Adventure Newsletter

Welcome to the March 2024 updates of Freewheeling Kiwi

This is the first Newsletter since completing the EPIC Te Araroa Trail a month ago. As you can imagine, there’s been much to catch up on having been on the trail nearly five months.

For those of you who’ve been around a while, thanks for your understanding of my limited newsletter editing ability while hiking Te Araroa. If this is your first time here, welcome and thank you for stopping by 💚

As well;

• By the end of March, I’ll be in NEPAL, preparing to hike two of the world’s highly coveted treks, Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp.

• I share my reflections on my highlights and the challenges I faced while hiking Te Araroa.

• Some of my favourite BRANDS have kindly agreed to provide you with a discount. Check out the details below.

• Before leaving for the trail, I produced this TE ARAROA GEAR LIST video. While on trail, I bought only one more item, watch the video and share what it was.

• While in Nepal, I’ll be sharing my Adventure Map so you can see exactly in the world where I am.

More details on all of this below.

Nepal - Hiking

At the end of March I am undertaking a trip of a lifetime, trekking in  Nepal where I will be hiking to both the Everest Base Camp and to the Annapurna Base Camp.

The combined treks feature varied and spectacular scenery set against the backdrop of the Himalayan Mountains. Trekking in this location is on many hikers bucket lists including mine for many years.

I’d offered the Everest Base Camp trek as a GROUP TRIP and I’m excited to share that as well as myself and partner, Andrew,  I’ve some intrepid hikers coming along with me. 

HERE are the trip basics for the EVEREST BASE CAMP Trek.

If you’d like to know as soon as Applications open for the next Group Trip, sign up to the FWK Group Trip Newsletter.  It’s a separate Newsletter to the one you’re reading now and is specific to the Trips. The Trips range from a weekend camping in New Zealand to longer trips such as the Nepal trip.

Sign up is at the bottom of the GROUP TRIPS page 🏕️

Te Araroa - Thru Hike

TE ARAROA DAILY VLOG

In October 2023 I embarked on my most ambitions adventure yet, Te Araroa - New Zealand’s Trail. A continuous 3,000km (1,864 mile) walking track from Cape Reinga to Bluff.

It took 133 days to complete and I’ve now had a month to reflect on the adventure. Apparently that’s not long enough as I’ve yet to come up with the snappy one liner when asked “how was it?”

Many words do come to mind but my favourite remains, EPIC! 

Highlights

The people were the highlight; the Te Araroa community both on and off the trail along with the Freewheeling Kiwi followers who went out of their way to find, support and encourage us in so many different ways, large and small. The kindness of strangers was humbling, with many opening their homes and hearts to us.

I’ve now new friends the length and breadth of New Zealand and from around the world, the adventure bucket list has become a whole lot bigger! 

Biggest Challenge

From Cape Reinga to Whangarei I walked hundreds of kilometres in shoes that were crippling my feet, the pain was often excruciating. It took 1,000 kilometres before my feet recovered from the damage .

I believe that a hike of this length is 80% mental and emotional, 15% physical and 5% logistical yet the biggest challenge was accepting physical injury. If my head wasn’t in the right place, there’d have been no way I could have continued.

Catch up on all the DAILY ACTION HERE.

Thanks for your support 💚

A number of you have asked how you can support the Freewheeling Kiwi mission further and I thank you wholeheartedly for even considering this ❤︎

There’s all sorts of ways from commenting, liking and sharing the FWK content with your own friends, family and communities to becoming a Patron which will allow you to participate more closely with the mission and be rewarded for your actions while also helping me to continue. It's a value for value exchange.

If you believe in the Freewheeling Kiwi mission and would like early access to announcements and exclusive behind the scenes content, check out this page to find out how you can become more involved.

FIND OUT MORE HERE

Resources 🥾

There are many new resources, useful links and discounts available on the GEAR AND RESOURCES page over on the Freewheeling Kiwi website.

A number of these Companies supported me directly while walking Te Araroa and others are ones I use while traveling as a full time travel content creator.

I recommend that you check them out and be sure to bookmark THIS PAGE so that you can return to it again and again as I  continue to develop the resources. 

Te Araroa - Gear List

WHAT I TOOK TO WALK 3000 KM ACROSS NEW ZEALAND

In this video I’ve shared what I took to walk Te Araroa, New Zealand’s Long Trail, 3000 km from Cape Reinga to Bluff. This walk took 133 days, starting in early spring and finishing late summer. I carried everything I needed in my backpack aside from restocking food along the way.

Adventure Map

While hiking in NEPAL I will share my Adventure Map which lets you see exactly where in I am.

I’ll drop a Positioning Pin 📍every 10 minutes so you’ll be able to hold me accountable for those extra long lunch breaks 😀

This has been made possible by TrackMe who’ve kindly come on board to support my work providing me with live GPS Tracking.

Access to my interactive Adventure Maps and Guides is available to my PATREON COMMUNITY where you’ll also see a whole lot of other behind the scenes content. 

Let’s be social

Here are the social media links so that you can stay up to date while I am Trekking in Asia.

• 🔗 Freewheeling Kiwi Website

• 🔗 Patreon - Interactive Adventure Map

• 🔗 Instagram - Reels and photos

• 🔗 Facebook - Reels and photos

• 🔗 TikTok - Videos

• 🔗 Threads - Videos and photos

Come back later to check out the YouTube Videos, in the meantime, bookmark these playlists.

• 🔗 YouTube - Nepal - Kathmandu Playlist

• 🔗 YouTube - Nepal - Everest Base Camp Playlist

• 🔗 YouTube - Nepal - Annapurna Base Camp Playlist

• 🔗 YouTube - Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur

Thank you for reading this far

If you’ve read this far, thank you so much, your interest and time are greatly appreciated 💚

This is a busy time as I prepare to leave for a month’s hiking in NEPAL. There’s still many logistics to be worked through before getting on that plane ✈️

Remember, if you want to be involved in future Group Trips, register your interest HERE, it’s free to sign up and you can unsubscribe at any time.

As I’ve time, I’ll add more resources to the FWK website, in the meantime, check out this PAGE for great discounts.

Do DROP ME A LINE or send a direct message via Social Media to say hello, I’ll be delighted to hear from you.

If someone forwarded you this Newsletter and you’d like to subscribe, you can do so HERE. Please also thank your friend on my behalf for sharing the Newsletter 😀

Take care, lots of love Sharon 💚

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