Small Beginnings

We began this conversation about 4 years ago in a pub in Marahau, the small town right next to Abel Tasman National Park where many sea kayak guides go to enjoy crystal clear water, amazing wildlife and the open mic nights every thursday at The Park Cafe. We get pulled back year after year to enjoy this place of beauty and simple living, and with this as the foundation of our community? Life is good.

All of us could be considered insane by the general scheme of things, moving houses, jobs, lives, friend groups every 6 months, getting pulled by the sway of the seasons or the whim of ‘my friend said that this place…”. We live untethered by the ordinary, but tethered through this sense of deep belonging - whether that be in te maunga, te awa, or te moana (the mountains, the rivers, or the sea). In the last couple months each of us have completed a journey that reflects this love of the land or the love of this simple way of living. Whitney completed 6 months of bike packing through South America, despite being told she couldn’t or shouldn’t and found more worth in that journey than she ever could have imagined. Heather completed two years in New Zealand and is now chasing the snow in Myoko, Japan - delving into culture, mountains, and a way of living so removed from her Canadian upbringing. Ella has moved to Canada, away from a small town in New Zealand to chase bigger mountains, and push her comfort levels. While Alex is nearing a year and a half living in Japan, full time in the mountains and the rivers- moving between Niseko and a small town in Gunma prefecture.

While we aren’t necessarily unique in doing these adventures, there are many around this world constantly seeking this feeling of discomfort, we are unique in the manor of being to able to support, encourage, and grow the community in which we cherish. This opportunity is starting to present itself as something bigger than us. Bigger than 5 women who found peace in sea kayaking. Big enough to reflect that this world needs help changing and we’re here to do it. Women in this industry are often overlooked or under utilised, and while this is changing, we thought maybe it’s time to get some wahine together to show we can pull off the big trips too.

The idea of going abroad to where our Canadian counterparts suggested a place of big whales, strong tides, and even stronger accents, we couldn’t let the sleeping dogs lie. Picking a date that felt outlandishly far away has now snuck upon us in the blink of an eye. The Inside Passage. Invoking a sense of curiosity, the unknown, and maybe a slight tingle of fear, we prepare to embark on this journey in just under 4 months. We were warned it would go fast - but all of us balancing full time jobs while reaching out to companies and creating this space has been a full plate.

We live in the moment. We are grateful for the world we surround ourselves in. So now it’s time to take what we live into these small screens of ours and share what it means to be one with the world around us.