We’re Emma Nicholas and Brendan Fletcher. This travel blog, kindly hosted by the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, chronicles our attempt to walk 3000 kilometres along the Great Wall of China.
In a few days we’ll strap on our packs and take the first steps on our journey. We’re planning to walk a continuous route from the wall’s western end at Jiayuguan to its eastern end at Shanhaiguan. If all goes well, our trip should take five or six months.
For the past few months we’ve been immersed in planning and logistics. Ten months ago neither of us could say hello in Chinese; now, after months of tutoring and study and moving to Beijing for classes – well, at least we can say hello. We’ve read up on the wall’s history, met with people experienced in traveling in rural China, fretted over getting all the right gear, spent hours in the gym.
Brendan practicing his characters
At times it’s felt like our preparations were overwhelming the reality of the trip, and we were losing sight of why we set out to do this in the first place. But there’s nothing to focus the mind like a huge pile of gear laid out on the ground.
Just like home
What you see in that mess will define the routines of our daily life for the next half year. We’ll cook on the little camp stove, sleep in our tent, and wear the clothes that in just a few weeks will have dust ground into the material and the beginnings of an aroma that is best left undescribed.
Right now we’re weighing our gear and trying to eliminate what we don’t need. Going through our equipment brings a tangibility to the trip. It’s starting to seem more like an imminent reality rather than a vague dream.
Over the next six months we will update this site with stories, photos, and for the real geeks among you, stats and weather information (woo hoo!). Frequency of posts will depend on internet access, but we’re hoping for a couple times a week.
For more information about our route and some very important disclaimers and preemptive attempts to cover our backsides in case we’re in over our heads, click on the “Our Route” tab above.
If you’d like to contact us or give us feedback on the site, you can click on the comments link on any post. We know from reading some of the fantastic travel blogs out there that blog readers can sustain travelers through difficult times. So if you’d like to leave a word of encouragement, we’d appreciate that too. We’re sure there will be times when we’ll need it.
GOOD LUCK!!! WE SEND OUR LOVE TO OUR ADVENTUROUS WONDERFUL CHILDREN!!!!
I think what you’re doing is great and wish you both well; am looking forward to following your progress. But just wanted to ask where Bailey and his imaginary friend will be while you’re travelling (love that photo).
Good luck Emma and Brendon…we will be thinking of you and will keep checking the site for updates!!!
HI Emma and Brendan!
So excited for you… your mum and dad have told us about your trip and it just is so great what you are doing. Tony and I are organising a trip to Beijing and Shanghai in Sept this year and hope to do a short walk on the wall over the week we are there.
All the best and Rocky sends a big lick to you and bailey
Dear Emma and Brendan
What an exciting project for you both. Our prayers are with you all the way.
But then we should not be surprised that the daughter of Mike and Di, and her husband, will show such human values needed for such an undertaking. The extraordinary determination, caring and courage that Mike and Di have displayed as they have faced their walk through life these last few years is an inspiration to anyone to take on the impossible. You can both be very proud that you follow in their footsteps.
We certainly are proud to know you all
With love, Gretta Anna and David
Dear Emma and Brendan, We wish you a wonderful journey full of love, laughter, happiness and adventure. All the very best to you both. Geoff and Jacqui.
Thinking of you both as you embark on this amazing journey!
Sure beats the day to day of life back home. Enjoy the ups and downs of the numerous stone steps of the Wall. I wonder how many steps you will take over the next few months?
With fond wishes, J, L and little Oscar XXX
Emma, Brendan
It’s a great thing you are doing. We wish you well and will look forward to your progress.
Greetings from West Texas, USA!
We can’t wait to follow your adventures over the next months and hope your trip goes smoothly. We’re sure you’re going to have many wonderful stories to share.
Good Luck~
Good luck — we’ll be watching & reading from San Jose, CA. Terry & Ray
Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,
Im living a wonderfully adventourus life,
thru YOU TWO!!!!!
Good Luck & B SAFE
Molly
Just way too cool!!! Emma make sure Bean doesn’t break or dislocate anything this time. Wish I was walking w/yous guys. Oh, if you get a chance, give a tip your hats to the Chairman for me!!;) and if you’re in Teinneman Square shake the Tankman’s hand for me. Will be waiting w/baited breath for the next installment. HAVE TOO MUCH FUN!!!
Hi Brendan and Emma,
Annie sent me the website today. This is so cool. We still remember how hungry Brendan was after completing the Pacific Crest Trail. Can’t wait to see your adventure.
Best of luck
God’s speed guys. Don’t trip.
Irma wrote:
Hi Irma. Thanks for the words of encouragement and for asking about Bailey!! She’s enjoying the country life on a doggy farm in the Illawarra. There are lots of other dogs to play with and NO CAGES!!! She has a beautiful, huge grassy lawn to run on and a pond to swim in, but we’re informed she spends most of her time on the couch watching cable TV.
Jake didn’t fare so well. One of the other dogs at the farm took a liking to him, so much so that Jake ended up a pile of fluff.
