St James Walkway: A Misadventure | Farewell, South Island

[@ruthholman4822]

Hi Michelle thank you as always for your transparency as you have done these travels. As a fellow Graves disease sufferer I can understand the anxiety, heart rate issues etc, and I know you made the right decision to come out after the one night. It's good that you did get that one night in your tent, and saw those amazing mountains. Take care!

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Despite the fact I had to pull out, I really got everything I needed to out of this little adventure. Just really highlights how sometimes, even though things don't go to plan, the trail will always provide exactly what you need. No more, no less. Thanks for watching!

[@annadeng6736]

Love your video Michelle, looking forward to seeing your latest St James walkway trip. Take care 🙂

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thanks Anna!! Should be coming soon (and so lovely to hear from you 😉☺️). Maybe we will bump into each other again soon!

[@ReviloNZwalks]

Enjoyed this. Not just the awesome scenery on St James, but also your sensible decision to call it a day and focus on the positives instead - something we all need to appreciate when things don't go to plan. Cheers Michelle!

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

You're welcome Jesse! Thanks again for stopping by and watching. It's been a few weeks since your last upload as well... anything planned soon?

[@ReviloNZwalks]

@@LongWhiteGypsy A few misadventures of my own have resulted in no trips the past few weeks, which is why I found comfort in this! Most of what I want to do now will be better left for summer. A snowy wander in Tongariro will be nice, but I'm thinking it could be a couple of months still until consistent low snowfalls?

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

@@ReviloNZwalks Sorry to hear that! Hope things are on the up and up again now though. Yes I am also waiting for the snow to come in properly now, as I have planned to do the TAC in snowy conditions with a guide company and possibly even heading to Whakapapiti hut again to get away for a night in the middle of winter. Will keep an eye on snow coverage and try to remember to let you know when it's looking more promising down there!

[@ReviloNZwalks]

@@LongWhiteGypsy Much appreciated!

[@OAPAdventures]

Well done. I very much enjoy your adventures/misadventures. Thank you.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Haha, thank you! Glad they provide some entertainment 😃

[@robertdean1579]

Beautiful area to hike in. I'm sorry you are suffering from Graves' disease. I'll pray for you.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Part and parcel of life, Robert. It's been with me now for many years and every day I still learn more about it. Thank you for your well wishes.

[@pomadom]

Love your Videos. All the best Bill

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

👍

[@paulhardiman4602]

Good on you for conquering your fears and facing your realities to the very best of your abilities. Thank you for sharing we all need to learn how to do the best we can. Looking forward to seeing your next adventure.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thanks Paul! Looking forward to having the next miniseries up for you to watch shortly.

[@paulhardiman4602]

@@LongWhiteGypsy looking forward to it cheers!!

[@emmabulmer32]

Thanks Michelle and I truly admire your honesty with yourself when your on these hikes. Knowing yourself, your mind and what your body can handle is a great skill. Something I myself ignore occasionally and push myself too hard or am too hard on myself. As always an inspiration. ❤️

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Such kind words as always Emma, keep listening to your body and responding accordingly :)

[@ninabraun6584]

Hi, I'm nina. And I get the same feeling as you. Thank you for sharing it makes me feel not alone. I'm only 13 and was meant to do the nina valley the other day and had to pull out. I just couldn't do it. I wanted to but just couldn't.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Hi Nina, firstly you're so brave for getting out there regardless. Don't look at it as a failure, but rather a stepping stone and little baby step towards more adventures. Every time you go out there, there's always sometime beautiful to see and something to learn. But don't be ashamed or frustrated with it. It's part of your story and who you are. I'm still battling, even after all the experience I now have on trail. I don't expect it will ever disappear, but at least I know my experience is unique to me! Please reach out if I can help with anything ❤️❤️❤️

[@pomadom]

Will done Michelle. Your doing very well keep going. I really enjoy your videos

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thanks Bill :)

[@GypsyGirl317]

You are amazing, and I love how authentic you are. 😍 I am so sorry you have been experiencing problems with the Graves disease, and I hope you can do all that you dream of doing, in time. ❤️ Kia kaha, stay strong, you are a great person who shows courage and tenacity in the face of adversity. You have the rest of your life to continue your wonderful adventures. 🏕️🌄🏞️ I have long term cancer related fatigue, so I understand the challenges of health care! Hiking is still the best life huh! 👍🏿😊🚶🏻‍♀️🌳🥰

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Wow I'm so sorry to hear of your own personal health struggles. I can't imagine what it must be like to deal with the big C in everyday life, so I too salute you for your continued efforts and endeavours. All we can do is keep on keeping on, right?! Life is too short to waste it being slaves to our mental and physical ills. My Dad always used to say that they'd have to drag him kicking and screaming to his grave, and I have to say the older I get the more I see a lot of truth to that. We have to fight for our experience, our adventures, our growth moments. We have to fight to take each breath every single day, and in doing so we should be incredibly grateful for every single one we are given. Hiking is definitely the best life, which is why I'm working hard every day to make it a full time venture... and I hope you are chasing your dreams just as boldly and unapologetically. Thank you for your kind words xoxo

[@thomasschenkels5020]

St James Walkway looks great !

