After GeoQuest I took a good rest period to let my injuries heal, but as expected I miss being on the pursuit of something great. Having a reason to train, having something to plan, and a trip to look forward to. I’ve been left with no choice but to plan my next adventure, and New Zealand seems like the perfect place for it.
A decent kayak trip has long been on my list of things to do, and I’ve wanted to visit New Zealand for a while, so it seemed very fitting I make this my Ramble for the Physical component in my BP.
The idea of anything multi sport seems far more interesting to me now than a single discipline, so why not throw in a mountain bike leg as well? It’s my favourite sport to hate…that’s how memories are made right?
The plan:
Based in the Marlbourgh Sounds (South Island) we spend 2 days riding the 70km Queen Charlotte Track, to then swap our bikes for Kayaks and paddle the Queen Charlotte Pass for 3 days back to the start.
The Challenges:
Qualifications – I have 4 months to get my Certificate 2 in Kayaking to lead the trip…no rush.
People – I need a minimum of 4 of us for the trip to go ahead. That’s 3 other people who need to come with me overseas during the Christmas / New Year break….so far I’ve got one. We’ll be calling all New Zealand Rovers! It would be awesome to have a member of our international scouting family on the team.
Gear – To hire or transport our own? Bikes, tents, kayaks etc are all available to hire from adventure companies in NZ, how much of this do we want bring ourselves?
Logistics – The same Adventure companies offer gear transport to/from the Queen Charlotte Track by boat, let’s hope by “gear” they also mean bikes and kayaks…
Already I’m excited. I’m back to riding for a reason, I get to spend my nights studying maps, shopping for gear, making plans, changing plans and watching it all come together. I’m back baby!
“Don’t let your dreams be dreams” – Jack Johnson
