Travel Play Live - Issue #3

Travel Play Live

AU $12.95

ISSUE #3 Autumn 2016

The Women’s Adventure Lifestyle Magazine

ADVENTURE

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EMPOWER

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INSPIRE

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DREAM

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CHANGE

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T H E

T R A V E L

P L A Y

L I V E

manifesto We are the trails, the rides, the climbs, the weekends away, road trips, intrepid journeys and epic adventures.

We travel wide and live deep.

Always seeking our true north. We have an insatiable thirst to know our world. We trust our inner voice and give ourselves permission to wonder, dare and dream.

we seize every opportunity.

We step into the messiness of life and work to bring change. All the while letting the journey unfold before us. We risk bold undertakings with uncertain outcomes. Knowing there will be both high peaks and deep valleys. And that adventure is merely our state of mind.

Listening closely to the whisper of the wild.

ADVENTURE

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EMPOWER

We commit, p e rs e ve re, endure, overcome.

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INSPIRE

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DREAM

We are uniquely beautiful. Sun on our skin, mud on our feet, wind in our hair. We know the journey is forever unfolding. From all walks of life.

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CHANGE

We keep our eye on the prize whilst we run our own race.

Forging new paths and seeing the joyin the road less travelled.

Standing boldly atop our mountains. We are Travel Play Live. *coffee, chocolate & wine optional extras

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Our awesome Travel Play Live team made up of some of our readers and adventurers taking a mandatory selfie at this years Sydney Coastrek.

Letter from the Editor.

Welcome to Autumn, quite possibly my favourite time of the year. We have had a huge few months here at Travel Play Live. Kez took a group of women to Tasmania, we sponsored some great events and initiatives like the CBR100, Gear Up Girl and the Sydney Business Rides Challenge, we also headed down to Sydney Coastrek – a fantastic event hosted by Wild Women on Top; you can read about their CEO Di Westaway in this issue.

We also have a story about the amazing young woman Alyssa Azar who is currently in Nepal for her third attempt of the mother of all mountains – Everest – we will be following her journey very

closely over on Facebook. By the time you read this, I will be back from my epic ride through Vietnam and Cambodia with Inspired Adventures and the UN Women National Committee Australia's Ride for Rights team, you can find all my pictures and stories on our website, Instagram and Facebook page, so go and check it out.

This issue is filled to the brim once again with great stories, inspirational women, practical tips and how tos plus so much more, so kick back, switch off the smart phone and enjoy.

CONNECT WITH US

www.travelplaylive.com.au @travelplaylive FOUNDER + CHIEF EDITOR.

Amy Heague amy@travelplaylive.com.au FOUNDER + DIRECTOR OF ADVENTURE.

Kerryann Hayes kez@travelplaylive.com.au RELATIONSHIPS MANAGER.

Alice King alice@travelplaylive.com.au NEW COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS AND ADVERTISING.

Kara Geyer kara@themediahut.com.au + 61 411 299 380 EDITOR & WRITER.

Lucy Stone CREATIVE. Copyritght TPL Publishing PTY LTD 2015. No part of this publication may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

Two Minds Creative

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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TPL PHOTOGRAPHY.

Ben Cirulis, Shane Chalker & Jim Zirn COVER IMAGE.

Arwen Dyer

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This Issues

CONTRIBUTORS. Head to our website to meet our growing list of contributors pioneering Australian Women's Adventure.

Emma Chalmers

Tracey Croke

Karla Gilbert

Leah Gilbert

Hanny Allston

Lucy Stone

Jane Grover

Kerith Duncanson

Em Esslemont

Emma Francis

Kellie Emmerson

Lisa Murphy

www.travelplaylive.com.au/contributors Would you like to write for Travel Play Live Magazine & our online Journal? Perhaps you have a story to share? We are looking to partner with writers and bloggers across a variety of adventure and travel disciplines. Maybe you are a brand looking to get your product or destination reviewed? Contact us with your details and a sample of your work (or wares) and we will get back to you if we feel there is a good fit. submissions@travelplaylive.com.au

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SUBSCRIBE &

JOIN THE BECOME A ADVENTURE PIONEERING ADVENTURESS

There is no telling what kind of misadventures you might get up to while trying to get your hands on future copies of Travel Play Live Magazine, so let us take the worry out of your adventure by offering you this yearly subscription deal! Subscribe and go in the draw to win some great prizes. Details on page 79.

just

$48 + P&H

SUBSCRIBE AND JOIN THE ADVENTURE For just $48 + P&H That’s four beautifully inspiring, empowering and adventurous copies of our magazine delivered to your door full of great seasonal ideas to inspire you to travel, play, live!

Travel Play Live magazine

Head to our website www.travelplaylive.com.au/subscribe *International Options Available

www.travelplaylive.com.au

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NEVER GIVE UP

WILD WOMAN ON TOP

There is a resistance to the messages women are being sold and change is coming

She was attempting Everest during last year’s earthquake, Alyssa Azar shares her story

With her Olympic dreams dashed, Di Westaway has finally come out on top

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MONIQUE CLIMBS

COMING HOME TO A NORMAL LIFE POST ADVENTURE

WELCOME TO THE REBELLION

WINNING THE BABY RACE Just how does a free spirited adventure athlete reconcile herself with motherhood?

Monique Forestier one of Australia’s top climbers gives us a peek into her world.

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NECESSITY – THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

TO KYRGYZSTAN AND BACK

42 RIDE FOR RIGHTS How one cycle adventure fundraiser is changing womens's lives

We meet the fascinating inventor and anthropologist Dr Annie Holden

Kyrgyzstan, a mountain bike, Soviet-era maps, and a few pack horses for support

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THE ‘GYPSY’ WAY OF LIFE

THE OVERTRAINING PARADOX

GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY Two mums share their stories on adventuring with the family

Meet Maggie Joyce - ocean going traveller and self professed gypsy

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THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE HIMALAYAN 100.

Partner Running

TWO RUNNERS, THREE DAYS AND THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD

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NOURISH

THE TRAVEL PLAY LIVE DIRECTORY

MIND YOUR MOUTH How to stop being a mindless eater

Delicious recipes from Jane Grover

Over training syndrome is not just for the elite athletes

60 THE HAPPY WALK One woman's epic solo adventure to raise awareness on mental health

For all your adventurous needs, social scene, events & more

READ MORE Head over to our website to for bonus content, competitions and previous articles www.travelplaylive.com.au/magazine-home and our regular online Journal www.travelplaylive.com.au/journal

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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Photography by: Noël A. Alvarenga. IG @noel.alva

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"YOU WILL LEARN A LOT FROM YOURSELF IF YOU STRETCH IN THE DIRECTION OF GOODNESS, OF BIGNESS, OF KINDNESS, OF FORGIVENESS, OF EMOTIONAL BRAVERY. BE A WARRIOR FOR LOVE." - CHERYL STRAYED

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welcome to the

REBELLION

BY EMMA CHALMERS - WWW.REBELOLOGY.COM.AU

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hen I first saw Travel Play Live, I admit I threw a fist punch in the air. You have to understand that when I see any medium triumph over mainstream media by standing on their own creative innovation, my inner rebel celebrates a step forward in progress towards diversity.

Over my fifteen-year career as a coach, television personality, presenter, producer and now podcast host I have been called many things.

‘Rebel at heart’ is the one that rings true -- to the point that I created my entire business and career on the principle of rebellion.

In 2008 the tag line for my personal training business was ‘a change is coming’. It wasn't just a catchy line to entice people to train with me. It was a reflection of what I could see happening in society, on a cultural level in relation to our fitness, along with my affection for our inner rebel who sub-consciously rejects decades of cultural conditioning so we can forge our own path. It seemed over the years that every client who came to me for training or coaching was always on the cusp of personal rebellion. And what a beautiful, exciting and messy threshold it is, when you choose to break free from the confines of the limiting beliefs and behaviours you know suffocate your soul and stand up to say, ‘this is my body, my life and my rules.’

word had spread. There was another way to become healthy.

One of the greatest contributing factors for the early pivot from fitness towards wellness was the internet and a connection with like minds through social media. Advertisers and manufacturers who once dictated the one-way conversation were finally being met with a two way exchange. As women started to break open to tell the truth and articles about their weight loss journeys in blogs, Facebook posts, Instagram pics and tweets, indirect permission was granted to redefine wellness according to their own terms. It started a movement that referred to self-love, respect and empowerment. It asked us to look towards an emotional resolve and self-care as opposed to the ‘perfect body’. We began to show that happiness doesn't come on the scales or in a dress size. As a result of this cultural awakening, the grip of fearbased marketing began to slip.

The other influencing factor was the access to self-education. Wellness practitioners and trainers educated their clients on the process of wellbeing, not just the outcome.

Free internet resources, online courses and books became readily available to enable any eager student to be knowledgeable on selfcare. Women became equipped with two game changers: connectivity and self-education. They could finally question the perfections of beauty and body image via a post and watch the protest go viral within hours. People now have the ability to express their view publicly about any campaign or weight loss program and offer an alternative suggestion based on new education, empowered self-reflection and diversity.

One of the greatest contributing factors for the early pivot from fitness towards wellness was the internet and a connection with like minds through social media.

Needless to say I became a specialist in the graceful art of personal rebellion. In marketing terms, rebellion became the foundation of my brand, the messages and my greatest contribution. That later expanded to pursue the study and commentary of the cultural narrative of social psychology that is currently being articulated in the western world. After appearing on prime time TV as the rogue trainer in Australia’s Next Model and the Biggest Loser, the exposure of my message and work spread nationally. As multiple sold-out tours and private coaching progressed, the rebellion became more evident culturally in 2012 when women in the Western world started to actively question weight loss programs, the marketing and messages of fitness and looked more towards personal wellness as a substitute. So did many other trainers around the country. They started to execute programs directed towards wellbeing as opposed to fitness. This created a resistance to the dogma of commercial fitness.

This industry had never suspected the consumer would create a resistance to the messages, marketing and doctrines it delivered -- let alone that it would come from their most valuable consumer: women.

You see, the women who began to question the fitness industry, advertising campaigns and media messages just so happened to be 72% of the market share. The rebellion officially came alive as women throughout Western culture started to question the media messaging that was formulated on the principles of self-loathing. They started to blog and share their protest at a rapid rate.

Women who were once responsible for funding nearly three-quarters of a multi-billion dollar industry slowly started to withdraw their investments in the search of solutions that didn't make them feel like a failure. By working with the new breed of the ‘wellness practitioner’, they began to repair the adrenal fatigue inflicted by years of smashing themselves in workouts and starving their bodies of nutrients. The

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In 2016, the fitness, beauty and weight loss industries have met their match. The empowered free thinkers have gathered and so has their investment power. It has now reached a point where the protest is no longer background noise. These divine rebels have the collective power to shut down a brand or product overnight. We are seeing more often than not that big companies with a multi-million dollar advertising department are being forced to remove adverts and post apologies when a campaign is met with resistance. While some critics cry out against the ‘over-sensitive movement’ of body positivity and diversity, the desire to obtain self-love and acceptance has outgrown the protests. One of the greatest mistakes a brand, provider, advertiser or profiled figure can make is to overlook the REBELLION as just a simple glitch in political correctness.

Do you realise you may have enlisted as a ground soldier? History prevails. Before every revolution there is a fight. Every time you question the status quo, share a post on body love or self-acceptance or invest in your own self education on self-care, you are funding the revolution. Every time you promote body positive, self-acceptance and diversity in our culture you have answered the call. Your small little post, protest or investment in the wellness of your body, mind and spirit could in fact deconstruct a $60 billion dollar industry and YOU could change the landscape for our future generations. Did you realise you were so powerful?

In 2008 the tagline of my business was ‘a change is coming’. In 2016, the change is here. You as the audience, the readers, the consumers, the bloggers and the sharers are the front line.

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Never Ever Give Up

ALYSSA AZAR She conquered Kokoda at eight, was attempting Everest when it was struck by an avalanche in 2014 and the 2015 earthquake, so we have all our fingers crossed for Alyssa Azsar who is right now making her third attempt at Everest. When she succeeds, she will become the youngest Australian ever to summit the mother of all mountains.

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I

What helped you stay focused and safe?

as it was the beginning of my adventures and

The first season I was on Everest was 2014. I

it was a huge goal of mine at the time. Also

was in Base Camp on the 18th of April when an

climbing in South America was a highlight. I was

avalanche happened in the icefall right outside

on Mt Aconcagua in 2014 before heading to

of Base Camp. Then, on April 25, 2015 I was at

Everest and I’ve been wanting to go back ever

trail that makes most grown men (and

Everest Base Camp when the Nepal earthquake

women) weak at the knees?

occurred. We were meant to begin our climb

since.

I was eight years old when I completed Kokoda.

that morning when our head Sherpa in camp

It was my idea and something I had wanted to

wanted to delay it one day as there had been

do since I was five years old. My Dad was (and

a lot of snowfall in the icefall. I was in the mess

still is) a trekking guide and worked on the track

tent and then went to my singular tent and was

and that’s how I knew about it. I would regularly

there for about 20 minutes when I felt everything

train with him and his clients and a few years

shaking. It took a second to process what it was

later went and crossed the track. The locals at

and I could hear a noise outside so unzipped

your environment. Other major hurdles have

that time had never seen someone so young

the back of my tent and saw nothing but white

been getting these expeditions together and

who wasn’t a local. We would stop in villages

cloud and snow coming through Base Camp.

finding sponsorship. Also being mentally and

along the way and they’d come out and say hi

Base Camp was torn apart with casualties as well

n 2005 you completed the Kokoda trail. How old were you, whose idea was that and what did the locals make of a young blonde Aussie girl taking on a

and some would touch my skin or play with my hair. It was an amazing experience.

What have been some of your biggest hurdles?

My biggest hurdles have been the circumstances outside of my control. You have to accept in the mountains that you can’t know what’s coming and have to be able to adapt to

physically prepared is a hurdle that I always take

as a large number throughout Nepal. Most of

very seriously.

my tent had been buried under the avalanche

What motivates you to keep going?

Where does this insatiable desire to climb

but a small section at the front was clear which

I am motivated by my goals and I am driven to

mountains and take on challenges most of

meant I could get out. Immediately after it

achieve them. There are some really tough times

us only dream of come from?

stopped I began looking for the rest of our

but that’s what makes the climb so significant

I think I’ve always had the desire to pursue a

team. After we’d found out that the earthquake

and special. I enjoy all aspects of climbing and I

challenge and I like seeing what I am capable of.

came from Kathmandu we knew we would have

keep going because I don’t ever want to quit. I

Climbing mountains puts you in a real and raw

to stay on the trails but also knew aftershocks

environment and you have to dig deep at times

could set off more avalanches so we continued

am always motivated to push through whatever

and I think it exposes your true character and

down to Namche and other villages along the

what you’re capable of to yourself. I like having a

trail and stayed put until it was safe to fly out.

challenge in front of me to take on.

There’s a lot of luck with being safe but also I

You have made two previous attempts

think it is important to keep a really clear head

to summit Everest. First in 2014 when

and keep calm under pressure.

a tragic avalanche claimed sixteen

As this magazine hits letterboxes, you

Nepalese guides. The 2014 avalanche is

will be making your third attempt. What

the second-deadliest disaster in Everest's

goes on up there? How long are you on the

history, only superseded by avalanches

mountain and what is the day to day life

that struck the southern side of the

like during the summit attempt?

mountain the following year, on 25 April

It is a 65 day expedition. I leave in late March

2015, when you were also there for your

and after a couple of days in Kathmandu and

love to do North and South Pole Expeditions

second attempt. That kind of thing would

meeting with other climbers on my expedition

and pretty much anywhere in very remote

be enough for even the most seasoned

we fly to Lukla and from there begin the trek into

wilderness interests me.

climbers to call it quits, but not you. So

Everest Base Camp. After we spend some time

For our readers who are facing their own

why are you going back?

in Base Camp we begin our ‘rotations’ up the

mountains -- be they physical or otherwise

The last two seasons were tragic and really

mountain which means we climb up to different

-- what is your best piece of advice?

reinforced that you never really know what is

points, slowly acclimatising to higher altitudes

going to happen. It’s not easy to just bounce

and coming back down to base camp in

I would say to believe in yourself and don’t be

back after two expeditions but I was never

between. This process takes several weeks and

going to just walk away. I knew I still wanted to

once we’ve done our last rotation, usually up

climb and I never considered not going back. I

to around 7,000m or even higher, we then rest

love climbing and Everest is still my dream and I

in base camp and sometimes at an even lower

only think of Everest still in a very positive way. I

altitude before heading back up the mountain

always expect to be tested when I’m on a climb,

on our ‘summit push.’ We’ll also be looking at

and find out more, where can they go?

especially on Everest, and I view the last two

weather forecasts frequently to determine when

You can follow along at: alyssaazar.com.au

seasons as being a real test to my commitment.

is best to push for the summit.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/

Just like any other obstacle on the climb I never

So far, of all your adventures have there

wanted to give up.

been some key highlights that stand out

Can you share with us what it was like to

to you?

Instagram: www.instagram.com/alyssaazar/

be there when those events took place?

I think Kokoda in 2005 was definitely a highlight

Powered by Mountain Designs

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I’m going through and accomplish what I set out to do.

After Everest, what are your hopes for the future?

It’s hard to say right now and I am not looking too far ahead with this expedition in front of me.

There is still a lot I would like to do. I would like to complete the Seven Summits next and am also incredibly inspired by 8000m peaks. High altitude expeditions are what I enjoy the most and I see myself continuing that. I also would

afraid to go for your dreams. I’ve learnt from climbing that everything you need to succeed is within you. It is about what’s inside and strength of character. Just have faith and go for it.

If our readers want to follow your journey

AlyssaAzarAdventurer Twitter: twitter.com/alyssaazar

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WOMAN On Top

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As a kid she was an outsider, spending her time doing cartwheels and flips on the grass in her front yard. When an injury dashed her Olympic dreams, she spent the next 20 years in mourning - searching for the exhilaration and happiness she had enjoyed as a kid. On the precipice of turning 40 she stumbled upon a marvel which transformed her life. Meet the woman behind Wild Women on Top and Coastrek poised to attempt a handstand on the knife edge summit of the world’s most beautiful mountain.

I N T E RV I E W BY K E R RYA N N H AY E S W I T H DI W E S TAWAY, C E O OF

WILD WOMEN ON TOP

Tell us a little about your background.

