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Road Trip: The Grand Canyon and Glen Canyon
This post is the first part of a two month road trip I took around The States. September 2017 I got the family discount, even though I wasn’t exactly family. Ross and I had known each other since we were ten, having moved to Big Bear the same year, and given each other shit for our entire acquaintance…so in a way we were absolutely family. I hadn’t been to the Grand Canyon since I was three and didn’t have the keenest memory of the experience. In fact, I remembered absolutely nothing other than a story mum told about how I nearly gave her a heart attack by climbing up the…
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Te Araroa: The Storm That Ends All
Te Araroa: The Storm That Ends All 22.03.2020 Day 146 (16km) Thank goodness it was a short day, because the wind was howling as we walked a pebbly beach towards coastal farmland. One of my gaiters came loose, allowing the tiny rocks to fling themselves into my shoe. With the temperamental weather, I wasn’t keen to stop and remove them. After our final climb of the TA, which was only a couple hundred meters up to a viewpoint, we descended into Riverton’s residential neighborhoods. Alex had booked us an AirBnb, which was so lovely that within a few minutes we decided to reserve it for another day. The weather was…
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Te Araroa: Nelson Lakes
31.01.2020 Day 95 (29km) Today was possibly one of my favorite days on the TA thus far. We strolled out of St Arnaud around 8:30 in the morning and followed the trail as it meandered past the lake and up the river. The path was never steep nor difficult, just a lovely walk in the forest. Initially, the tranquil waves of the lake provided the melody of motion. This was eventually replaced by the constant sigh of the river. We stopped on a grassy bank to sun ourselves as the wind kept most of the sandflies at bay. Then later we dropped our packs and took a short detour down…
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Te Araroa: Pelorus River and Richmond Ranges (Part I)
23.01.2020 Day 87 (0km) How on Earth do I have so much food!? I stayed in Nelson today to resupply and hang out with a few hiker friends, although I had initially intended to head back to trail. The next section is supposed to be a doozy, requiring extra food in case of weather delays. I decided to try those Backcountry freeze dried meals because they are light and have a decent amount of calories. Silly me, I didn’t realize just how much space they occupy. It’s ridiculous, I’m going to look like I’m being eaten by my pack because it is so enormous. I honestly think I let what…
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Te Araroa: Roads
15.11.2019 Day 26 (8km kayak, 25km hike) Emotionally, this was the most difficult day thus far. It’s gotten me thinking about how I want to and why I am doing this hike. Up until today road walks were manageable, now I never want to see another road. Anyways, I’m getting ahead of myself. It was an easy start from Puhoi; I got to sleep in, have a cup or three of coffee, and casually stroll down to the kayak hire along the river. The 8km stretch of river wound its way through peaceful farmland and past the main highway south. The water transformed from murky brown to clear turquoise as…
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Te Araroa: The Northern Forests Part 2
29.10.2019 Day 9 (25km) With one foot on either side of the muddy ravine, I prayed that the terrain would hold as I swung myself over. If it didn’t, I would end up with a broken leg, or worse. It had rained all night and morning, leaving the track slick and dangerous. Ben and Tobi encouraged me from the other side; their longer legs had given them a slight advantage when they crossed over. It wasn’t our first sticky spot that day and it wouldn’t be the last. Later on, Ben would literally have to pull me up a slope of sheer mud. The beginning of the walk had been…
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The Faces of Kalbarri
We slept at the base of a lighthouse, the waves crashing onto the beach and sending spray over the dusk-lit dunes. Officially, there were only six over night spots, but we arrived too late to grab one and had to risk being told off by a park ranger. The day had been long, full of wonders and unexpected surprises. Kalbarri National Park was right on the coast and had a variety of scenic views. As we drove, I was perplexed by how flat the terrain was and wondered how there were any hikes at all. We were keen to visit Nature’s Window, a lookout high above one of the gorges.…
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Lovely Litchfield
As drove down the dirt road towards a plume of smoke, I found myself praying it wasn’t coming from Litchfield National Park. Since arriving in the north of the Northern Territory (NT) there had been endless days of smoke polluting our lungs. I understood it was vital to the maintenance of the environment, but I grew up in a fire prone area and whenever there was a big burn school was cancelled and alerts were released due to the poor air quality. I was enjoying my time in the Northern Territory and all of the amazing natural pools, but my lungs were not happy hiking in the smoke. Compared to…
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Kakadu
Water buffalo…did those even exist in Australia? Apparently they did because there was an entire family running across the road in front of us. Of all the things I had expected to see in Kakadu, water buffalo wasn’t one of them. Moisture made itself known in the leaves’ vibrancy and the large emerald clumps dispersed among the tall-weedy grasses. Clouds flitted across the sun, covering the land in cool shadows. After a morning at the Gunlom infinity pool the only plan for the day was driving. There weren’t many free camp options in Kakadu, so we ended up paying fifteen dollars. The flushable toilets, sinks, and showers were a welcome…
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Drives, Bays, and Blowholes
Day three was meant to be an early morning but turned into a relaxed one. Rain clouds still haunted the skies and although we had wanted to see the Bay of Fires at sunrise, there would have been nothing to see but grey. The rocks were stained burnt orange, a complimentary contrast to the white sands and crystal-blue waters. They stretched along the coast, adding a splash of color and life to the landscape. A calf had gotten out of its pen and was wandering around near the visitor car park. Pieter wanted to pet it, but it was skittish and ran off before he got too close. Light raindrops…
Insights and Stories Through the Eyes of a Wanderer
