10 memoirs by fearless women

Prepare to feel all the emotions.

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Nothing beats sitting back in your comfiest chair, sprawling across sand at the beach, or sitting poolside with a darn good literary adventure.

And if you’re indeed on the hunt for your next great read, this list is an excellent place to start. Ten memoirs, written by women, that detail rollicking adventures, or lives that have been lived.

Tracks by Robyn Davidson

Tracks tells the story of Robyn Davidson’s 2,700km trek from the centre of Australia to the west coast in 1977. She is accompanied by four camels and her dog Diggity.

At the age of 25, Davidson gave up her studies in Brisbane and moved to the central Australian town of Alice Springs.

She landed on this expedition while working at a local pub and camel ranch. Her payment for both roles was board, and the camels that would accompany her on her quest.

It takes her 195 days to complete this trek, but she does it; despite the skepticism of those around her and the general public.

Davidson writes honestly and frankly, with a detail that makes you feel like you’re right there, walking beside her, the camels and Diggity. This book is a classic, for a reason.

It speaks to that listlessness many of us feel throughout our twenties (and often beyond), which we often mask with alcohol, sex, drugs, rock and roll, etc. And its heart is true. Davidson wasn’t chasing fame or fortune. She just wanted to know if she could walk from the heart of Australia to the west coast. And so, she did.

Bewildered by Laura Waters

The Te Araroa in New Zealand/Aotearoa has to be one of the most epic walks in the world. At 3000 kilometres long, it stretches from Cape Reinga at the tip of NZ’s North Island, to Bluff at the very bottom of the South Island.

And Laura Waters walked every step. Then wrote about it in this marvellous memoir.

Her original plan is to complete the trek with a wild, fun loving friend. However, a persistent hip injury rules her pal out on day one of the six month long trek.

So, Laura goes at it alone. She meets other people on the trail along the way, some also walking solo and some in pairs; forming a tight-knit, vagabond group.

And each step takes her further away from Melbourne and a toxic relationship that left her broken.

A tramp in Aotearoa is no walk in the park. People have died walking Te Araroa. It’s hilly. It’s treacherous. You cross rivers and scramble across mountains. Both the land and elements work against you. The day can start off sunny, then descend into windy, stormy or snowy chaos by noon.

Yet Waters writing is so heartfelt and beautiful, you really feel as though you’re there with her, step by step, completing this momentous walk.

Good luck finishing this and not wanting to fly to Aotearoa, to attempt this wild hike for yourself.

Lone Rider by Elspeth Beard

From two feet to two wheels. It’s 1982 and Elspeth Beard is just 23 when she sets of on her 1974 BMW R60/6 for a solo adventure around the world; travelling for the better part of two and a half years.