When six women boarded flights to Hobart from across Australia in October, they were connected by only a loose thread: a shared friendship with a woman celebrating her 40th birthday.
Most of the women barely knew each other but they had all agreed to try something new and take part in a guided hiking trip along some of the world’s highest sea cliffs.
Four days on the Three Capes track with the Tasmanian Walking Company would turn out to be an incredible opportunity to disconnect from the demands of the daily grind and bond with the other women on the trip.
“For a lot of us, we have really busy jobs or really busy home lives so we were really looking forward to the disconnect opportunity and just the potential to shut down our phones,” Del, who had flown in from Darwin for the experience, tells Women’s Agenda.
“We all discussed over a glass of wine one night how amazing it is to close that part of our brain and just relax, unwind and connect with each other.”
From its signature walks to shorter long weekend adventures, Tasmanian Walking Company has options for everyone, even if you can only get away for a few days.
The freedom of not having plans
While the women were there to tick off a bucket list adventure their friend had always dreamed of for her 40th, it also gave each of them the chance to unwind and make new friendships.
The freedom of having no plans besides walking and being immersed in beautiful natural surroundings was the perfect way to do it.
“We had the most phenomenal experience overall,” Del says. “We had every weather under the sun: we had windy as hell. We had blue bird sunshine. We had rain through the rainforest part, and clear views at all of the exceptional sites.
“We had this incredible, rounded experience that I don’t think many people would be lucky enough to get.”
It was also a rare occasion to enjoy a holiday without having to be involved in the planning.
“[It was] the first trip I’ve ever done where I haven’t had to plan anything,” Dell shares. “I didn’t have to facilitate any logistics. We got told where to go and what to do.”
With chef-inspired locally-produced fresh meals, a day spa, yoga space and cold plunge also on offer throughout the hike, it was the ultimate way to unwind.
“I actually felt rejuvenated after this trip. Even though it was physically demanding at points, I came home feeling like I’d actually had a holiday,” Del said.
“Every single person who went to the day spa came out saying it was the best experience of their life. All of them would come out with that exact turn of phrase.”
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Craving a nature escape with a friend or loved one? You could win a walk for two on Tasmanian Walking Company’s world-first Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa Signature Walk. Find out more.
If you sign up to become a Women’s Agenda Member, you’ll receive two entries into the competition.
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The silence that brought the women together
Del recalls one day where the group’s guide told her group to space out from each other as they walked.
“We were quite a chatty group …and the guide turned to us and said, ‘Okay, for the next hour, we’re going to space out, you’re not going to see the person in front of you or the person behind you, and [it’ll] be silent,” Del says.
“And I just felt for our little friendship group in particular, it was such a beautiful touch.
“To put away your camera, just look around you as you walk, and just take it in and absorb it without the need to fill the silence with chit chat.”
That silence helped the group feel more bonded than ever, but it also didn’t stop them from enjoying reflecting on their adventure each night at the private lodge accommodation inside the Tasman National Park.
“We had a lot to discuss when we got to the accommodation each night, and we had this bonding experience,” Del says.
“It just felt like a really safe space. A really nice atmosphere where we could just let our hair down because we didn’t have to worry about anything.”
From strangers to local dog-walking friends
It’s not just in Tasmania that women are forging new bonds on guided walking trips. Back in April, Jane joined a Tasmanian Walking Company bird-watching guided walk on Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia.
She went with her husband for a writing project, but ended up leaving with new friends for life, including Mary and her husband Eddie.
“The morning we met Mary and Eddie at the bus stop, I thought, ‘oh, they’re going to be fun’,” Jane tells Women’s Agenda.
The women first got to know each other, alongside their husbands, doing old magazine quizzes while travelling via bus on the island.
“We got to know each other through that,” Jane says. “We really gelled”.
For Mary, it was special to be connected with people who were specifically interested in seeing a remote part of Australia and the women soon discovered they had similar interests.
“Eddie and I could have gone to Kangaroo Island on our own, but it’s nice doing it with other people. You hope that you’ll find like minded people there,” Mary says.
A small world and unexpected connections
It wasn’t long before Jane and Mary, who both hail from Sydney’s inner-west, discovered their children were of similar ages.
“Mary’s got three sons. I’ve got two daughters that are a similar age,” Jane says. “So it turns out they’ve got ‘mutuals on Instagram’ and are vaguely connected through school.”
So what was it about the bird watching on Kangaroo Island that propelled them to stay friends, even after the trip ended?
The women say it was a mix of the time spent in the wilderness watching birds without interruption, alongside a shared sense of curiosity and generosity.
“It’s one of the things I’ve tried to instill in my kids: ask people questions, because you really notice when you meet people who never ask you anything about yourself,” Jane says.
“But being with people who are curious about you too, you do form a bond.”
The walk gave them time to sink into a quiet yet friendly rhythm with each other, as well as incredible Tasmanian Walking Company guides, who were there to share expert advice.
“When you’re walking along single file, you certainly weren’t not talking all the time, but it’s hours of walking so there is time to just say things and talk,” Jane and Mary agree.
It’s a habit Jane and Mary have continued since returning home to Sydney: they’ve stayed connected with the walking group on WhatsApp, and the pair meet for walks and have even had a dinner out with friends.
“We’ve just got lots to talk about. From the first dog walk we did together, it’s just very easy conversation.”
Craving a nature escape with a friend or loved one? You could win a walk for two on Tasmanian Walking Company’s world-first Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa Signature Walk. Find out more.
If you sign up to become a Women’s Agenda Member, you’ll receive two entries into the competition.