Théo set out for New Zealand, an inland voyage to the Antipodes

Théo Thibaudat, 21 years old, young and athletic from Sancerre, decided to go on a world tour, driven by the enthusiasm and energy of his generation, rather than postpone this project indefinitely … a little Tour of France by bike, 6000 km!
“I left just three months ago, on November 15th, it goes by fast,” he smiles as he looks back on his first steps, facing south. This departure is caused by the desire to take a break. He continues: “At the end of the first year of Staps studies, in May, I announced to my parents and relatives that I was taking a break. The country was chosen quickly. I hesitated with Canada, but New Zealand, I have dreamed of for a long time, for hiking, kayaking and outdoor sports, it’s heaven “. He prepared for his voyage, all summer long, before he sank. The concept: “I’m on the move, I don’t plan any trips, I live from day to day and see where the road takes me, on foot, with my bag on my back.”

For freedom and to improve your English!

Behind the adventure are very personal motives. He explains: “I decided to travel on foot, to meet the locals, to live in complete immersion, in autonomy. For me, hiking was obvious. Meeting the locals is a great way to travel. Discovering this wonderful country is magical! I have a year to see so much.” Of things, to visit islands with very different atmospheres. This trip was also to learn English. It is important today. My level was average in college or high school. My teachers have changed a lot … immersion in one language changes and allows you to discover another culture.”
This one-year expedition is synonymous with great adventure and freedom, for Theo, except for the deadline: “The timing is a bit tight, I have a one-year visa, until November 15th, one year to make use of it, I can go back before or extend a bit.” If I get the chance.”

A door to freedom

So Theo wasted no time, he threw himself into the adventure: “I’ve been hiking since the beginning of the trip, I must be 2,000 kilometers away and I’ve met a lot of people. I walk when I get the chance, on hiking trips. And I got myself a boat.” Small inflatable to visit the fjords and rivers, it is a door to freedom.
As the days go by, the adventurer debates with his conscience: “I learn from this nomadic life, it’s an incredible experience, I don’t have time to put down my luggage, I never stay more than a night in the same place. It’s been a perpetual motion for three months. I’ve got a Stop, Meetings. Knowing how to interact with people is so magical. And I have my whole house on my back, in a 20kg bag. We learn to let go, let life take its course, and we can take any freedom. It’s a good lesson, openness to the world, we travel minimal, Few clothes and something to eat. We realize that sleeping in a warm, dry place is a luxury. We are self-sufficient, we can live simply. This adventure is an open-mindedness.”
And he begins to know himself better, to analyze who he really is, an individual and a product of his time: “We surround ourselves with so many useless things, all these ordinary purchases … The road puts us at life’s disposal from everything that can happen during the journey. It must Everyone go once in their life.It is an opportunity to realize all that is needed in life, for a happy life.»
Théo intends to share these thoughts with her when he returns. “At the moment I am only a quarter of the journey. Keep a daily log, a written record of the adventure. Why don’t you make a photobook, a travel book with a summary of the main stages? I haven’t pinned anything yet. Or a slideshow on the docks of Saint-Tipo?”
The adventurer is aware of the imprint of his family and the Loire, in the course of his life: “The Loire is a magical place, it gave me the freedom of sport and reflection, the ability to do all these activities, it shaped my character as an adventurer. Since I was young, I had the opportunity to travel a lot to countries with my parents. Gaining an open mind, I soon had a taste for adventure. The Loire was the first favorable place to travel, to change landscapes, and to teach me humility in facing nature, and to listen to the environment.”

“A mountain like a river taught me humility”

In Clermont, during his three years of higher education, Theo practiced climbing and hiking: “A mountain, like a river, taught me humility, to watch our surroundings. Discomfort teaches us where to move forward,” he insists. On the mountain side, New Zealand has arguments : Theo just set off on a hike to two high peaks at 2,500 metres. Announcing a big hurricane near the islands, with winds of up to 70 km/h. Not enough to scare the reckless Sancerrois: “The climate here is very pleasant, there has been good weather from the start and high temperatures. I have chained two summers, from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere, and I can’t wait to see winter again, find snow and winter, and enjoy other activities. In Claremont, it was a good winter! “Holding his breath while contemplating a glacier, on the Tasman River, the highest peak in the country, 3,800 metres,” he notes, “a rather magical environment.” Humid or tropical forests, plateaus, the environment changes fairly quickly. Here, it is a concentration of climates, a little paradise,” Theo sums up.
So he is generous, sharing this journey every day, with his loved ones, via Facebook or Instagram, dreaming of breathtaking vistas, 20,000 kilometers from Sancerre, Sens-Beaujeu or Clermont-Ferrand, his points of attachment. “With a little thought to the Sancerrois and family I miss. But having an experience like this happens once in a lifetime.” Theo could not resist the invitation, “a challenge that gives him ideas that feed the spirit of experiments for the return and the future.” Go to the end of the world and back, different, after living upside down for a year…
Herve Martin