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

As I was editing this video I was overcome with a huge desire to get back there. This time of year would be great, with the snow capped peaks!

[@languagetraveller]

Hi, thanks for your transparency ❤ I’m thinking of doing this track, so I have a quick question - I’m not sure if I should bring a tent just in case? I wanna stay in huts, but I’m a bit scared they’ll be full. Would you say this is a popular track and I actually should bring the tent?

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

You're welcome. You should absolutely put this one on the bucket list (although I still haven't managed to finish it myself... hard to find 4-5 days off work!). In answer to your question... YES. Bring a tent. Especially if you're hiking this track over a weekend during the busier summer season. It's reasonably popular (especially with families) so the huts can get quite busy. You may not need it, but at least you'll have it if you do :). Let me know how you get on!

[@languagetraveller]

@@LongWhiteGypsy thank you!! 😊

[@johnpaki1534]

Kia ora I'm new to your channel I to love the great outdoors but if I'm feeling like crap and the weather is crap no point in venturing don't worry your not the only one

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Welcome to the channel, John! It's so great to have you here. Thanks for connecting with me over this one, I often struggle to reconcile the fact that often just being in the outdoors brings on my anxiety. There's so much about being out there that is really stressful and frightening. But being able to overcome these moments and push through is such a powerful experience, especially on those days when you're questioning why you're out there in the first place. 🙏

[@johnpaki1534]

@@LongWhiteGypsy Kia ora Michelle thanks for the welcome so anyway for the lack of a better term I'm a pig hunter from tuhoe I stubbled on your channel while looking for hunting blocks around Taupo, I love what you do hiking these beautiful tracks we have here in aotearoa geez we may even have crossed paths out there we pass hikers all the time...lol anyway Kia Kaha girl and soldier on you'll be right take care cheers👍

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

@@johnpaki1534 Thank you very much John, always nice to know where my subscribers and viewers come from! Not sure if we've already met but by all means, if you catch me out on the trail please make sure to come and say hello!

[@Syncop8rNZ]

I'm glad you found a Plan B. Can thyroid issues be caused by anxiety? I wonder if anxiety is manifesting as physical deficiencies, which leads to more anxiety over whether you will cope physically, which may manifest as more issues, and so on...

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

They are definitely interconnected, and it would be difficult to say for certain which is causing which. I definitely am able to bring on certain thyroid related symptoms by heading down into an anxious spiral, and of course when I am experiencing thyroid related symptoms it brings on anxiety. Part of the issue is that they aren't able to be fully separated, so it just depends on how and when things start to crop up as to how I might be feeling at the time.

[@CarlosWilkie]

Hey hope you are well. Hows your anxiety so far? Its good to see you out and about again :)

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Hey Carlos! It's a constant battle, but I've been very fortunate just lately to be coping very well. Thanks so much, and I'm glad you took the time to stop by and watch this one :)

[@robinmaguire6705]

Sorry to hear! As you know, tramping is an endurance activity - accomplished at a low intensity for an extended period. You must focus your training on developing the energy system that is responsible for handling this kind of workload - your Aerobic System (using body fat & oxygen as a fuel source). Does your energy deplete after a couple of hours - especially if you haven’t eaten anything in that time? If that is the case, then you are going beyond your aerobic threshold and into the zone where you don’t use your body fat anymore and are exhausting your body of glucose. Sports gels are a quick fix Band-Aid solution, but getting fit and improving your aerobic system before the walk is the better solution; your walks will be less stressful if you put in the work before you start. Only trying to help, not criticise.

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

Thanks for your feedback Robin, appreciate the comment. Yes, I understand the importance of being fit before you set out. I think most of the issues I had at the beginning of my North Island hike back in 2019 were to do with not being fit enough or having enough stamina before I set out (see Series 1 on the channel). However, for the South Island I am confident that the issues I was having related solely to my Graves Disease thyroid condition. This casues my body and metabolic system to function at an above-average pace, which causes me to become hotter, tireder, more exhausted at a faster rate than the average person. Unfortunately this led to complete burn out and is why I was feeling so awful on the South Island TA route, but then also later on in this attempt as well.

[@timsamoa5944]

Why didn’t you sleep in the hut, was it full?

[@LongWhiteGypsy]

No, there were plenty of bunks available but I had a really intense desire to sleep outside in my tent and completely immerse myself in the sounds and smells etc. Perhaps if I'd slept in the hut I may have felt better, but I was so glad to have that last experience in my tent on the South Island. I haven't been out in the tent since, so I'm glad I did!