Turning to nature for its healing powers birthed two achievements for Melbourne\u2019s Laura Waters \u2013 hiking 3,000km on New Zealand\u2019s Te Araroa (\u2018the long pathway\u2019) trail and her debut book Bewildered which details the arduous yet rewarding journey.<\/p>\n
Before this, the longest walking distance she\u2019d completed was 65km on Tasmania\u2019s Overland Track. <\/p>\n
And while she signed herself to one of the world\u2019s most gruelling physical challenges, what she learnt along the way was the trek\u2019s distance demonstrated more about her mental strength than of her body\u2019s. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor years I\u2019d been looking for a challenge to push me to my limits and see what I was capable of,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just so happened that the discovery of a new long-distance trail in New Zealand coincided with a time where I was suffering crippling anxiety after a failed relationship and the hectic pace of modern life.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the perfect time to leave everything behind and throw myself to the wind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Travelling from the top of New Zealand\u2019s North Island to the bottom of its South Island, Laura wandered the untamed wilderness alone for the most part after her walking partner\u2019s decision to bow out on day two of the adventure. <\/p>\n
Frightened at first, Laura said fear was the adrenaline she needed to get over the line. <\/p>\n
\u201cI managed to bump into others to walk with for sections but by the middle of the South Island I was on my own again.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut once you can let go of fear and be comfortable with being uncomfortable then it\u2019s quite magical.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo sleep in a remote mountain valley all on your own with everything you need in one bag is just bliss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Breaking free from the shackles of a toxic relationship inspired Laura\u2019s ambitious feat, having suffered debilitating anxiety before packing her bags and leaving in the hope of finding joy again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had trouble breathing, I lived with the constant feeling that I couldn\u2019t quite fill my lungs to capacity, my body flinched at every little noise, I was in tears all the time and couldn\u2019t think.<\/p>\n
\u201cHiking is quite a meditative experience. You\u2019re so in the moment plus you\u2019re exercising hard so there\u2019s no way you can maintain bad breathing habits.<\/p>\n
\u201cLife is very simple on the trail; all you have to do is walk, find shelter, food and water. It totally reshaped the way I thought and I\u2019ve tried to maintain that simplicity since I\u2019ve returned.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before Bewildered, Laura had never written. <\/p>\n
She says she always considered herself to have a way with words, but translating the days and nights spent at one with Mother Earth to page led her to realise the many truths she\u2019d uncovered about herself. <\/p>\n
\u201cTo articulate your journey for others you have to really delve deep into what happened and why.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had to consider how my life got into such an unhealthy state in the first place and what it was that pulled me out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said she wants readers of Bewildered to feel inspired to live with \u201cless stress, less consumerism, less fear and judgement and more simplicity, authenticity and care for (the) planet\u201d. <\/p>\n
Laura Waters will speak to a sold-out crowd tonight at Torquay Library from 6-7pm. <\/p>\n
Bewildered is published by Affirm Press. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Turning to nature for its healing powers birthed two achievements for Melbourne\u2019s Laura Waters \u2013 hiking 3,000km on New Zealand\u2019s Te Araroa (\u2018the long pathway\u2019) trail and her debut book Bewildered which details the arduous yet rewarding journey. Before this, the longest walking distance she\u2019d completed was 65km on Tasmania\u2019s Overland Track. And while she […]<\/p>\n