Waterfalls and Winter Swims ❄️
Into the kahikatea forest we went.
Hello friends,
July delivered one of those days you keep returning to in your mind. Twin volcanic crater lakes, a ten metre waterfall tumbling over moss-covered rock, ancient trees taller than you can properly take in, and a few of us who decided that a mid-winter swim in Lake Ōkataina was a perfectly reasonable way to finish a winter’s day.
Spoiler: it was cold. Also, completely worth it.
This month I'm also sharing something that comes up more than almost any other question I get: how do you actually get fit for hiking without it taking over your life?
Plus news from the forest at Shambhala, and what's coming up in August.
— Sharon ⭐️
🥾 ADVENTURE CORNER
Stories and tips from the trail to inspire your own journeys.
🌿 The July Reset and Recharge Walk: Lake Ōkataina
Every walk teaches you something. This one taught me that a lake formed by a volcano 3,500 years ago can still stop a conversation mid-sentence, and that "at least one minute" is a perfectly respectable amount of time to swim in July.
The July Reset and Recharge Walk took us into the Ōkataina Trails near Rotorua — through ancient kahikatea, regenerated bush, twin volcanic crater lakes, and Cascade Falls, tumbling ten metres down a moss-covered cliff.
Tony, Lietta, Christine, Alison and Sharon enjoying a sunny spot overlooking Lake Rotongata, Ōkataina Scenic Reserve 🌿
🥾 Hiking Fitness for Real People: How to Get Trail Ready Without Living at the Gym
"I'd love to do that, but I'm not fit enough."
It's one of the things I hear most often and I understand it, because I've thought it too.
The truth is that most hikers aren't elite athletes. They're ordinary people who started where they were, walked consistently, and gradually built confidence one trail at a time. The best training for hiking isn't a gym programme. It's walking, hills, a decent pack on your back, and learning to trust your body a little more each time.
As a Gen X woman I've also learned that training smart matters more than training hard, and that recovery is just as much a part of the process as the walk itself.
If you've been waiting until you feel ready, this one's for you.
Sharon at the Ōkataina Scenic Reserve, Rotorua 🌋
🌱 Until Next Month
🌲 Life at Shambhala
Life at Shambhala has had an upgrade this month as Oliver and Isla came and connected the first stage of the solar. This means the era of evening reading by head torch and rechargeable camp lamps may finally be behind me.
May finally be. There are still more stages to go.
The forest is patient. Turns out solar installation runs on its own schedule.
— Sharon ⭐️
Taking a moment at Cascade Falls, Te Auheke Track, Ōkataina Trails. Te Auheke means tumbling water. It needs no further explanation. 🌿
📬 Catch up on past newsletters below
Every morning, the sun rises over the sea. It comes up through the clouds in shades of gold and amber, silhouetting the forest in front of me. Some mornings it's pink. Some mornings it's fire. Some mornings the clouds are so thick I only know it's risen by the light that gradually finds its way through. I don't miss a morning.
This edition features practical advice for anyone dreaming of the Annapurna Base Camp Trek, a training guide for Great Walks season, both October Himalayan departures, and an update from Shambhala about work that's quietly reshaping what the forest is becoming.