Tell us about Wild Women On Top (WWOT),

sight because the gift of sight transforms not just

When I was little, I was an outsider. While

where did it all begin? After I returned from

the blind person, but all those around them. It’s

other kids were hanging out at the mall and

Aconcagua, I started bush walking at night with

often the little girls who have to guide them, so

sneaking a quick fag behind the toilets, I was

a bunch of friends who wanted to get fit for treks.

if mum gets her sight back, her daughter can go

turning cartwheels and flips on the grass in my

Over a glass of bubbles at Christmas drinks we

to school. It’s truly life-changing for the whole

front yard. I fell in love with gymnastics at 8 and

decided we should climb Mt Kilimanjaro. A

family.

was obsessed with it till I became the national

few more drinks and we were doing the Seven

gymnastics champion at 16. Then I suffered

Summits.

What lessons have you learnt from your

a complete severing of my hamstring. While

I trained the girls for a few years, but more and

to running a successful business? The

more women wanted to join and I realised I’d

power of the mind. I call it the trek mindset.

found my new passion – a way to help women

The trek mindset teaches us how to turn

get fit with friends in nature. Heading off into the

obstacles into opportunities, work together,

wilderness, leaping out of your comfort zone into

and lift as we climb. It makes us strong, resilient,

the unknown is really awesome.

compassionate, energised, happy and healthy so

That was 10 years ago. I resigned from my job as

we can kick arse at work, home and in life.

a journalist, and started Wild Women On Top,

It’s exactly the same as running a successful

Life Changing Adventures.

business – highs and lows, unexpected

What changes have you seen in women’s

obstacles, plans that change, emotions to be

participation in adventurous pursuits

managed, and it’s a long hard haul with extreme

over you career? More women are taking

exhilaration when you achieve the goal.

on extreme adventures, and more women are

Do you have a bucket list? Abso-bloody-

getting fit outside the gym. The number of

lutely! I have buckets of bucket lists. This year’s

women participating in World Adventure tours

big hairy audacious goal is a handstand on the

recovering I told myself I was too old to be an Olympian and then spent the next 20 years in mourning. I was searching for the exhilaration and happiness I had enjoyed as a kid.

Coming from a gym/fitness background in your early 20’s what inspired you to seek more outdoor experiences? When I was about to turn 40 I stumbled upon a marvel which transformed my life. A friend’s personal trainer invited me to join his team to climb Mt Aconcagua, 7,982m, the highest mountain in the Southern hemisphere. It sounded like scary fun, and I hoped it might motivate me to get fit again.

It wasn’t easy. In fact, it was really f**ing hard.

Juggling work, family and training was tricky.

I had to bribe grumpy kids on bikes while I jogged, or let them play hide and seek in the mountaineering shop while I hastily grabbed the

outdoor experiences that would apply

has increased significantly in the past 20 years - growing from around 38% in 1996 to 53% in 2016.

knife edge summit of the world’s most beautiful mountain, Mt Alpamayo, 5,950m in Peru in July with a team of gorgeous girls. Then I’ll climb

required expedition gear. I squeezed in weight

We’ve seen it in our Coastrek, 30-60km Team

Mt Olympus and walk across Crete with my

training while they slept and did push ups in

Trekking Challenges. Women make up nearly

daughter, followed by Mt Vinson in Antarctica

the TV ad breaks. But I was excited, happy and

90% of participants and over 13,000 walkers who

in February 2017. After that, a rock climbing

energised. The call to adventure gave me a new

have taken that challenge. There’s also heaps

adventure on the Greek Island of Kalymnos

purpose.

more outdoor events for women, like fun runs

and as well as a few cycling and sea kayaking

and adventure races, which gives them mini

adventures. In between all that, our business goal

goals to get them fit. This builds confidence and

is to get 50,000 women trekking by 2020 and

leads up to big goals when the time is right.

raise $50 million for charity.

surprised to discover it wasn’t at all like they’d

And with the rise of social media, and fantastic

What is your advice to our readers who

said in the brochure. We had to learn how to

magazines like TPL, women are able to connect

are teetering on the cusp of their first big

wee into a zip-lock bag in a tent, how to survive

with other women, hear their stories and learn

active adventure? JFDI … Just friggin do it.

a blizzard, how to melt snow for a cup of tea

that adventure is fun and makes them fit and

It’s like this … all you need to do is find a buddy,

and how to endure nausea and migraines from

strong.

find an adventure, sign up, start training, and do

mountain sickness. We got lost, got sick, couldn’t

WWOT and Coastrek are huge supporters

something little towards your goal every day. It’s

breathe, couldn’t eat and failed to summit.

of the Fred Hollows Foundation. Can you

not selfish. Its ‘helpfish’. When you’ve got an

But when it was over, we were exhilarated. And

tell us why you chose that charity and what

adventure to look forward to everybody benefits,

this exhilaration proved to be addictive. This

is it about what they do that inspires you?

because when you take the challenge, you get

adventure transformed our lives. The hard scary

Nearly 60% of the world’s blind are women and

fitter, stronger, healthier and happier; which

stuff had made us ridiculously happy, euphoric.

The Fred Hollows Foundation restores their sight.

makes you a better wife, partner, mum, grandma

And it made us fit and strong. We were hooked.

We are passionate about trekking to restore

and friend.

Six months later I flew to Argentina with my best buddy. We were as excited and nervous as five year olds on the first day of school. I was

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THINGS WE ARE LOVING

THIS AUTUMN Autumn is upon us. The days are getting shorter, the mornings are getting cooler, but we think it is one of the best times of the year to get outdoors and see the world. We’ve found a few cool items to help you get the most from all your travel and play this season.

LAMZAC HANGOUT

Photo: IG @shams_filmmaker

After their YouTube video went viral recently, the Lamzac Hangout sold out, and we can see why! But don’t fret, they promise more are on their way.

The Lamzac Hangout from the Netherlands is a comfortable seat or sofa for two that you can fill with air within seconds using their unique filling technique. While the hangout is large and comfy when you use it, it is easily deflated and stored in a small package allowing you to take it anywhere you want! As a result the Hangout is the perfect buddy for all your outdoor activities such as travelling, festivals, beach trips, hanging out in the park and much more. Meanwhile the lightweight but strong and durable fabric will ensure that you can use the Lamzac Hangout over and over again.

To find out more lamzac.com

THE TRAVEL BRA. There is nothing worse than bulky plastic passport pouches. I for one have been looking for an alternative, and then this stroke of genius came across my desk.

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Winning the

BABY RACE WORDS BY EMMA FRANCIS - WWW.WHOANELLIEBLOG.COM

How does a free-spirited adventure athlete reconcile herself with motherhood? She turns it into a competitive sport.

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hat has become of me?

Six months ago I would have been salivating over the specs of the latest Trek Top Fuel mountain bike, or scouring the internet for the next epic adventure race to sink my Salomons into.

Instead, I’m scouring Baby Bunting, weighing up the merits of attachment parenting, and wondering if sterilising bottles is really that necessary. Meanwhile my ever-increasing baby bump is testing the limits of my ‘normal’ jeans, while my rapidly atrophying quadriceps remind me I must dust off the wind-trainer while I can still actually get on it.

It’s official: this free-spirited, don’t-fenceme-in adventure athlete has officially joined the ranks of the breeders.

How did this happen? As a latecomer to the world of adventure sports, babymaking was the last thing on my to-do list.

Indeed, mere weeks before I conceived, I’d completed the toughest, most profoundly life-affirming adventure race of my short career: the nine-day XPD in North Queensland. And to be perfectly honest, the exhilarating freedom of that week partially lost in the wilderness, in the company of some unapologetically unfettered women, didn’t exactly fire up my maternal instincts. On the contrary, it left me feeling more ambivalent than ever about parenthood.

biological clock. Despite all these very valid reservations, the panic of a 37th birthday spurred me into action. If my partner and I wanted children – and ultimately we did – there was no time like the present. In fact, there was no time, full stop.

And so I did what any other free-spirited, don’t-fence-me-in adventure athlete does when staring down the barrel of swollen ankles, sleep schedules and the end of spontaneity – I channelled all my competitive energies into the baby race.

Indeed, my training for baby began in much the same spirit as my training for adventure racing: with all the blind optimism and, dare I say it, inflated ego, of someone who doesn’t have a clue. Just as I assumed I would be a natural athlete and rise to the top quickly with a bit of half-arsed training (I didn’t), so too did I convince myself I would be a natural at pregnancy and parenthood; a shining exception to the mummy-blogger mantra that insists it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do.

Harder than paddling a kayak across Bass Strait, or hiking 30 hours through thick North Queensland rainforest? Pfft!

Oh, the humanity!

While the getting pregnant bit was surprisingly easy (analogous to paying the entry fee for a race), reality soon caught up with me. As the debilitating nausea and fatigue of the first trimester set in, I realised that perhaps I wouldn’t be one of those mums that runs a half-marathon on the way to the delivery room after all.

Instead, with all this time to wallow on the couch and “take it easy”, I began Googling everything and anything on pregnancy and parenthood, and soon found myself falling down the rabbit hole of modern motherhood, where anxiety reigns and every cross word or non-organic mouthful condemns your child to a lifetime of therapy and pharmaceuticals. Before I knew it, I was forming strident, self-righteous views on everything from self-soothing to privateversus-public school.

Well, never underestimate the power of the

And to think how simple it was when it

How will I cope with not being able to train for a whole nine months? How will I live without my daily dose of off-road adrenalin?

What if, despite my best intentions, I never regain my pre-parenthood fitness or competitive drive? Worse, what if I become one of those harried mums I see so often loitering impatiently at race finish lines, jiggling fussy babies or wrangling tired toddlers, while dad indulges his mid-life crisis out on course?

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was just me, my bike, and some sweet singletrack.

But was it really that simple then? Wasn’t I plagued by the same feelings of inadequacy and anxiety when I was in the thralls adventure racing? Wasn’t I similarly crippled by self-doubt and overly concerned about what others thought? That I wasn’t fast or tough enough? That I didn’t train hard enough? That I’d never live up to my own expectations, or the imaginary expectations of others?

Didn’t I often wish that I could just let go of the ego, chill out and enjoy the moment?

Much like now?

It seems in an age when success, celebrity and individualism is revered above service, humility and community, we are always subconsciously competing, or, perhaps more accurately, comparing – be it out on a training run with friends, or at coffee with mothers’ group.

But here’s what I’ve also discovered. One of the great gifts of procreation is how quickly it changes one’s perspective and reveals what is truly important in life: namely, love.

I reckon to care deeply and unconditionally for someone or something other than ourselves is as close as we’re going to get to the meaning of life, at least in this century.

And the more I care about this little person growing inside me, the less I care about if or when I’ll compete at the same level again.

Of course, I will keep racing and having athletic adventures in the great outdoors – that is my oxygen – but perhaps the destination will be less important than the journey. And that is a blessing.

Besides, if I don’t ever get back to my pre-baby form, I can always project all my unfulfilled dreams onto my child. That’s what they’re for, right?

Emma Francis is an adventure racing coach with Peak Adventure. See www. peakadventure.com.au for more details.You can also read her blog at www.whoanellieblog.com

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a picture is worth a

THOUSAND

WORDS

WORDS BY LEAH GILBERT-BODYPOSITIVEATHLETES.WORDPRESS.COM

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The sense of pride you have in your own ability, strength and perseverance is unwavering - until the official photos come in. As you stare at the watermarked images, you get that familiar sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, and your heart sinks.

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ix months of solid training. Six months of blood, sweat, blisters, chafing and tears. Of doubts, fears, nerves, and triumph -- you’ve done it.

You’ve completed your event, and the experience was everything you had visualised during all of those training sessions. The times are in and you are pleased with your efforts-- until the official photos come in.

I will freely admit that I used to have terrible trouble with my expectations around my race photos. Here I was conquering 10km runs, first triathlons, 17.5km runs where my body hurt so much I sobbed on completion, you name it -- amazing life experiences I will always treasure, and all of that joy, pride and elation could be wiped away at the first glimpse of a race photo.

This seems to be a common occurrence for many of us, and we all seem to find it equally disappointing. We feel like we have come so far in our personal development, yet of all of the things that have the potential to ‘undo’ us, it’s the sight of ourselves.

So what is it about these images that makes us so uncomfortable? It is actually the sight of ourselves, or does our discomfort in fact reflect bigger factors at play?

After thinking about this long and hard, I theorise that 50% of the answer is found in our socially constructed beliefs around what ‘effort’ or exertion should look like, with the remainder equally attributable to our newfound discomfort with candid images and our mental confusion of what a race/ event photo actually represents.

This also brings up the final factor - our understanding of what the image actually represents. This popped up as a common theme among conversations with members of my Body Positive Athletes community. Many people who had overcome their event image issues (including myself) had experienced a small yet significant shift in their perception of what the image actually represented. This shift was away from the image being a visual representation of OURSELVES to it being a visual representation of a MOMENT or an EXPERIENCE. The images were no longer about us per se, they became about everything else happening the moment the image was captured; the emotions, the scenery, the sounds, the people.

Exertion is a primal effort; it’s raw, strong, fearless, and it is amazing.

It is also a space in which we are our most vulnerable; a space where every emotion is amplified and at times visible on our faces.

It only takes one look through a mainstream fitness publication or media account to see the first clue about why or how our expectations of what we look like in ‘effort’ are horribly unrealistic. For years we have been consistently been presented with images of women who have mastered the art of ‘graceful exertion’ -- or let’s be honest and call it for what it is -- staged exertion. A perfect combination of pout and perspiration with a slightly determined look in one’s eyes.

We all know the images I’m talking about: the ones that create the false expectation that exertion should be elegant.

We all know that in reality there is nothing too elegant about true exertion.

True physical exertion is uncomfortable. It’s sweaty. It leaves us breathless.

Our hair resembles less ‘Pink’ and more ‘Rod Stewart’. Our skin is hot and all shades of pinks, reds and purples. We chafe and we bleed. We lose toenails. Exertion is a primal effort; it’s raw, strong, fearless, and it is amazing. It is also a space in which we are our most vulnerable -- a space where every emotion is amplified and at times visible on our faces. We lose our sense of obligation to smile. The energy, feminine power and aura around true, uninhibited exertion is something that cannot be staged. The only time we get to see it visibly represented is in our own race images.

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Which brings me to my next point: our discomfort with candid images.

Since the dawn of the digital camera, we have been able to instantly review our images and re-shoot for a more flattering result. We have filters and editing software at the ready. We know our ‘good sides’ and our optimum camera angles. In this era of the ‘selfie’, we are so aware of our own digital image that to throw a candid shot of us out there, of which we had no opportunity to pose for, review or edit prior to publication, puts us in a state of utter discomfort and loss of control. So when the race or event image comes in and we see it has been taken from *gasp* behind, our first reaction is to think “WHYYYYYYYYY would they do that, they should know I HATE my bum/hips/legs!” We have, in essence, lost our appreciation for the candid image and its purpose as a greater representation of a ‘moment’.

With this shift in focus, we all spoke of the value that we inherently started to place in these images as memories. No longer were these images the catalyst for that old ‘sinking’ sensation or the horror of our bums being visibly documented, but the source of great joy in remembering what was happening at that exact time the image was taken.

So do we need to just get over ourselves when it comes to our event images? To some extent, yes, and to some extent, no. It took me running exactly 21.1 kilometres for my event images to represent something more than just ‘me in a picture’.

Once we realise that expectations around images of ourselves in effort/ exertion are a societal construct and not actually our own, we become free of them, and our event images begin to represent that moment in time which they were designed to capture.

The next time you get the email: ‘Your race images are ready!’, do yourself a favour and look at what is happening in the image beyond you -whereabouts on the course was it? What were you thinking and feeling at this point? How was your body feeling? Give your images the context they are trying to provide you and let them tell your story, because I guarantee that each and every story is one worth telling.

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The Elite Competitors

MINDSET

WORDS BY KARLA GILBERT - IRONMUMKARLA.COM.AU

Sport is more than a game – it’s a professor of life. It’s not until we engage in events that require us to put ourselves on the line that we realise how little we know.

Sport is good like that. It’s the perfect vehicle for learning about potential personal limitations that reflect in everyday life.

As adults we see professional business women, doctors, tradies, and stay at home mums dedicating quality time each week to activities they love. Apart from sport being great fun, it teaches us valuable lessons; it empowers us and offers the chance to approach each day with greater awareness, passion and perseverance. I also believe participating in sport makes us more balanced, focused and happier…I could go on. Anyone else want to back me up here?

During years of professional competition, I overcame many hurdles – self-doubt, injuries, purpose and personal challenges. Something as simple as choosing the wrong path out through the surf break and being stopped in my tracks by a set of waves or focusing on one aspect of my training and ignoring others translated into the decisions I made in real life situations.

Some more lessons I’ve learnt from sport are: Live in the now Focus only what is in front of you. Don’t think too far ahead about what you can’t control and miss the opportunity that is present. I liken this to concentrating on the wave I am riding in the surf at that moment, rather than worrying about the set that may or may not clean me up on the way back out through the wave break area. We certainly can’t control others either so stop worrying about what they’re doing and focus on what you’re doing.

Don’t be aggressive towards others, but let it drive you within

Conflict with others is such a waste of energy and it takes the focus off what you should be doing. Lift your own game. Actions speak louder than words. Let others carry their own baggage and don’t let it affect your day.

Commitment is what separates the ordinary from the extraordinary Some sportspeople may seem like they are born with the right genes or talent. Many people are, but it is the ones that expect more from themselves and take it to the next level that are successful.

Responsibility lies within us If only I had a dollar for every time I heard from someone I was competing against say “Oh, I was so unlucky I missed that wave”. Blaming outside influences doesn’t work. Sure there are the occasions that it happens, but putting yourself in the right position can also bring you a lot of luck! Create your own destiny and don’t rely on others to bring you success.

Focus on what you do want Your mind takes you where you want it to. Pre-visualisation has amazing benefits.

When you think about what you don’t want to happen – say, a slice in golf, it happens!

Fear dictates our outcomes whether it is a job interview, a public speaking gig or major exam. Concentrate on what you want and let yourself be drawn towards that energy and outcome.

How to deal with emotions Dealing with emotions is a major component of sport and competitions. Within the space of an hour you can go from a good frame of mind to a bad. You can totally lose it or know how to catch yourself in the moment and calm yourself down. It’s how we pick ourselves up

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and maintain composure that counts.

Females are naturally more emotional. We’re more in tune with our surroundings and those around us. It’s our natural instinct to keep the human race alive! Bring competitiveness into the equation and it’s interesting to watch the dynamics change. Everyone deals with stress differently – some talk and fidget, while others overanalyze and talk themselves out of any success before they have even started! Sport taught me how to control my up’s (overly happy) and down’s (grumpy days) while trying to remain balanced (through learnt techniques) with my emotions.

