Tom Bartlett (Class of 2016) has just walked the length of the South Island in NZ

Tom Bartlett (Class of 2016) has just walked the length of the South Island of New Zealand (1300km) along a walking track called ‘Te Araora’ (The Long Pathway).

I had the chance to catch up with Tom and asked him a few questions:

What on earth made you undertake such a long walk?

In all honesty I just really like walking. To lots of people walking 10+ hours a day for 49 days sounds awful, but I really could not think anywhere else I would rather be.

I just love being outdoors and the summer break gives me a really good chance to go somewhere new. I am always searching for my next adventure and I had never been to New Zealand before.

Was anyone crazy enough to go with you?

My plan was to walk the first 100km with my girlfriend and then walk the remaining 1200km alone. However she enjoyed it so much she decided to stay for the whole thing!

What was the coolest thing you saw along the way?

It would most definitely have to be the mountains. They are just so much more grand and epic than those in Australia and were something I had never seen before. Just about every day we were on top of or surrounded by stunning, rugged, snow-capped mountains.

I also really loved the Weka birds. They are some sort of flightless prehistoric creature that are super cheeky. They loved to walk around your campsite trying to steal anything you left out for them. I met a guy who even had his passport stolen by one of them!

What was the scariest or most worrying moment of your trip?

We had a few!!! There are lots of extremely technical, rocky, scrambling climbs over exposed mountains or saddles that are only doable in dry weather. This is because the route is poorly defined, and it was very easy to slip and fall down a cliff. We knew that in the past few years there had been a couple of deaths on the track, so we were very wary.

There were also many river crossings that had washed people away in the past. These rivers were extremely prone to flash flooding meaning you had to be extremely careful.

We also had a few dodgy hitches from people which perhaps were scarier than any of the walking!

You do not just walk long distances, you also run long distances. When did you first get into this?

I started running when I was 16 when I decided to train for my first marathon. I now compete in 100km running races and those sorts of things!

My first long walk was the Australian Alps Walking Track (700km) which I did at the end of Year 12 with my best mate exactly one year before I walked Te Araora.

What are you doing for work/ study?

I currently am doing a degree called PhB Science at ANU. I study Physics and Maths. I also do private tutoring for work which I thoroughly enjoy.

How has your first year out of school been?

It has been extremely varied! I spent the first six months of the year at ADFA training to be in the Army. I decided that I needed more time to focus on my study, and to go off and do things such as this hike so I transferred to the ANU.

I am always kept busy between studying, training, and tutoring!

Was your first year out of school what you expected?

Definitely not!!! When I left school I thought I wanted to be an Army Officer. I now have a great and deep respect for the profession but realised I needed other things in my life as well. That threw everything on its head and now I am heading in a different direction.

What is next on your list for challenges?

I have a few things! My big long-term project is to improve my mountaineering skills and endurance enough to have a crack at the new 1700km Great Himalayan Trail that traverses Nepal. Less than 10 people have completed it and you get to see all the worlds 8000m+ peaks. You reach a maximum elevation of over 6000m!

In the mean time I plan on spending next summer around Tasmania ticking off a few things on the bucket list there.