30 Years Later, They Took A Trip
The story of the Gatton Girls, and the moment they finally said yes!
Sam Cobb & the Gatton Girls.
It didn’t start with a booking.
It started, as many things do, with a long lunch, a few laughs… and a realisation. “We should do something for our 50th’s.”
For Sam and her friends, now affectionately known to us as the Gatton Girls, it had been more than 30 years since their university days at Gatton College. Life had happened in between. Careers. Kids. Loss. Distance.
And like so many women, they’d stayed connected - but not deeply, not consistently.
Until that moment.
A Milestone… or Just the Excuse We Need
“There were six of us who caught up every year,” Sam shares. “But for this one, we thought… let’s do something more.”
What started as a loose idea quickly grew. A WhatsApp group formed. Friends invited friends, also from University.
Suddenly, there were 12 women. Some hadn’t seen each other in decades.
Why a Walking Trip?
“We all like to be active in different ways,” Sam explains. “But it wasn’t really about the hiking… it was about the time together.”
Still, there were a couple of little hesitations. “Some of the girls were worried, am I fit enough for this?”
That question, the quiet one many women ask themselves, could have stopped it all.
But it didn’t. Because this wasn’t about being the fittest. It was about showing up - as one. - together.
The Turning Point
The shift from “nice idea” to “we’re actually doing this” came down to one thing:
It felt easy.
The trip could be tailored.
The group could stay private.
Everything would be taken care of.
“That made a huge difference,” Sam says. “It was ours. That gave everyone confidence.”
Why They Chose GirlsTrek
They could have organised it themselves. In fact, some had done similar trips before. But this time, they wanted something different.
“I just knew… at this stage of life, we want to walk during the day, but at the end of it, we want to sit by a fire with a nice glass of wine, eat beautiful food, and stay somewhere lovely.”
It wasn’t just about the destination.
It was about how they wanted to feel.
The Booking Experience (Where It Usually Falls Apart… But Didn’t)
Co-ordinating 12 women could have been chaos.
Instead?
“It was so easy.”
A shared WhatsApp group.
Clear communication.
Plenty of time to plan and pay.
“No overload. Just enough information. It felt really manageable.”
And perhaps most importantly. everyone had direct access to the GirlsTrek team.
“There was no barrier. Anyone could ask questions, get clarity… it didn’t all have to go through one person.”
For the organiser, that was everything.
“I didn’t want to be in control, I wanted everyone to feel involved. And they did.”
More Than a Trip
What unfolded over those days in Tasmania was something deeper.
Yes, there was walking. Cycling. Kayaking. Even a spontaneous sunset climb.
But what stayed with them wasn’t just the movement.
It was the conversations.
“You’d walk with different people each day… and suddenly you’re hearing their story.”
Stories of life, of challenge… of loss.
“Two of the women had lost their husbands. I didn’t even know. And you’re walking beside them, hearing this… it just stops you.”
This is what walking does.
It creates space, for honesty, for vulnerability, for connection.
The Power of Walking Side by Side
“There’s something about walking and talking,” Sam reflects.
“It’s different to a weekend away. You’re not distracted. You’re not rushing. You’re just… there.”
No pressure.
No roles to play.
No one to organise dinner.
“For most of us, we’re the ones who organise everything in life. So to have that all taken care of… it’s a dream.”
And in that space, something shifts.
“You remember who you were before you were everyone else to everyone.”
Support Without Pressure
Of course, not every moment was easy.
There were different fitness levels.
Hard days. Unexpected challenges.
But the way it was handled made all the difference.
“With two guides, it just worked. Someone could go ahead, someone could stay back, no one felt like they were holding the group up.”
“You felt supported… but never like a burden.”
What Changed
After the trek, something unexpected happened.
They didn’t just go back to their lives.
They stayed connected.
A new group - Walkie Talkies - was formed.
Regular walks began.
Friendships deepened.
“Some of those relationships… they’ve completely changed.”
So… Why Do It?
If you ask Sam what she’d say to other women considering it, she doesn’t hesitate.
“I highly, highly, highly recommend it.”
Because this isn’t about ticking off a hike.
It’s about:
reconnecting with women who matter
challenging yourself in a way that feels good
having everything taken care of
and creating space to actually be
“They just get women,” she says of the GirlsTrek team.
“They’ve lived life. They know what we need.”
One Sentence to Sum It Up
When asked to describe the experience in a single line, Sam pauses.
Then says: “It’s the kind of experience that would be hard to find anywhere else.”
And Maybe This Is the Real Question…
Not “Should we do it?” But - “What are we waiting for?”
Sam and her friends chose to tailor the Taste of Tasmania / Tasmania Explorer experience to suit their group, creating a journey that reflected exactly how they wanted to travel, walk, and reconnect.