Challenge yourself We all have to start somewhere and challenging yourself by entering something you know you are not good at teaches us so much. We learn more from trying and failing than we do from success, but only if you own it.

Don’t believe everything you read There is always a new diet or crazy way of training that is going to make you want to sit up and take notice. We are constantly being hit from all directions which leads to self-doubt over what we should be doing and with this comes a lack of consistency. Believe what you are doing is working for you and stick to your guns. Remain flexible in your way of thinking, but not to the point that you are swapping and changing direction like a sail in the wind!

The most important thing to remember is that sport teaches us great life lessons but it is not life. It’s easy to get caught up in the bubble that sport provides, but it is also very grounding to test your worth outside of sport in all aspects of your life.

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MONI Q U E C L I M B S R O C K C L I M B E R , M O T H E R A N D I N T R E P I D T R AV E L L E R

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“Climbing has given me, not only the perfect physical and mental outlet; it has been a constant in my life and a direction on which to set the compass to travel the world.�

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INTERVIEW WITH MONIQUE FORESTIER

PHOTOGRAPHY: SIMON CARTER - ONSIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

For some climbing the world’s most beautiful and precarious rock faces is only a dream and not necessarily a good one. But for one woman it allows her to push her limits, physical and mental.

Monique Forestier one of Australia’s top female climbers, gives us a peek into her world.

Monique, when and where did your passion for climbing begin? When I was a kid I trained for many years in elite gymnastics and acrobatics but that had petered out by the time I finished school. Years later when I was twenty-three and living in Sydney, I was desperate to find a physical outlet other than swimming. As luck would have it, I was given a free pass to try indoor climbing in a gym.

From the moment I tried it I was hooked.

I had finally found what I was searching for; climbing filled the gap that my earlier gymnastics training had left. After that I went to the climbing gym every week, then twice a week and then my friends took me outdoors.

At first I was fascinated with pushing myself to my physical and mental limit on rock.

Later, I realised that climbing provided fantastic opportunities for visiting some of the most spectacular places on the planet.

I have travelled extensively and made some wonderful friends along the way.

What has been one of your climbing highlights so far? My favourite route is one that I climbed in 2011 in the magnificent Verdon Gorge in France. The route is called Tom et je Ris. It is a very aesthetic line and the route is 60 meters long, but it gives you a massive feeling of exposure because it’s situated on a cliff sitting 400 meters above the turquoise river below. The route is renowned because the protection bolts are widely spaced which means you face the potential for some very big falls, and I took plenty of those. It is grade 32 so it was really hard for me and it took eight days of attempts before I finally succeeded. It took all my mental capacity to convince my sane mind to go for it. That was a really awesome climb and a very satisfying thing to have achieved.

At the time it was the hardest route that I had climbed overseas and it opened my eyes to what I could possibly do in the future.

(You can check out the video of this climb – ‘Verdon Dreaming’ on YouTube channel).

What and where have some of the more technically challenging climbs been?

One of the most difficult climbs that I’ve done is called Fish Eye (grade 33), which is located in Oliana, Spain. It is a long (55m) technical and sustained climb, which doesn’t relent until you clip the anchors. Tiger Cat is another grade 33 that I climbed located near my home in the Blue Mountains. This climb is 35m long but it is steep and powerful and has a killer last move, from which I’ve fallen over 20 times.

But perhaps the most technically challenging climb that I have done is Whistling Kite at Frog Buttress near Brisbane. Its grade 32 so overall it’s not the hardest route that I’ve climbed but the sequence of movements required was ridiculous, it took days to figure out. I had to use micro sized hand and foot holds (some as thin as a credit card edges) in order to execute the climb.

How do you overcome fear when staring down a new cliff face? Generally I try to break down a climb into segments and I’ll try climbing from one protection point (bolt) to the next until I become more familiar with the hand and foot holds. By exposing myself to the fear factor in smaller bite sized increments I can better get my head around it. I’ll take some falls to see how I land to make sure that I’m not going to swing in and hit the rock face hard. This helps take some unknowns out of the equation; it puts my mind at ease. Gradually I’ll link more sections together and when I feel that I would be able to climb the route I go into attack mode. I am able to shut out the fear and concentrate on pushing myself to my limit.

What is your favourite location for climbing? Cataluña in Spain is my favourite climbing region to visit. It always motivates me to push myself harder than ever. I’ve spent weeks or even months at various cliffs which are the gathering grounds for the top international climbers. I’ve forged great friendships there, been humbled and inspired, and had my eyes opened to what is possible. Cataluña’s rhythm beats in tune to my own.

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How has being a mother changed the way you approach your sport (if at all)?

Is your daughter interested in following in your footsteps? Our daughter Coco is now seven and having her has certainly created some additional challenges. I have less time now for training and the trips we do and the cliffs we visit tend to be a little less adventurous. Sometimes I even do trips on my own while hubby looks after Coco and keeps her at school. But actually having a child has turned out to be far less of an impediment that I thought it might have been. I really enjoy travelling with Coco; she’s a real icebreaker and adds another element to our trips.

I’m not interested in pushing Coco into climbing. It’s up to her what she wants to do.

Coco loves coming to the climbing gym, sometimes she’ll have a few goes at climbing the walls other times she’s more interested in doing cartwheels on the mats.

There are some amazing female climbers internationally, but you rarely hear about their achievements in the media, unless they are to adorn the cover of a magazine for looking ‘hot’; what is your take on the male dominated arena that is rock climbing?

Yes climbing may well be a male dominated sport but not nearly as much as it was in the past. Years ago when females started climbing harder routes quite often their achievements were suddenly down graded by their male counterparts. This was a belittling of their achievements and it wasn’t entirely uncommon, it happened the world over. My feeling is that the situation has significantly improved; the percentage of female climbers has increased, many women now have climbed to a very high standard and their achievements are recognised on equal ground much more than what they were previously. I think the culture of climbing has changed and now many females would find it a more welcoming sport.

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M

O N I Q U E ' S

TI

PS

For those of us not so familiar with rock climbing can you explain the different types of climbing? Traditional Climbing: Traditional climbing, or trad climbing, refers to the type of gear used to protect the route.

For trad climbing the climber places their own protection points (metal wedges or camming devices) in cracks as they ascend the cliff, these are removed afterwards.

Sport Climbing: Sport climbing uses permanent anchor points (bolts), which are permanently fixed to the rock. Because the climber does not have to place their own protection it frees them up to focus more on the gymnastic / athletic side of climbing.

Bouldering: Boulders or smaller cliffs are climbed without the use of ropes. Typically

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they are 3-5 meters high and often several crashpads are used to protect the landing.

Climbers concentrate on short sections of hard powerful climbing.

Free soloing: Free climbing means climbing a cliff just using your hands and feet to ascend the rock. You have a rope and protection (Trad or Sport) to catch you if you should fall.

Free soling however is a very different beast.

This is where you free climb up a cliff, using your hands and feet, but you do not have a rope or protection if you should fall. Unlike in bouldering, free soloists typically climb above safe heights, where a fall would usually result in serious injury or death. Needless to say this is not a commonly practiced form of climbing.

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We all have a tendency to train the things that we are good at; better results are achieved by addressing the things that we are neglecting.

For those of our readers out there who want to take their climbing to the next level, what are your top 3 tips? Firstly, identify and address your weaknesses. We all have a tendency to train the things that we are good at; better results are achieved by addressing the things that we are neglecting.

Secondly, improving climbing technique has proven to be very beneficial to my students in my training clinics. Some of the things we look at are; precise and confident footwork, maximising body position according to hand hold orientation, moving economically, climbing dynamically and relaxing the grip.

Thirdly, ensure that your base fitness is at a high level as this will greatly improve your climbing from the get go. Strength to weight ratio is a fairly important factor in climbing so there is no point in worrying about really advanced training techniques when shedding a couple

kilos may provide bigger results.

How do you train and prepare for a big climb? My regular weekly training consists of climbing (in the gym or on the rock) three to four days, weights one to two days and swimming for recovery training one to two days. As I start to get close to doing a hard project I ease off on the training and take more rest days so that I’m fresh.

Keen to find out more or join Monique for a climbing expedition?

For more information about Monique see www.moniqueclimbs.com.au Along with her husband, climbing photographer Simon Carter www.onsight.com.au, Monique will lead a ten day rock climbing adventure tour, “Sicily On the Rocks with Monique Forestier and Simon Carter” this October, to San Vito Lo Capo in Sicily.

For more information go to www.worldexpeditions.com or phone 1300 720 000

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Coming Home to Normal Life

POST ADVENTURE

C

WRITTEN BY LUCY STONE

oming home. Just those two words can raise a smile.

Walking out of the airport gate, towing your suitcases, happy to be off the plane and finally home. Friendly faces, the familiarity of roads well-travelled. Pulling into your own driveway. A house with all of your own things scattered everywhere. Coming home.

But what next? After you’ve unpacked your suitcases, after the initial rush of being reconnected to family and friends? Whether you’ve just been on a three-week mountain bike tour through a remote country, a week’s vacation in Bali, or six months backpacking through Europe, you may be feeling down, lost, out of place in your own life.

After two months travelling across the USA, experiencing a disruption of my usual thoughts and habits, learning new things, meeting new people, I came home to … everything as normal. The brightness of life on adventure -- free of the typical constraints of work, bills, commitments -- made home feel dull, uninspired. I wandered around my house in a slump of disconnected misery, recognising my surroundings but not recognising my own place within them.

Surely, I thought, I can’t be the only person who feels this way after coming home. So I contacted a few of Travel Play Live’s fellow contributors to ask if they struggled to reintegrate to normal life. Sure enough, I wasn’t the only one. Em Esslemont is recently home from her own adventure and feeling exactly the same way. “Post travel depression; it’s a legitimate problem, and I am currently suffering a full blown case of it. Holidays always have this huge build up. There’s the initial excitement of actually booking your flight, planning your itinerary and researching how many amazing things you can squeeze into your trip. Then there’s the countdown: 6 weeks to go, 6 days to go, 6 hours to go. Suddenly you are boarding the plane to head home wracking your brain as to how on earth it all flew by so quickly. It’s really is a rather emotional experience that when combined with jetlag, and the thought of returning to the daily grind can leave you feeling a little deflated.”

Jess Douglas of MTB Skills says that her first experience of ‘post-holiday slump’ was after completing the Great Victorian Bike Ride as a teenager.

“Oh for sure, I was really depressed, I could not put my finger on it but now I know it’s a feeling of losing what you loved so much and having to get back to reality.” For her, that feeling didn’t go away as an adult. “I have since felt that way after big races I have done as an adult, races I have won

that have left me feeling lost and out of place with my purpose.”

Getting back to reality was also an issue for Wheel Women’s Tina McCarthy, who completed the Great Victorian Bike Ride in 2011, where she rode along as an adult mentor. “I certainly felt deflated when I came home. I never expected to ride 600km in such an event because I’d only ever done rides of around 80km in a day … After I returned home I remember that feeling of just getting on with life and walking through the supermarket and thinking ‘I just rode 600km … I want to tell everyone what I just did’. But when I did tell just a few people they didn’t really believe me, or didn’t see the reality of what it takes to ride that far.”

The difficulties of trying to explain what you’ve been through, who you’ve become, through the challenges of big personal adventures, means you can easily find yourself frustrated. You don’t want to sound like a bore, always talking about the amazing time you had away, and equally you don’t want to sit around moping. Life goes on: so how do you pick yourself back up and get back into the swing of things without losing the new perspectives you’ve gained?

Jessica knows the feeling of slowly getting back into the habits of daily life will take time: “When I do the big life experience things, I can feel a bit down and out for a couple of weeks, but now I know what’s going on. I just let it happen, acknowledge it and take action to allow myself to feel happy and motivated again.”

Tina finds her way back in through remembering the value of her experiences. “Now, I tell others who complete a ride like this that when you stand in the supermarket and know all the others around you who are looking for the potato chips, or the cereal, won’t know you rode an amazing distance. Hold that thought in your heart of what you did, even if it is a secret in the supermarket that nobody else knows … and realise how awesome you really are. Nobody else has done what you did and nobody can ever take it away from you … it’s yours for keeps and nobody can ever tell you that you aren’t amazing.”

So next time you come home feeling a little bit down, lost or lonely -- remember, you’ll pick yourself back up, and life will always be a little richer for the time you spent away. The most simple pleasures -- going for a walk, reading a book, taking the time to really look at what you have nearby -- all help to recover from the post-holiday slump, and propel you into the post-holiday life. And if that doesn’t quite get you motivated, follow Em’s advice: “Start planning the next getaway of course! What faraway places can we explore next?”

I wandered around my house in a slump of disconnected misery, recognising my surroundings but not recognising my own place within them. Surely, I thought, I can’t be the only person who feels this way after coming home.

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NECESSITY The Mother of Invention INTERVIEW WITH DR ANNIE HOLDEN INVENTOR OF THE TRAVEL BRA

Her student days in a support group for the campaign to end apartheid in South Africa lead to working with many different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, marble mine workers in Makrana in Rajasthan India, and most recently in Papua New Guinea on a resource kit for community people who want to take action to address gender-based violence. We caught up with the fascinating inventor of The Travel Bra – Dr Annie Holden to learn more.

Where do you hail from? I was born in Brisbane and although I have lived and worked all over the world, I still work within a kilometre of the hospital I was born in!

You are the founder of The Travel Bra. Can you tell us the story behind where the idea came from? I am an anthropologist specialising in the impacts of resource development on Indigenous communities. When I started working in India I often had to travel to remote places where there are no ATMs. So I had to carry a lot of cash to pay field workers and the safest place to do that was in my bra. I really dislike money belts – they are ugly, hot and obvious. I tried to buy a travel bra that would store cash and valuables and to my surprise there was nothing available – so I

invented it!

What is The Travel Bra? It is the most comfortable, full support bra that my bra designer could imagine and it stores your credit card, small jewellery and passport. When the pockets are not in use The Travel Bra looks and feels like any other sports bra.

You are an anthropologist, what was your inspiration behind that career choice?

When I was a student in the late 1970s in Western Australia I was part of a support group for the campaign to end apartheid in South Africa. Our group was approached by some Aboriginal people from the Kimberleys who asked us to help them too so we ran fundraising barbeques and hence the Kimberley Land Council was born.

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When I decided to do a PhD I asked the head of the KLC, Peter Yu, what he thought would be the most useful thing for Aboriginal people that I could study and he said Indigenous economic development. I worked with three Aboriginal communities in Cape York, Queensland, as case studies. When I graduated, in the early 1990s, the most useful thing for the Cape York mobs was to understand the impact of mining on their communities, so that’s how this become my specialty.

Where has/does your work take you, and what has been one of your career highlights? I have worked all over Australia and been privileged to work with many different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups –

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negotiate a royalty agreement with the dancers.

But when I spoke with the community, they didn’t want royalties, they wanted equity. So over a very arduous and at times emotional twelve months we successfully negotiated a great shared ownership deal which worked well for the existing owners and for the Djabugay people.

Working with women in developing countries, what are some of the biggest issues you see for women in these countries?

The power balance between men and women in tribal communities is very sensitive and it does not take much to upset it, particularly during the transition to a cash economy. Mining companies think that because they create jobs this brings benefits to local communities. But often cash coming into the family via men’s employment creates imbalances in power between husband and wife. Increased violence towards women and children, abandonment of the family, but also just abandonment of the usual male family duties, men’s drunkenness and poor health, spread of HIV – these are commonly the impacts for the wives of men who win jobs with mining companies.

Mining companies seem blind to these impacts and need to do more to create employment and small business opportunities for women and to put in place strategies to mitigate potential negative impacts on women and children. For single women, many find themselves less safe because men with cash now have access to alcohol as well as a new-found sense of empowerment. Single women may find themselves in soft prostitution (sex in exchange for alcohol), or as targets for assault and frequently face a less reliable future.

What are some of the key similarities you find that tie us all together? Great question!

All women need economic independence. All women are vulnerable in multiple ways while they are financially dependent. desert mobs, rainforest people and salt water people. Every group has been radically different from the next, and it’s been extraordinary to traverse this amazing parallel universe.

miners. I’ve also worked in Papua New Guinea, most recently on a resource kit for community people who want to take action to address gender-based violence.

Around 2005 I was asked to come to India and work with the marble mine workers in Makrana in Rajasthan. I travelled to India several times doing research and documenting the impacts of mining on women miners and on the families of marble

There have been many highlights. I could name the negotiation of an agreement with Tjapukai Dance Theatre in Cairns with the Djabugay people. The Theatre was started and owned by some Americans who asked me to help them

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What is next for you? I am loving The Travel Bra business and absolutely delighting in inventing new variations – so watch out for The Ultra-light, The Runners’, The Beach and The Festival Travel Bras – all in development now.

Favourite words to live by? Follow your own inner guidance and don’t listen to what any one else says you can or can’t do.

Thank you Annie www.thetravelbra.com

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TRAVEL FASHION Faux Pas

STORY BY LISA MURPHY - BIG HEART ADVENTURES

There is nothing worse than realising you forgot to pack casual attire, and now have tackle an unexpected fine dining experience in hiking boots and an outfit you've been recyling for way too long. Lisa Murphy from Big Heart Adventures shares her travel fashion faux pas and hopefully saves you from yours So you have signed up for your first big overseas

Then there was the question of what to wear?

an evening outfit. Crinkle-free shirts, pants and

adventure. It could be a walking tour in Italy,

I hadn’t packed more than ‘travel clothes’ to

even dresses can be found at most camping or

a cycling tour in Vietnam or a trek in Nepal.

fly in and then hiking gear to walk and trek in.

outdoor clothing stores.

You might find yourself away for a week, three

I had just one clean set of hiking clothes left

weeks or more than a month. Your packing

and an old thermal fleece. That would have to

• A comfortable pair of walking shoes can also

list is extensive, you’ve got a 20kg baggage

do, with my hiking boots because wearing my

allowance and you’re not sure where to start. So

camp sandals -- yes you know the ones, the

what do you pack and what do you leave home?

velcro strappy ones often worn by a mature

While we would like to be prepared for all

demographic that look a treat with merino socks

occasions when we travel, with adventure travel

-- could have not only meant failing on the dress

sometimes we just have to make do. When

code but also committing a major fashion crime.

we decided to honeymoon in a campervan

Thank goodness the Hermitage didn’t have a

in New Zealand and walk as many of the best tracks as we possibly could in one month, we tried to pack light. Boots, hiking packs, tent, sleeping bags, camping equipment, clothing and toiletries. As a pair of self confessed dags with only our own company to worry about, we thought, what more would we need?

