of construction, symbolism, purpose or philosophy. As the story of the art is read aloud to the judges, models work the stage, flaunting intricate details, elaborate headpieces and unique design features.

T

he stage spotlights were so bright it was hard not to squint. Simple black curtains shrouded the intimate theatre and created an elegant backdrop to the parquetry stage.

“ARTISTS ARE INVITED TO EXPLORE THE WORLD OF WEARABLE ART

BY CREATING EXTRAVAGANT, REVOLUTIONARY, PROVOCATIVE WORKS OF ART ON THE BODY.”

A panel of judges, highly regarded in the disciplines of art, fashion and costume design, sat poised at a long table. They chatted quietly and studied the order of proceedings. Behind them, a small huddle of event organisers and invited guests fidgeted, struggling to keep their excitement to a whisper.

The MC took her position at the podium and an expectant hush fell on the room. Mesmerised, we gazed across the stage to the door. Slowly, it opened, and our eyes caught a glimpse of a swirling menagerie of artistic creations.

TAFTA INC Award

Welcome to the judging of Wearable Art Mandurah, Australia’s premiere wearable art event. The annual garment

Jacqueline Gibson

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SUBURBAN SPLENDOUR

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This year, 60 entries were received from artists across Australia and overseas including New Zealand, America and Romania. And the creativity was extraordinary. Old lampshades transformed

Powertex Award BOWERBIRD’S BLUES

Alana Grant and Ruby Vale

Among the categories this year were ‘A Land Down Under’ which showcased works that embraced the unique culture, architecture, iconography, people, flora and fauna of Australia.

In her piece Xanthorrhea Australis artist Lyn Blasgund paid homage to the the Australian Grass-tree. Endemic only to Australia, it is a unique icon of the Australian bush, a true survivor in a harsh land of drought and bushfires.

“EACH ORIGINAL GARMENT OFFERS A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON DESIGN...”

XANTHORRHEA AUSTRALIS

Lyn Blasgund

into millinery masterpieces, hundreds of individually wrapped cotton buds assembled and painted to mirror the anatomy of sunflower stamens, found bits of blue plastic meticulously arranged to feather the glittery nest of a bowerbird, discarded x-rays deconstructed to create an abstract collage of bones and tissues, and ironed plastic bottles fused with lace.

Not content with eyeballing the display from afar, judges frequently touched the complex layers, observed the creative use of everyday objects, investigated the structural integrity of extravagant wings and tails, and took note of the finer details, finishing touches and exquisite execution.

The competition comprises five categories and garments are judged across five criteria: artistic vision, originality, innovative use of materials, quality of craftsmanship, and construction and visual impact.

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In the ‘Avant Garde’ category, judges looked for experimental ideas and methods, favouring work that pushes the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or the status quo. Artist Monica Goodall was inspired by the character Scarlett O'Hara, from Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone With the Wind, who makes curtains into a Victorian style dress. Monica’s garment was made by manipulating old net curtains and repurposing an old novel to create a breathtaking sculptural form.

Forty-three garments were selected to go through to the final round of judging at the June showcase event, a ticketed event open to the public. The artist with the highest score across all categories earns the prestigious title of Wearable Art Mandurah Artist of the Year. Special awards support diversity in entrants and recognise artists living outside Australia, first-time entrants and tertiary students.

The Creative Reuse Award encourages artists to reuse discarded objects or materials to create a product of higher quality or value than the original. Eligibility requires a minimum of 80% repurposed materials to be used in the garment. First-time entrant Neroli Makim made her garment almost entirely from leftover pieces of scrap farming materials found in sheds including polythene pipe, fencing wire and paint.

More than just a garment competition, Wearable Art Mandurah also includes a series of artist workshops ranging from fashion illustration to practical headpiece creation. This year featured a workshop on zero-waste garment making, facilitated by passionate designers and pattern makers of sustainable fashion.

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It also provides a creative platform to explore and create awareness of issues in life, society or the environment. Artist Meagan Howe was so struck by the plight of migratory Shearwater fledglings, whose parents mistakenly feed them plastic instead of squid, that she created Mourning Birds to symbolise the sadness of Mother Earth.

Now in its ninth year, Wearable Art Mandurah is one of the city’s most engaging artistic attractions and has grown significantly since its inception at the City’s annual Stretch Arts Festival. City of Mandurah Mayor Rhys Williams says that he continues to be blown away by the quality of the garments and that this year is no different.

