Adventure Newsletter

Hi Subscriber First Name

Welcome to the August 2024 updates of Freewheeling Kiwi

When asked by the Radio New Zealand Interviewer what my favourite part of Te Araroa Trail was, my mind went immediately to the people.  Listen to the full interview and read the associated article below.

I have now published the Ultimate Te Araroa Gear List and while the list is based on that Trail, it is also a fantastic resource for putting together your gear for other hikes. Be sure to check it out.

Featured in this month’s Winter Micro Adventures is my solo overnight trip to Crosbies Hut in the Coromandel Forest Park. I was fortunately able to delay my trip until the weather was perfect and what a treat it was.

Hiking over the winter months and with less daylight hours my headlamp has been an essential item for every trip. This month I share with you my recommendation for headlamps.

On the main blog I have started a new series of “Taste” which focus on the food in the places I visit. The first of the series is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and as you’d expect with such a multi-cultural population, the food is as diverse as it is tasty. As hikers, Andrew and I hunted out porridge and it was not as we expected 😲.

There’s now only 79 days until the next Group Tour to Everest Base Camp which leaves Kathmandu, Nepal on 2nd November. If you’re late to this party, you’ll find all the details below but you’ll have to act fast.

More details on all of this below.

Radio New Zealand Interview

Te Araroa Going From Strength to Strength

I was delighted to be interviewed by Radio New Zealand’s Katie Fitzgerald on Te Araroa, New Zealand’s 3000km walk from Cape Reinga to Bluff. The interview was played on the National Program’s Morning Report.

Listen to the full interview which includes sound bites from Founder, Geoff Chappell and Trail Executive Director, Matt Claridge.

Read the full article I lost half my toenails in that first month

Te Araroa Trail Gear List Essentials

New Zealand’s own 3,000km Te Araroa Trail is known as a through-hike that is, an extended end to end hike completed in one continuous effort. Or, 133 days of micro efforts as in Andrew and my adventure.

In my Te Araroa Trail gear list article, I felt it necessary to provide context as to the diverse landscape and complex weather systems that we enjoy / endure in this “little country in the South Pacific”.

As most hikers walking Te Araroa Trail have never visited New Zealand before, I had a bit of fun creating these images to help hikers visualise more clearly the distance.

Click the pictures to enlarge.

The images provide some sense of the comparative size of New Zealand when compared with somewhere that visiting hikers are more able to relate to.

My article finishes with my reflections on what gear didn’t last the full distance, what was sent home, the substitutions and additions along the trail and what I’d change next time.

If you’ve specific questions about Te Araroa or other adventures, book a personalised video call, I’m always happy to chat about anything travel related 😀

Winter Micro Adventures

Coromandel Forest Park

I happily returned once again to the Coromandel Peninsula, this time on a solo mission to the Crosbies Hut.

Curiously, there are seven tracks leading to this hut though as a number of them are presently closed.  I chose the Waiotahi Track leaving from Thames.

Remarkably, the Crosbies family established a small settlement and farmed the area from 1880 with the Lyle family following in their wake. The settlement was abandoned in 1923 due to the  harsh nature and lack of access. Sporadic farming continued until 1970 before finally being abandoned and the land has since happily reverted back to bush.

Save this walk for a good forecast as the views are well worth it. In the meantime, enjoy the vlogs here and here 🌅

My Favourite Headlamp

Check out the list of my other favourite Brands over on my Resources Page. Be sure to scroll to the bottom as this page has had a major update with the addition of dozens more of my favourite gear and suppliers.

Everest Base Camp Group Trip✨

The Everest Base Camp Trek offers a rich blend of history, culture and unequalled beauty. 

Dramatic mountain landscapes, spectacular river gorges and picturesque villages abound. Nepal is a destination that you have to experience to fully appreciate.

Thank you for being part of the Freewheeling Kiwi Community 😀

Thanks for reading, following, watching and commenting on my content, your support and interest is very much appreciated.

If you’ve joined the community recently, welcome! You’ll find all the information you need and links to my social media channels on the Freewheeling Kiwi website. If you’d like to revisit earlier editions of the FWK Adventure Newsletter, you’ll find the archive here.

To join with Andrew and I in trekking to Everest Base Camp in November contact me by clicking this email link NOW.

If you need support planning your own Adventure, go ahead and Ask Me Anything.

Please continue to share my content with someone that you think may benefit from it so that they too will be inspired and encouraged to spend more time in nature, it really does make a difference.

In the meantime, take care, lots of love Sharon 💚

PS: If someone forwarded you my newsletter and you’d like to subscribe, you can do so here. Please also thank your friend on my behalf for sharing 😀

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