About half way through our trip, we rolled into Mt Cook Village camping ground. We discovered in our guide book that the Hermitage Hotel at Mt Cook was a bit renown at the time for being one of the best places to dine. After two and a half weeks of porridge, pasta and tuna

be worn with an evening outfit if necessary e.g. sandals.

• If you have a trek or hike planned, wear your boots on the plane or keep them in your carry-on luggage in case your checked-in luggage is lost.

It’s much easier to replace clothes at the last minute than a well worn-in pair of hiking boots.

strict dress code for their a la carte restaurant.

• Places of worship and some cultures generally

We were seated away from others, feeling a

will require you to cover legs and shoulders so

picture of shame as we dined awkwardly and

always pack at least one pair of long pants or a

joked that the chef’s complimentary soup was

long skirt and a pashmina or sarong.

because the waiting staff felt sorry for us in our

You can also:

sorry state.

• Roll your clothes when packing to avoid

While we got through the evening unscathed, I learned a lot. Firstly, I didn’t do my research before I left home. As this was an independent trip, we didn’t have an agent or tour operator to check with. If you have booked a tour or travel with an agent or operator, ask for a

creasing and maximise space.

• Reconsider your need for make-up – can you get away with a basic kit or none at all?

Adventure travel is a great opportunity to go make-up free.

comprehensive packing list as some walking

• Check if hotels have a hair dryer so you can

tours and treks will have a specific equipment

leave yours home and for trekking, consider a

list, otherwise research the ‘must do’ activities

head scarf (Buff or similar) or hat to cover up a

in your destination so you can pack for them.

bad hair day.

Check the local weather reports. Layers are a

Most of the time the fashion police also go on

great idea for not just warmth but also when

annual leave too, so chances are you can get

mixing and matching, say leggings with a dress.

away with an unplanned outfit here and there.

sunscreen-grimy faces and body odour blowing

To be safe, always assume the following:

If in doubt ask the question, what will pass for

in the breeze. Thank goodness we still had spare

• For travel or transit days, choose comfortable

respectable, respectful and comfortable?

wet wipes.

crinkle-free clothing that can possibly double as

Happy packing!

sandwiches, we made a reservation in their a la carte restaurant. But had we packed the right clothing for such a fine dining establishment?

After a day on the trails we headed to the campground for a well earned shower. No hot water, said a sign outside the shower block.

We looked at one another: matted hat hair,

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TO KYRGYZSTAN and back

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Kyrgyzstan, a mountain bike, Soviet-era maps, and a few pack horses for support - the ideal journey for Tracey Croke.

INTERVIEW WITH: TRACEY CROKE BY: LUCY STONE PHOTOGRAPHY BY: TOBY MAUDSLEY WWW.MAUDSLEY.COM

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The most liberating and exhilarating place I’ve been is outside my comfort zone. It’s where I’ve learnt most about myself, the world we live in and the people we share this planet with.

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W

ith adventures in Afghanistan and Ethiopia behind her, a ten-day trip across Kyrgyzstan’s remote Talas mountain range was right up Tracey’s alley. It’s a long stretch from the comfort of writing freelance travel articles under the Sydney sun, but the adventure is what Tracey looks for. “The most liberating and exhilarating place I’ve been is outside my comfort zone,” she says. “It’s where I’ve learnt most about myself, the world we live in and the people we share this planet with.”

So when the opportunity arose to join a team in September 2015 -- and to be part of the first team to cross the Talas mountains by bike? Tracey was there.

Twenty years ago, facing a diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis, an inflammatory and degenerative disease of the joints, Tracey was told to get active or risk losing her mobility entirely. “I took baby steps at first, just going for long walks and doing gentle gym sessions, but once I got my physical and mental strength back I adopted a can-do-seize-the-moment attitude to life.”

But the leap from gym sessions to pedalling across mountains, washing in glacier water, taking wrong turns down unmarked trails, and sharing yoghurt with nomads, took Tracey a long time. “It was a colossal climb,” she says. “I didn’t know how long I’d have my spine health for, so I decided to test my limits and set about ticking off (what seemed) some ridiculously ambitious experiences.” Testing her limits translated to twelve years training in martial arts, cycling the 980km Mawson off-road trail, a career change to journalism, and a new identity as a traveller hungry for the roughest tracks. “I exercise most days to manage my condition and stay fit so I can keep exploring the world on two wheels or two feet. I seem to have a constant need to learn something new.”

So how do you go about taking on such an adventure? Expedition travel company Secret Compass invites applications from people with a decent level of fitness, and a sense of adventure. For Kyrgyzstan, Tracey found this ideal as it meant less time for her organising the painstaking logistics.

However, she notes that these expeditions aren’t simply a tour led by one person

-- decisions are team-based, accidents happen, and unexpected challenges mean you never quite know what will happen next. For some, perhaps, this is less than ideal. For others, it spells adventure. The trip was limited not to how far the team could ride in a day, but instead on the stamina of their support group: packhorses, who required fresh water and feed at each stop.

It was another reminder of how different life is on the far side of the world.

With China to the east, and bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan’s history takes part in the Silk Road, nomadic tribal culture and the eventual dominance of the Soviet Union.

After 1991, the country took on an erratic narrative of governments rising and falling, the present still reacting to the past. The conglomerate history makes it a challenge to communicate if you only speak English.

Translators were required for Tracey’s entire trip, crossing English, Russian and native Kyrgyz to communicate the most basic requests from the pack horse handlers to the mountain bike team. Even so, the natural hospitality of the Kyrgyz people gave the team many opportunities to share meals, skills and information across the language barrier.

Her ten days spent in the Talas mountains were, for Tracey, defined by such encounters. A yurt spotted in the distance invariably meant a warm welcome, fresh yoghurt and chai tea. Hospitality and information were two of the most crucial things offered by the local Kyrgyz people.

This welcome was offered to every traveller, not just those puzzling Westerners on bikes crossing the mountains for no practical survival purpose. The difference in attitude struck Tracey: “Travel is the norm in nomadic life so our movements were rarely questioned, but the bikes confused them.

People who live their lives around basic survival don’t understand what drives us to go on these adventures.” Even so, a bike can be the best ambassador. An immediate destroyer of barriers -- language, culture, age or fear -- the mountain bike acted as a point of discussion and a shared experience.

Tracey notes wryly: “A young dzighit [cowboy] we met driving his cattle over the mountains from summer pastures put on

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a skills performance for us. Afterwards, he jumped on my bike and pulled a perfect wheelie with miniscule practice. Annoying!”

So barriers can be broken, friendships made. But Kyrgyzstan? Mention to your Sydney friends that you’re going on a remote bike riding tour through a country ending in ‘-stan’, and the most common reaction is fear or surprise. For Tracey, it’s those very assumptions that are worth challenging when she takes on such big adventures. “I learnt very early in my travel experiences to wipe away any preconceptions I had of a country. Our idea of a place is mostly formed by the media.”

That’s not to say that, faced with an upset Kyrgyz nomad blocking her group’s path halfway up a mountainside, Tracey didn’t have moments of wondering what she was doing there. “It turned out, further on, the trail had been washed away by a landslide.

He wasn’t angry, he was anxious to tell us that we were wasting our time. He brought us to the right trail, but first he insisted we sit with his family and have some meat and tea.” Kyrgyz hospitality had struck again.

The remote location and thoroughly outdated maps meant that the trip required serious thought before even signing on. When preparing for an adventure, Tracey trusts the local knowledge, and the preparation put in by Secret Compass.

“Our esteemed expedition leader, Patrick, is an Australian who has been living in Kyrgyzstan for the past eight years. Secret Compass have contingency plans in place should an incident happen, but the mountains are isolated and help isn’t going to arrive quickly,” she says. The isolation is compounded by the very human feelings of self-doubt or uncertainty. But for Tracey, the fear of the unknown is an important part of self-learning and discovery. For her, fear can be both good and bad -- the useful fear of immediate danger, for example, compared to the pointless fears of being too old, too young and so on. “Over the years I’ve learnt to tell that fear to shut up and go away.”

‘Shut up and go away’: exactly what Tracey told her diagnosis to do twenty years ago, with huge rewards. Tracey finds people with warmth, welcome and friendship across the world, and engages with them to learn and share. From her earlier trip to Afghanistan

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she remembers an encounter that defines the reason she travels. “I’ll never forget an elderly man I met in at a bazaar in Afghanistan. ‘Thank you for coming to Afghanistan,’ he said. ‘This is wonderful, welcome,’ he repeated.

Some younger men tentatively approached to reassure me that ‘the Taliban are not here, we don’t like them and they are a long way away.’

Others invited me into their homes for tea. When I arrived back and wrote about trekking in the Pamir mountains, I got more heart warming messages about ‘showing the beauty of the Afghanistan.’ It makes my travel and my work all that more rewarding.”

And coming home? Away from the painful grind of forcing an oxygendeprived body to push the bike up to 4000 metres altitude -- away from slogging across thirty icy river crossings, fighting fatigue and the punishing terrain to eke out just twenty-three hard-won kilometres

a day, debating the next move in a directionless valley between mountains? Hot showers, comfortable beds and modern healthcare are all things Tracey appreciates the more for having experienced the lack. Being aware of the trivialities of modern life -the pointlessness of road rage, missing a train -- also makes the importance of socially responsible tourism more apparent.

Tourism in remote countries can often be seen as yet another example of Western excess, consuming the local economy rather than supporting it.

However, it can also have a significant positive impact. Ethical tourism starts with careful thought about the reasons for visiting remote locations, and how you can give back to the local culture that has welcomed you. Tracey believes that socially responsible tourism is critical to the success of her adventures. “Good adventure travel companies will develop strong bonds

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with communities, leaders and elders, employ locals, arrange homestays with families and brief you on customs and culture. The best set up their own giving-back projects.”

Giving back -- an expedition to Kyrgyzstan may sound like an exercise solely for self-fulfilment, but for Tracey it was also an exercise in discovering humanity across the world, in becoming a better person, and in understanding the value of travel as an exchange of culture, and friendship, and laughter. Now officially the first woman to traverse the Talas mountains by bike, Tracey is home, back in the Sydney sunshine, and ready to go after that exchange again. As long as she keeps moving, she’s happy. “I have a lot to thank my AS for. I’ve learnt so much about the world, banked some big life experiences and gratefully find myself still testing my limits after twenty years.”

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Photo Credit: UN Photo/Kibae Park

RIDE for RIGHTS Making a difference in the lives of women across the globe.

WORDS BY UN WOMEN NATIONAL COMMITTEE AUSTRALIA

United in a shared commitment to empower women and girls to break the cycle of poverty and violence, and a belief that UN Women is making a significant difference in the lives of women across the globe. A team of women from across Australia, including our very own Editor cycled 400km across Cambodia and Vietnam to show their support.

Can you please introduce us to UN Women Australia? UN Women National Committee Australia is an Australian NGO which exists to raise funds for and awareness of UN Women’s platform to end violence against women, promote economic empowerment, advance women in leadership, ensure women’s participation in peace processes and to accelerate gender equality worldwide.

Ride for Rights 2016 is a UN Women Australia fundraiser, tell us a little about the trip? Our riders are in for the adventure of a lifetime! Beginning the adventure in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, our riders will cycle through the beautiful countryside, sightseeing and visiting UN Women programs in both Vietnam and Cambodia along the way, until they reach Siem Reap, Cambodia.

In total, each rider will cycle almost 400km spanning 12 days across Vietnam and Cambodia, seeing first-hand the impact of UN Women’s work developing young women as leaders, ending violence against women and girls and ensuring women’s participation in disaster response.

What kind of women are joining you for this trip? At the National Committee, we have been excited to see the diversity of riders

who have joined Team Ride for Rights and to learn about their drive to participate. Some have family connections to the region, others have visited before, whilst for others it will be their first time traveling to Cambodia and Vietnam.

What unites us all is a shared commitment to empowering women and girls to break the cycle of poverty and violence, and a belief that UN Women is making a significant difference in the lives of women across the globe.

How do the funds raised directly impact the lives of women? In Vietnam, UN Women in partnership with Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) are working to increase women's participation in decision making to effectively address climate change adaptation as well as increase the resilience of the communities in preparedness and mitigation to natural disasters. This disaster risk reduction program focuses on three main areas: capacity building of disaster response services, awareness raising on gender and the role of women in disaster risk reduction as well as advocacy to enhance women’s participation in disaster management within Vietnam.

In Cambodia, UN Women is working to engage youth in political processes and

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to build young women’s leadership skills.

Cambodia has one of the largest youth populations in South-East Asia, with one third of the population aged between 10-24 years.

UN Women recently hosted a three day training course in Phnom Penh entitled Gender and Youth Impacts of the National Election Law which involved analysis of various laws as well as an introduction on how to integrate gender and youth perspectives into legislation. The participants were also given tips on how to address their members of parliament with their concerns, to better prepare them as advocates and agents of change.

With the support of UN Women, these young people are now well positioned to state their case and ensure their voices are heard.

How can our readers support this initiative? Readers of Travel Play Live can support the Ride for Rights by donating to the team’s fantastic efforts here: https://everydayhero.com.au/event/ rideforrights2016 You can also follow the team’s blog as they make their way through the adventure here: https://inspiredadventures.com.au/events/ un-women-ride-for-rights-2016/

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CUORE

Italian passion . Swiss precision. Custom apparel.

As the temperature drops and the wet weather sets in, it can be very tempting to stay inside and pass on your early morning ride. But, with the right gear, the team from Cuore Australia assures us there is plenty of ways to stay warm and dry during the cooler months whilst cycling.

LEG AND ARM WARMERS

LAYERING

Again quality counts for everything. Low quality warmers will be made with materials that will have you wanting to take them off before it’s a good idea to do so. Look for a product with a good retention system like Ribbon tape, as this will ensure that they stay put and not create any gaps between your kit and the warmer. There is absolutely nothing more aggravating than warmer that keeps slipping down during your ride. A simple tip is to put your arm warmers on after your base layer and before your jersey and bib shorts.

Always start layering with a good quality based layout as these will wick sweat away from your body particularly the area around your kidneys. This is an area that if you allow to stay wet in cold months will increase your chances of getting sick.

CAPS, GLOVES AND SHOE COVERS

A very simple and effective way to stay warm on the bike is to wear long finger gloves and a cap under your helmet. If you are one of those souls who get really cold feet then seek out a pair of shoe covers.

VESTS

There are dozens of options here, but a good quality vest will serve you well no matter where you ride. Firstly, it will create a wind block for your chest over your base layer and jersey, as well as keep you dry from the spray off your rear wheel. The other benefits of a vest is that you will not over heat as much as you would if you were wearing a jacket. They are light and compact, so can be stashed away in a jersey pocket when you stop for your mandatory post ride coffee.

Cuore of Switzerland is now open for business in Australia. If you are looking to have premium designed & manufactured cycling apparel produced for your club, team, store or event contact the team in Sydney to take you through the extensive range. Cuore offers a huge range of options to suit nearly any budget.

However, one aspect that sets it apart is the facility to order single items and to individually tailor garments.

Every clothing item available in both men’s and women’s specific cuts. XXS-XXL sizing available, with custom arm, leg and torso length options. Contact Anita Johnson: ajohnson@cuore.ch

Swiss precision meets Italian passion www.cuore.ch/custom/au www.cuore.ch/shop/au

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Contact: Anita Johnson, Sales & Marketing Support, ajohnson@cuore.ch

*Custom Kit, TERRONI, USA (2015)*

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Meet some of the

RIDE FOR RIGHTS TEAM JENNY WATSON. Age: 20 Location: Canberra, ACT What inspired you to join this adventure? My mother’s own journey when she fled Vietnam in search for a better life. Her courage inspires me all the time and I am keen to help those communities she grew up with.

How have you been preparing for the cycle? I ride to work and try to do a bigger ride on weekends. Canberra is great for cyclists and I’ve enjoyed exploring the city by bike.

When you are not preparing for Ride for Rights where might we find you? I’ve been performing with the local theatre community for over 15 years, so the theatre is like my second home. In fact, it’s where I met my wonderful husband, Justin. Last year I also joined the Rural Fire Service which has been a fun new challenge.

What are you hoping to take away from this journey? I’m looking forward to seeing first hand the effect our fundraising efforts have on the communities in Vietnam and Cambodia. I’m also looking forward to seeing the part of the world my mum came from, meeting inspiring people and making new friends.

JESSICA STOKES. Age: 28 Location: Perth, Western Australia What inspired you to join this adventure? I was inspired to join this adventure to get out of my comfort zone and make a real impact in the world. As a gender equality advocate in Perth I love working with organisations such as UN Women Australia and Women Lawyers of Western Australia to fight for women’s rights and social justice. I was particularly drawn to Ride for Rights so I could help raise much needed funds and meet inspiring local women on a 12 day cycling adventure through Vietnam and Cambodia.

How have you been preparing for the cycle? I’ve been cycling with my Dad in Perth and down in the South West region from Eagle Bay through to Quindalup.

When you are not preparing for Ride for Rights where might we find you? I’m usually at home or in the CBD presenting workshops for my new venture Resilient Keepers, an empowerment corporate coaching business for female professionals in Perth. When I’m not working I’m at the beach or spending time with family and friends.

What are you hoping to take away from this journey?

I’m hoping to hear the stories of local inspirational female leaders and bring awareness to the outstanding work UN Women do in the region.

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AMY HEAGUE.

change

Age: 39 Location: Tuncurry NSW What inspired you to join this adventure? I have been a passionate social justice advocate for many years, and I have a particular soft spot for Cambodia and her people. So when Inspired Adventures invited me to join this trip, how could I possibly say no?

How have you been preparing for the cycle? This will be my fourth trip to Cambodia and the second time I’ve cycled through the region, so I have a pretty good idea of what I’m in for. I ride twice a week with a group of girlfriends and we are not adverse to getting dirty.

I’m also thankful it has been a hot summer, so I’ve been riding in the heat when I can to try and acclimatise. That said, not much can prepare you emotionally for the experience, I’m really excited to get back there.

When you are not preparing for Ride for Rights where might we find you? When I’m not wrangling my three kids (15, 12 and 10) you can find me putting together this awesome magazine.

What are you hoping to take away from this journey? A deeper understanding in regards to the work of the UN. And who knows, you might see Travel Play Live back in the region sooner rather than later.

FIONA MATHIESON.

PAM MATHIESON.

