Adventures with Emilie

“I’m here because I want to test the very limits of my own resilience and reassure myself that no matter what’s happened to me, I’m not ready to lie down and die.”

In 2021, Victoria Bruce quit her corporate job, packed up her life and embarked on Te Araroa trail with her seven-year-old daughter, Emilie. On the 3000-kilometre journey that traverses the length of Aotearoa, the duo faced Covid lockdowns, the harsh elements of New Zealand’s backcountry and even a near-death experience.

A keen tramper, Victoria’s drive to complete the walk was to take time out, create lasting memories with Emilie and reconnect with nature. But it was also a way for her to face her past, and the events that led to her post-traumatic stress disorder.

In this remarkable book, Victoria interweaves her experiences on the trail with reflections on her painful childhood, her time in state care, recovering from addiction and assault, becoming a mother, and escaping everyday life to finally confront her demons.

Powerful and evocative, this is a story about the healing power of nature, our wondrous unique environment, the deep bond between mother and daughter, and survival – both in the wilderness and in life itself.

Praise for ADVENTURES WITH EMILIE:

'Victoria Bruce brings a fresh voice to adventure storytelling, yet her honest, often raw account extends beyond the genre.' Whitney Oliver, New Zealand Mountain Film & Book Festival

'In Adventures with Emilie, author Victoria Bruce effectively transports the reader to join her and her daughter Emilie on their incredible journey through Te Araroa. Though the story takes place in the New Zealand wilderness, the themes strike a chord universally for all who open the book and embark on this expedition.' Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race, No Opportunity Wasted

'Te Araroa Trust is proud to recommend Adventures with Emilie as a great reflection of the powerful journey Te Araroa can be for walkers. Victoria’s writing has captured the essence of Te Araroa and the story of walking with Emilie resonates so well with many who have experienced the benefit and sense of achievement from walking the long pathway that is Te Araroa.' Matt Claridge, Executive Director, Te Araroa Trust

'The book is a wonderful testimony to nature as therapy. Victoria emerges at the end of the trail with hope for the future, knowing that walking the trail brought her one step closer towards sustained wellbeing.' Gillian Candler, award-winning nature writer

'I expected the parallels with Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, which are there. However, I was surprised that it reminded me just as much of Stephanie Foo’s What My Bones Know. Bruce writes evocatively about New Zealand’s grandeur, beauty, and identity.' Tim Mathis, Author and Adventurer, Travel, Adventure and Other Coping Skills
'One is left feeling there are many who will find this book both confronting and at the same time a triumph over adversity.' Geoff Spearpoint, Author, Into the Unknown, co-author of Shelter from the Storm

'Above all else, this extraordinary story is an inspiring and heart-warming tale about the bond between mother and daughter and an invitation to rethink what makes a loving and resilient relationship.' Kerry Sunderland, Nelson Arts Festival