What Does a Winter Crossing of the Overland Track Look Like?
Undertaking Australia’s renowned Overland Track in the depths of a Tasmanian winter was an experience I had long anticipated. Tales of knee-deep snow, biting winds, and frozen landscapes had set my expectations high for a challenging, intrepid expedition that would...
The 5 most iconic winter huts in Kosciusko National Park
Tucked away in the high country of the Snowy Mountains are some hidden gems that are well worth a visit. The iconic, hidden huts of Kosciusko National Park were once a vital safety haven in a desolate landscape. Today they offer more than a resting place, they're...
A DAY BY DAY GUIDE – EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK
Nepal is the top trekking destination in the world - FACT. With the vast Himalayan range running the length of the country, there’s nowhere on earth that slaps you in the face with a massive dose of the majestic outdoors like this mountain nation. For over 60 years...
Valley Velo – a Brisbane Valley Rail Trail adventure
Over the last few years the team from Best Life Adventures have ridden various sections of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail a number of times and always loved it. There's something special about riding through the little towns, across waterways and through remote...
Ten things I learnt this year in the Arctic
-45c is MUCH colder than -28c When the water pipes inside a house in northern Finland freeze, you know shit’s going down. In 2023 I experienced my coldest-ever temperature (-28c) crossing the frozen Kilpijärvi lake for four hours as we snowshoed in the pitch black...
Meet Ben Southall – founder of Best Life Adventures
Adventurer, presenter, author and digital journalist are just a few of the titles I’ve collected in recent years. Ultimately though, I’m a guy who has an intense passion for global travel, adventure and gruelling outdoor challenges. Colonel Mustard, my veteran Land...
Top Ten places to go kayaking in Australia
After exploring Australia for over a decade, by land air and sea, I've fallen in love with human-powered journeys that involve water. Be that kayaking the length of the Great Barrier Reef, outrigging around the islands of the Torres Strait, or paddling the waters...
Cold. Limited oxygen. Tough trail – Why bother?
UPDATE: read the ABC news article about this expedition here. After three and a half years away from the awe-inspiring mountains of the Himalayas, it was truly magnificent to once again walk among giants. After so long away, I think I'd become nonchalant and blase...
PADDLE THE WHANGANUI RIVER – Post Expedition Report
Paddling 120 kilometres on the Whanganui River gave me five days of unfiltered adventure and absolute mental clarity - something I haven't experienced in well over a decade. The ability to take a random life thought all the way from conception to completion with no...
Brutal, but beautiful – Arctic Expedition Report 2023
Our 2023 Extreme Dreams: Tri-Nation Arctic expedition is complete. Here's the lowdown from our Expedition Director, Ben Southall. Vast swathes of frozen tundra stretch towards the horizon, bisected by the dark foreboding water of the saltwater fjords far below. After...