Age: 38 Location: Canberra ACT

Age: 63 Location: Ballina NSW When you are not preparing for Ride for Rights where might we find you? Fiona: I work as an adviser on policies aimed at keeping women safe (in their home, online, at work and on the street) at the Prime Minister’s department. I love to TRAVEL, which is inspired by a previous life as a flight attendant.

Most weekends I am slowly but surely painting every centimetre of mission brown in my house white. When I’m not at work, travelling or painting you will find me hanging out with my husband, Brendan, two little people (Scarlett - 6 and Eamon - 2) and an extremely energetic and disobedient Irish Setter called Lady.

Pam: I have been a teacher for over forty years

and am a passionate advocate for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. I am contemplating retirement soon and am looking forward to spending more time on other things I love such as dragon boating, volunteering at lifeline, travelling with my husband Bruce, being entertained by my five grandchildren and, of course, cycling.

What are you hoping to take away from this journey? We have both been to Vietnam and Cambodia before so we are looking forward to reconnecting with the beautiful people and amazing scenery of these countries. ‘The temples of Angkor are probably the most enchanting and intoxicating sites I have

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had the privilege to visit,’ says Fiona. We are also really looking forward to seeing the wonderful work of UN Women at the two women’s empowerment projects we are visiting.

What inspired you to do this trip? The combination of raising money for women whilst on a bike adventure through our favourite part of the world together was an opportunity too good to pass up. We are doing this trip in honour of a very special and influential woman in our lives, the sassy and indomitable Mave, who would most probably think we were mad but she’d be thrilled we were doing it together…and so are we.

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OUT SIDE GET

AND PLAY

Kristy Cann KIDS 3 - REUBEN (10) LAIM (8) TYLER (5) LIVING NEWCASTLE, NSW

Were you at all adventurous before you had kids? I enjoyed walking before I had kids, but I wouldn't say I was adventurous.

cool plant or hiding place or water source or massive rock to climb. The other thing we love doing as a family is going camping.

How did having kids impact on your fitness / outdoors / adventure routine?

Well, my first child cried. A lot. So I spent a lot of time walking around the neighbourhood pushing the pram while he continued to scream. It didn't seem quite so bad outside!

What is one of your all time favourite experiences with the kids in the great outdoors? Oh gosh, there are so many to choose from! But our latest and greatest adventure was a 3400km road trip to Mackay and back over Christmas. We had one tent, shared air beds with the kids, some camp sites had no drinking water and no showers, we had close encounters with snakes, cane toads, possums and cows, and we had to pack up the tent in the rain one morning. But we saw some beautiful countryside and waterfalls and creeks and we made plenty of memories.

Now that I have three boys, I am always looking for ways to wear them out. They have so much energy! So getting them outdoors where they are free to run and climb and swim and explore has become a priority in our daily routine. By getting out there and doing it with them I am setting an example for living an active and healthy life too.

Is your husband supportive of your outdoor adventures? Yeah, definitely.

My husband is into adventure racing so we sometimes train together, and we have done a couple of races together too. We try and involve the kids in the training, and we have taken them along as support crew to some races too.

When you head out with the kids, what do you all love to do? One thing we all love to do is go bushwalking or hiking together.

We are blessed to have so many beautiful places to explore in and around Newcastle.

The boys love the adventure of exploring a new place, running ahead to discover the next

One of the kids’ favourite experiences is from last winter when we made a last minute decision to go snow chasing. We chucked all our warm gear and some snacks in the car and drove for over two hours to find snow. We got there just as it was getting dark and the boys wasted no time jumping out and running around exploring. We made a snowman and the kids loved having snowball fights in the dark!

What was the all time hissy fit tantrum moment? No major tantrums I can think of, sorry! Although, sometimes the ten-year-old doesn't want to leave the TV or the couch, but he ALWAYS enjoys the adventures when we get there.

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What is the best piece of advice you would give other mums and families on how to get kids out and active? Firstly I would say, keep it simple. Some simple ideas we do include bike rides or walks, or bushwalks (you can make your own spotto cards for the kids to take with them). Google some thirty-minute workouts and do them in the backyard with the kids. Head to the beach at low tide and explore the rockpools or walk up the beach collecting shells and rocks, or play cricket or handball on the hard sand. Research free or low cost events in your local community, like park run or street orienteering.

Be spontaneous, don't take yourself too seriously, have fun, and take photos so you and the kids can look back and remember the fun you had.

Your favourite family friendly spots to adventure? Our favourite spots to adventure around Newcastle include Glenrock Reserve, Watagan State Forest and any of the beautiful beaches along our coastline.

What’s next on your family’s adventure calendar? Our next major adventure will be a camping road trip to Alice Springs in July, where my husband will be competing in the World Rogaining Championships.

However, the adventure continues this weekend with a trip to Watagan State Forest for a hike, and a BBQ at one of the stunning lookouts while we watch the sun set ...

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Travelling with kids or heading out on a big family adventure can make even the most seasoned traveller’s blood run cold with trepidation. But it doesn’t have to be all stress, tears and tantrums. In fact more often than not family adventures can turn into an enriching experience for all involved. We caught up with two mums who shared with us how they go about travelling with their family and getting their kids outside and active.

Kristy Alexander K I D S 2 - J A C K ( 1 0) & L I LY ( 8 )

Were you at all adventurous before you had kids? Yes. As soon as I left school I worked three jobs for twelve months to take my first trip. I left on a solo twelve-month working holiday and came home three years later having explored Africa and Europe pretty well.

How did having kids impact on your fitness / outdoors / adventure routine?

The biggest impact by far was acquiring a new mindset. The drop-of-a-hat freedom is gone for a while, so making the most of every opportunity and having a Plan B becomes key. Also, equipment is your friend: gear up well with a backpack carrier, off-road pram or whatever you need to keep up your fitness at home and enjoy your adventures.

Is your husband supportive of your outdoor adventures? Yes, very much so, Damion understands it’s key to my happiness, and loves the fun, skills, and experiences our kids gain from adventures. He works away for six months of the year, and is very happy that we jump on a plane – or more often hook up the camper – and head off, even if it’s only an hour up the road.

When you head out with the kids, what do you all love to do? For us it's surfing.

Dad has always been a keen surfer. I always preferred diving, and didn't learn to surf until my eldest asked to learn at seven and we took lessons together on holiday in Bali. Three years later he's actually really good, with his sister not far behind. Me? Well I always come home smiling.

What are some of your all-time favourite experiences with the kids in the great outdoors? Diving with whale sharks off Exmouth, WA in 2012. We hooked up the camper and headed almost 1700km north to

Exmouth. An amazing two weeks of remote bush camping, snorkelling and exploring resulted, with the highlight being the whale shark dive. My daughter had only just turned six, and had never been so far offshore in a big boat. Despite being a fairly experienced snorkeler, she was understandably quite nervous and hesitant. Jumping into the big blue and swimming with the biggest fish in the sea is an experience of a lifetime, but feeling the fear and doing it anyway is a lesson she has called on in other parts of her life since that day. In addition, my son is dyslexic, so has to work very hard for most of the school day in areas that are his greatest weakness. On this day, he enjoyed being recognised as one of the more proficient divers, and had chance to display his knowledge of the marine world to a group of mostly foreign tourists.

What was the all time hissy fit tantrum moment? I wracked my brains over this one! To be honest there are not many. I do remember once my five year old having ‘hit the wall’ on a thirteen-hour drive as she just couldn't stand to be in the car any longer.

I actually thought that was fair enough and decided to call it a day before getting as far as I'd hoped to. I think mum has had more hissy fits wrestling with bits of recalcitrant camping equipment or backing the camper into a tight space than the kids have ever had!

What is the best piece of advice you would give other mums and families on how to get kids out and active?

Over prepare, then go with the flow. Write lots of lists, talk to lots of people who have been there, done that, or look online for inspiration. Pack far too much stuff you ‘just might’ need if that’s what makes you

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L I V I N G A L B U RY, WA

comfortable with doing something new.

When it all goes pear-shaped, as it does sometimes, it’s a great story to laugh over later.

If you haven’t done much family adventuring, choose somewhere like a caravan park where there are lots of other families. Other parents will always help, and your kids will find friends straight away, which takes the pressure of being the fun factory off Mum. Accept that adventures with kids are not the same as adventures on your own. Love them because you get to have your own fun but enjoy their joy, discoveries, and achievements too.

Your favourite family friendly spots to adventure? Being surfers and nature lovers, we love beach camping, preferring more remote spots to really enjoy the natural world and each other’s company. In our home state of WA, we are spoilt for choice with beach camps, but if you visit, a trip with the kids to Karijini National Park to scale gorges, learn about the wildlife, the traditional owner’s lifestyles, and the impossibly starry night sky is a must.

Indonesia is great with kids; we love the beautiful scenery, peaceful villages and surfing without wetsuits. We spend most of our time on parts of islands where there are few tourists. Children are universally adored, and will open doors that would never appear on an adults-only trip.

What’s next on your family’s adventure calendar? We are heading to Sri Lanka in 2016. We are looking forward to new waves, new friends, a new culture and interesting wildlife. Oh, and Mum is very excited about the food!

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The

'GYPSY' Way of Life

The glamorous notion of cruising the globe on any kind of sailing boat may not ring any positive bells with you, and this was a view held by Maggie Joyce until she became embroiled in the “gypsy way of life� on the sea and one of the central figures in Sydney based Mariner Boating Holidays. When speaking with Maggie and her husband Trevor it is hard not to get caught up in the excitement of a sailing adventure, so we thought we would find out more and introduce you to the wonderful world of sailing.

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INTERVIEW WITH MAGGIE JOYCE FROM MARNIER BOATING

Maggie, tell us about your first sailing adventure? Were you really that reluctant? Not really sailing but here’s a stand-out seafaring adventure from very early in my sea experiences. We were living in Athens and in summer we took a ferry to an island with friends. The island was remote and when the village ran out of water we decided to leave and cross to a larger island.

We asked around and found a local who was making the crossing on the next day. Greece has strong summer winds in this area called Meltemi. The Meltemi whips up the sea into an uncomfortable stew!

The boat was seaworthy but loaded with empty fuel drums which were lashed in an open hold. The smell combined with the smell of the diesel engine made 14 out of 16 of us seasick. It was horrible. I got off and swore never to get on another boat. Trevor laughed. There was no airport so the only way back to Athens was by ferry! The ferry was stabilised and the trip back was great fun – after all we had just survived a storm so celebrations were in order.

What have been some of your highlights of sailing? I like to spend time in new places and get to see the ‘under-belly’, not simply pass by. Sailing allows time and a vehicle complete with goods and chattels to live comfortably and not be packing and carrying. We have spent two or three months pottering around bays and villages, meeting the locals and enjoying experiences which we still laugh about 30 years on. Like the time a Turkish fisherman returning home stopped by and offered to bring us bread and eggs on the following morning. And would we like anything else? A chicken maybe? What a great idea! He showed up next morning held up a live chook in each hand and wanted to know which one we wanted. Our kids were horrified that he was going to kill a bird for us and he is probably still laughing about the city kids on board that yacht in the bay till this day. We had bread and eggs for lunch! He took our chicken home to live another day.

What have been some of your challenges? I still struggle in rough sea with sea sickness but I know my limitations and

avoid situations where there is need to go inside the yacht ‘below’ except on flat seas.

Preparing for the crossing in advance so I can stay out on deck is necessary. I also know that sea sickness passes so I don’t worry about it and that also seems to help in avoiding it!

Being away from family for long periods of time is also not easy for me. Facebook helps me to stay in touch. But I still have to phone occasionally and hear a voice.

Trevor and I sailed alone with two young children on a yacht which did not have the more modern systems. All sail changes were more complicated requiring pulling down sails and putting up new sails. Heavy sail bags and a lot of detaching and attaching etc. It was a huge challenge so once again a lot of preparation was required. But yachts are actually quite hard to sink so it is a question of being aware of the strengths and minimising exposure to dangers. If it is too rough – stay put!

What is your favourite sailing destination and why? Greece. It is where it began for us and where I still love to return to. The Greek people are welcoming and generous. Whatever little they have they share. Look what is happening there at the moment. I have friends on Samos who work every day helping the refugees fleeing from Syria. Rescuing, feeding, clothing, assisting in a million ways every day.

This may seem like an obvious question, but what really makes a sailing holiday unique? Taking time to smell the roses.

Sailing with the sound of the sea and the breeze but no engine sounds and smells.

Yachts don’t go so fast and you can find so many places still accessible only by sea. The seafaring people share their knowledge and whatever else they have. We have made such wonderful friends in so many different places in Greece, Turkey, Croatia, France, Italy etc.

They welcome us back year after year. And you are independent. Your food is on board, the galley is set up, your clothes are stowed, shower and toilet on board. Stop anywhere and jump into the sea. Magic. Tie up in a marina or on a town quay and the town is yours! To me sailing is about being there in

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the moment.

For some people the thought of sailing in open waters is quite terrifying, how would you address those trepidations in first time sailors? You know, I get that! An ocean crossing out of sight of land is not what I am about. I can’t think of anywhere we sail where we are out of sight of land. The information on weather and sailing conditions is now so accessible and sophisticated that there is no excuse for anyone to be really taken by surprise.

The port police and locals are a wealth of information so it is about doing some research. Or come with us and we’ll do it for you. Use the experience of others until you are confident.

A sailing holiday isn’t all lounging around on catamarans in tropical island waters eating lobsters and sunbathing, what are some of the more adventurous aspects of the kind of sailing holidays you do? Well, every second day we have a little ‘race’ to keep the adrenalin production going. We also research each place for onshore activities. In one place it is tandem hang-gliding, in another canyoning.

We organise treks in some places, there are diving options, history tours, hot-air ballooning. Cycling – it is limited only by your imagination. And we have crew dinners ashore after each race so there is a lot of time to meet the other crews and make new friends.

What have you learnt from your adventures that have helped you build your business? So long as you keep people informed they are flexible and open to changing situations. Communication is the key.

What are your favourite words to live by? My favourite at the moment is ‘travellers do not know where they are going, tourists don’t know where they have been’. I spoke to someone once who told me she had ‘done Croatia’ – I said I loved Croatia and where had she been, which towns or cities?

She could not remember - ‘where the cruise ship stopped’. A definite tourist!

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TAHITI YACHT RALLY TROPICAL DISCOVERY Sep 10 - 24th 2016 Tahiti

Book

NOW PLACES ARE LIMITED

HERE AT TRAVEL PLAY LIVE WE LOVE TO EXPLORE ALL THE GREAT OUTDOORS HAS TO OFFER.

TPL TRAVEL.

From overnight bushwalks through the iconic Blue Mountains to sailing in luxury on the crystal waters of Tahiti, we aim to bring you unique travelling experiences with a touch of Travel Play Live sparkle.

Head to our website and discover you next adventure: www.travelplaylive.com.au/travel

TPL Autumn Issue 3 Joey NEW.indd 50

Travel Play Live magazine www.travelplaylive.com.au

14/03/2016 5:17 PM

travel {Travel Play Live}

2016CALENDER APRIL

Tahiti Yacht Rally.

10TH SEP – 24TH SEP 2016, TAHITI Sail into stunning Bora Bora, arguably the most beautiful island in the world. Snorkel in coral gardens of Taha’a and sip cocktails on the beach in Huahine. Discover coves, bays and inlets in vibrant warm clear lagoons. Pair this with fun races and a lively social program to create the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. Your hosts and Skipper on our luxury 55ft Catamaran will be the delightful Trevor and Maggie Joyce, owners of Mariner Boating. In conjunction with Mariner Boating

BLUE GUM FOREST BLUE MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT BUSHWALK

9TH – 10TH APRIL 2016, NSW

An overnight hike suitable for those with a range of experience, including those with little experience in the bush. It is an ideal introduction to overnight hiking. The trip involves camping at Acacia Flat, just outside Blue Gum Forest in the stunning Blue Mountains. In conjunction with Wilderness Adventures

SEPTEMBER TPL CAPE TO CAPE

28TH SEP – 5TH OCT 2016 WESTERN AUSTRALIA

This is not just a walk...it’s an experience like no other! Breathtaking views, great company, friendly and knowledgeable guides, a little indulgence mixed with a little adventure and as always, lots of laughs.

In conjunction with Adventurous Women

OCTOBER

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The Overtraining

PARADOX WORDS BY HANNY ALLSTON - FINDYOURFEET.COM.AU

We are lead to believe that overtraining is a ‘syndrome’ reserved for elite athletes or individuals who love excessive amounts of physical activity, but this isn't always the case

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F

lowing on from my previous article 'Taking Time Out From The Tiger', I want to highlight an important paradox about overtraining.

I recently had the privilege of assisting Jane, a trail runner from Sydney. She contacted me after experiencing great difficulty completing a 25km trail running event. Aged forty-one, Jane was a working mother with two children. Aside from school drop-offs, family commitments and running her own small business, she also sat on the school board and was heavily involved in her eldest son’s sporting ambitions. Amongst this schedule, she was fitting in four sessions of exercise per week. In her own words, this was ‘Jane time’ and she always looked forward to the two group running sessions she took part in. Some mornings, Jane would jump out of bed early and head for a solitary ‘head-space’ run before the children got up. On her best weeks, she would complete about five to six hours of exercise.

As Jane and I chatted we began to reveal a range of symptoms that many elite athletes describe during periods of overtraining. These were: irregular sleep patterns; suppressed heart rate whilst training hard; an elevated heart rate in the morning; daily fatigue; heavy legs when exercising; depressed mood with decreased tolerance to stressors at work and home; moodiness with the children; and a failure to athletically perform in races. Interestingly, Jane was neither an elite nor a foolish exerciser, just a vibrant, driven mother who worked hard for the benefit of everyone.

When I raised the notion of overtraining with Jane, her shocked response was, ‘but I never exercise more than four times a week!’

She had every right to be horrified by my suggestion. After all, the classic definition of overtraining is ‘a physical, behavioral, and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual's exercise exceeds their recovery capacity.’

appreciate the stress of daily life. Even when we enjoy each day’s activities, cumulatively this busyness places a load on our body’s hormonal system. Over time, this combined load of physical activity and daily stressors can exceed our ability to rest and recover. As emotional, mental or physical fatigue rises beyond a sustainable point, injuries, sickness or underperformance can set in.

This now leads to the next question, how do you bring a busy adult back from overtraining?

Too often we divert straight to the concern of exercise habits. And whilst yes, this may need work and adjustment, exercise is not always the underlying problem. Rather, I prefer to modify what you can modify.

salad with a store-brought sourdough loaf of bread.

• I might ask my friend if I can look after the kids only on Wednesday nights and every second Friday.

• I might reduce the squad coaching to one, not two, sessions a week.

