Behind These Four Walls

I constantly find it amazing how life works. There is never a moment where you can entirely predict what is around the next corner. It just happens.

And so I am here – in my tent – writing. These last few days have been a blur of activity. Everything and nothing has occurred. I am not just talking about how having 2 jobs and living on “Broome time” has created a lifestyle of which each day blends into the next. There is oh-so-much more.

I have recently begun my preparation for New Zealand. Now, before I get into that, I suppose I should actually (and finally) officially explain what I am planning on doing in New Zealand. Currently New Zealand’s Department of Conservation is creating the final aspects of its first and only cross-country hiking trail. Named the Te Araroa Trail, it will stretch approximately 3000km from Cape Reinga in the North to Bluff in the South and provide hikers with the opportunity to see and experience New Zealand in its natural state. The Te Araroa Trail is set to be completed in the later part of 2010 and I intend to be one of the first people to trek the entire distance of it.

Being a long distance trail, I am estimating the trek to take me approximately 5 months and that I will start the middle of October 2010. That being said, this trek will be slightly different than the approximate 1000km I did across British Columbia, Canada – and not just because of the length.

In trekking the Te Araroa Trail, I hope to use the experience to help promote women’s adventure travel, environmental sustainability and raise money for the Indigo Foundation (IF). IF provides assistance to improve the lives of people in marginalized communities in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, working in the areas of health, education, environment and advocacy. They work hard to fix issues each community in need faces through sustainability without throwing money and technology at the problems such as many organizations do. Through my journey along the Te Araroa Trail I plan to raise a total of $5000 for IF and their current projects. Finally, at the end of my journey, I hope to be able to write and publish a book about the entire adventure, including some aspects of my travel to date (British Columbia & Australia).

Okay – so that all said; now it’s down to the nitty-gritty. In the past few days I have been sending out letters to outdoor gear companies, requesting their support through sponsorship for my journey. I have also contacted the Indigo Foundation to inform them of my intentions and see if they want to be more of an active part of my journey. They do. IF replied to my email with about as much excitement for my plans as I have which is, well, really exciting. However, I now have to get my butt in gear to ensure that everything is in place for when the time comes to actually go to New Zealand.

As such, my spare time here in Broome (what’s left of it now that I am working 2 jobs) is consumed with plans of preparation. I have a website to create. I have to apply for a VISA for New Zealand. There’s the flight to New Zealand. I need my gear from home sent over. Figuring out what to do with the gear I have here is yet another dilemma. And then there’s funding and the raising of $5000 for IF. On top of that, there are all the other things to consider when communicating back and forth between both IF and any outdoor gear companies that wish to sponsor me. All of a sudden it is not just my ideas that need to be heard.

Even still, I am incredibly excited for this new adventure. Yes, it is almost 5 months away, but time will fly. Yes, I am intending to make it another solo adventure, but I am fully confident it is something I can do.

So – as I continue to prepare for this, I will be soon uploading a website with more information about the journey I intend to do, including how someone can get involved in supporting me. Until that happens though, I best be off to work. To clean rooms. What a joy.