Hi everybody!!
Thanks so much for your interest and support. It’s really exciting knowing you’ll be following us.
Thanks,
Emma and Brendan
Hi there you two…we are very proud of you both.
The trip sounds amazing and we know that you both will give it your best effort…we love you both and send you our best wishes and love…if you have to pull out early, there is always a bed here for you..and Bailey will be thrilled.
Keep safe..deep breath and GO FOR IT…
love Mum and Dad aka Di and Mike XX
I think your BLOG is great…we look forward to seeing the photos of the Media shoot yesterday..
Hey Guys,
Are you sure you don’t want to keep walking to London?
We will be following every step you make. Can’t wait for the adventure to begin.
Lots of love Allie and Chris
Good luck guys, I know it will be amazing and I look forward toliving the journey through your blog. I feel proud that I was there for the test run last year
xx Clair
Hey from midway USA! What a journey you two have in front of
you, looking forward to future installments.Good Luck to you
guys and have fun. B. do you have enough starburst to get you through your journey?
Love to you both B&K
Hi from Beijing!
Flying over the cloud formations, we realise that you have better air than we have here. So, let’s stop blaming deserts and neighbours for sandstorms. Our thoughts are with you, and wish we there,
Love to you both, BMY & J
Hi guys,
What an amazing adventure! Looking forward to seeing it all play out.
-Cecil
Hey Guys!
Just teasing! Anyway have a safe one and you’ll be in my prayers!
It all looks just amazing! Have a wonderful and safe trip and I’ll enjoy the updates along your journey! (Just for fun: I like the “big guy asleep” picture. Just remember I’m taller, Brendan!)
Love,
Kaela
Hey Brendan & Emma,
Nice story about the creek, except you forgot to mention that you stuck a fish hook in my toe.Hope you enjoy your adventure.Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Love,
Brett,Carly,Taygen,&Jayden
PS
The boys say HI!
Breandan & Emma,
Good Luck & Be safe!!
Love you always,
Grandma Welliever:)
Breandan & Emma
Im Watching you Two.
I think what you are doing is cool.
Im going to keep up and keep this so I can write a report next year for school.
My summer is good but not as good as yours!!!!!
Garrett
You Guys ROCK!!!
I think its an amazing journey you’re going on and I cant wait for all the photo’s.
Take Care
Kellie XO
The first step and the last step of the day. These are the most difficult. Congratulations on making it to the first step. I’ll be watching your progress closely.
Please take some pictures of any dull or interesting Chinese slogans for me. I’ll translate them for you.
Andy
Hi Brendan and Emma,
Good luck!!! You guys must be somewhere in between extreme excitement and naked terror right now. Have a safe trip and look after yourselves. I found this old Chinese poem in my library, it’s called “Contemplation of the Wonderer”:
May your shoes remain soft and odour free
May your blister be small and pop routinely
May your oven be combustible and warm
May your hills be short and knee friendly
May your clothes remain dirt free
May your journey be a safe one
(May your poetry be better than this)
Good luck and best wishes from us both. We will be following all your adventures and look forward to your safe return. Bon chance. J&A.
Hi Chaps,
I’m with Chris & Allie – keep walking to London!! There’s always a warm bed, some burnt chesnuts and far too much wine for you here.
Have an amazing trip – I’ll be watching closely.
Anna & Bren xxxxxxx
Hi Emma and Brendon,
Mum sent me your blog address and I am looking forward to following your adventures.
Hope that you both travel safe and that your feet keep happy!
Do Chinese people also make this kind of pilgrimage?
All the best to you both,
love (cousin) Natalie
Brendan and Emma,
I can’t believe you didn’t ask me to go with you! I will walk every step with you – only I will be on the stairmaster watching sweaty old people, not nearly as much fun. I hope to encourage my kids to write reports next year on your adventures. Heaven knows they are on the computer enough to follow your writings about the Wall.
Be Safe and stay away from monkeys. Do they have monkey’s in China?
Love, Sherie, Dale, Andrew, Kaitlin, Abigail
Best of luck guys.
Sounds amazing! What an experience!
All our love.
Mimi & Dom xxxx
Hey, I think Sherie REALLY meant people her own age!!
What an incredible trip! Look forward to hearing more about your adventure when your Mom heads to Washington, D.C. for Jack’s 90th. Best wishes from the Sullivan’s!
Dru, Hey don’t forget you ARE OLDER than I am.
Sherie
Dear Brendan and Emma,I cant wait too here all about you trip and what you saw. SO my mom started to show me this site so I wanted to let you know that we’re all thinking about you on your trip. mom says shes going to show me a map of CHINA and where you are.Sounds really fun.Wish I could be there with you.Cant wait to see the book.Hope to hear from you soon. love
ABIGAIL PEPPER
Hey Brendan:
It looks like you were taking a test from your “Chinese Made Easy” book….. Did you pass?
By the way, I didn’t see any guitars in that picture of your gear.
