“Happiness is only real when shared…” 

Christopher “Alexander Supertramp” McCandless

Anna

In 2015 I travelled to the other side of the world, to a country so far away from home, people couldn’t imagine. To a place where there are more sheep than humans, where the English language has never sounded better ever before and where the people compete in gumboot throwing competitions. Where the locals have hairy feet and live in holes underground, and one is just happy with a warm steak and cheese pie, or a really massive, woollen Merino sheep to shear. Turns out every now and then one of those locals gets itchy feet and heads out on a quest – like for example returning the One Ring to where it was created….! In other words – I travelled to New Zealand to attempt a thru-hike of Te Araroa Trail. Three years from then, I am overly ready to get out there again, living the simple and smelly life of a thru-hiker, carrying only the essentials (plus a Frisbee!) on my back and venture through America’s west, from Mexico to Canada, on the Pacific Crest Trail.  

René

I’ve been tramping for many years and have loved every minute of it. Tramping is the New Zealand version of hiking. Growing up and living most of my life in Wellington, I’ve spent the bulk of my time tramping in the Tararuas and as they say “if you can tramp in the Tararuas you can tramp anywhere”. My first longer distance trail wasn’t until I walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain with my 18 year old son in 2013. It’s only 900 kms and very easy walking but I really loved the experience. So in the summer of 2015/16 I walked the Te Araroa trail and had an even more awesome time. So what do you do when you’re running out of long distance trail years and have a huge number still to do? That’s right, you change your lifestyle, get leave from work and walk the PCT – simple! So this is my next adventure, let’s see how it goes.