Author: Sophie Piearcey

I couldn’t think of a better place to field test and train than right where Sir Ed himself trained for his very own Nepal expeditions. I have said it before and I will say it again, Mount Cook is the most magical part of New Zealand, don’t ask me why I can’t quite put my finger on it, it just is. The National park, the mountains, and the long drive into the park make it feel like you are entering another world. After we received our box of Kathmandu gear we decided to pack the car and head straight to the mountains.

Saturday morning rolled in and the car was full to the brim with camping gear, Kathmandu clothes, and snacks, of course. We hit the road around 8am, aiming for midday to arrive in the park to guarantee a camping spot at the White Horse campground that sits right at the start of the Hooker Valley track.

We made it, drove down that iconic road and set up camp. When I say we I mean Robbie did all the driving and setting up camp. My only job was to clear the area for rocks, which I did, terribly. Robbie trusted my camp spot choices and set up the tent, just as he was knocking in the last guide rope peg deep into the ground he got inside the tent to smooth out the base, what do ya know? One big ass rock was there waiting to rip the bottom of our tent when we rolled over in the night. A very angry looking camper appeared back out of the tent, dismantled it and then re-pegged on land he deemed fit. My bad, I did, however, open a beer waiting so I may have redeemed myself there. The White Horse campground is only $13 per adult per night and all you have to do is pay into an envelope, post it and display your ticket on your car or tent, DOC ranges do drive around so make sure to be a good egg and pay your dues. The camp has three separate toilet blocks, with flushing toilets – Hallelujah! And sinks for you to wash up in. There is also a bin store so you can dispose of all your rubbish and recycling. It is all on a first come, first served basis so don’t leave it till late to arrive.

The chosen track of the day was Sealy Tarns for Sunset. One, because who doesn’t love 2200 wooden steps and two, it was a great training hike for us. Also, the view from the top is out of this world and I needed to see that mountain away from the masses. We set off. Bags packed with all the gear we wanted to wear and test on our bodies we made our way to the base of the hike. I’ve done this track before when we completed Mueller Hut last year so I knew what was in store for us, Robbie, however, had not and like the trooper he is, didn’t complain once, despite the beating sun an having to dodge the groups coming down the steps.

It wasn’t as long as I remembered, still hard yes, but just not as long. As soon as the track starts to flatten and Mount Cook is right there, sitting on your shoulder you know a snack break is imminent. There are two perfectly placed picnic tables at the top where we took refuge to stretch our legs. We were soon joined by a Kea, hopping around waiting for us to drop some of my OSM bars, I watched him for ages probably a little too long as the sun was quickly disappearing behind us.

It quickly became a race against the light, we ran to the last section of golden light and grabbed some shots of our gear, before soaking in that view for one last time and heading down. Our golden hour plan was half successful however the light quickly went behind the mountains above us leaving us in shadow, it was still beautiful to be up, on the tarn totally alone for at least an hour. On route back down we took it slow to avoid buckling knee’s and my clumsy toe trip at the top was enough to scare me into falling face first down the stairs, a steady pace was one hundred percent the better option.

Back at camp and it was chilly, our down jackets were very much appreciated. We cooked a gourmet meal of Falafel wraps and salad before finishing those hard-earned beers and retiring to our sleeping bags. This was the first time I had felt cold since last winter. I had leggings and tracksuit bottoms on, a t-shirt, a long sleeve top and a jumper, oh thick socks and I was wrapped tight in my sleeping bag and I was cold. I slept the night through and although it was a little nippy I would prefer to be cold than warm in a tent.

My alarm was set for 5.45am although I had been awake since about 4am toying with the idea about making a visit to the bathroom. I didn’t, I just sat and waited until it was at least half reasonable to wake Robbie from his icy slumber. Heaters blasted our eyeballs dry as we drove on round to the Tasman Glacier for sunrise, coffee on the mind and a short hike would sure wake us up. We opted for the Tasman lookout which is the first track to the left as you set off, oh lord, more wooden steps. I was freezing cold but after three minutes tackling more steps my body went into overdrive and I completed the short twenty-minute walk in just my sports bra and leggings, Robbie was still wearing all his layers and wondering who had replaced his girlfriend with a mad woman.

What greeted us as we reached the top was unbelievably spectacular. We had heard about a colossal piece of ice that had broken away from the glacier the week before, here it was floating around the Tasman Lake, broken up and peppering all the water we could see. Initially, my heart screamed with extreme gratitude to be witnessing something so beautiful, just the two of us in the early hours of Sunday morning but quickly, my thoughts turned to sadness. It was such a mix of feelings standing above as the light danced on the mountains. It was beautiful don’t get me wrong, but my heart pained for our planet. We watched the light hit Mount Cook and stayed at the lookout until it was time to leave and boil that kettle once more, however, we decided to walk around further to the boat jetty. Here is where we got a real feel for how huge these icebergs were and how many pieces had made their way around the lake. After taking some time to shoot around the lake before retiring and walking quietly back to the car taking in the surrounds.

