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On October 1, Stanmore Bay’s Libby Taylor and her sister Kate Hattaway of Kumeu, both in their 60s, will set out from Cape Reinga to walk the length of Aotearoa New Zealand.
They plan to walk and cycle on open roads every day, rain or shine, ending up in Bluff around mid-November.
Libby and Kate are both survivors of sexual abuse, and their 2100km epic journey is a way for them to speak out about the ripple effects of abuse that have an impact on survivors, their family, friends and communities.
Along the way, there will be several chances for supporters to walk with them, including one in Ōrewa.
“It was important to walk on roads, where we will be able to share our message with others,” Libby says. “Our walk cannot be entirely continuous, due to motorways that we are not permitted to walk on, and some dangerous roads, so we’re substituting those un-walkable kilometres with the supporter walks so we complete the whole distance.”
She says more than anything, she and Kate are looking forward to walking with other survivors and supporters.
“It’s about solidarity – I call it ‘combined courage’. We hope to see lots of people join us on those supporter walks.”
Libby, who is a counsellor, first thought of the walk when she turned 60, at the end of 2020.
She wanted a challenge, and to do something special. Initially she thought she’d be doing it alone, until her younger sister said she would join her.
Libby founded REOSA (Ripple Effects of Sexual Abuse), with the walk in mind.
“When we deal with sexual abuse, it is a lonely, isolated place. There are a lot of amazing support organisations for those dealing with the immediate effects of abuse, but no one talks about the negative ripple effects on others, which can cause disfunction. The REOSA message is about those ongoing effects, rather than the sexual abuse itself.”
She says the walk is a way for her and her sister to use their life experiences, energy and determination in a positive way, rather than dwelling on the past.