“Over the years Wearable Art Mandurah has established itself as a premier event, attracting entries from across the globe, showcasing the city as a cultural hub to local, national and international audiences.”

Mandurah, a picturesque coastal city located in the Peel Region of Western Australia, boasts a strong cultural heritage which began with the Binjareb people of the Bibbulmum Nation. The Aboriginal community is custodian of the land which centres on the waterways, rivers, lakes, estuary, ocean and coastal plains that the region is known for. Such natural wonders provide a stunning backdrop for on location photography of selected garments and offer a unique perspective on some of Mandurah’s most popular tourist attractions.

Wearable Art Mandurah is a spectacular family friendly event guaranteed to equally satisfy lovers of art and fashion and those curious to try something different. And while you give your creative heart a workout, don’t miss out on all the nature based activities the region has to offer. wearableartmandurah.com

Land Down Under Category MOURNING BIRDS

Meagan Howe

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2019 / WINNERS First Time Entrant Award Morte, An Australian Bunyip

Marie Wright and Taralee Freeman (NZ) Powertex Award Bowerbird’s Blues

Alana Grant and Ruby Vale Gillian Kaye Peebles Youth Award Voyage of the Ancestor

Catherine Shepherd TAFTA INC Award Suburban Splendour Jacqueline Gibson Highly Commended Tertiary Student Award Coral

Nasrin Qasemi Tertiary Student Award Gaudy Mask Dress

April Richards Youth Award In Bloom

Teddy McRitchie Movement Award Regeneration

Ardea Murphy Avant-Garde Award Just Breathe

Stephanie Munro Land Down Under Category Mourning Birds

Meagan Howe Creative Re-use Award X-Ray Vision

Lyn Blasgund International Artist of the Year Award Icy Willow

Antoaneta Tica Artist of the Year Award Il Etait Une Fois

Jacq Chorlton

M A N D U R A H

&

P E E L

( R E G I O N )

EXPLORE LIKE A LOCAL 1. Hire a boat or join a cruise and watch the friendly, wild dolphins play as you cruise Mandurah’s waterways and network of canals.

2. Take in the sights and sounds of the incredible, internationally significant Peel-Yalgorup Wetland System as you explore by canoe or kayak.

3. Watch the sunrise as you drift along the calm, peaceful waters of Mandjar Bay on a paddleboard.

4. Swim at the beautiful Serpentine Falls in Serpentine National Park.

5. Camp at the beautiful Lane Poole Reserve and enjoy all the nature experiences on offer.

6. Delight in the colourful wildflowers that bloom throughout the region in spring.

7. Visit the 2,000-year-old thrombolite reef at Lake Clifton and see what life was like when the earth began.

8. Grab your binoculars and go bird watching at many locations in the Peel-Yalgorup Wetland System, where thousands of migratory birds visit every year.

9. Watch kangaroos grazing at Serpentine National Park or Melros Reserve in Mandurah.

10. Wander through the forest, along the coast, by a river or over wetlands on a walking trail. visitpeel.com.au

Photo credit: MAPTO and Russell Ord Photography

puT yoUR feET up afTEr a daY of adVEnTurINg

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Happy Place Finalist

Jayme Great Ocean Road (VIC, Australia)

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Days by the sea, chasing her.

Makes my soul happy.

-

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J AY M E

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REBECCA

CHERYL

ELISHA

20 Finalists

#HAPPYPLACETPL #TRAVELPLAYLIVEMAGAZINE E M I LY

JADA

JANELLE

J AY M E

JESSICA

KIM

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JEMMA

KIM

KYLIE

MICHELLE

SOPHIA

LIZZY

M AYA

N AT H A N

R OWA N

ULRIKA

Ż A N E TA

Thank you to everyone who submitted their photos into the Mother’s Day Happy Place Competition. A huge thanks to Macpac who came on board as major sponsor and donated some amazing prize vouchers ($500 - winners, $250 - runners up and $20 finalists).

HAPPYPLACE

PHOTO Competition

Winner: Kylie - Moeraki Boulders,NZ (cover) Life member (includes quarterly print magazine) & $500 Macpac voucher.

Runner Up: Elisha - Tiger’s Nest, Paro, Bhutan (inside front cover) 2 year Tribe membership (subscription) & $250 Macpac voucher.

18 Finalists: (pictured) $20 Macpac voucher. travelplaylive.com.au for details.

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P R E - O R D E R YO U R 0100 C O Travel PY N OLive W COLLECTIVEHUB.COM Play