We didn’t feel like it was time to leave the park, just yet. So after a hearty campground serving of honey porridge, we set off the Hooker Valley track. Top tip – set off early, you will have fewer people on the tracks and uninterrupted views and plenty of time to take photos on those iconic swing bridges. The Hooker Valley track is one of my favorite tracks, its easy and the views are insane. It is also the only track that will get you up close and personal with Mount cook (without having to climb him)

Robbie expertly packed up the car upon our return and before we knew it the weekend was drawing to a close and we were en route back to Queenstown. All in all, field testing our new Kathmandu gear in Mount Cook was an excellent choice.

Until next time, Aoraki.

Okay so packing, my worst nightmare, the thing I hate the most and an activity that will require more mental endurance than the trek itself. I’m kidding, I’m not, I am really. But Packing, damn I hate it. I think because I’m not very good at it, I want to take everything I own, you know just in case something happens and one requires that jumper you haven’t worn for over a year or those shoes that sit under your bed for life. I should just throw it out, I know.

G Adventures kindly sent a packing list with the booking confirmation which is an excellent place to start. From this list, we eliminated a few items we knew were not needed and pulled from a few other lists we had read online. Below is the list we have decided to go with. I will link all the products on the list when I have them and know exactly what I am taking. I will also write a follow-up blog when we return, a more accurate list of what was useful to us on the trek. The list applies to both of us, we are pretty much packing the same thing, apart from my camera gear.

Packing List 

Sleeping bag & Liner – We are going to hire the Sleeping bags from Kathmandu to save packing them

2 x Long Sleeve Shirts

Scarf

Beanies

Waterproof Gloves

2 x Base Layers

Fleece / Sweatshirt

Hiking Boots

Trainers / Sandals for the huts

Waterproof Pants

Sleepwear

Down Jacket

Rain Coat

Wool Hiking socks

Day Pack & Waterproof cover

2 x T-Shirts

2 x Water bottles

Leggings & Shorts

Accessories

Headlamp

Earplugs

Watch

Adapters

Money Belt

Locks

Spare Laces

First Aid

Lip Balm

Sun cream

Whistle

Aspirin

Ibroprofen

Platers

Antihistamines

Gel Wipes

Antiseptic cream

Imodium / Gastro Tabs

Rehydration Packets

Insect repellent

Water Purification tablets

Vitamins

Blister platers & cream

Knee supports

We have started to collect gear and our sponsor Kathmandu have kindly sent a box full of goodness. I will be testing the gear before we go and shooting some content, which I will link here.

 

Christmas time, means holiday time, right?

Yes! We spent Christmas by the beach surfing and watching the ocean indulging in our favourite food and doing a whole lot of nothing. Bliss. Our chosen beach was Colac Bay, just South of Queenstown and the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of Christmas in the city.

We had one day to pack, one day. Just enough time to shove all my clothes into a backpack, pack our camping gear and sort out some transport. The van we had lined up, unfortunately, fell through, so we booked another. Now, if you’ve ever traveled New Zealand you will know that transport is pretty pricey. We had an itinerary planned and we really needed our own vehicle, after scouring the internet for hours and hours we finally found one that would work. Turns out hiring a van, an empty cargo van was cheaper than hiring a car. So, we chose a Nissan cargo Van, packed our camping gear and decided that we would just camp our way around for the week, perfect!

Flights booked, van booked, campsites booked and on route to the North Island in search of Sunshine and surf. Loaded with a pretty epic chest infection I could say I have felt better but nothing was going to stop me enjoying our week road tripping around. Van life, road trips, anything to do with driving on long open roads is 100% our jam. We met five years ago and bonded over our love for camping and exploring so any chance to do the above, we jump at.

Landed. Our van was ready and waiting with the added bonus of a little upgrade, the van we had booked had seats in the back and enough room for bags in the boot. The Van we ended up with was a full size, empty van meaning all we needed to buy was air beds and we wouldn’t have to use our tent, we were so happy about this.

We were out of the door quicker than the average punter. Boards and bags are thrown in the back and on route to our first destination. The Mount.

Mount Maunganui, the elusive mount, the place that homes everyone who decides to leave Queenstown and apparently home to some pretty awesome breaks. My chest was driving me crazy, I know had a cough that was keeping the whole campsite awake and I could walk around three steps without being out of breath and wheezing. Robbie pretty much carried my bag the whole trip to ease off my chest, the wee legend.

We hiked the Mount, with everyone else who lives in Tauranga. It was busy, real busy but it was to be expected and I didn’t really mind. I was more focusing on making me sorry wheezy ass up that hill. The walk is around 50mins, however, took me well over an hour due to the lack of oxygen. It was so beautiful at the top. The long stretch of beach, the town below and being able to see a total 360 was pretty epic. I gave my lungs a little rest and then we started the walk down and straight to a chemist for medicine.

The main street of Mount Maunganui is where all your shops and cafes are. We found a beautiful little café and I indulged in one too many Lemon, Ginger, and Honeys hot drinks. Robbie fuelled up before a surf and we spent the day relaxing on the beach. Unfortunately for the duration of our visit the waves never really picked up, but we had such a great time watching the world go by, drinking tea in the back of a van. We explored further up the beach to Papamoa, which to me felt like the nicest part of Tauranga.

