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Shells on the Trail

  • Omg! It's done!!

      23 March 2017
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    The last just-over-three-months has been a blissful blur of amazing vistas, hard long days, river crossings, mountain pass climbs and cherished new friendships- meeting trail angels and fellow te araroa trampers. The $6000 goal has been met and I now have two other charities on board- an animal shelter- the largest no-kill shelter in New Zealand and Te Araroa Trust: who do their work, their tireless negotiations with private land owners, help with maintenance of local (council) and national (DOC) tracks and continue to supply resources for free to hikers of the trail, all solely on donations.

    I have been incredibly blessed to have been able to spend the summer (at times crummy as it was! :P) outside and in the New Zealand wilderness and exploring New Zealand's smaller towns. 3000km done, one week to go for fundraising~ thank you all for all your support, it means the world.xx

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  • North Island, it's been grand. Now onto the South!

      11 January 2017
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    The North gave me mud, sand and some dizzying heights and who can forget those roads and those curious cows!! It also gave me the chance to meet some amazingly generous people, start and strengthen friendships, and to have incredible experiences on and off the trail. The South has well and truly started with the Queen Charlotte track complete (with mum!) and the Richmond Ranges scaled. Now, $4595.00 of my goal of $6000, and 1945km of 3000km in (St Arnaud, heading into the Nelson Lakes National Park tomorrow), I am drawing from the strength your support has given me. Thank you!! I am more determined than ever to get this done :) Happy New Year!!

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  • Scaling the Tararuas!

      8 December 2016
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    The weather on the Whanganui river was perfect, and I carried on through Whanganui hospitality through Bulls, Hastings and then onto Palmerston North where I got to stay with a great group of lads while waiting for my new Personal Locator beacon to arrive. Then onto the Tararuas~ scaling the height of 1462m and freaking myself out on the way down! Solo Tararuas is not for the faint hearted, especially in the rain... wind and cold stayed at bay as forecasted though which was a blessing. Now firmly at a comfortable height above sea level in Paekakariki~ with Christmas and Wellington just around the corner :). We cracked $4000 today folks!!! And I've cracked 1632km. :D Meeting with the NZ Women's Refuge when I get to Wellington :)

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  • Wanganui Calls

      16 November 2016
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    So the Waikato section of the trail was an amazing mix of people, views, mud and rain :D and what a blast it was!! Now the Wanganui calls and I've met up with a group of 6 other like-minded folk~ a couple of Texans, a French chef, an Italian pizza expert, a Barcelonian and a Singaporean concert pianist to canoe down the river with. A third of the trail done and more than half of my goal of 6,000: $1 per km for both Sustainable Coastlines and NZ Women's Refuge.

    $3738.80~ thank you, thank you!!

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  • Arrivederci Auckland!

      21 October 2016
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    Northland complete, the Eastern Bays, through to the Airport done :D 640km mark! Tomorrow is Manukau through Clevedon, then onto the Hunuas for the weekend (700km mark). Two more days at Kokoro Massage then off down south to carry on and do more miles. It's been great to be home, to do the course so far in bits but it's time to get serious! ??

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  • 244km Done!

      24 September 2016
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    Hi everyone - thank you so much for all your support! We are almost half way to the financial goal of $6,000 and I am almost 10% of the way there in terms of Te Araroa~ The Cape, Ninety Mile Beach and the Northern forests to Paihia done!

    It's been an amazing experience so far, the people I've met, the support I've received... I'm truly blessed. The feet and body are holding up well and I'm very excited to be heading out again in a couple of days to start the next leg: Paihia- Whangarei Heads.

    The amount of rubbish on Ninety mile beach was an eyeopener - and though I picked up what I could along the way, there is an incredible amount left and more coming in with every storm/wave. It has strengthened my resolve to support Sustainable Coastlines and their great work.

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