We Are Explorers Podcast

Ever wanted to give up all your possessions, quit your job and go and live in the wilderness? That's what Miriam Lancewood planned to do for a year with her husband in New Zealand, and then 7 years went by.

 In this chat we cover:  

• Background as a physical education teacher 
• Travelling to India
• Meeting Peter 
• Possessions 
• Living in the Wilderness in New Zealand 
• How was it going to work? 
• Learning to hunt with a bow and arrow
• Te Araroa trail 
• Missing modern luxuries
• Keeping in contact with the outside world
• Woman in the Wilderness - Miriam's 1st book
• Long walking in Europe
• Peter's illness
• How has the world changed 
• Independence
• Trekking in Himalayas
• Sleep 

Miriam's Books
2023 - Wilder Journeys
2020 - Wild at Heart
2017 - Woman in the Wilderness

Ready for an adventure of your own? Check out the We Are Explorer's Adventure Map to discover trails, wild swimming, campsites, National Parks and more.  Follow @we_are_explorers on Instagram for your daily dose of travel inspiration. 

Enjoying the podcast? Why not subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an ep. It helps us continue to bring you epic adventure content!  

Thanks to We Are Explorer's News and Features Editor Amy Fairall for hosting this week.

Produced by Sian Brain. 

Calumn Hockey is a self-taught adventure photographer who has embarked on a path as a conservation advocate. 

From humble beginnings using a compact digital camera (that broke after it got too dusty, RIP), he now captures compelling images showing devastating deforestation, climate change, and the plight of protest groups.

In this chat we cover:  

• Was photography a passion?
• The beginning 
• Camera technology 
• Photojournalist 
• Conservation photographer 
• Logging image in Takayna 
• Protest on Gumbaynggirr country 
• Closing the climb of Uluru 
• Shooting Trail Races
• For Wild Places 
• Self Taught
• Calumn's Idols - Renan Ozturk and Krystal Wright 
• Freelance hustle  
• Current Gear 
• Drone Rescue
• Business Website 
• Advice to Beginners 

See Calumn’s striking imagery on his website and Instagram and get inspired to do good and follow your passions.

Make sure to follow @we_are_explorers on Instagram for your daily dose of adventure. Enjoying the podcast? Why not subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an ep. It helps us continue to bring you epic adventure content!  

Thanks to We Are Explorers Publisher Tim Ashelford for hosting this week.

Producer - Sian Brain

After cycling 5,000kms off road from Canada to Mexico along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route Richelle Olsen discovered that women around her lacked self confidence and belief in their ability to go on adventures of their own. She decided to do something about it.

Richelle started Escaping Your Comfort Zone, a body positive adventure and hiking club for women and non binary people, to make adventure more accessible and to be a cheerleader for people who underestimate themselves. No one gets left behind and everyone feels seen.

In this chat we cover:  

• What is Escaping Your Comfort Zone?
• Riding from Canada to Mexico 
• Being a cheerleader for others 
• Events and leaders 
• Plus sized stigma in the outdoors 
• Outdoor Gear 
• Inspiration
• How Escaping your comfort zone does things differently?
• Trips 
• Accessibility and getting started
• Body Positive Stomp trail run 
• Women and non-binary people
• Interstate members 
• Join the FB groups for your region 
• You don’t need to do the entire trail!

 
Want to join in on the fun? Head to Escaping Your Comfort Zone to join an event, follow along on Instagram @escapingyourcomfortzone and keep tabs on what Richelle is up to @richelleridesbikesandwaves.

Follow @we_are_explorers on Instagram for your daily dose of adventure and check out our website weareexplorers.co for destination guides, road trip itineraries and adventures from all over the country. 

Thanks to Amy Fairall our News and Features Editor for hosting this week. 

Producer - Sian Brain

Tim chats with full time explorer and travel writer Elisha Donkin on her experience hiking the Heysen Trail. 

The Heysen trail is a 1200km Thru Hike in South Australia stretching from Parachilna Gorge in the Flinders Ranges in the north to Cape Jervis on the Fleurieu Peninsula in the south. 


In this chat we cover:  

• Heysen trail overview 
• Deciding to do the trail 
• Taking time off work 
• How long does it take 
• Vanlife and backpacking 
• Thru hiking v multiday hiking 
• Thru hiking scene in Australia 
• Preparing for the trip
• Food and Water 
• Isolation 
• Music and Books 
• Terrain 
• Gear and weight
• Cost 
• Friends of the Heysen trail 
• Making friends 
• Australian Alps walking track 

Check out Elishas adventures on her blog Beyond Wild Places or on Instagram @beyondwildplaces. 