On our final day in the mount, we woke early, did one last drive by wave watch and set off to another coastal town. We drove slowly, taking in the sights of the beautiful countryside. We also hit the craziest patch of fog, randomly, quite literally out of nowhere when we exited a valley. It was pretty intense driving through with zero visibility, but it lifted to reveal miles and miles of rolling green hills.

Raglan is beautiful. We instantly fell in love the moment we arrived. It’s small, it’s quiet, its everything we love about surf towns. We hit the beach and Robbie was in the water before I made it to some shade. It was hot, I found the smallest patch of cover and hid under that for a few hours. Raglan was pretty awesome. We watched kids in the town jump from the bridge, ate home-made Gelato and Robbie surfed two breaks, one being the longest left in New Zealand.

We stayed the night and set off Early the next day for Auckland. A very uninspiring motorway drive later we hit the familiar ground. I am lucky enough to have a beautiful family up North that we stay with every time we visit. We brought in the new year drinking homebrew and listening to the musical talents of the whole family, oh and Pizza, there was a lot of pizza.

When I arrived in New Zealand 5 years ago my friend picked me up from the airport, introduced me to her family and took me straight to her favourite place. Her favourite place quick became my favourite place and every time I go up North, I visit it. Piha beach is magical. Lion Rock, the black sand and the golden light is so dreamy. Even the drive alone through the Waitakere ranges is insane, it feels like you enter another world when in reality you are only 30 minutes away from the big city. We also visited Muruwai on this trip, another beach on the West Coast of Auckland, famous for the Gannet colony.

I was so keen to head here and see it for myself. The bird rock was pretty interesting as the babies had just hatched and the area was rife with activity, birds flying overhead and tending to their young. However, the smell was unbearable, as you can imagine a mass amount of birds, strong coastal wind and rock covered in bird poop. The views of the wild west coast soon made up for it as did the long stretch of sand and moody weather. It was a refreshing break to put raincoats on for the day.

This whole trip was everything we wanted from a North island roadie. It was short but sweet and we explored new beaches that have been on our list since we arrived in New Zealand.

Until next time Van Life.

In five weeks time, I will be on a flight to Nepal. I can’t believe how quickly it is coming around and how well I am keeping my emotions under wraps. Well, behind closed doors I’m an emotional wreck but no one needs to see that right.

So, were walking the Everest Base Camp trail for 15 days. Why? Simply because I really really want to. I want to see the mountains, I want to wake up in the mountains and I want to experience that exact trail. I have been told multiple times to choose a different route because it’s busy or because another way is better etc but that is my dream trip, I have wanted to hike that trail since before I could remember. Also, I am heading there for sentimental reasons too. Last year, we lost a special soul, my Grandma decided it was time to reunite with her love in the sky and went to join my Grandad on a park bench in heaven. She knew how much I love to hike and how Nepal would be a dream destination for me so kindly left me a little Nepal fund. I just know how happy she would have been to hear all my stories and see our photos so for her, I’m hiking to Everest Base Camp.

Am I prepared? Mentally, I’m not sure how you mentally prepare yourself for a trip of a lifetime or for what I imagine will be a pure sensory overload. Am I excited? Hell Yes! I can’t quite believe that I will be stood under the tallest mountain in the world in less than two months. Am I nervous? I think it would be foolish not to be. This will be the first time I have ever multi, multi-day hiked and also ever been at such a high altitude so yes. Nerves are on my side, but nothing outweighs the immense feeling of pure happiness about embarking on such a mission.

Preparation in terms of Fitness. I have been hiking and walking almost every day. Not always uphill, but I walk every day. Sometimes with a pack, sometimes not. Sometimes in my Lowa Boots sometimes not. I feel like it’s all about balance. As long as you are walking fit, then one should be okay, but I have never been to Nepal before, so I hope what I am classing as training is enough. I am currently racking up around 50kms a week and alternating hill training and flat loop trails. I also started doing Yoga, just at home as I believe stretching your body after exercise is important especially when needing to unwind.

I have also started focusing more on my breathing. After reading multiple blogs about altitude sickness etc I thought best to be as prepared as possible. When I was a child I had really bad Asthma but upon moving to New Zealand it started to calm down and eventually the doctors said it was pretty much non-existent. A chest infection and Hay fever allergic reaction at Christmas however really hurt my chest and breathing. It scared me a little as I don’t want anything to hinder my hiking in the Himalayas. I now spend at least five minutes a day breathing in and out through my nose, controlling the breaths and the time inhaling and exhaling.

We are pretty lucky to have some beautiful companies on board sponsoring our trip. Kathmandu have kindly sponsored us with gear. I can’t wait to show you what we will be taking with us and training with before we depart for Nepal. The epic team at Lowa supply my boots and I am so stoked to be wearing such an awesome pair of boots during the hike, they are comfortable, durable and perfect for the hike ahead of us. My friends at Mons Royale have kindly gifted me some merino goodness to keep me warm on the mountain. Super important when temperatures are likely to drop below minus ten.  When I have a full packing list and products in my hand, I will write another blog dedicated to that.

