Adventure Island: Swim Lord Howe with ironman legend Trevor Hendy
6/7/2016
Owners Online Australia : Travel
> Benefits > Travel
Travel Get thinking about your next escape. The road to relaxation has never been easier to find. In fact, we've discovered there’s more than just one.
Adventure Island: Swim Lord Howe with ironman legend Trevor Hendy “Everyone thinks more protein or carbs is what keeps you going in sport,” says former world and Aussie ironman champ, Trevor Hendy. “But it's actually oxygen; it's the way you breathe.” I’ve just got my first swim tip for the week and am gearing up (that’s goggles on), with several other excited participants, ready to dive head first into Hendy’s daily 1.5–3km swim around NSW’s magnificent Lord Howe Island. The island gets its fair share of celebrity visitors – from movie Alisters like Eric Bana and Blake Lively to entrepreneurial activists like Dick Smith. Most of them (including Hendy and his family) choose to stay at the island’s longestrunning family business: Pinetrees Lodge. It’s easy to see why. https://www.owners.mercedes-benz.com.au/Benefits/Travel.aspx
1/13
6/7/2016
Owners Online Australia : Travel
It’s as if Pinetrees has been modelled on Hendy himself – you feel totally at ease from the getgo. There’s no ego here and no sense of urgency. The focus is on connecting with the great outdoors, the ocean and enjoying quality time with your mates and kids. Owners Luke Hanson and Dani Rourke (whose mother Pixie had such an impact on tourism here that Qantas even named an aircraft after her) are always inventing new experiences for their guests. And they’re unlike anything you’d find on the mainland – from wellness weeks with Charlotte Dodson (Miranda Kerr’s yoga instructor), and adventure challenges like Hendy’s. I mean, where else would you get to swim with a real merman? Lord Howe is a spiders’ web of vertigoinducing hiking trails, foliage you’d expect a pterodactyl to fly out of and water so green you could bottle it as Listerine. Its beauty is astounding. Its coral reefs untouched. It's like Vanuatu, Tahiti and Papua New Guinea rolled into one. Though the real challenge is staying present when your gogglestogoggleeyes with a threemetre Galapagos reef shark. “Find your own pace,” Hendy reminds us. “Stop worrying about where you're at in the pack, it doesn’t matter if you’re first or last. It's all about what's up here,” he says tapping his head. “As soon as we get too much up here and start struggling then everything becomes much harder.” Hendy’s tips, I realise, reflect so much in life. The start of the week began with anxiety, fear and doubts about being able to switch off or swim. It ends with highfives, hugs and exclamations like: “I’ve achieved things I never thought possible.” An adventure of this type won't just take your breath away – it'll leave you gasping for more. Trevor Hendy’s top freestyle tips Tip 1 – Breathe Get out of “survival breath”. Put your hand on your belly; push it out as you breathe in. Move the air up into your chest; take three big gulps and exhale loudly to a count of 10. How much more peaceful and clearheaded do you feel? Tip 2 – Reach and Roll Imagine there’s a big exercise ball on the water. Reach and roll each arm over the ball and hug it. Lengthen and slow your stroke. Start to “glide” through the water. Tip 3 – Relax Relax your fingers; relax your hands. Notice the difference in tension when you cup your hand and when you hold it out straight. Think loose and easy. Tip 4 – Glance Head and chest down; bum up. Keep your spine straight to become streamlined. Only glance in front with your eyes every now and then to keep on course. Tip 5 – Wash ride Aka slipstreaming. Get behind people in the chop. Follow another swimmer so closely you can almost tickle their toes. Words by Kelly Irving
Read more
https://www.owners.mercedes-benz.com.au/Benefits/Travel.aspx
2/13
Owners Online Australia : Travel
> Benefits > Travel
Travel Get thinking about your next escape. The road to relaxation has never been easier to find. In fact, we've discovered there’s more than just one.
Adventure Island: Swim Lord Howe with ironman legend Trevor Hendy “Everyone thinks more protein or carbs is what keeps you going in sport,” says former world and Aussie ironman champ, Trevor Hendy. “But it's actually oxygen; it's the way you breathe.” I’ve just got my first swim tip for the week and am gearing up (that’s goggles on), with several other excited participants, ready to dive head first into Hendy’s daily 1.5–3km swim around NSW’s magnificent Lord Howe Island. The island gets its fair share of celebrity visitors – from movie Alisters like Eric Bana and Blake Lively to entrepreneurial activists like Dick Smith. Most of them (including Hendy and his family) choose to stay at the island’s longestrunning family business: Pinetrees Lodge. It’s easy to see why. https://www.owners.mercedes-benz.com.au/Benefits/Travel.aspx
1/13
6/7/2016
Owners Online Australia : Travel
It’s as if Pinetrees has been modelled on Hendy himself – you feel totally at ease from the getgo. There’s no ego here and no sense of urgency. The focus is on connecting with the great outdoors, the ocean and enjoying quality time with your mates and kids. Owners Luke Hanson and Dani Rourke (whose mother Pixie had such an impact on tourism here that Qantas even named an aircraft after her) are always inventing new experiences for their guests. And they’re unlike anything you’d find on the mainland – from wellness weeks with Charlotte Dodson (Miranda Kerr’s yoga instructor), and adventure challenges like Hendy’s. I mean, where else would you get to swim with a real merman? Lord Howe is a spiders’ web of vertigoinducing hiking trails, foliage you’d expect a pterodactyl to fly out of and water so green you could bottle it as Listerine. Its beauty is astounding. Its coral reefs untouched. It's like Vanuatu, Tahiti and Papua New Guinea rolled into one. Though the real challenge is staying present when your gogglestogoggleeyes with a threemetre Galapagos reef shark. “Find your own pace,” Hendy reminds us. “Stop worrying about where you're at in the pack, it doesn’t matter if you’re first or last. It's all about what's up here,” he says tapping his head. “As soon as we get too much up here and start struggling then everything becomes much harder.” Hendy’s tips, I realise, reflect so much in life. The start of the week began with anxiety, fear and doubts about being able to switch off or swim. It ends with highfives, hugs and exclamations like: “I’ve achieved things I never thought possible.” An adventure of this type won't just take your breath away – it'll leave you gasping for more. Trevor Hendy’s top freestyle tips Tip 1 – Breathe Get out of “survival breath”. Put your hand on your belly; push it out as you breathe in. Move the air up into your chest; take three big gulps and exhale loudly to a count of 10. How much more peaceful and clearheaded do you feel? Tip 2 – Reach and Roll Imagine there’s a big exercise ball on the water. Reach and roll each arm over the ball and hug it. Lengthen and slow your stroke. Start to “glide” through the water. Tip 3 – Relax Relax your fingers; relax your hands. Notice the difference in tension when you cup your hand and when you hold it out straight. Think loose and easy. Tip 4 – Glance Head and chest down; bum up. Keep your spine straight to become streamlined. Only glance in front with your eyes every now and then to keep on course. Tip 5 – Wash ride Aka slipstreaming. Get behind people in the chop. Follow another swimmer so closely you can almost tickle their toes. Words by Kelly Irving
Read more
https://www.owners.mercedes-benz.com.au/Benefits/Travel.aspx
2/13