-Mike-
I was WONdering where you two went…
Nee how!
Congratulations – you are finally on your way! I’ll stop trying to (unsuccessfully) call you by telephone and stick to your blog! Tony and I are so excited for you and will walk the wall vicariously.
Water world misses you dreadfully.
Love from Arlene & Tony
Hi, Emma and Brendan, this is Ruoning from CPAFFC. Glad to see everthing has been working out fine. I will follow you on this site. Wish you good luck! And if there is anything you think I can do for you here in Beijing, let me know.
Brendan & Emma,
Hello from Vegas. I just wanted to tell you guys good luck. I’ll be keeping an eye on your progress. I think it’s awesome you two get to do this. I just got back from Kansas. It was nice seeing everyone. Hope to get to come & see you guys sometime. Well got to go, good luck again & be safe.
Monte
Good luck Emma and Brendan,
We will be thinking of you and wishing you well. What an amazing opportunity and task! Enjoy every moment. I can only guess what amazing sites you will see as I’ve never been to China. Andrew has been before, so one day when we go together, I’ll be asking you for some travel advice! We are 7 weeks away from our no. 3 baby arrival, so as you will be getting fitter and thinner, I will be growing bigger!
Sorry to have missed you at George and Emmas wedding. It was lovely. We hope to catch up with you after all your gala travels. Lots of luck!
Love Sophie, Andrew, Will and Jack.
Hi guys!
Thinking of you a lot and what a joy to see the web/blog up and running…seeing your smiles, pangs of envy strike me here in Beijing. Have you considered whether people can join you for a few days along the way? Hmm, I have access to some great gear (hm, yours in my storage).
Anyway, good luck and hope to hear from you again soon. All is well.
Karen Dawu and Hannah xoox
Hi from Kaitlin Pepper.
Well if you think that your wall is great you should cheack out my wall in my bed room. It has like 50 different blocks of color and all your wall has is old cracks. LOL. Well i hope that u have a great time on your trip. I have always wanted to walk The Great Wall of China.
well since u get a web site for your wall i think that I should make a web site for my wall. LOL. Have a great time and be safe.
Your cuz Kaitlin Pepper (GA)
I am listening you you at this moment of ABC Radio 770 in Melbourne, as are probably thousands of Aussies. Have a great trip. I’ve been to China and I know you’ll find a lot of serendipity there.
God bless and take care!
WOW!!!!
Hi there,
I heard you on the radio last night….I went to China in 2000 to travel the Zanksee River before the Dams Project was flooded. Best trip I ever had. Did a walk along the wall which was fabulous, we saw some remnants of the old wall, crumbled with time and history – it was great. Hope you guys and having a most excellent adventure.
Good luck,
Therese
Good on you both . Enjoyed the Website. Have been to China but not where you are/have been. As a disabled person I am getting great vicarious pleaseur reacing your journal. Thank you
Just checking in with you again. Good to know you are still blogging and walking. What an awesome journey. Don’t know that I could/would ever be brave enough to attempt it! Prob not. Travel on….
The Holton Recorder printed your Web site. I am so pleased as I feel I am traveling along with you. So educational & interesting as I will never see China or anypart of it, so I thank you for giving me the “arm chair” tour.
Good luck with the walk, I did it a few years ago myself and found it a challenge!!
Hey I noticed Gretta and David teplitzky here. How are you two? I’m Richard Bird your chauffeur from the Formica days!! I live in Perth now and am a reflexologist. How do I contact you?
Dear Gretta; I was looking at the above message sent by your Chauffeur via this web site. And no doubt this will be a surprise to you to hear from my after so many years; I still love and use your two cookbooks, and often reflect back and remember you with great admiration. My two boys have grown up, Rory works for Stockland as a top computer programmer, and Warrick is doing extremely well at the Zoo with his spiders! Malcolm and I got together with the whole family last week to celebrate my 60th..how quickly the years fly. I was scanning the web in order to purchase copies of your books for my sons, when I came across this wonderful site, how exciting for the young people involved to set out on such an adventure…good luck. All the very best Gretta; with best regards, Molly
Hello,
My names Mandi. I found your site through one of your kind, the species of the Wallnuts,…lol Jamie and Ig, who you two are planning to meet up with in Bejing led me here. Jamie is my cousin *the cooky one, who blue prints her own life*. And although I’ve never met Ig I do know that anyone Jamie befriends has to be just as nutty, intelligent and likable as she herself will always remain. So, as you’ll see that in itself speaks volumes of you two. So glad I was turned onto the page, it really is rather detailed and well put together.
On another train of thought, Jamie did touch on the subject of your injuries, I have to say that I am terribly sorry for your bad luck and I hope you two are healing well and in good spirits. Just remember me and the rest of the mundane and boring world are rooting for you,…lol
I’ll keep watching and reading,…
Best Wishes of great times and new relizations,
Mandi
WE FREAKING LOVE YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOUR WORK IS AHH-MAIII-ZINGGG !