For now, I’m going to focus on climbing some more hills and making sure that my legs are strong enough to get me to Everest Base Camp.

I’m so excited to share my adventures with you.

 

For a moment I lost myself. I lost myself in the light rays streaming over the mountains. I lost myself in the never-ending layers of beauty. I lost myself in a place I had never seen before, at least not from the air. I lost myself in mountain peaks and hidden lakes. I lost myself in thoughts about how powerful our world is and how one occupies such a small but mighty space on the planet.

This was all happening in my head as I was trying to process our flight to and from Milford Sound. What a busy mind I had that morning, shooting some unreal landscapes, watching Robbie have the time of his life and remembering to savour the moment.

It was Saturday morning and I woke Robbie up with breakfast at an ungodly hour for a weekend and told him he needed to get dressed. Imagine, coffee shoved in your nose at 630am and no clue where you were going. I had been trying to surprise him for a while but due to work commitments, a day never worked, until now. Dressed and out the door at 7.10am heading to the airport. But what? Are we going on holiday? I don’t have a bag were along the lines of conversation. We pulled up to the Heli Tours hanger and the penny dropped, as did his jaw and the most excitable eyes were all I could see. Robbie had never been in a helicopter before and I so wanted him to experience Milford from the air.

We walked into the base and met our pilot Ben, who is possibly one of the kindest humans I’ve ever met. His knowledge during the flight made it extra special, naming all the peaks and just great local facts about the area made the flight so interesting, much more than just a scenic flight.

So, we take off just us and two hikers on board who were on route to hike part of the Milford track. We flew over the back of Coronet Peak and Ben Lomond, out towards Glenorchy and over to Milford Sound. It was pretty freeking beautiful. The mountains looked insane, the lake was as blue and anything and due to snowmelt, alpine lakes and waterfalls all came into view. I was freaking out. Most probably know how much of a mountain lover I am, and I just can’t control my excitement when seeing this incredible land from the air. I should have probably apologised for the amount of time I screamed wow, oh my god, look at that down my mic for everyone to hear.

Coming into Milford Sound is possibly one of the best views I have ever seen. Through layers of mountains, I could see the ocean and Mitre Peak standing tall. We were flying beside mountains that towered so high I couldn’t see their peak from my seat. We rounded the corner and the runway was in sight, Ben expertly landed on a Heli Pad with Mitre Peak right behind us. It was such a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the sunlight was just about ready to peak over the mountains and I couldn’t believe that we were stood here, in one of my favorite places in the world when one hour ago we were sipping tea in bed.

After dropping the hikers off and having an impromptu photoshoot in front of the Heli, courtesy of our now photographer Pilot Ben we set back off to Queenstown. This time, I got to ride Shotgun and man was it worth it. I kept turning around for little glimpses of Robbie’s smiling face and watching his eyes light up with the views unfolding below. We flew over Gertrude Saddle and lake Marian, flew close to the remains of some glacial activity and then back toward Glenorchy. As we flew over the dart river (I think, don’t quote me) The Routeburn track came into view and my oh did it blow my socks off. I’ve been on the Routeburn for a day walk but seeing it from above just justified in my mind how incredible this country is and the network of backcountry huts that are available to us.

About 15 minutes later after battling a little air pocket of wind familiar sights came back into view. We flew over The Shotover River, Arthurs Point and headed straight for The Remarkable’s where the airport sits right underneath. As we came into land, I took one last look at Robbie’s beaming face and my heart could of damn near exploded.

What an incredible adventure morning we had and one I’m so happy I got to share with you!

Thank you, Heli Tours Queenstown, for one of if not the most magical morning of our lives.

 

Are you aware of the impact that you have on the world? If not, please do continue. If you do that’s great, but you can also continue to read. 

I write this post as I sit in my favourite cafe on a chilled Saturday morning in Queenstown. I am not sat here saying I am perfect BUT every single day I am working on reducing my plastic consumption and living a little more sustainably. Let me set the scene, I am currently sat opposite three couples who all have two kids each, each child has a small takeaway cup, each adult has a large one, they have their food in takeaway bags, on cardboard plates with disposable cutlery yet they have chosen to sit down, in total that’s 12 takeaway cups and four brown bags of food. Now the cafe I am in is great, I’m sure well I hope these cups are going to be recycled BUT the lid won’t decompose. That lid will sit somewhere in our precious land, covered by more lids, bottles and everything else you can imagine that we so flippantly buy and toss away into that big landfill site somewhere in the world, it then becomes someone else’s problem right?

I write this because I’m passionate. I am passionate about change and I refuse to be one of those who talks about change and sits on their hands waiting for others to do their bit. So before I put words to the keyboard to the internet I made sure that I was practicing what I preach. Recently I have been trying to educate myself more and more about living more sustainable, creating more than you consume and figuring out the best way to adapt these changes into my life.

It was after visiting Bali earlier this year that I knew I had to make significant lifestyle changes. It broke my heart to see the amount of plastic littering the beaches and the ocean. I even attempted my own beach clean up one day while robbie surfed, met by judging eyes as tanned bodies rolled over and pretended that there weren’t piles of trash surrounding them.