Make sure to follow @we_are_explorers on Instagram for your daily dose of adventure. Enjoying the podcast? Why not subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an ep. It help us continue to bring you epic adventure content!  

Thanks to We Are Explorers Publisher Tim Ashelford for hosting this week.

Producer - Sian Brain

In this episode Henry has a yarn with survival instructor Alex Mileham and asked him a burning question - what  do you do in a survival situation in the depths of a Tasmanian winter?

After years of solo adventuring and training from some of the world's most renowned survival experts, Alex began to share his knowledge with others through wilderness survival courses. From bushcraft to mindset, Alex's whole philosophy can be summed up into these three words - Never give up.
 
In this chat we cover:  

• Popularity of Alone 
• Solo hiking 
• Weather in Tasmania 
• Teaching survival 
• Qualifications 
• Scenario - Lost in Tasmania 
• Survival psychology 
• Survival Steps 
• Scenario - You’re not found 
• Static and Dynamic survival 
• How to get out 
• Altitude sickness 
• Desensitised to the outside 
• Survival Courses Tasmania 

Follow @we_are_explorers on Instagram for your daily dose of adventure.

Ready to take on some survival training? Check out Survival Courses Tasmania here.

Thanks to We Are Explorers Founder Henry Brydon for hosting this week.

Producer - Sian Brain

In this episode we chat with Dr Kate Grarock, a contestant on Alone Australia. She fills us in on how her background as an ecologist and avid solo hiker prepared her for the show and influenced her decisions while out there.
 
Do you have what it takes to go on Alone? Kate says yes... you do!   
 
In this chat we cover:  

• A Start in the Navy  
• Ecologist 
• Eating on Alone 
• Fishing 
• Introduced Species 
• Impact on a Place 
• Documenting the Experience  
• Preparation for the Show 
• Ultralight Hiking
• Who Should do Alone?
• Being Alone 

Follow @we_are_explorers on Instagram for your daily dose of adventure.

Make sure to watch Alone Australia at 7.30pm Wednesdays on SBS and SBS On Demand and check out our website weareexplorers.co for weekly recaps on what went down.

You can follow Kate on her socials on YouTube and Instagram.   
 
Thanks to Tim Ashelford our Publisher for hosting this week. 

Producer - Sian Brain

In this episode we chat with Eva Davis-Boermans about what it's like to do a road trip around Australia, the highs, the challenges, and all the nitty gritty details in between.
 
In this chat we cover:  

• Planning 
• Car Set Up
• Budgeting  
• Tracking the Trip 
• KM's driving 
• Car Repairs
• When and Where to Travel
• Destination Highlights 
• Breaks
• Travelling as a Couple
• Meeting People
• Working on the Road 
• Jatbula Trail  
• Advice 

You're in for a treat - Eva has shared her partner Adam's spreadsheet that tracked every cent they spent on the trip . Take a peek at this Excel masterpiece.

Follow @we_are_explorers on Instagram for your daily dose of adventure and check out our website weareexplorers.co for destination guides, road trip itineraries and adventures from all over the country. Head to our Adventure Map for inspiration to start planning your own trip around Aus! 

Check out Eva on Instagram @evadavisboermans for her trip highlights. 
 
Thanks to Amy Fairall our News and Features Editor for hosting this week. 

Producer - Sian Brain

In our final episode of our Inside Out  podcast series brought to you by Arc'teryx, we're riding with Evan from Terra Rosa Gear and chatting in his gear loft all things adventure, gear and sustainability.

Evan is the first design ambassador in Australia for Arc’teryx’s ReBird program, bringing new life to old gear by cutting up and stitching mishmash fabrics back together to create one-of-a-kind, recycled products. 

In Part Three of our Inside Out  podcast series brought to you by Arc'teryx, we're shredding mountain faces and huddling in the back of a van to chat to the folk at Mountain Safety Collective.

MSC is a non-profit community making backcountry travel safer in Australia. Listen up as we learn about alpine hazards and ski some fresh powder in the process!

Show Notes
Check out Mountain Safety Collective hazard reports - LINK
28:30 -
Rohan Kennedy Images of slides on The Sentinel Ridge - LINK
Mountain Safety Collective analysis of The Sentinel Ridge slides - LINK

43:50 -
Mountain Safety Collective hazard reports - LINK

In Part Two of our Inside Out  podcast series brought to you by Arc'teryx, we're scaling a cliff, mic in hand, to chat to Riley Edwards.

Riley’s a queer non-binary rock climber, outdoor enthusiast, LGBTQ+ advocate and educator. They are one of the founding members of Climbing QTs, a LGBTQ+ friendly social club on a mission to give everyone the opportunity to get outdoors and feel welcomed to the world of adventure – i.e a certified legend.