The Great Outdoors...
One characteristic that defines us as a family is our love of being outdoors, immersed in nature. There’s nothing quite so invigorating as feeling fresh air on your cheeks, hearing the thunderous pounding of a waterfall or diving into a wave.
Many years ago, while I was living in London, I read The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra. Under the Law of Potentiality, he recommends taking some time each day to commune with nature; watch a sunset, listen to the sound of a stream or simply smell a flower. This struck a chord with me. As a child, my happiest days were spent out in the countryside, running through fields, paddling in streams and climbing trees. I reflected on how I missed being surrounded by an abundance of wildlife, but then realised that there was nothing stopping me from seeking it out wherever I was. A city river is still a grounding reminder of earth’s boundless energy, every tree in a city park is a reflection of pure potentiality and each flower bursting through a pavement crack is a sign of nature’s relentless insistence on perpetuating life.
Thankfully, when we were living in Fiji we didn’t have to seek out nature; we were surrounded by it. Our lush garden was bursting with tropical plants and birdlife, and even provided us with home grown sustenance. There were banana trees outside our bedroom window, passion fruits growing outside our back door and everything from chillies to coconuts effortlessly sprouting all around.
A lot of our free time was spent at the beach, playing rounders with a coconut shell and a piece of driftwood, jumping in waves and taking long walks. The children were provided with endless inspiration for imaginative play; they’d regularly set up shop behind a large fallen tree trunk, offering their sand cakes for sale while we paid in seeds, they built castles with deep moats filled by the incoming tide, they made dens out of palm tree branches and created necklaces out of shells. I always felt totally fulfilled on that sunset journey home, with a car full of happily tired faces, salty bodies and sandy toes.
Trekking to waterfalls was another of our favourite things to do. Turning a corner to suddenly hear the relentless crashing of fresh water never failed to fill us with excitement and energy. It’s known that moving water creates negative ions, which account for that undeniable feeling of positivity and wellness you experience around waterfalls. Conversely, being in a closed room with lots of electrical appliances creates a store of positive ions, which drain you of energy and make you feel foggy headed and dull.
When I was dating my husband, he’d often take me to his ‘office', a hidden cave behind a pounding waterfall in the countryside just outside Suva. I still smile at how wonderfully romantic it was. When we had children, we took them to the same set of waterfalls, where they relished jumping off rocks into the deep pools below and standing under cascading water for a firm massage!
Ten minutes from our home was a forestry park with a series of waterfalls running through it, where we’d spend hours walking, swimming and soaking up the sights, smells and sounds of nature. It was a magical retreat bursting with plant life and birdsong, nourishing our minds, bodies and souls.
When we moved to Doha, Qatar, I was initially a little downhearted. I needed a regular fix of the great outdoors, and first impressions seemed to dictate that there was very little to be found. Then I reminded myself…seek it out. The day we bought our car, we took a trip up to a Northern beach and were overjoyed to discover white sand and turquoise sea. It was a little reminder of home and helped to ease our transition.
We’ve since established a few favourite spots for day trips. We’ll often go to sandy beaches, like Fuwairit and French Beach, for fun in the sun, swimming and snorkeling, and we’ll sometimes go to rocky, rugged ones too, like Northern Fuwairit, for an energising walk and a bit of exploring. The area around Zekreet beach is especially fascinating, with remnants of old settlements and an 18th Century fort to investigate. This is also where Richard Serra was commissioned to create his East-West/West-East sculpture, which comprises four huge steel plates emerging from the desert landscape.
The children love visiting the Singing Sand Dunes, where we exhaust ourselves climbing to the top of the imposing ridges just to experience a glorious few seconds of excitement when we roll, race or slide down.
There are several patches of greenery to be enjoyed near the city too: Purple Island is reached by stepping stones over the water while swathes of mangroves either side of the pathway teem with sea life, perfect for inquisitive little eyes. The island itself provides lots of rocks for climbing and walking trails to follow.
When our two oldest children started horse riding at Al Shanania, outside Doha, I was pleasantly surprised by the oasis of forest surrounding the stables. There are beautiful tree-lined tracks to walk along, wild peacocks darting in and out of the shrubbery and even little streams meandering their way through the plant life. Last time we went there for a stroll we literally hugged the thick tree trunks, soaking up their positive energy and appreciating their sturdy, rustic form….a relative rarity in this glistening, modern city.
We’ve also taken time to enjoy other natural wonders here, like Dahl Al Misfir cave, located near a small desert community, where we had fun climbing deep into the cool pit of the cave and were offered dates to eat by friendly locals when we finally re-emerged.
When we go on holiday, we make the most of every opportunity to delve into scenery that’s unavailable to us here, from exploring rain forests in Sri Lanka to hiking through waterfall trails in Thailand. While beach lounging is always a pleasurable pastime, we’ll rarely do it for days on end when there’s so much to get out and see.
Without a doubt, whether at home or overseas, perfect days for our family always involve either wellies or swimwear. Being out in the fresh air is as important to us as eating and sleeping, helping to keep our minds and bodies healthy by absorbing the natural beauty of the world around us. Meanwhile, I hope we’re creating magical memories for our children to look back upon and smile, so that when they grow up they’ll continue to feel as passionate about the great outdoors as we all do now.