It’s easy, well the little things are and that’s what is important. If everyone did a little bit instead of sticking it in the hard basket then we would at least start to make a difference. I am not here to preach, all I want to do is share with you some of the small & simple changes I have made to help our precious world, not just for myself and now but for the future, our children and theirs. 

More plastic than fish

Yet we keep eating fish? Does it not make sense to stop eating fish? It has been said that by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. That is scary, so scary to think that we, as humans who have the ability to stop that are going to ruin a home for so many. Refuse the straw, the plastic bottle, and if you can, refuse the fish. 

Reusable bags 

Literally, the easiest thing to change in your life is to stop taking single-use plastic bags from the supermarket. Take your reusable ones, go buy a fancy one if it makes you feel better. Just say no when they offer you a bag for the three items you could so easily carry back to your car. Also, when you’re in the fruit and veg aisle, just stick it in your trolley. The brown stuff on onions, the yellow thing on a banana and the furry green skin on a kiwi fruit? Yep, you guessed it that’s a protective skin. Your fruit and veg will not die if it rolls around in your trolley. 

You can also buy produce bags now, little net ones not made from plastic. If you keep those and your bags in the car you should never fall short at the supermarket. 

Keep Cup or take away cup

How many coffees do you buy a week? Now imagine that on a global scale. Lets not just focus on coffee cups, let’s focus on everything that’s liquid, smoothies, juices, hot chocs anything you run into a store for and ditch halfway down the road, imagine all that waste. 

Do your bit, grab a keep cup or takeaway bottle, that way you can always have it in your bag the next time you need your caffeine fix. 

Flip the lid 

Start to refuse the lid on takeaway cups. If you have forgotten your keep cup, then grab your coffee but refuse the lid. 9/10 times the cup you’re holding is recyclable but the lid is not, it will never ever break down. I am now that strict on myself that if I don’t have my cup, I don’t get a takeaway. 

Metal straws

Another thing I keep handy in my bag is a set of metal straws. Times are changing and a lit of establishments now don’t offer you a straw which is great, however, if you’re partial to drinks that do need a straw, get some metal ones. They come in all different sizes and always with a cleaning brush. 

Drinks bottle

A water bottle. Get one, they are cheap, they are reusable and best of all you can fill up for free anywhere! Plastic bottles are one of the biggest issues we have and if you don’t add to the problem it will start to reduce. I can’t remember the last time I bought a drink that was in a plastic bottle. I have three reusable bottles, two metal, and one BPA free hiking drinks bottle, collectively they cost me $70 and guess what? I will have them forever. 

Reusable containers

Im sure your mum still has a drawer full of mix and match tubs somewhere, so why not use it? Take a container with you when you get takeout food, that way you save on a plastic tub from the provider. They may also give you a discount for using your own container. Everyone is a winner. 

Reduce your meat consumption or stop altogether 

This is a tricky one because of our attitude one towards animals and two towards being vegetarian/vegan. If you have been brought up as a meat eater or surrounded by meat eaters it is harder to change your perception on this topic. However, do some research on what you’re eating. Is it really that good for you? I won’t talk too much on this topic but for the past 3 months I have lived a plant-based lifestyle, I haven’t been totally strict but no meat or dairy has been consumed in this time and I feel amazing for it. 

Raising animals for food requires a mass amount of land, food, energy, and water. Globally, animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gases than the worlds transportation systems combined. Not to mention its pretty cruel and unnecessary when you open your eyes to the possibility of living a life without meat. 

Grow your own veggies

This goes back to creating more than we consume. Growing your own veggies, fruit, herbs, and spices is an amazing way of giving back to the planet, plus its also pretty rewarding. 

The Take Three movement 

If you’re walking around and see litter, pick it up and dispose of it properly. If you go to the beach, take three pieces of trash home with you. Ultimately all this trash will end up in our waterways and in the ocean if we don’t do something and start acting responsibly when we see it laying around on the floor. 

Sea Shepard & beach cleanups

If you’re fortunate to run into anyone working for Sea Shepard you should shake their hand and help them out. They are actively trying to keep our planet clean and green, they have an awesome work ethic and host regular beach cleanups, you should attend if you can. 

Educating others is key. Educating for sustainability values and supports our eco system. We all have a part in ensuring a sustainable future, if we are active in our approach we can help develop solutions to our global issues. 

Here are a few companies that I have been lucky enough to work with recently and some others who are just doing epic things to protect the Earth we walk upon… remember kids there’s no Planet B, there is nowhere else for us to go and there isn’t a magic wand we can wave and get back what we have destroyed or the animals we failed to protect. 

Earth Bottles 

Create the most beautiful bottles and takeaway cups. A company that developed after visiting Indonesia and witnessing first hand the devastating effect plastic has on our environment. 

Mister Timbuktu

A company with sustainability as a core focus. Creating active and outdoor wear using fabric made from recycled plastics, oh and they know all the workers who are making their clothes. 

UYOC 

A website that lists cafes that will offer you a discount if you use your own cup! YEY!

Will & bear 

You all know I’m a sucker for a good hat, what about a company that plants trees for every purchase made on their site. 