• I will attend Bootcamp during the weekdays but on weekends I will do my own activities.

Secondly, we can all positively change our diet. We don’t need to go on a diet, but we can modify what we choose to eat to reduce or eliminate refined carbohydrates, unhealthy vegetable oils, excessive caffeine and added sugar. Dietary changes can have a huge impact

It is really hard to create more time in the day for rest and recovery whilst also completing everything else that we want or need to do. We can’t change the number of hours in a day or the fact that we must work in order to pay our bills. For an adult, exercise is often a necessary unwind, a chance for personal endeavor, or socializing with like-minded people. Simply cutting back on exercise may not be the answer.

on our quality of life, especially the quality of

However, often we can change small things, small routines, behaviors or personal rules that have become so ingrained that we barely recognize them. Not only do they take time, but also valuable emotional and physical energy.

Do any of these ring a bell?

Further to this, socializing in moderation will

• I must put a home cooked meal on the table every night otherwise we won’t be as healthy.

cycles are important for the body’s physical

• I must agree to look after my best friend’s children every Wednesday and Friday night or otherwise I’m not a good friend.

is mentally and emotionally repairing. Dealing

• I can’t tell the squad coach that I need to reduce the training load or otherwise he might not think I’m worth his investment.

• I can’t tell the committee that after five years I need to stand down and spend more time investing in myself.

• I paid for Bootcamp for a year and I should go until the subscription ends.

our sleep and balancing our moods.

Rest and recovery also need our attention. The best form of rest is sleeping but other passive and active recovery methods can also help.

Tasks that are creative or mindful will nourish your body as they help to alleviate some of the stress response. Cooking, art, reading, mindful walking and yoga are great places to start. help to support the hormonal system, especially the regeneration of our femininity.

Finally, allow the body to sleep. It is during sleep that the true physical and mental recovery can happen. During the night, the earlier sleep recovery. In the later dreaming cycles the body with daily stress, including dietary stress, will lead to better sleep quality, and greater mental and physical performance the next day.

In summary, two common misconceptions about exercise are: training is just the completion of a workout; and only excessive physical activity can lead to overtraining.

On the contrary, exercise is the workout and the recovery that follows. Furthermore, our body deals with all stressors in the same way.

Therefore, the harder we push in training (volume, strength or intensity) and life (work,

Stressors > Rest + Recovery

These are just a few examples that I commonly hear and a case of very black-and-white thinking. I have found that most individuals I assist are Type A personalities and like myself, we struggle to see the shades of grey. Reducing unnecessary rules, tasks and routines may be a positive start in allowing your body more rest and recovery. For example:

Sometimes it is hard to account for and

• Two nights a week I could just make a healthy

performing at our greatest capacity.

Jane is not alone. I am sure many of us, myself included, can empathize with her experiences.

Have you experienced periods of depressed mood, lethargy or underachievement? If so, here is something to consider: Overtraining = Physical Activity + Daily

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family, volunteer, social) the greater our recovery requirements will be. In essence, if we wish to optimize our daily performance and avoid the overtraining paradox, we need to holistically consider everything that we are doing. By reducing the summation of stress on our body, we can become more capable of

Travel Play Live

14/03/2016 5:17 PM

The good, the bad & the Himalayan 100

PARTNER RUNNING

Kellie Emmerson - ultra distance trail runner.

2015 National long distance trail champion and Australian representative at 2015 World Trail Championships.

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Some people like the freedom of running alone. Others need the accountability of going with a friend.

Some prefer the motivation of a group. And then there are those who are lucky enough to be able to run with their partner.

W

WRITTEN BY KELLIE EMMERSON - ULTRA DISTANCE TRAIL RUNNER

hen you run long distance, Partner Running is often seen as a great way to spend time with each other and share the lifestyle.

Because it’s just that; a lifestyle. I often get asked, “When do you get to spend time together if you train so much?” In previous relationships, this was a real issue. Previous partners just didn’t get it. It was a struggle.

A balancing act. But this is not an issue in my life as it stands. I am one of the lucky ones.

Now I couldn’t imagine anything else. Apart from convenience, training with my partner has been beneficial in so many ways. It has challenged me. Exposed me to technical terrain that I would otherwise never have considered. It has taken me to the most amazing places around the world, places I’m sure I would have missed out on otherwise.

Running with my partner has pushed me up the steepest mountains to the BEST views; and it has taught me patience. We have a joint understanding when it comes to routine, holidays, and the daily grind.

Take a look at the wonderful ‘Couple on the Run’, Andrew and Sue O’Brien, to see where this can take you. They state the benefits include ‘sharing the motivation to get things started, the commitment to regularity and enjoying quality time together. All leading to greater understandings, shared goals, and ultimately lessons in life.’ After running an epic eight marathons in eight countries in eight weeks together in 2008, I can personally vouch that they are still going strong; you will find them running around together somewhere in the world at least every weekend!

Don’t get me wrong, partner running also has its challenges. Partners are not always matched in pace and goals. Things change.

What happens when one gets injured? I have witnessed those who become bitter, unable to live that lifestyle all of a sudden: yet the partner still needs to train. What happens when a partner travels a lot for work? We become complacent and are suddenly left lonely, not confident to train

alone, attempting to squeeze our training runs into someone else’s lifestyle.

But what about racing together? This is something my partner and I had never done. We had been in a few of the same races, different strengths and weaknesses contributing to the end result, but never had we actually run a race together. The Himalayan 100 was the perfect introduction for us. Yet we didn’t know it until we started. A few kilometers into Stage #1 we still hadn’t even decided if we would even run together! Unlike us, lots of the other competitors had decided well ahead time.

From thirty-seven starters, there were nine couples, the majority of whom ran each of the five stages together.

This 100 mile stage race on the Indian/ Nepalese border was such a great experience and one best shared with a friend. From the Indian hospitality to the stunning views, the relentless climbs, and the race director’s bubble of grandeur – we loved it. Aside from journalistic roles, we entered for enjoyment, to explore another part of the world, and to enjoy an active holiday together. After a very full-on 2015 racing calendar there were no underlying competitive goals this time around.

It was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the event, and we were the first ever couple to win both male and female categories.

We certainly didn’t come close to any records, and that’s the way we liked it; the win was just a bonus! We made the most of the journey together. We took the time to soak in the atmosphere, the views of Kanchenjunga and Everest, and took a million photos! We waved hello to the farmers and the soldiers along the way. The race director had recruited them to keep an eye on us and they seemed genuinely excited to take notes and be a part of something other than the daily guard. Most importantly, we used each other’s strengths to endure the tougher times.

We climbed 2000 metres on the first day only to find ourselves in the middle of a snow storm. We started in the quaint town of Maneybhanjang, surrounded by the village

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people who’d come out to cheer us on. A local band played the bagpipes and school kids dressed in their finest clothes took turns placing traditional scarves around our necks.

We all giggled that we would need to run with these; we didn’t need the extra weight!

The atmosphere was all so exciting, it gave us goosebumps to be a part of an event that’s so important to this community. The race started downhill … for a couple of hundred meters. And then up, up, into the clouds we went. It was tough and I was thankful for all the hiking I had been doing recently! By the time we made it to the finish line, I was colder than I’d ever been in my life. There was no hot shower waiting either! With fingers numb and painful, it was up to Tegz to help me undress, redress, and get warm. We reminded each other to go through our daily recovery routine, and this turned out to be a really key factor in our success, others succumbing to the challenges of multi-day running within a developing country.

We made it to 3600m+ on day one and slept in the shadow of Kanchenjunga. We ran out from this point for the next two days and discovered that altitude is a bitch! I had been to Everest base camp in the past (5300m+) but never had I ‘run’ at altitude.

We stuck together, motivating each other, trying to maintain a strong hiking pace on the hills, and took turns deciding when we’d start running again. When we finally got to some downhill the ‘cobbleboulders,’ as we liked to call them, helped to keep things interesting! Despite rumors of bears and tigers, I always felt safe with Tegz by my side.

Partner running. It has its positives, it has its negatives, but it certainly makes for great holidays! For us it came fairly naturally but it was so exciting to watch the other couples cross the finish line together, their country’s flag flying behind them. A sense of achievement shared with each other; one that only they understand. An experience like this forms an extra bond, one created not only by the race itself, but also the journey to get there.

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two runners, three days and

GREAT

OCEAN ROAD

WRITTEN BY: ELLEN BRAYBON & NICOLE MEALING

Have you ever had an outlandish notion and one of those friends who was never afraid to be your accomplice on such wild undertakings? Nicole Mealing and Ellen Braybon are one such pair who recently decided to take on The Great Ocean Road Walk. Not so outlandish you may think until you find out that they decided to run it - in three days - with just their running packs.

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THE GEAR. Next we had to figure out what we could fit in our packs. We’ve both done a lot of long distance hiking. We can easily pack for a couple weeks in the mountains, alps or desert. However, packing for this trip was a challenge due to the limits of running packs. We came up with the following list, which we considered the absolute minimum for the trip, assuming a reasonable weather forecast.

Running pack: Ultraspire Omega (Ellen) and Zygos (Nicole) packs, each with a 2L bladder.

Wearing: Shirt, shorts, underwear, socks, shoes, visor, sunglasses.

Extra clothing: rain jacket (Salomon Bonatti), merino top and bottom thermals, buff, lightweight gloves, arm sleeves. Also shorts, shirt, underwear. This was for evenings/bed, we washed our running gear each night.

Toiletries: small toothbrush, toothpaste, soap (stolen from a hotel) plus mini deodorant and face-washer-sized travel towel. Wet wipes, toilet paper, hand sanitiser, sunscreen, lip balm, micropur water treatment tablets, head torch.

First aid kit: snake bandage, emergency blanket, alcohol wipes, bandaids and blister pads, roll of strapping tape, whistle, cigarette lighter, personal locator beacon, map. We each carried this kit, with only one map and PLB. Our remote area first aid training wouldn’t really let us compromise here.

Other: Phone, charger, camera, watch, wallet contents (ID, credit card, cash).

Food: We aimed to get breakfast and dinner at our accommodation each night, so we only packed snacks for each day. We each had 3 zip lock bags each containing 4-5 bars, 4-5 gels (~1400cal) and endurolytes. Ellen was carrying Chomps and Nicole jellybeans.

Water: This would be picked up from the tanks at campsites and treated with micropur tabs. We filled up water at the start of the day and topped up in the afternoon.

There were a lot of things we took that we didn’t use, but we don’t think we could have gone without them for safety reasons. Gaiters probably would have been nice -- we were emptying sand out of our shoes quite a bit. Good excuse for a rest! Nicole managed to burn her scalp – she needed a cap not a visor. We didn't use all the food or electrolytes, but it was reassuring to know we had more than enough calories to get us through.

You can see from all this that we didn't take very much. Had the weather been bad we would have cancelled the trip. We were also prepared to abandon at any stage if we didn't have enough gear to safely continue. As the Walk follows the Great Ocean Road there were several places where we could have phoned or hitchhiked our way out of trouble. If you were going somewhere more remote, you should seriously question the safety of this gear list (no fleece, no shelter etc).

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THE INSPIRATION “Hey Nicole, I want to talk to you about a proposal…”

“Yes?” “I want to do the Great Ocean Walk. In three days. With only our running packs.”

“Okaaaay…”

Nicole is my 'go-to' friend for crazy ideas. She's the kind of girl who is always up for an adventure. The kind of girl I would trust with my life (and have). So when I had this idea to run the Great Ocean Walk over three days she was the first person I called. As expected she didn’t hesitate to say yes -- even though her longest run at the time was just 25km.

The Great Ocean Walk is an eight-day hiking trail covering 105km. We wanted to do it in three.

The Logistics The first part of our crazy plan was to figure out logistics. Of course, it's a bit difficult to carry a tent etc. in a running pack, so we needed alternative options. In order to save money we didn't go with an organised tour company - although there are several that would have organised something like this for us. The plan was as follows: Friday: Fly to Avalon and pick up a hire care. Drive to the Twelve Apostles. Take the bus shuttle to Apollo Bay. Eat, relax, and get an early night's sleep at a hostel in Apollo Bay. Saturday: Run from Apollo Bay to Cape Otway: 35km.

Eat a late lunch and sweets at the Cape Otway Lighthouse Cafe. Stay in a cabin at Cape Otway. Eat ice cream for dinner. Joking. Well…

Sunday: Run from Cape Otway to Milanesia Gate: 30km.

From here we would stay at a nearby Airbnb. The owner had kindly offered to provide dinner and breakfast for us as well as a pick-up and drop-off.

Monday: Run from Milanesia to Twelve Apostles: 40km.

Drive the hire car back to Avalon airport. Find a shower or beach and food on the way.

About ten days out from our trip our friend Paddy volunteered to chauffeur us to the start and from the end of our adventure. So we cancelled our hire car and shuttle and we were happy to have a friendly face see us off at Apollo Bay, and then greet us upon arrival at the Twelve Apostles Visitors Centre.

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THE TRAIL. Day One: On Saturday morning, packed and ready to go, we started out under an overcast sky in spitting rain. We couldn’t really blame our friend Paddy for thinking we were more than just a little crazy. We celebrated as the first and second kilometres ticked over. Just over 100 to go!

After passing a few beaches we entered the Great Otway National Park and a long and stunning forest section. Tall trees and ferns surrounded us, the path was wide and runnable, and although we failed at spotting them, we ran to the sounds of koalas (grunt, snore, grunt). Out of the trees and through Blanket Bay campground we ran, happy to find that the sun was finally shining with blue skies. We made super time and pulled into the Cape Otway Lighthouse (~35km) at about 1pm, absolutely drooling over all the things we planned to eat for lunch. We’d studied the Cape Otway Cafe menu before leaving home. Alas the cafe was fortified (!) and would cost us $20 each to enter the tourist trap that encircled it. We decided not to pay the cover charge (and cursed that this wasn’t mentioned on their website).

Our stomachs rumbled with the realisation that there would be no hot chips, quiche or scones with jam & cream.

Bugger, that was our dinner plan…

Always with a Plan B, we knew we could purchase supplies from the caravan park kiosk. After running our last few kilometres, we made it to our accommodation. With shopping basket in hand, we polished off a drink whilst trying to decide how best we could feed ourselves from a wall of chocolate and a random assortment of other stuff.

long.

Day Three: Day three was our toughest day of what became known as our ‘Great Ocean Run Run Walk Run Walk Walk Run Run Run’ adventure. We had 40kms to cover on the final day, our legs were sore and it was hard to get into a rhythm with the track going steeply down, up, down, up … not to mention, the day was warmer, so we needed a lot more water. It was becoming more difficult to stomach food, so we were mostly consuming gels. It was time to dig deep and prove we had some mental fitness!

This third leg was certainly an exciting one. At our hosts’ recommendation, we headed east when we hit the sand at the bottom of the Milanesia Track. Just a short distance along we looked up to see rock concretions embedded in the sea cliffs. Our next ‘must see’ destination was Wreck Beach, another 15km along the trail. On the way we laughed at how many times we had to stop and clean our shoes, to prevent the spread of Cinnamon fungus.

We both had moments/minutes/ hours where it was really tough to keep going, but overall it was an amazing few days in a beautiful part of Australia.

Post-dinner, we washed our clothes by hand in a basin and then, with ice cream in hand, we finally earned our koala-spotting badge. Once we had the hang of it we could see and hear them everywhere.

After a very early night, we rose tentatively, unsure how our legs would feel after the day before. Luckily they were fine, considering the distance still to cover. The dilemma of breakfast -- should we buy the giant bag of muesli and litre of milk? -- was solved by adding salted caramel GU to one of those ‘just add water’ pancake mixes.

Day Two: Day two was a shorter day – only 30km. We enjoyed the increase in coastal sections of the track. There was a nicely shaded and exquisitely gnarly forest section coming into the Aire River Estuary. We saw an abundance of wildlife, spotting an echidna, a few swamp wallabies, lots of birds and a tiger snake. There were also several gorgeous places to sit and take in the natural wonder of the Aussie coastline. We closed the day by taking off our shoes and having a nice long relaxing walk through the water along Johanna Beach, before slogging it up the Old Coach Road, a 4wd track and the highest point of the whole trail.

We were two very excited ladies to be picked up from the track by our AirBnB hosts to have a little farm stay and a delicious roast dinner in Yuu-

This was our most trying moment of the trip as we both started to crumble mentally and physically at the slow rate we seemed to be closing the gap to Wreck Beach. Would we make it before the tide got too high? And why were we suddenly so slow? It turned out there’d been a little miscalculation whilst devouring food. The 10km we thought we had to cover was actually 15km!

Wreck Beach should only be visited at low tide. It has visible signs of the numerous shipwrecks off Australian shores. In particular are two anchors and a capstan, embedded in the rock, from two shipwrecks in the late 1800s. Since we made low tide we were also able to walk the length of the coast, past Moonlight Beach, and then ascend back up to the main trail near the Devil’s Kitchen campground. We now had a mere 16km to go to Apostle Bay. We were going to make it!

We went for a swim in the freshwaters of Gellibrand River, before completing the final 7km or so to Apostle Bay and a spread of soft drink and chips laid out by our friend Paddy, who greeted us warmly despite our sweaty selves.

The Result: The result? We survived! We are still talking to each other, and we were even smiling at the end. According to the watch our days ended up being 39km (6.5 hours), 30km (6 hours), 40km (7.5 hours with a swim). We both had moments/minutes/hours where it was really tough to keep going, but overall it was an amazing few days in a beautiful part of Australia. We loved it so much we have already discussed trying something like this again!

And the roast chicken and chips we had on the way to the airport have never tasted sooooooo good!

two runners, three days and

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pathreveals itself,

followit

When the

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the happy walk.

Raising awareness on mental health and suicide prevention I N T E R V I E W B Y O L I V I A H E A G U E - A G E D 1 0 (with some help from mum)

Terra Lalirra has embarked on a walk around Australia to help others reach out for help and talk about mental illness and suicide prevention. Terra is recovering from depression and PTSD and The Happy Walk is part of her path to recovery while inspiring others to hold onto hope.

As she has walked beside the highways many people stop to talk about their own journeys and challenges through mental illness. She has in a way become the walking counselor with plenty of time to listen to those who need to talk.

daughter and adventuress in the making about Terra, she was full of questions. So I handed the interview over to her.

“My shared story helps give hope to others who are struggling themselves or caring for someone with mental illness. The little cards I hand out to people I meet have Lifeline's number on them and they have already saved many lives.” she said.

Between towns I am rationed to dry fruit, raw almonds and cashews, powdered berries, seeds and raw organic vegan energy bars.

