5 reasons why busy women need to prioritise outdoor adventure
There’s a particular kind of tired that sleep doesn’t fix. March was a big month for me; two school camps, two weddings, two Kangaroo Island guiding trips, two festivals, plus moving house. While the month was full of things I genuinely love, I still found myself arriving at the end of it feeling completely fried. Not just tired, but disconnected...from my body, from my breath, and from that more spacious version of myself I know I can be. Your month might have looked different, but if you’re anything like the women I work with, I’d guess you had a month of work, meetings, fringe shows, social events, and holding a big mental load too. You had that feeling that life is full, but you somehow feel a little… off. And here’s the thing: the answer isn’t always doing less. Because if I’m honest, I don’t want a smaller life. I want a full one. A rich one. One that holds work I care about, people I love, and experiences that light me up. But what I was reminded of very clearly of camping over the Easter long weekend, is this: Busy women don’t just need rest, we need to step outside. Not in a “quick walk around the block” kind of way...in a leave-your-phone-behind, feel-your-feet-on-the-earth, remember-who-you-are kind of way. After four days of camping in the bush, swimming in the river, walking under moonlight, and sitting by the fire under a sky full of stars… I feel like myself again. I feel clear, grounded and regulated. It reminded me that time like this isn’t a luxury or a “nice to have", it’s a vital part of how I take care of myself so I can actually keep showing up in my life in a way that feels good. I’d even go as far as saying this: for overstretched, over-analytical, high-achieving women, regular solid blocks of outdoor time isn’t optional, It’s essential. Here’s why outdoor adventure matters more than you think.
Why Feeling Capable Outdoors Has Nothing to Do With Being “Outdoorsy”
Dearest gentle reader,
I’m worried you’re thinking about going hiking, but fear you’re just “not that outdoorsy.”
It’s something I hear often. Sometimes it’s whispered apologetically. Sometimes it’s said louder, almost like a flex, as if being a girl who is outdoorsy might somehow be embarrassing.
But here’s what I’ve noticed over the past decade guiding women outdoors: the women who say they’re “not outdoorsy” are often capable, intelligent, high-functioning women in every other area of their lives. They run businesses, lead teams, raise families, manage complex schedules, and solve problems daily. And yet, when it comes to hiking, paddling, or planning an overnight trip, something shifts. Suddenly, they feel unsure.
The word “outdoorsy” has become shorthand for something mythical. Someone who grew up camping. Someone who knows knots instinctively. Someone who doesn’t have a fear of snakes. But capability outdoors isn’t a personality trait. It’s a skill set. And skill sets can be learned.
Kindred is the hiking antidote for People-pleasing women.
If you identify as a people-pleaser, and would rather identify as a self-governed capable woman who has got herself outdoors and in life, then kindred is for you.
hiking backwards on the South Coast Track, Tasmania.
I had heard about the track for years. My Dad and my brother joined a party of men to complete it in December a decade ago, returning with images of Dad submerged in waist-deep mud, and purporting that summiting the ironbound range with horizontal sleet had made them the coldest they’d ever been in their lives (cold enough to be unable to open a ziplock bag for food). Contrastingly, a Tasmanian ex-boyfriend of mine had done the track about 10 times and claimed it was “easy”. With no research, my only trail preparation was a digital map downloaded on my phone, hard copy maps and guidebook in a waterproof case, a borrowed long trench coat for the potentially-torrential rain, and a water filter packed in response to warnings of gastro. I was feeling pretty blind about what we were going to encounter.
How a South Australian Women’s Surf Camp can reconnect you to your body, confidence and calm
When was the last time you let the ocean teach you something?
Not about performance or productivity, but about presence.
Our Surf Camp on the stunning Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, isn’t about chasing extremes; it’s about remembering how alive you feel when the sun hits your skin, the salt sticks to your hair and your laughter mingles with the waves.
Here’s why this experience might be exactly what your nervous system has been craving.
5 ways to stay safe (and feel safe) when solo hiking as a woman.
Always wanted to do more hiking but do you feel anxious about going it alone? Many women have concerns for safety as a huge barrier that stops them from having solo adventures. I’ve just completed a 1000km bushwalk, with 650kms of it solo, and here are my 5 top tips for staying safe and feeling safe as a woman when hiking solo.
This International Women’s Day, I asked chat GPT what barriers women face that prevent them from having outdoor adventures, and even I was shocked….
I knew there were many barriers that prevent women from participating in outdoor pursuits at the same rate as men, but even I didn’t realise just how deep these barriers run. I asked chat GPT what were the top 10 barriers women face that prevent them from participating in outdoor hobbies like SUP, surfing, kayaking and camping, and I was shocked.
Gender in outdoor tourism and self-care tools for women in business: Spark TV Podcast Interview
I had the privilege of chatting with Danielle Lewis, from Spark Business Global on her podcast for female founders. It was so great to chat to a woman who has made it her mission to help women in business shortcut their success. We had a great chat about by background in outdoor tourism and education, proving yourself as a woman in business, self-care tools (hint - nature heals) and not waiting for permission from others to chase what’s on your heart.
Let me tell you about “Sue”
women’s surf camp yorke peninsula south australia enliven outdoor adventures
Cuttlefish, coffees and a coxswain.
The best part about driving the boat at Cuttys was shocking the grey nomad customers when they realised I was the skipper!
The outdoors isn’t always period-friendly…
For people who menstruate, periods can be just one more barrier that gets in between them and outdoor adventures.