“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” –  Oprah Winfrey

In the past on our travels we have really enjoyed doing walking tours where you walk from place to place and your luggage is moved to the next place  you stay and will be found waiting for you when you arrive. This is a great way to see the countryside, to get off the beaten track and much more authentic way to meet people and eat the local cuisine.

We vowed that we should spend more time doing the same kind of adventures back home –in our beautiful Aotearoa. So when my friend Kate asked if we would be keen to do the rail trail it was a resounding “Yes”. We like to sight see while taking some form of exercise, so biking the Central Otago Rail Trail was right up our alley.

Add to that, the fact Kate is the master of all organiser’s. She is responsible for the Book Club I belong to, which has been going now for about 15 years, the mixed social tennis team we belong to which went for over 6 years, and we have many friends in common. The group of 12 going on the rail trail were a combination of tennis, book group, and friends. A perfect combination for a fabulous time. Kate and Bob, are also friends of my brother, who with his wife Tania had set out on a big life adventure two years ago. They moved to live in the south at the old Hyde School House to provide a hospitality service for Rail Trail cyclists, and we were all keen to visit them at their new home and business venture.

Kate organized pretour meetings where much discussion was based around necessary gear required to ensure that certain parts of our anatomy survived the rigors of the bumpy trail and the bicycle seats.   Adding to the pre tour fun was the draw for accommodation – who would share accommodation with who, who would be sleeping in twin singles, queen rooms, in cabins, hotel rooms, lodges etc. We clutched our assigned giant ice-block sticks with anticipation and reserve.

While Paul and I decided to do some pre-trail bike riding to help to get used to the idea of being on a bike for 40 kms each day, others didn’t. We enjoyed the opportunity to do another form of exercise for a change and to try some of the new bike tracks around Auckland and our local neighbourhood. Others declared as they weaved along the road that first morning in Clyde, that they hadn’t been on a bike since they were 14. Let’s just say, that was some time ago.  But riding a bike is just like the saying “its like riding a bike” and you soon find that you are away laughing, if a little wobbly at first.

So…. what will you take from my preparations for adventure?

Maybe it will be to surround yourself with positive, happy people. These are the people that help make wonderful things happen in your life. Do something for someone else where you can, and be willing to let others do something for you.

Or maybe it will encourage you to write a list of activities that you enjoy doing, pin it up on the wall and start to tick some of them off.  The activities of cycling with friends while sight seeing and having a challenge of riding a distance each day are all things that I enjoy. I thoroughly recommend taking up a new adventure, challenge or activity.

You will need to be prepared for some discomfort, wear your padded bike shorts, or whatever it takes to move out of your comfort zone.

Take up opportunities when they come your way, and maybe like my brother, – “go and have your adventure – live your dream” and finally just be grateful for what shows up in your life.

Live your dreams

X Jo