“The walk is turning out to be my most important therapy. As I walk through nature in solitude I am healing many old wounds and learning how to trust people and be happy again.”

In 2015 Terra became the first woman to walk solo without a support vehicle from Perth to Darwin. This year, she will become the first woman to do this around Australia.

After talking with Olivia my ten year old

What type of food do you eat? Lots of raw vegan food while I am resting in a town like salads and fruit.

At roadhouses I rarely get fresh food so it is usually carb loading with hot chips.

Sometimes I forage for wild plants, berries, bark and sap but only if I am 110% sure of the ID of a plant.

Sometimes I accidentally eat flies.

How many pairs of shoes do you need, because with all that walking you might get holes in them? So far I have used 13 pairs. It will about 23 pairs by the time I finish walking 16,000kms.

I started with a heavy sturdy boot but they were too heavy for the long distances I

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covered in a day. I tried runners but they were too thin and the heat of the road burnt blisters into the soles of my feet through the sole of the runner.

Now I use a trail runner. Wilderness Sports Jindabyne stock La Sportive Raptor trail runner and post them out to me as I walk. They are perfect, light, sturdy and vegan.

Because I walk on such rough surfaces and push a heavy barrow the tread wears fast so I am replacing the shoe often.

In between walks I train in bare feet on the beach and spend as much time as possible out of covered shoes.

Where do you sleep? Usually I sleep beside the road about 10-20 metres away in the bush or long grass depending on how close the property fences are to the road. Most of the last 9,400kms has been along the most remote stretches of National Highway1 including the longest section of road between food, water and fuel - 289kms from Fitzroy

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change

My shared story helps give hope to others who are struggling themselves or caring for someone with mental illness.

Crossing to Halls Creek in the Kimberley WA. I had to find trees, shrubs, mounds of dirt or grass to camp behind so headlights didn't flash through the tent during the night and I had some privacy for going to the toilet.

This year I am mostly hammocking with custom hand crafted gear from Tier Gear and Terra Rosa Gear, but it will depend on whether two trees or a flat clear patch of ground is easier to find at sunset.

In town I am often donated a room or cabin, sometimes a camping site, occasionally hosted with supporters.

Sleep always comes easy at the end of the day. I return to our natural circadian rhythm quickly when I start walking, falling asleep within an hour after last light and waking with the birds just before first light.

Sleep hygiene is very important for both

physical recovery and mental wellness. When the body is in peak condition it can fully recover overnight and a healthy body is vital for a healthy mind.

What equipment do you take with you so you don’t get lost? I often lose myself in nature, in the moment, in thought…

Most of this walk is beside National Highway 1 so it is not easy to get lost. However, when I am exhausted, it is easy to get disorientated and walk the wrong direction down the highway. Fortunately I am blessed with a great sense of direction in the wild but this doesn't necessarily help when I walk through a city.

Google Maps helps.

When I am not charity walking beside roads and through town I spend a fair bit of time alone walking through the wilderness and am old school, compass and topo maps.

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Wilderness navigation training is important as well as survival training. Don't go bush alone without both of these. I have been constantly learning at every opportunity since the 80s and have completed many courses including a Advanced Outback Survival course with Bob Cooper in the Pilbara and Remote Wilderness First Aid. I am enjoying the ease of navigation during this walk, it is one less thing to think about.

Are you going to swim to Tasmania?

I'm still learning to walk on water but when I walked 1,200kms around Tassie as the first leg of The Happy Walk I caught the ferry there and the plane back.

Wouldn’t it be quicker if you took your bike? You're not wrong and you better ride it in the opposite direction to avoid headwinds!

Good Luck Terra.

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the happy walk.

Raising awareness on mental health and suicide prevention

HOW YOU CAN HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Up until recently The Happy Walk has

Lets help her get to her goal of

been self funded with the help of a handful

$10,000 and donate to Lifeline HERE:

of donations along the way, but it has

makingadifference.gofundraise.com.

cost much more than anticipated and

au/page/thehappywalk

now Terra needs our help to continue

For all donations of $30 or more Terra will

carrying her message of hope, health and recovery and to keep spreading awareness of Lifeline's life saving services. You can donate and help her cover the basic costs for the remaining 7,000kms. E.G. food, clean water, shoes, physio, safety

drop her an email to thehappywalker@ gmail.com or private message her through The Happy Walk Facebook page www.facebook.com/thehappywalk

equipment, data and phone expenses,

Do you need help?

cabin/camp site fees, batteries, sports

Lifeline’s 24/7 telephone line - 13 11 14

nutrition, replacements and repairs,

has been providing suicide prevention

etc. HERE: www.mycause.com.au/

and crisis support services for over 50

page/110507/the-happy-walk

years. Their online crisis support chat

If you’d like to buy Terra a pair of shoes,

service is is available seven days a week

you can do that too by calling Bruce and

from 8pm-4am (AEST).

his friendly staff at Wilderness Sports

To learn more please visit

Jindabyne on 02 6456 2966

www.lifeline.org.au

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send you a handmade thank you gift so

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Up until recently The Happy Walk has been self funded, but it has cost much more than anticipated and now Terra needs our help to continue carrying her message of hope

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ARWEN DYER LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER

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dream

N Self Portrait at the Moeraki Boulders, NZ – These boulders are astounding! Perfectly round and laced with quartz, they appear to have rolled out of the cliff and onto the beach. This was taken after a spectacular sunrise on a recent rip to NZ.

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ARWEN DYER LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER

What style of photography do you

and beautiful rainforests. I also love the

most delightful things I’ve done! I’ve also

specialise in?

East Coast (including Flinders Island). It’s

been lucky to photograph bioluminescent

I am a landscape photographer with fervor

very different to the West Coast, with lots

phytoplankton near my home: seeing a sea

for conservation photography. The visual

of granite and a milder climate. Tassie’s

full of blue sparkles is phenomenal!

image is a very powerful tool for raising

mountain areas, such as Cradle Mountain-

awareness and for creating the change

Lake St Clair National Park, are a thrill to

needed to protect our natural environment

photograph during autumn when the

and its wildlife from human endeavour and

Nothofagus Gunnii – our native deciduous

climate change.

tree – is turning.

On a creative level, I love shooting broad

What are some of the most

landscapes but I am enthralled with taking

breathtaking moments you have

macro and night photographs. The micro

captured?

world (fungi, moss, tiny shells etc.) and the

One of the most breathtaking moments was

expansive celestial world are beyond our

at Rupert Point in the Tarkine. The photo

grasp in many ways, so capturing them and

does not do the place justice in terms

bringing them into people’s lives through

of scale and impact: the massive rocks

places on earth, Lofoten with its incredible

photography is a real delight for me.

and raging seas are incredibly dramatic.

fjords and Iceland with its glaciers,

I was fortunate to have reasonable mild

icebergs and mountains. Also on my

weather when I was there; it I soften very

must-visit list are Antarctica, Patagonia, the

wet and cold. Another stunning moment

Canadian Rockies, Outback Australia and

was photographing Mount Cook in New

more of New Zealand… There are natural

Zealand. It’s an astonishing place! I can’t

phenomena I wish to photograph too,

wait to return there.

including lava, the northern lights (I should

You are based in Tasmania, what are your favourite local locations to shoot?

Tasmania is amazing because there is such variety of natural landscapes to explore. Some of my favourite places are the Tarkine, Cradle Mountain, Flinders

Do you have a photo / adventure bucket list of must capture moments?

I have a bucket-list of must-capture places!

What are they?

Top of my list is Lofoten in Norway. When I first saw images of this Archipelago I new I just had to go there! And my dream is finally coming true: I will spend four weeks there, as well as a week in Iceland, early this year! These are two of the most scenic

achieve this one on my Arctic trip!) and

Island and the Western Ranges. The wilder

A passion of mine is night photography

and more remote the better really! The

and we are lucky in Tasmania to be able to

Tarkine is a huge area in Tasmania’s west.

view the Aurora Australis. Photographing

To see more of Arwen's work you can go to

I keep returning to its dramatic coastline

auroras under the Milky Way is one of the

her website: www.arwendyer.com

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wildlife in places like Antarctica and Africa.

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Rupert Point, Tarkine, Tasmania – The Tarkine is a spectacular part of Tasmania. Over 450,000 hectares of rainforest, coastline, button grass plains and mountains, and, ancient Aboriginal artifacts and sacred sites. Unfortunately much of the area is threatened by industry and insensitive recreational activities. This image was taken for a collaborative arts action project called Tarkine in Motion (coordinated by the Bob Brown Foundation), which aims to have the Tarkine protected as National Park by 2020. Over 70 artists spent 72 hours spread out over the region responding in various art modalities. The project has been represented in a film and in exhibitions across the country.

ARWEN DYERS’S TOP 5 TIPS FOR ASPIRING LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHERS. 1 Do everything to ensure you are living your

passion. Let nothing hold you back from making your dreams happen!

2 Invest in good equipment, but don’t get caught thinking you can’t succeed without it. Quality photography is the person behind the lens more than the equipment and the subject. Develop your eye and experiment.

3 Make friends with your inner critic: be kind to yourself instead of giving yourself a hard time when things aren’t quite right. Learning is ongoing.

4 Source mentors and make friends with other landscape photographers. You will learn a lot!

5 Keep challenging yourself. Visit a new place

or do something you’ve not done before (such as macro or black and white, for example).

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LANDMARK AWARDS Photography

We all love taking photos, especially when we go on holidays. As we explore a region we are constantly capturing memories with our camera and/or phone.

We grab shots and post them on Facebook, tag friends on Instagram and tell our friends ‘wish you were here’.

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The Landmark Photography Awards is Australia’s newest photographic competition. What makes these awards unique is that they are connected to a place and season and are focused on tourism destinations.

Landmark is all about capturing the essence of a holiday region - Great Lakes, North Coast NSW. The awards are open to everyone and will be launched in the Great Lakes, this autumn.

NEED TO KNOW. From Easter 2016 both amateur and professional photographers will be invited to take photos and enter Landmark Great Lakes, submitting their captures of the regions personality within seven categories: 1. Landmark (Seal Rocks Lighthouse) 2. Lakes 3. Panorama 4. Black & White 5. Sunrise/Sunset 6. Beach 7. ‘Its you’ There is also an eighth category just for kids.

With over $5000 in prizes and the chance to be published the Landmark Photography Awards will showcase the Great Lakes region in a whole new way and change the face of photography competitions in Australia.

For more information go to: www.facebook.com/landmarkawards

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The first and most important step; make sure they have an English menu, it goes a long way when it comes to making nutritious dinner choices in a traditional Italian trattoria.

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Europe H E A LT H Y H O T S P O T S {with Em Esslemont}

One of the things I love about travelling is the opportunity to immerse yourself in a completely different culture. Each city is a blank canvas; some cities are rich in culture, some built on astounding history and many, usually my favourites, are world famous for their food.

ARTICLE BY EM ESSLEMONT

As I headed off on a three week holiday to Europe I must admit I had certain apprehensions about being able to find healthy food, especially when it came to Italy and France. The French have a love affair with cheese and bread and in Italy it’s all about pizza, pasta and prosecco.

I was pleasantly surprised. Sure it’s not Sydney where we are blessed with extensive choice and availability of nourishing food, but you can certainly find lots of healthy options if you look in the right places. The first and most important step; make sure they have an English menu, it goes a long way when it comes to making nutritious dinner choices in a traditional Italian trattoria.

Here are just a few of my favourite places to eat across Europe.

1 LONDON

Daylesford Farmhouse: This is farm to fork dining at its absolute best. They grow all their own produce at their property in Gloucestershire, making for a menu that’s fresh, seasonal and full of flavour.

Breakfast called for eggs which were poached to perfection, served with sautéed kale and homemade hollandaise.

A meal so delicious we came back the next day for dinner of grilled sea bass, colourful superfood salads and venison haunch. If you are a passionate health foodie Daylesford is set to impress. IG: daylesfordfarm Good Life Eatery: A café that makes eating nutritious food a very enjoyable

experience. The skinny benedict puts an exciting spin on an old breakfast classic while the salad menu will probably leave you pondering for longer than expected, especially because you may then decide you want the toasted chicken meatball wrap. Decisions, decisions. The incredible hulk is a must try smoothie, their coffee is great – and yes, you should get a gluten free brownie to takeaway.

Ottolenghi: This was one of my favourite places in London. While not necessarily a health focused eatery it has incredibly healthy options. The Notting Hill space has seats for only ten, so most orders are takeout, but if you have the time it’s worth the wait, communal dining is kind of fun! Order from the ‘visual menu’, a table stacked with superfood salads and a variety of protein options, both hot and cold. All you need to do is decide – not such an easy process when your choices can include the likes of sweet potato wedges, roasted eggplant drizzled in yoghurt or chargrilled greens with chilli and garlic. The end result? Your very own personalised feast.

2 FRANCE Arctic Café: A surprise discovery in the heart of Val d’lsere. This energy kitchen serves wholesome, hearty meals, making it the perfect re-fuelling destination after a busy morning on the slopes. The protein punch salad with chicken and roasted veggies with an almond milk hot chocolate hit the spot every time. They have scrambled eggs, soups, sandwiches

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and smoothies so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding something to satisfy.

3 ITALY Ginger: A must visit for anyone seeking a change up from everyday Italian cuisine.

Grab a table street-side, because peoplewatching is a must in Rome, and browse a somewhat impressive menu. Whether it’s spicy organic meatballs, a smoked salmon salad or yellow chicken curry you can wash it down with a freshly squeezed juice, real fruit smoothie or glass of smooth Italian wine from Ginger’s very own vineyard. If you have room for dessert a homemade treat may tickle your taste buds, or if fresh fruit and herbal tea is more your thing they have many to choose from.

Esco Sazio: Feeling the need for something fruity and fresh? Escosazio is a super cute little café that’s slightly off the beaten track in Rome. Offering an extensive selection of juices and smoothies as well as other gourmet offerings, such as acai bowls with oatmeal or homemade energy bars. Did I mention their rather creative fairy-tale inspired salad menu?

Dine in or grab and go, whichever you choose make sure you don’t leave without trying the ‘supreme goji’.

I tried and tested many other great places during my European travels, many were surprise discoveries and many lay slightly off the beaten track. If you want to find all the best healthy recommendations from around the world head to www.wellbeingworldwide.com.

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MIND your MOUTH

BY KERITH DUNCANSON PHD FROM GUT FEELINGS

“Oh no, I am eating something ‘bad’. I can’t believe I am doing this again. I have broken my food rules again, I have no self-control, I am so weak, I am so ‘bad’, I might as well keep going now that I have started and I might as well eat more foods that are not in my food plan. After this packet of biscuits/ box of chocolates/take away meal/night of drinking (replace with your food weapon of choice) I am going to get motivated and be ‘good’ and never even buy a ‘bad’ or ‘unhealthy’ food again.”

Sound familiar? This thought process of a ‘mindless’ eater gets stuck in a loop, with additional layers of self-loathing added in with each repetition, while stripping away self-esteem at an equally damaging rate.

Most adults (especially women) recognise this thought pattern and realise the damage that it does, but don’t have the insight or skills to replace it with something more productive – which is my aim for this article.

How many of you can honestly say that all you think about when you have food in your mouth is eating? Focusing on the tastes and textures of food, and our body’s responses to eating, seems logical and simple, but it just isn’t. In a world where so much emotion is attached to food at an individual level, and so much morality and judgement at a community level, it is very hard to ‘just eat’.

Most people have so much self-talk going on when they are eating that the actual act of eating is completely overwhelmed. This internal dialogue is usually negative, and tells us that we are eating the wrong type of food, or too much food, or that the food we are eating was unplanned and therefore ‘bad’. Such mindless chatter inevitably results in overeating because the eater does not get the sensory cues of satiation (feeling of fullness) or food satisfaction (feeling of enjoyment) that comes from paying attention to eating – which is known as mindful eating.

To switch from mindless to mindful eating is very simple, but not easy. It takes practice and development of new skills,

and a questioning approach to be able to recognise when you are slipping into that ‘mindless’ chatter, and go down the ‘mindful’ eating path instead. Here’s a quick guide to starting with mindful eating.

1. Recognise the negative chatter – pick up on words like ‘shouldn’t, bad, unhealthy, diet’ and negative feelings of guilt, regret, self-loathing or self-harm.

2. Try to remove yourself from the space where you are eating if possible, so you have time and space to think.

3. Wherever you are when you recognise these negative words, thoughts or feelings, try to question the thought process. For example: • Can a food really be ‘good’ or ‘bad’?

• ‘Too much food’ compared to what?

• Should we be planning every mouthful for every day?

4. Try to switch to mindful eating. Slow down, chew and think about the food, block out the negative self-talk.

5. Look for physical cues from eating or body – too much sweetness, saltiness, fullness?

6. If you want more of the food, but just not now, give the unplanned food a place in your day – “I am going to finish this as part of lunch.”

7. Reflect on unplanned eating: • What words come into your head as part of that negative self-talk about unplanned eating or overeating? Write them down, and they will become your cues.

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• Document what you ate in unplanned eating sessions – what was eaten before you recognised the cues and what you continued to eat after.

• What can you do differently next time to switch to the ‘mindful’ path sooner?

8. Aim for stopping unplanned eating sooner and giving unplanned foods a place, rather than expecting quantum changes.

9. If in the first month you can reduce overeating by 10% it is a huge improvement.

10. Perseverance plays a much greater role in overcoming overeating than motivation.

Consider the difference between the first paragraph of this article and the following one. Which would you prefer to be yours?

“Oops, I didn’t plan on eating this today but it does look good. I am taking a small bite and as I chew I am thinking about the tastes and textures. Another bite, followed by more chewing. Now it is starting to taste sweet/salty/rich and the enjoyment that I felt after the first bite is not the same now.

My stomach is starting to feel a little full or a bit uncomfortable. It’s time to stop, maybe I can save this extra piece for later when I feel like it and I am hungry again.”

There are plenty of resources and websites to support you in a mindful eating approach if you are interested. Just get in touch with me and I will point you in the direction of the most appropriate ones.

E: kerith@helpyourself.com.au FB: Gut Feelings Twitter: @GutKerith

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TANDOORI LAMB AND CHICK PEA CURRY This dish was created as a way of starting to add more pulses and legumes to our everyday diet. Up until a few years ago I had never really cooked much with these foods, and it has been a great education, as well as a tasty and nutritious addition to our mealtimes. This curry is serious comfort food, tender lamb with an abundance of spice and the added goodness of chickpeas. It is preferable to marinate the lamb for at least an hour: or overnight, to maximize flavour.