Patagonia

Another company that does good things, and they happen to be really good people. For every faulty return sent to their shop, they will fix it for free, if the garment is non-repairable then it is sent back to the factory to be made into something else or it is donated to those in need. 

Caring for the environment doesn’t require you to become an environmental activist, just eco-conscious. We as humans require a healthy ecosystem to survive as do the animals on our planet. Already in my short lifetime, I have witnessed animals become extinct, it’s heartbreaking to think that our children may only see some animals that we see today in picture books. Earth is where we live, we have nowhere else to go. Lets collectively make the small changes that will hopefully result in a bigger change for the place we so luckily get to call home.  It only takes one person to start a movement that could possibly lead to an environmental breakthrough. 

Are you going to be that person? 

Doubtful Sound is quite possibly the best experience I have had in New Zealand during my time living here. That’s it, I said it and I don’t regret it.

I’m not sure if it was the sheer dramatic nature of a place so untouched by man or the moody weather that greeted us when we arrived that played with my emotions but something about the Doubtful Sound experience had a profound effect on my being.

It started early, the day that is. Coffee in hand, huddled like penguins to shelter from the morning chill creeping its way around my boots. On board the bus we chatted the hours away through to Mossburn, more coffee, and homemade scones made the early morning start much easier. Manapouri was our first destination. We explored the shores before boarding the small vessel that would transport us to across Lake Manapouri to a land that had sat so high on my bucket list. It was becoming hard to contain my excitement.

An hour later and the power station started to come into view, I’m easily pleased, I am. Especially when surrounded by water and mountains so the hour-long commute to the western arm of Lake Manapouri was an adventure in itself. I was already feeling emotional and we had hours to go.

Doubtful Sound is the second largest Fiord down in the Fiordland national park, it is also three times longer. Deep cove is the head of the Fiord and where our coach driver was taking us. The vast wilderness was starting to unfold, I was able to catch snippets through the thickness of the trees lining the road.

Our first glimpse of the sound happened soon after the rain started, at the top of the Wilmott pass. Dan, our driver opened the doors and I was out before anyone could process we had even stopped. The rain was adding to that famous Fiordland mood, making its way through the valley, only allowing us to see small parts of the grandeur unfolding below.

It’s remote, it’s wild, it’s imposing, and the mountains draped in clouds had me itching to see more. As everyone settled to divulge in the picnic lunch I headed straight to the top deck. I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to have that to myself. The mountains surrounding climb dramatically out of the water and lead us through the sound. As the boat sailed effortlessly through the black ocean, I enjoyed a moment of silence, a rare moment of solitude in one of Fiordland’s tourist destinations. One of the many phenomena’s here is the water. A few meters of clear fresh water on the surface appears black to the eye and provides the best reflections.

This untouched land is impressive. For three whole hours, I was at a loss for words. The mountains, open water stretches, and the serenity were having an effect on my ability to process these moments as reality. As others started to appear on the deck, I took the time to explore the boat and chat to the skipper. Doubtful Sound put on a real show, giving us all four seasons, the rain pushed others inside and me out, giving me more time to appreciate the scale of this place, alone. The dramatic landscape gave me all the feelings of being utterly lost in nature.

For three hours we sailed the sound, watching as the mountains developed around us and finding comfort in the silence. This was an experience like no other, I don’t think I have ever felt this way while on a tour before.

Go Orange went above the rest to provide an experience that truly took us beyond. When people look for the must do, the ultimate bucket list destination in New Zealand most flock on the typical tourist trail. Destinations on that list are of course upon some of my favorites but here, right there in Doubtful Sound, nothing compared.

I urge you to explore this place. Words, even photographs can’t really do justice to the magic that resides down there.

Here is the adventure we went on, you can book your own tour here

 

If you know me, you will know that I am a massive advocate of speaking freely and openly about mental health. If you don’t know me, then here is the other side to the smiling mountain summit photographs you may find online. The side it took me years to acknowledge and face. I was afraid. Afraid of how powerful my mind was and afraid of how others would react. Luckily my admission was met with open arms from all who listened, ultimately sending me on a path to open my arms and help others. I learned the hard way and trust me when I say this, it’s okay not to be okay.

You have a powerful mind, a beautiful mind, a mind that deserves the attention you so know it deserves. It’s okay to cry, it’s okay ask for help, you are human. You are not bulletproof.

You are allowed to break down, you are allowed to ruin your mascara, skip that dinner date or stay in bed for the day. You are allowed to take time to process what is happening to you, you are allowed to ask for help.

Ask for help for that beautiful mind of yours. Get outside and ask for help. Call your Mum, your Dad, your friends. Reach out to someone at work or someone online. Call a stranger and tell them. Please don’t suffer in silence.

You are not alone
&
I promise you this, everything will be okay.

You are stronger than you think

Your mind can be a battlefield with all the shit mental health throws at you, but you always prevail, that takes strength.

You are so loved

Loved beyond belief by every soul around you. Don’t lose sight of this, you will always be loved.

You are not alone

Not alone for one second. There are others. Others who are experiencing the same and others who are there to help you.

