The Larapinta Trail is an incredible adventure and one that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend!

But it’s also rugged, remote and fire prone, especially in the hotter months from October through to March.

So as to take advantage of the cooler day time temperatures, we hiked the Larapinta Trail during June which is wintertime in Australia.

Fortunately we had no exposure to active bushfires though the threat of them in this area is not to be underestimated.

There were many days on trail when we navigated through areas that had previously been burnt out and the thought of watching a fast approaching, out of control bushfire does not bear thinking about.

I stood forlornly on the trail as my body trembled with the intensity of my shivering and my teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Tears created by the sub zero temperatures mixed freely with the sleet and snot smeared across my face. I could hardly see through my glasses not that there was anything to see other than the horizontal rain swirling manically about us.

Andrew handed me an OSM bar, with his frozen fingers he couldn’t open the wrapping and thought somehow that I’d be able to. While I fumbled with the wrapping, we attempted to communicate above the howling wind.

Finally getting the bar opened I offered him the larger half, we were clearly living the Te Araroa dream!