SERVES 6 NUTRITION GF

INGREDIENTS 1 kg diced lamb 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 large tomatoes, cored and diced 400g can diced tomatoes 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 400ml can coconut milk 1 cup (150g) peas (fresh or frozen) handful of flat-leaf parsley or coriander, chopped steamed brown rice, to serve tandoori marinade: 1 heaped tbsp tandoori paste 2 heaped tbsp natural yoghurt (european or greek style) 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp paprika

METHOD 1. To make the marinade, combine the ingredients, in a shallow glass dish.

2. Add the lamb, and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

3. Heat the oil In a large saucepan, and cook the onion and garlic over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until transparent. Add the marinated diced lamb and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until coloured.

4. Add the fresh tomatoes, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in the canned tomatoes, chickpeas and coconut milk.

Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

5. Add the peas, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley or coriander leaves, and serve with brown rice.

Note: You can use one cup (200g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight then boiled for 30 minutes, in place of the canned beans, if you like.

Chickpeas

SPECIAL THANKS

(also known as garbanzos) are a type of pulse, with one seedpod containing two or three peas. They are grown in the Mediterranean, western Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Australia. Mature chickpeas can be pre-cooked and eaten cold in salads, or cooked in curries and stews. They can be ground into a flour called gram flour (also known as chickpea or besan flour), minced, shaped into balls and fried as falafel, or cooked and ground into a paste called hummus. They also make a great snack when roasted and spiced. Chickpeas are a helpful source of zinc, folic acid (vitamin B9) and protein and are very high in dietary fibre.

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©Jane Grover – Recipe from Jane’s cookbook ‘NAKED FOOD the way food was meant to be’ w: www.janegrover.net

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RADICCHIO, BABY ROCKET, BEETROOT AND PEAR SALAD This is a salad filled with lots of natural colour and therefore lots of antioxidants too! A perfect combination of bitter and sweet, it’s ‘naked food’ at its best.

SERVES 6 NUTRITION V & GF

INGREDIENTS 3 medium beetroot, stalks and leaves removed 1 tbsp olive oil 1 radicchio (substitute with red oak or mignonette lettuce if unavailable) 100g baby rocket leaves 2 pears 1/2 cup (60ml) lemon and thyme dressing (see basics page 28) 1/2 cup (50g) walnuts parmesan, shaved, to serve

LEMON AND THYME DRESSING This salad dressing is a winner, even if I (the creator) do say so myself! It is great with any green leafy salad and counteracts well with salads that incorporate bitter leaves, such as rocket or radicchio.

METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ÊC fan forced) and line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Wash and dry the beetroots. Leaving the skin on, cut into quarters, or into six depending on the size. Place onto the prepared baking tray, drizzle with the oil and bake for 30 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking. Cool to room temperature.

2. Wash and dry the raddichio and rocket leaves. Leaving the skin on, cut the pears in half, remove the core, then cut into fine slices.

3. Combine the leaves and pear slices in a large bowl with half the dressing, and toss to coat. Serve topped with the beetroot, walnuts and parmesan, drizzled with the remaining dressing.

SERVES 1 CUP

NUTRITION V & GF

INGREDIENTS 1 tsp dijon mustard 1 tsp honey ¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice ½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp thyme leaves 1 tbsp caramelized balsamic vinegar freshly ground black pepper, to taste

radicchio

Place all ingredients into a small screwtop glass jar. Seal tightly, and shake to mix thoroughly. Check the balance of sweet and sour and adjust to taste.

Storage: Lemon and thyme dressing will keep in the fridge, stored in the glass jar you made it in, for up to 2 weeks.

SPECIAL THANKS

pronounced (rah-dee-kee-oh) is the Italian name for a red-leafed vegetable which is a member of the chicory family. It has a slightly bitter flavour, and the texture of the leaves is somewhere between a lettuce and a cabbage. It is packed with fibre, vitamin C, potassium and provides an antioxidant content rivalling that of blueberries and spinach. The bitterness is beneficial to health, in that it promotes appetite and the flow of gastric juices, which improves internal body function. Served warm or cold, radicchio is perfect in salads or for grilling and sautéing served with olive oil, balsamic and a little grated Italian cheese.

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METHOD

©Jane Grover – Recipe from Jane’s cookbook ‘NAKED FOOD the way food was meant to be’ w: www.janegrover.net

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TRAVEL PLAYreLIVE ctory

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WOMEN'S ADVENTURE DIRECTORY A network of adventure groups and active individuals dedicated to creating new friendships and helping all women add zest to their lives

MUST DO EVENTS Tick off your bucket list and discover your wilder side with our hand picked recommendations

SOCIAL SCENE All the latest news from our Aussie adventure girls in action

COMPETITIONS AND GIVEAWAYS Winners and grinners

TPL DIRECTORY Look no further for all your adventurous needs & desires

CONGRATULATIONS TO LAST ISSUES

WINNERS I/O MERINO GEAR. Jane Breidahl

Winner of $250 worth of gear from iO Merino for signing up to our newsletter.

SEVAN APARTMENTS FORSTER GETAWAY. Lisa George Winner of a 4 nights for up to 4 people in a Sevan

deluxe apartment Forster NSW for subscibing to our magazine

Check out our website for our full directories www.travelplaylive.com.au

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{Travel Play Live}

GIVEAWAYS

Refuel & Revive with our great competitons

WIN

MobileLite Wireless G3 FROM KINGSTON TECHNOLOGY

We have one up for grabs for our magazine subscribers.

• Charges mobile devices with built-in battery charger • Effortless backup and storage for mobile devices • New MobileLite Wireless Pro Offers On-board Storage This great little device has a USB port and SD card slot allowing users to access files on a USB Flash drive or SD card3 on their smartphone or tablet wirelessly. Through the MobileLite app, users can easily transfer, backup or share photos, videos and other content without having to use a PC. This also allows users to free up precious space on mobile devices without deleting or using Cloud based backups. Both devices are Dual Band WiFi capable for fast data transfer. The device and app are easy to install and use and are perfect for the intrepid traveller and avid travel photographer.

Small group hosted active travel experiences designed for self discovery, challenge and fulfilment

find yourself

be your self

Explore stunning trails and be inspired by travel that gives back

challenge yourself

2016/2017 Discovery Tours for women in the Flinders Ranges, Tasmania, Bhutan, New Zealand and more

www.bigheartadventures.com.au tel: 0478 825 144

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mu donts

DISCOVER YOUR WILDER SIDE

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Mother's Day Classic Type: Walk / Run Location: Australia Wide Date: 8th May 2016 www.mothersdayclassic.com.au The Mother's Day Classic, now in its 18th year, has become a calendar must-do for thousands of families, friends, and community groups who revel in a festive event that supports a serious cause - funding research into breast cancer - Australia's most common female cancer. Join thousands of Australians this Mother's Day around the country and register to participate in the 2016 Mother's Day Classic to raises money for research into breast cancer and help make breast cancer history. It doesn't matter how you walk or run, or even how fast, it just matters why. Since it began in 1998, the Mother's Day Classic has contributed $24.3 million to the National Breast Cancer Foundation's research program. In that time breast cancer five-year survival rates have increased to nearly 90 per cent.

MOUNTAIN DESIGNS GEOQUEST Type: Adventure Racing Location: Based out of Port Macquarie NSW Date: 10th - 13th June 2016 www.geoquest.com.au Mountain Designs GeoQuest 48hr is Australia's premier adventure race.

It involves 48+hrs of non-stop endurance racing in the major disciplines of trekking, mountain biking and kayaking. The Geo-Half adventure race is run at the same time as the Mountain Designs GeoQuest. It covers only half the distance but teams have the full 48hrs to complete it.

WILD WOMEN ON TOP MELBOURNE COASTREK Type: Walk - 30km & 60km Location: Mornington Peninsula VIC Date: 18th November 2016 www.melbourne.coastrek.com.au Challenge yourself and your teammates with this great new adventure. Soak up the spectacular coastline of the Mornington Peninsula with the Wild Women on Top Melbourne Coastrek.

Explore its magic rugged coastline, spectacular bays, nature trails, and historic sites all the while completing an incredible personal challenge with your friends while restoring sight.

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FORSTER ADVENTURE RACE & JUNIOR SPIRIT ULTRA-TRAIL AUSTRALIA Type: Trail Running Location: Katoomba, New South Wales Date: 11th - 16th May 2016 www.ultratrailaustralia.com.au Australia’s most challenging, stunning and prestigious Trail Running event -Ultra Trail Australia; an obvious choice for its breath taking trails in the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains National Park.

Starting in 2008 as The North Face 100 and Marathon Pairs, the 50km was introduced in 2013. Ultra-Trail Australia has captivated runners locally and internationally and it has quickly grown to become one of the most talked about endurance events in Australian history.

2016 will see the event grow to offer even more for runners. With the introduction of the Pace 22km, UTA951 (Furber Stairs Time Trial), an event expo and more, Ultra-Trail Australia will have something for everyone!

Ultra-Trail Australia will be run over an adventure filled 5 days, and will be the biggest trail running party that Australia has ever seen! An energetic and dynamic hub where runners of all abilities and their families can learn about trails, gear, nutrition, training, race strategy and more.

This will be EPIC!

Type: Multi Sport Location: Forster and the surrounding Great Lakes, NSW Date: 7th May 2016 www.forsteradventurerace.com.au The smash hit course from 2015 is back and has something for everyone!

Once again it promises to deliver a unique adventure experience, taking competitors across some of the most challenging and scenic landscape that the Great Lakes has to offer.

Ocean swimming in the crystal clear waters off Pacific Palms, cross country running around rugged escarpments and forests, with a paddle leg across Smiths Lake, mountain biking through the Wallingat National Park with a sweet mix of rolling trails, creek crossings and single track, paddling on the pristine Wallis Lake, around islands and past our famous oyster leases and finally a run across the renowned Forster Tuncurry bridge to finish on Main Beach.

Solos, pairs and teams are invited to take on the 2016 Forster Adventure Race. In addition to the main race the Junior Spirit is back – new and improved – offering kids the chance to get into the action. If you are into adventure, looking for the next big challenge or just love the outdoors then this is the weekend for you. Get your gear sorted, get your entry in, grab some friends, book your accommodation and lock it in!

Diamonds in the Dirt Type: MTB Location: Awaba MTB Park, Lake Macquarie NSW Date: 2 July 2016 www.rockytrailentertainment.com/events/Diamonds-overview.html This will be an event for any woman who rides and already races a mountain bike. Dreamt up by Rocky Trail’s Juliane Wisata, it will be run in a friendly and encouraging event environment, where it doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, have kids or not, prefer lycra or baggy shorts, whether you’re into pink or not at all. Whether you’ve just started riding or never participated in a mountain bike event before. You should come if you want to give yourself a challenge! And hey, let’s get the boys to come as well! Let them look after the kids – there’s great kids trails at Awaba and they can run a few fun kids races for them. They can help with mechanicals and timing and make sure we won’t have to worry about anything but staying upright on those bikes. Sounds like a plan?

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SOCIALSCENE BIRTHDAY BASH WITH A TWIST! What better way to show your gratitude for seeing in another year than gathering your tribe and immersing yourself in three full days of the great outdoors, which is exactly what we did! A spectacular weekend for our Adventure Director Kez and thirty or so friends. 50km of hiking from Forster to Seal Rocks in one of NSW ’s premier adventure destinations; The Great Lakes. Camping, swimming, perfect champagne sunsets and early morning camp coffee, what more could a girl ask for on her birthday?

Wise Women Walking Tour.

‘The Wise Women Walking Tour’ with team leader Lisa Murphy and Sarah Adamson from Big Heart Adventures Feb 2016. These gals recently trekked the unforgettable Queen Charlotte Track in New Zealand. A trip with a difference, combining travel with ‘happiness coaching’, empowering one to become the expert in their own happiness, so to speak, proving self discovery and adventure do go hand in hand.

WILD WOMEN ON TOP SYDNEY COASTREK. Wild Women on Top have done it again with this years Sydney Coastrek.

The event to date has raised over $2.5 million for the Fred Hollows Foundation, and the reviews say it all really. Well done to all involved.

If you are in Melbourne, it is your turn next. Check out our events callendar for details.

"Why do I love Coastrek? The challenge, friendship and breathtaking beauty of the Sydney coastline, combine with fundraising for Fred Hollows that helps the blind to see. The combination is pure joy...once you cross the finish line!" - Julie McCrossin "[We] had a ball... we laughed, lapped up the amazing scenery, shared strapping and blister packs, pumped each other up and mustered enough energy to run across the finish line. What a fantastic event!!!

We'll be there again next year." - Vanessa Bond

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Sisters running wild.

An amazing day was had by the Summit Sisters at Running Wild Knapsack lap race! Always great to see this supportive network of inspiring trail sisters. @summitsisters

BEST OF WILD TASMANIA ROAD TRIPPIN'

Thanks to the team from Auswalking Holidays for a fabulous ‘Best of Wild Tasmania’ trip. The reviews and photos say it all.

"So enjoyed being on this trip. Now thanks to you I love challenging myself in ways I didn't even think about. I loved walking in the rain, loved the peace of the bush, loved

We are loving following Louise Terry and her road trip in her Kombi. It brings back many a childhood memory.... Here she is at an Australian intersection that's a must see for anyone ticking their round the country bucket list. You can follow her adventures over on Instagram @kombigirltraveller

the banter and the friendship." Leteetia J.

You just never know who you are going to meet in the surf getting their adventure on! Five time World Body Boarding Champ Lilly Pollard and one of our TPL favourites; rule breaker, change maker, #SausageFest initiator Lucy Perry hit the waves in Cronulla recently.

In the Surf.

Recently appointed CEO of Sunrise Cambodia Lucy is currently turning the recent hullabaloo about her tweet concerning equal gender representation at an industry awards night into a positive for the people of Cambodia. “I think we can all have a bit of a laugh at the term ‘sausagefest’ and use it to create something that will actually help people in need.

Checkout www.sunrisecambodia.org.au for more details on how you can support Sunrise Cambodia.

You can find Lilly Pollard here: The Bodyboard Academy for personalised coaching for all ages with Pipeline World Champion @lillypollard www.thebodyboardacademy.com {Travel Play Live}

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INSTA LOVE TAG US TO SHARE YOUR ADVENTURES When we ran a competition on Facebook early this year to win a pair of Keen Gypsum Hiking Boots, we were blown away by the response.

Un-prompted the Travel Play Live tribe shared some fantastic photos of themselves out and about on their adventures – what an inspiration. Here are just a few of our favourites.

We always love to see what you are up to, so don’t forget to tag us in your pictures on Instagram #travelplaylive, or in the comment section on our Facebook page.

OUR KEEN ADVENTURESSES Danita Isabella Dorosz, Dimity Hosking, Jo Malcolm, Julie Field, Julie Hine, Kaitlin Ridley, Karen Ward, Kylie Honor, Lee-Anna May, Lisa Fox, Mel Will, Roxanne Dunn, Sonia Ware

WIN NER

KEEN GYPSUM HIKING BOOTS - WINNER Leisa Moar Winner of a pair of Keen Gypsum Hiking Boots for folloing and supporting us over on Facebook.

@travelplaylive #travelplaylive

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Must read BOOKS

FROM BURMA TO MYANMAR ON THE ROAD TO MANDALAY Lydia Laube

Lydia Laube is passionate about seeing the world ‘it’s not enough to read about a place, I need to see it for myself ’, she says. So far, she has travelled to fifty-four different countries but Myanmar, or Burma as it was known during her first three visits, holds a special place in her heart.

‘Something about this country attracted me – unfinished business maybe. Or the appeal of the forbidden. Burma has in the past been enticingly coy about letting me in.’

BRAVE ENOUGH:

Publisher: Wakefield Press

MY LIFE ON THE ROAD

A MINI INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR THE SOUL Cheryl Strayed

From the best-selling author of Wild, this mini instruction manual for the soul is a collection of over 100 quotes drawn from a wide range of Strayed’s writings. Each page captures her spirit, wisdom, courage, and sense of outspoken humour.

Her honesty and tough love approach to living a full unapologetic life whilst accepting ones flaws will enable many to put one foot in front of the other even on the toughest of days.

Urging you toward the

In From Burma to Myanmar, Lydia explores the wondrous land of pagodas and paddy fields.

Under Myanmar’s magic spell, she pays homage to the world’s biggest python, visits the world’s largest book and falls in love with a little horse called Madonna.

As ever, she takes the road less travelled and along the way, she learns to outwit the government, survives a rat-infested train trip and garners lots of curiosity from the locals.

Gloria Steinem

incredible capacity for self love, compassion and forgiveness, Brave Enough will help you discover an untapped resilience, some courage and an undeniable inner strength, that can be found deep within us all.

Publisher: ATLANTIC BOOKS

From the Dedication to the final chapter of Notes of Gratitude, page after page of Gloria Steinem life’s experiences pour out.

Reminiscent of how her life moved her from one experience to the next she simply tells the stories of the women and the movement that she has worked so hard to bring meaning and support to in her role as a social activist, writer and speaker.

Every page gives something, if it's not pondering, it's encouraging or it's challenging. From her description of the events at the National Women’s Conference in

1977 to the conversations with taxi drivers, each section offers insight into the meaning of her work as an organiser of the women’s movement and a change maker. A rare read!

Publisher: Oneworld Publications

ACCIDENTALLY ISTANBUL DECODING TURKEY FOR THE ENQUIRING WESTERN TRAVELLER Nancy Knudsen

Nancy Knudsen never meant to go to Istanbul.

Maybe she might have included it as part of a holiday along with dazzling European cities such as Venice, Paris or Salzburg. To spend time as an ordinary citizen rather than tourist or expat corporate executive, would never have occurred to her. Knudsen's story is vivid, lively and sometimes hilarious, full of insights into things she wished she'd known before she arrived in an all-black apartment above a sportsfield, with not a word of Turkish. She found nothing in guidebooks or histories to help her find a cut of meat she

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recognised or get the leaky bathroom tap fixed.

After a time living with her architect husband as he lectured at a local university and she taught English to businessmen and refugee children, she had made many Turkish friends and begun to understand something of a rich, complex, ancient culture. She found she was changed forever-in ways that still astonish her. She introduces curious readers to the Istanbul she and Ted have come to love. Her personal love affair with this great city may well act as a springboard for others.

Publisher: Tamejin Publishing

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Photography by: Noël A. Alvarenga. IG @noel.alva

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"EVERY TIME I SLIP INTO THE OCEAN, IT'S LIKE GOING HOME." - SYLVIA EARLE

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www.travelplaylive.com.au

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