The power of calm

Wherever you may seek to find it, go. In the outdoors, by the ocean, lakes or rivers? May you find your solace in the silence.

Your mental health does not define you

It affects your life yes. But it is not you. Learning to separate your mental health from yourself is hard, yet powerful. You are so much more than your mental state of mind.

Find what gives you your moment of calm. We are gifted with the power of nature, use that. Water also has an incredible healing power, as do the trees. Find your calm in nature and give your mind the break it deserves. Give your time to these powers.

You are not alone. I promise you this, everything will be okay.

The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand is a charity that works towards creating a society free from discrimination, where all people enjoy positive mental health & wellbeing.
You can find all the information you may need here. 

 

I am pretty certain that I am the only person that cried. In fact, I know I was the only person that cried because my seat was back and centre and I didn’t see another blubbering mess aboard the flight to Milford Sound that morning. I sat there, in awe of what was unfolding below and trying not to have a full-on meltdown, on a plane, in front of a group of strangers.

When I arrived at the airport and found the Glenorchy Air desk I nervously talked at the staff until it was time to go. Flying has never been my favorite thing to do, commercial jet journeys normally consist of me sleeping until it’s over or holding Robbie’s hand so tight until again, he tells me it is all over. This would be my first ever time in a fixed-wing plane. I was nervous but I think the excitement was taking over. We met Mackenzie, the man in charge of the plane. He kindly reassured us the Glenorchy Air hadn’t had an accident for 25 years as he handed my ‘float coat’.

We made our way out to the plane and we were in the air before I could even think about it. Having the back seat meant I could shoot from both windows and soak up all the mountain goodness. I was in awe. Everything as far as the eye could see was unbelievably beautiful. The mountains covered in snow, the blue of the lake and the fact that I was above it all was making all my senses do funny things. Pressed up against the window with my camera I was watching the world go by, through my lens. I kept having to remind myself to enjoy it through my own eyes and not my viewfinder. This was in between pinching myself and wiping away my tears.

We flew over Glenorchy, hitched a left and straight on to Milford Sound. We flew over the Humboldt mountains, over Lake Wakatipu, alpine lakes, snow-covered amazingness and clouds making their way in and out of the gaps between the mountains.

As we approached Milford Sound my heart started to beat a little faster. Rudyard Kipling once said that Milford Sound is the 8th wonder of the world, and mate, you’re right. Its one of those places that you need to visit, at least once in your life. I can’t quite explain how grand it is, the sheer size of the mountains is amplified when you put boats and planes next to them for size comparison. The pilot seemed to mooch right on past the runway, heading out toward the Tasman Sea.

That’s right, not only did I get to see mountains from the air I also got to see the wild west coast. Quick U-Turn in the air and we head back down the sound, we were flying smack down the middle of the sound. The mountains either side of us and the worlds smallest runway in sight. I couldn’t believe that I was, not literally, but a touching distance from Mitre peak and about to land in one of my favourite places in the world. I stopped shooting and gripped the seat as we made a smooth landing at the airport.

There was a bus waiting and we were en route to our boat for a two-hour cruise around the sound and back out toward the Tasman Sea. Top tip – if you’re getting on a boat that offers you a food option, dont queue up and wait, you will miss the departure from the dock and Mitre peak in all its glory. Go upstairs, sit on the deck and grab some food later. I did just that and enjoyed the whole top deck to myself for half and hour!

It never gets old, no matter how many times you see it in real life or on social media, postcards and calendars. Mitre peak takes my breath away every single time. The cruise was beautiful, the sun was shining, the water was calm and most of the passengers on the boat were held up inside. As people started to appear I went to the front of the boat and hung around out of the side door. I saw something move out of the water in the distance, I ran to the front of the boat as the captain signalled something to me with his hands. I was too busy talking to our visitor. We had a beautiful dolphin following the boat. He was jumping out of the water and playing in the bow waves… after selfishly enjoying this all to myself I signalled back the universal hand sign for Dolphin and the captain announced it to the whole boat, I quickly made my way away from the front in fear of getting pushed overboard. When the Dolphin hype subsided I went back and watched our little friend lead us all the way back down the Sound.

The waterfalls are my favourite part of the whole cruise, getting up close and personal and being able to see how amazingly grand and powerful they are. As we pulled back into dock the butterflies in my stomach kicked in again.

Sailing around the sound and taking in all that beauty I near forgot that I was about to take a 45-minute flight back to Queenstown. We had recruited two extra flying enthusiasts so this time round the back seat was taken. However, that meant that McKenzie let me ride up front with him… yep I played co-pilot for the way home. By co pilot I sat there with my hand firmly on my camera and not touching any buttons nor helping him in any way. I was just pumped to be riding shotgun on one of the most beautiful flights in the world. We took a different route home, flying around the Fiord, providing us with views straight back down to where we had just explored. More snow-covered mountains as far as the eye could see and the grand Mt Tutoko looking all smug in the vast landscape. We came back toward Glenorchy, mountains and river braids blanketing the landscape below. Lake Wakatipu looking as beautiful and blue as ever and welcoming us back home.

