Rachel Dimond is a weekday radiographer and weekend explorer based in Sydney, Australia. Find out more about this Living Lab Legend below.
Most of Rachel's free time (such as it is) is spent exploring the nearby World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park, taking photos and writing stories as she walks along the trail. Rachel writes for various adventure groups and blogs, sharing her photos through Instagram @wanderer_rachel. It is clear to see that she has a passion for the outdoors and the environment, and Rachel says sharing the experience with other people is one of the great joys in her life.
Why the outdoors?
Rachel grew up on a farm in Northern NSW and when she wasn’t riding horses with her mum, her dad had them all out beach combing on local beaches. It wasn’t until she had moved to Sydney to start her career that Rachel really appreciated how much she loved the outdoors and just how much it meant to her.
Rachel regularly travels interstate and abroad to satisfy her craving for the outdoors and to chase her next big (or small) adventure; whether that is hiking, camping, tramping or just ‘plain old’ exploring.
Over the past few years, Rachel has embarked on trips all over the world from India to America, Nepal to New Zealand, China and Thailand. Her Australian hikes include Byron Bay, Tasmania and everything in between. With too many experiences to list, some hiking highlights include the Green Gully Track (New South Wales), the Overland Track (Tasmania), the Nadgee Wilderness Walk (New South Wales/Victoria), Everest Basecamp (Nepal) and The Routeburn Track (New Zealand). Rachel's trusty Bluey Universal Neckwear has accompanied her on every adventure.
Rachel’s Philosophy?
“For me the outdoors is a place I can exist where my life, my personality and my body are free of everything society tells it to be and claims it is. It is very liberating being able to forget for a short amount of time about all the white noise in my life; sometimes this is through isolation and sometimes this is through the sheer joy of adventure.”
With a motorcycle trip through the extreme north of Vietnam on the horizon and a few dozen micro-adventures planned in her native state of NSW, you have every reason to watch this space.
You can also follow Rachel on Insta @wanderer_rachel.