Please note the original dates of Sep 17-20 are no longer available. If you are interested in the walk, please join the waitlist and complete the application.

Here’s an opportunity to come back to yourself - through nature, grounded practices, and supportive connection in a 3 day / 3 night walking experience in beautiful, rural New Zealand.

I Am The Mountain, is a guided transformational walking experience paced for relaxation with potential for a clear personal-growth arc. Spaciously unwind with other women who are exploring who they are now so they can step into the life they want.

Situated in the Southern Wairarapa, a short drive from Martinborough Wine Village, the Tora Coastal Walk encompasses a variety of stunning and diverse landscapes: expansive farmland, native bush, river valleys and the rugged Tora coastline. “Family owned and operated, you’ll experience spectacular scenery, gourmet food, and warm rural hospitality. It’s one of the longest standing private walks in New Zealand, and widely regarded as the best” (Tora Coastal Walk website).

Early each day you’ll be introduced to a useful practice, which you’ll use with another person throughout the day, walking and talking as you choose. I am available throughout the day to support whatever comes up as you play with the practices. At lunch time I may give you something else to focus on for the remainder of your walk. In the afternoons there will be an integration session drawing out what we learned from applying the practice and exploring a new area.

This journey back to you will take you and others across spectacular coastal farmland, only carrying a day pack while your luggage is transported for you to the next accommodation. You’ll sleep in single beds in bedroom configurations of 2, 3, 4 or 5 with your own set of sheets, pillows, pillow cases and a duvet. Delicious meals and home-baking will be provided.

The gift of I Am The Mountain

This is a time to contemplate and practice how we return home to ourselves again and again. The years of caregiving for our children or older adults often results in less space for us. We might have disconnected and lost sight of who we are and what is important to us. These practices are designed to help you remember who you are.

The Tora Costal Walk draws hundreds of people every year. These walkers enjoy the track alone or with friends. I Am The Mountain is an opportunity to walk with an intentional group focused on reflective, transformational practices. Explore your inner landscape in this awe-inspiring environmental landscape.

I Am The Mountain is equivalent to what’s offered in both Chanel Finnigan Coaching workshops Who am I now? and Live the life I want.

Who am I now? key outcomes:

Discern when you are doing something someone else wants you to, versus what you want, giving you choice rather than operating from default
Feel more steady and present, even when things are uncomfortable or uncertain
Trust your body more—not just physically, but as a source of information and direction to help determine your yes and no and what you really want
Have a set of grounded practices you can use in daily life to support you in times of stress, decision-making, or relationship conflicts

Live the life I want key outcomes:

Get to know your essence - who you came in to be
Generate purpose and a love of the life you’re living with ease and flow
Begin to create your own manifesto to support living the life you really want

I Am The Mountain is for you if:

You are in an in-between season, where the caregiving role has shifted and you’re wondering who you are now.
You want space to reconnect with yourself, away from daily demands and responsibilities.
You are drawn to learning practical wellbeing tools that help you return to yourself again and again.
You would value a guided experience that blends walking, nature, reflection, and supportive connection.
You like the idea of spacious transformation rather than being rushed, pushed, or overloaded.
You want time in a beautiful remote environment to think, breathe, walk, rest, and reset.
You are open to exploring meaningful questions like what matters now, what you want, and how you want to live.
You are nourished being part of a group of women, while choosing for yourself how much you share.
You are open to having shared accommodation.
You enjoy learning by doing, including paired exercises and simple embodied practices while walking.
You want an experience that is reflective and relational, but still grounded and practical.
You are able to walk around 4 hours a day over uneven terrain, including some steep climbs and descents. The most challenging day is Day One, ~15kms, and climbing 300 metres above sea level at its highest point.
You would love a walking experience where you carry only a day pack while your luggage is transported for you, with meals and accommodation taken care of.

I Am The Mountain is not for you at this time if:

You want a luxury retreat with private rooms and high-end accommodation.
You do not want to engage with self-reflection or explore what is happening in your inner world.
You are currently carrying something emotionally that feels too raw, traumatic, or outside your comfort zone to work with in this kind of setting and may be looking for therapy, counselling, or clinical mental health support.
You are not physically prepared for moderate walking over hilly, uneven terrain.
You want to achieve a fast-paced, high-intensity experience rather than one with spaciousness, rest, and integration.
You would prefer a purely social walking holiday with no structured practices or integration sessions.
You are seeking certainty, fixed answers, or a prescriptive formula, rather than practices to help you reconnect with your own clarity.

Investment required for the I am the Mountain

The founding investment to complete the I Am The Mountain - Tora Coastal Walk is NZ$1,950 NZD per person. Future walks are expected to be priced from NZ$2,195.

This includes the guided transformational practices, integration sessions and support provided by Chanel Finnigan Coaching across the three days and the full Tora Coastal Walk package — accommodation, meals, access to the private track, luggage transport and rural hospitality.

You will need to find your own way to Tora Coastal Walk, 298 Tora Road, Tora 5782, situated in the Southern Wairarapa, a short drive from Martinborough Wine Village. When you register, please note on the form if you're interested in carpooling. Tora is approximately 30 minutes from Martinborough by car. Click here for directions if you’re driving, and for alternative transport options. Please be aware there is no public transport to Tora.

Application process and your trip planning

Please ignore the date and payment information here. It is indicative. The action you can take currently is to join the waitlist.

Your application and deposit of NZ$700 is required by midnight Friday 17 July 2026, which will be followed by a short Fit Check via zoom or phone call (15 minutes). Depending on the outcome of this call, your place may be confirmed. If not confirmed, the full deposit of NZ$700 will be refunded.

Confirmation of the trip going ahead will be given by 21 July 2026. The balance of NZ$1,250 is required 7 weeks prior to arrival i.e. Thursday 30 July.

If your trip is planned around this event, booking flights would be advisable after 21 July after receiving confirmation. For international visitors, if you are intent on visiting New Zealand regardless of whether this event is going ahead or not, you could book your flights as you choose.

Cancellation fees

Any cancellations received after the deposit payment is made would attract the usual cancellation fees as follows:

At least 66 days prior to arrival date = NZ$350pp
At least 38 days prior to arrival date = NZ$700pp (the full deposit amount)
At least 24 days prior to arrival date = NZ$975pp (50% of the full fare)
Inside 24 days prior to arrival date = full fare of NZ$1,950pp

How to join

Because this is a point-to-point walk and places are limited, joining happens in 4 steps:

Apply and pay deposit of NZ$700 by midnight July 17th, 2026 (15-20 minutes)
A short Fit Check over zoom or phone (15 minutes)
Confirmation of your place on the walk or recommended next step
Confirmation of walk going ahead by 21 July, 2026 (12 participants minimum required for walk to go ahead)

Contact the host of ‘I Am The Mountain’ transformational walking experience