I decided not to shoot as much on the way back into Queenstown, letting my mind process what had just happened and enjoying the last of my first ever fixed wing flight. As we landed, I couldn’t stop grinning. I walked the whole way home with an extra spring in my step and the biggest smile from ear to ear. Still now, as I write this I can’t believe how lucky I am to have experienced that amount of goodness in a half day flight to Milford Sound.

Thank you to the whole team at Glenorchy air for getting me there and back again and fulfilling one of my dreams.

Best day ever.

Hair influences the way 80% of women feel about themselves, said a credible online source I came upon while I was researching what to do with this crazy mane of mine. It’s true, my hair is half of my identity and there is no worse feeling when you’re trying to get out of the door and your hair having a zero cooperation policy. Picture this, hair ties in one hand, backcomb in the other, half a quiff and stuck in the queue for the 8am Monday morning rush hour. Unfortunately, this wasn’t just happening on a Monday, my mane had become out of control… so I found some lovely ladies to help me.

It had been a while, by a while I mean I have been rocking a natural looking Ombre for the past 18 months. I’m quite lucky in the sense that my hair is blonde, my natural hair colour is a mix between grey and mouse brown so when it does grow out I don’t look like a defect from the 80’s. However, it was getting pretty unmanageable so I called my friends at Arrowtown Hair company and asked if they could fit my locks in for some serious TLC.

Now, why Arrowtown hair? Because these girls have a reputation for being the Queens of Ombre & that helped cement that this was the right place for me. I have had hairdresser fear for the past few years. My beautiful cousin in the UK has always been my hair goddess but since moving away I have had to scope out other salons. I had a couple of failed attempts in Australia, one so bad when I left the salon Robbie actually asked if I had anything done, tragic right?

As soon as I walked in I felt at ease. The atmosphere in the salon is so inviting. The smiling faces of Amelia, Jen & Jackie beam as you walk through the door into your new safe haven. I sat in the chair, gowned up and ready for whatever the girls had to suggest. Sticking with the ol’ blonde theme we decided to Ombre these damn roots and make me feel fresh and new for the Winter season. Sucker for grey/blonde hair Amelia wanted to play with the colours through toning, I was up for anything and felt safe at the hands of this professional.

Paper Not Foil, yes that’s right these girls have ditched your standard hair salon foils and opted for a more eco-friendly approach to colouring your hair. They jumped on board with the amazing ‘papernotfoil’ group after hearing how terrible that aluminum foil is for our precious Earth. New Zealand salons alone use enough foil in one year to wrap around the earth once, WHAT! that’s crazy right? So now the girls are using this new epic alternative. The paper is recyclable, user-friendly (actually feels nicer than sitting with a full head of foils) and the best part, they are reusable, so after use, they are washed and hung out to dry ready for their next hair goddess to use.

What else are they doing that is amazing? Using EVO products. Cruelty-free (yey for our fur babies) vegan, and Eco-friendly. All the packaging is recycled from old plastic milk bottles and given a new life. Soon Arrowtown hair will be offering a refill station for those who have purchased & you will receive a sweet discount for doing so.

These ladies care, not only about all their loyal and lovely customers but about the Earth and what impact they are having on our environment, double big tick from me. It is apparent in their approach to everything they do that as a team they are reaching for the best sustainable options within their business. It was refreshing to sit in the chair surrounded by like-minded people and have a good chat about all things Earth related. We try and be sustainable in our own ways, right? Not buying plastic water bottles, using our own coffee cups and reducing our plastic waste as much as possible. A hair salon would be the last place I would peg as sustainable BUT here they are leading from the front for salons in Queenstown.

I sat with my eco foils in, reading my fave Frankie mag, waiting for the magic to happen on my hair. I was given a coffee from next door – a beautiful coconut flat white and watched as the world went by in Arrowtown through the salon windows.

When we started to wash off I was treated to a handful of Evo’s finest and I reveled in the delicious smells coming from each product. Wishing my mane wasn’t so thick so poor Amelia could get through it quicker and also for selfish/excited reasons of wanting to see the blonde loveliness reveal itself. They truly deserve the title Ombre Queens or just all-around Queens. I could have stayed for hours chatting away and drinking tea with these lovely ladies but as soon as I hopped out of the chair there was a gown awaiting the next customer. They are amazing and watching for a day how this salon works made me want to shout from the rooftops about how incredible my whole experience was.

If you’re in Queenstown and debating what salon to use, I highly, highly recommend Arrowtown hair. If you’re coming here to holiday and fancy a pamper then please give Arrowtown and this wee gem a visit.

 

Just some other things to mention, I quite clearly have a lot to say right…

If you refer a friend you both get 25% off! SO if you mention me and this blog then you can save yourself a dollar or two.

If you live in town and are wondering how to get out to Arrowtown without a car… there is an excellent bus service and guess what, its only $2! Plus the girls will refund your bus ticket.

Also, these gals hold a free yoga class once a week, that’s right FREE YOGA! who doesn’t love getting your zen on for free? Arrowtown holiday park Thurdays 5pm-6pm

Thank you again for making me feel all fresh & fancy… you are the best!