Mother of three, Deanna Gerlach says the idea to walk Te Araroa was conceived during covid lockdowns, from their suburban home in Sydney. The family sold everything in Australia, spent two weeks in hotel quarantine in New Zealand and then started walking the length of the country from Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga) to Motupo-hue (Bluff). Day 1 on the trail was the family's first overnight tramp, but within three weeks they were trail-fit. Deanna reflects on the experience saying, "we loved it," but there were tough days for everyone. Flooded rivers in Canterbury meant that they had to skip large sections between Arthur's Pass and Takapō. The Gerlach family revisited these missed sections with now-teenagers and Deanna says it was quite a different experience, though once again it had it's highlights and it's struggles. She shares advice for others that want to start tramping and says, "don't run in and do what we did!" Deanna says to consider your motivations, what you want to get out of it and the importance of giving kids a sense of purpose and playing to their strengths. For quick and easy meals for all your outdoor adventures, use the code ABIGAIL for free shipping on your next Back Country Cuisine order: bit.ly/44uFDAB Thank you so much for tuning in and coming along for the ride. If you love the show and enjoyed listening, please take the time to leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I would also love to connect with you, so send me a DM on Instagram, leave me a voice message and I can’t wait to see you next time. Until then, keep adventuring :) Follow Deanna on Instagram: instagram.com/dgerl/ Follow Noodles for Brekky on Instagram: instagram.com/noodlesforbrekky/ www.noodlesforbreakfast.com Read the Blog: www.abigailhannah.nz Follow Abigail on Instagram: instagram.com/abigailhannnah/ Follow Abigail on TikTok: tiktok.com/@abigailhannnah/