Before the trek, I thought I knew myself – my limits, both physical and emotional. I thought I was fit. I thought I knew about mateship (a bit of a “blokey” term, but you get it). I also thought a bladder was a bodily organ (in fine working order, thanks for asking) rather than hikers’ slang for a water hydration system that ALL serious trekkers carry. I realise now, I was a novice. But I’ve changed, we all have, and in ways we’ll be forever grateful for.
From the moment the full group of 19 women came together for the first time at Sydney Airport, it was clear this was going to be a special trip. There was an instant cacophany of chatter and hugs all round, much to Jacci’s initial discomfort. Her reservations were kindly but firmly dismissed. “You’ll get used to it,” I told her with a squeeze. She did. Jaymie was last to arrive in a flurry of (more) hugs and exuding an infectious, positive energy that could lift the most tired of spirits. It did.
We began our first trekking day in Christchurch, setting off in buses with our trusty guides and traversing the Canterbury Plains to Mount Somers. The first part of our walk through rugged tussock country and historic coal mine ruins to the Woolshed Creek Hut was fairly easy going, so – full of bravado – we voted to take a more challenging track back. Only the wise Sharon seemed to comprehend our guides’ subtle suggestions that it may not be the best option. The phrase “what would Shaz say?” was born that day, when we realised the error of our ways.
The walk down the treacherous Rhyolite Ridge Track brought more than a few of us unstuck. Peta minted the biggest bruise of the trip by taking a slide down a rocky ledge, luckily, I was there to catch her fall. I joked that I saved her life, but really I was just scrambling to stay upright myself! What was supposed to have been a four to five hour trek became a gruelling eight-hour ordeal through narrow and steep terrain, and we reached the bus well after dark. Some valuable lessons were learned that very first day, primarily to ask “what would Shaz say?”
The “team bonding” ramped up over the coming days as we travelled by bus from Methven to the stunning resort town of Lake Tekapo, with its impossibly clear turquoise waters. We experienced the vagueires of New Zealand’s wily weather while taking on the iconic Hooker Valley walk in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, when we were suddenly pelted with torrential rain and wild wind.
Still, we managed to find the sunshine. And rainbows, multiple beautiful rainbows.
New Zealand-born trekker Mihikore taught us the Maori word for rainbow, Uenuku. I asked her what she thought it meant that rainbows were seemingly following us and she said it was “a sign”. Mihi is battling brain cancer herself and it was clear throughout the trek that this was a spiritual journey for her. Her deep connection to the land and the cause was powerful, and her strength and determination in the face of this terrible diagnosis was truly inspirational to all of us.
Many of the group has been directly impacted by brain cancer. Bronwyn, Sharon, Jaymie and Carly lost their beloved husbands to the disease, while Peta mourns her dear mum. Dynamic mother and daughter duo, Janine and Emily, are impacted by the illness of their husband and dad, and of course, Kirralee was compelled to co-found the Mark Hughes Foundation after her husband’s diagnosis 10 years ago.
One thing united us all – purpose. The cause was the motivator and brought power and joy to every day’s trekking mission.
And there were some incredible moments. We shrieked as we took an icy dip in glacial waters at the base of Mount Cook. On the designated “Challenge Day” we ascended a brutal 2,200 stairs up Aoraki and cried upon reaching a plateau called Sealy Tarns, where the clouds cleared to offer breathtaking mountain vistas. A group went on to the summit, scrambling over rocks and climbing steep trails, to reach the top. An incredible achievement but the glory was short-lived with the realisation that all those stairs were waiting for the descent.
Our final mountain was the hardest to climb but the group was strong and determined.
Ben Lomond sits high above Queenstown and when our guides pointed to the peak and said that’s where we were headed, I couldn’t imagine how it was even possible. Still, we set off in glorious sunshine up a bush track with a deceptively steep incline to reach the top of the famous gondola (a much more sensible way to get there, I thought). From there, it got real – we climbed to an elevation of about 1300m to reach the saddle where the weather started to close in. Buffeted by strong winds, we headed for the summit and had to dig deep and focus on what had brought us there. I thought about dear friends who suffered the tragedy of losing their daughter to brain cancer at just 10 years of age, and I pushed on, for her and them.
It began to snow as we reached the top and there were tears and cheers as our brain cancer warrior Mihi popped a bottle of bubbly to celebrate the achievement. Not that anyone was drinking it. At nearly 1800m elevation, we were suddenly caught in a blizzard and the elation turned to focus as we quickly packed up and began the descent. Freezing cold but satisfied knowing the end of the journey was near.
There’d been talk of a tattoo to ink the end of our journey but somehow that night we ended up at the famous Cowboys bar and staring down its menacing mechanical bull. Aching muscles and inflamed joints were forgotten as the girls lined up for another challenge.
“What would Shaz say?”
“Yeehah!” she was the first up on the bull and this clearly wasn’t her first rodeo. Others followed before the karaoke fired up and it was an Aussie takeover. Just like on the mountain paths, the ladies were spirited and supportive of each other.
What an incredible experience it has been to take on this challenge with such strong, inspiring and selfless women. Together we conquered mountains, opened our hearts and united in purpose, we raised over $223,000 for MHF.
It’s money we know will be used to care for brain cancer patients and their families, and importantly, to inspire what we all need – hope.
Thank you to our amazing trekkers:
Kirralee Hughes, Kris Buderus, Melanie Mayer, Kate Hargreaves, Emily Ford, Janine Ford, Sharon McKeown, Hannah Ireland, Natasha Beyersdorf, Carly Forster, Jaymie Ferguson, Lita Zervas, Marilen Innocenzi Blakey, Peta Duncan, Carissa Brown, Bronwyn Lindsay, Mihikore Nolan-Davis, Jacci Marchant, Larissa Williams
Thank you to our awesome guides: Collie, Izzi, John & Howie
Thank you to our generous sponsors:
Hart Accountants, Fred Mayer Foundation, Hargreaves Interior Design, Gilbert & Roach, Hunter Tax Services, Jacoba Tiles, NBN Television
