Setting sail for adventure

It wasn’t until an unexpected trip to Antarctica that local Graham Murphy knew the true meaning of ‘stepping outside your comfort zone’. He talks to Hunter & Coastal about the year his whole life changed.

Graham Murphy loves the road less travelled. From riding motorbikes around the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, to following an ancient trade route through Central Asia, the intrepid Maitland adventurer is always ready to head off the beaten track and into the unknown. “There are so many incredible places in the world, but I like the out-of-the-way places,” Graham says.“I like unique places that are a bit harder to get to and are not full of tourists. They’re more real and the people are real.” However, life wasn’t always this way for the 65-year-old. While he had notched up his fair share of kilometres over the years with his long-term partner Sue, they had predominantly stuck to the wellworn tourist routes across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Canada and Alaska.

Read more in issue 94 of Hunter &Coastal Lifestyle Magazine Story by Michelle Meehan, photos courtesy of Graham Murphy and Ron Web