When Gemma Stoddart signed up for a guided walking holiday at Tasmania’s Bay of Fires, she thought of it as a small promise, scheduled a year in advance, to carve out some time for herself.
As a busy working parent, Gemma was used to self-care slipping down her priority list. But when she headed down to Tasmania with a group of women for the trip, she found it to be a profound reset.
“I think about it all the time,” Gemma tells Women’s Agenda. “It was a real moment for me.”
“I found it a really grounding experience. Being out in nature, and then coming into a beautiful, comfy bed at night after a glass of champagne, I just found it to be so soothing for someone who normally does not carve out that time for myself.”
Gemma took a lot more from the trip than she was expecting, and says it was almost like an awakening.
“My head was the clearest it has been for as long as I can remember. I felt so content and all of my worries disappeared.”
Where nurture meets nature
For nearly four decades, Tasmanian Walking Company has connected people to wild places through multi-day guided walks in the most spectacular national parks Australia has on offer.
Gemma took part in Tasmanian Walking Company’s Bay of Fires Signature Walk in October and says it was the perfect opportunity to switch off for totally uninterrupted time with herself.
“[It was a] combination of exercise being a natural therapy and [the] stress relief from being in such an untouched and pristine part of the world,” Gemma explains.
“The white sand, the blue water, abundance of wildlife and flowers. You could really see how pristine it was.”
Combined with expertise of world-class guides and the little moments of luxury provided by Tasmanian Walking Company at private eco-accommodation each night, it was an adventurous, considered and very comfortable experience.
“What I really appreciated was that everything we ate was cooked from scratch. It was all prepared fresh and was very whole food based,” Gemma says.
“I loved the beautiful Tasmanian bubbly, the cheese platters, and on cold nights, they’d give you a hot water bottle to take to bed at the lodge. You could also book in for a spa treatment to get a facial or massage, and there’s an open air bath which was also amazing.”
“Everyone commented on the beds. Beautiful, comfortable beds to give you a great night’s sleep.”
‘A complete mental break’
What struck Gemma most about the trip was the emotional shift she felt from being out in nature for several days in a row.
“I think having no tech really rang home to all of us that it just creates an extra level of busyness in our life,” she says. “As a mum, your mind is just constantly going and on this trip, your mind gets a complete break. It also gets a break from your phone.”
“You don’t have to think about what’s being served up to you for dinner. It’s all wholesome, nutritious meals cooked from scratch, put in front of you. It’s just a complete mental break.”
The four nights on the Bay of Fires Signature Walk were also among some of the deepest sleep the women had experienced in years. The combination of days spent walking in the wilderness plus the comfort of accommodation were the perfect recipe.
“You’re naturally tired because your body’s had a workout,” Gemma said. “It sets you up for just a beautiful, deep sleep.”
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Win a walk for two on Tasmanian Walking Company’s world-first Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Signature Walk. Find out more here.
If you sign up to become a Women’s Agenda Member, you’ll receive two entries into the competition.
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Rediscovering an old passion
Gemma has always loved long-distance walking. Before having children, she’d walked The Kokoda Trail and Machu Picchu and been on plenty of other walking holidays.
“I’ve always had a passion for walking but lost that with life – having children and working full time,” she says.
So when a friend invited her to join the Bay of Fires walk, she knew she wanted to take up the opportunity. It’s definitely a decision she doesn’t regret.
“I booked it in, thinking it’d be something to look forward to in a year’s time. And since I’ve come back, we haven’t stopped talking about it,” Gemma says.
“We’ve also got two groups of our school mums that have booked in for trips since we’ve been back, so we would definitely recommend it.”
Although the guided walk came along with plenty of creature comforts, it also pushed the women on the trip outside of their comfort zone. Gemma says this was unexpectedly the most rewarding part of the experience.
“We crossed Deep Creek, the water was up to our waist and it was freezing,” she says. “I initially looked at it and thought ‘we’re not going to do this’ but then we all did it as a group and there was such a sense of achievement.”
“It was a reminder that we can do hard things. We did it and we all had a beautiful hot drink at the end.”
There were some days where the group walked for seven hours at a time, but the beautiful sights and creature comforts of the lodge accommodation meant Gemma felt nurtured and rewarded.
“You’ve seen some beautiful sights, and you get back to the lodge and are served up with your glass of champagne and a cheese platter. It’s the most rewarding, fulfilling way to spend a day.”
The trip was also a reminder of how good the simple things in life can be.
“It’s a great way to carve out time for yourself, reset and truly give your mind a break and a rest,” Gemma says.
“It reminded me of how good the simple things are: like eating good food, getting a good night’s sleep, quieting the mind and being out in nature.”
Win a walk for two on Tasmanian Walking Company’s world-first Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Signature Walk. Find out more here.
If you sign up to become a Women’s Agenda Member, you’ll receive two entries into the competition.