Living in Brisbane, Australia.
Michelle is a Policy Officer for the Environmental Protection Agency.
Carl is a freelance writer.

Past Adventures
Michelle: walking in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, Tasmania and
SE Queensland.
Carl: the 4240 km Pacific Crest Trail from Canada to Mexico, and virtually
every other pursuit under the sun, on the water or in the snow.

A Honeymoon to Remember
Lapland to Andalucia: A Long Distance Walking Adventure.
Date: June 2000 to October 2001
Total Distance: 7,300 km
Total Days: 319 (249 trail days)
Countries Walked: Nine
Average kms per day: 29 (longest day 46 km)
Longest Time Without a Shower: 19 days
Domestic Disputes: Possibly one or two?

Walking 7,300 kilometres isn’t everyone’s idea of the perfect honeymoon, exposed to the elements for 10 months, wet feet, sleeping on the ground.
On an average day we’d walk for 10 hours, stopping at dusk to pitch our tent.

Our journey began in Sweden’s north, deep within the Arctic Circle. The midnight sun shone bright as an icy wind pushed us south, then west, to where Norway’s glacier robed peaks awaited our footprints. Reaching fjords, we jumped a ship to northern Scotland. Autumn greeted us with horizontal rain and the worst flooding since 1947. Spring brought with it Foot and Mouth Disease, forcing us to jump across the English channel.

Ambling through Belgium’s church-spire dotted landscape was delightfully peaceful, while the snow-choked mountain passes of the French Alps kept us on our toes until summer arrived with a whoosh of hot air. Smeared with sunscreen, we pushed west, battling temperatures in the 40’s. The Pyrenees Mountains provided a short lived respite from the heat, before penetrating the Spanish deserts where we crossed 550 km of remote countryside guided by nothing more than a cartoon-style tourist map. Okay, so our honeymoon wasn’t romantic in the traditional sense, but a normal honeymoon didn’t seem right for us. We met over a pair of hiking boots at an outdoor store - trail partners at first sight.

Most Treasured Earth Sea Sky items
Carl............ “Our prototype banana yellow Orbit Jackets. The Gelanots® fabric performed beyond all expectations. It was light, super-breathable and dried fast. These jackets were abused for a total of 120 days (70 in constant rain, 50 as wind shells) and the fabric’s durability was extraordinary. As the fabric aged it softened, but showed no signs of failing. During the most persistent rain of the entire trip I noticed dampness in the lumbar region. This was never experienced again – one of those unexplained mysteries. Michelle’s jacket performed flawlessly. We also tested the new hot mango Traverse jackets and what can I say: we love that technical fit!

Equally impressive were the Joe 90 and Plume Micro Fleece pullovers. On my walk from Canada to Mexico, my Taslan pullover was the most appreciated piece of clothing, yet the Micro Fleece blew this away in terms of style, breathability and durability – these fleeces survived 340 days and are still going.”

We also travelled with First Layer® Mid-Weight and Stretch Thermals, Taslan Shorts, Taslan Longs, Legionnaires Caps, Lava Vests and a selection of Beanies and Gloves.

The Most Memorable Area:
At the village of Benamaurel, in Southern Andalucia, we were rescued from an electrical storm by a family who offered shelter in their traditional Arabic cave house. It was a shabby kind of town, but the hospitality and desert sunsets were so remarkable that we considered buying a cave of our own.