Hi fellow intrepid curious and crazy travellers! I thought I’d share another of our fun weekend get aways to insure a thought, offer tips and get those discovery and risk taking juices flowing!

I’m addicted to the lightness, fulfilment and gratitude that comes with exploring with Kiana. She’s no doubt about it now a funny little travel companion! She’s just three years old and is finding herself in so many ways. She’s telling me she needs to go to the loo when in the car now as she’s in pants. That’s new as she still in a nappy on long journeys. She’ll take off to do her own thing. Not far but still I found myself calling her name every 30 seconds as I set up the tent up! What a racket! I found her hanging the pegs on a branch all in a row saying “that’s a good idea!” Then in the tent she took a fluffy tennis ball out of her toy bag and put it under her head to lean on just like Tony did last weekend on the beach! A delight.

Summary

• 29th May 2025
• Kiana 3 yrs 2 weeks, me 46.5!
• Three nights, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night
• Camping at Corfe Castle
• 1.5 hours drive from Frome including petrol and pees!
• Corfe Castle Camping
• £35 per night
• Shop onsite
• Cows behind the hedge!

Essentials

• Electric bike and trailer
• Two-man tent with eating area
• Potty
• Dry and fresh food
• Cool box

Random facts

• There are three no-take zones in the UK.
• Lots of newly surfaced roads
• How many loop walks?
• How many cycle routes without traffic?
• It’s not actually an island. It’s surrounded by sea on three sides. The RSPB, British army and the National Trust own most of the Isle of Perbeck.
• Corfe Castle was built 1066 by William the Conqueror in 1650. It was blown up by the civil war from inside the castle. Whoever was in it let the Roundheads in and that was the end of that.
• The Bankes family owned Corfe Castle for three and a half centuries, from the 17th century until 1982, when it was given to the National Trust. They also took over the whole of Studland and loads of land including countryside, coastline, farms, nature reserves and the mansion at Kingston Lacy.
• The castle is made of local limestone, ‘beure,’ which is named after the French word for butter because it is a lovely, soft, and creamy buttery colour.
  South Beach at Studland Bay. It is a Marine Protected Area (MPA) and home to lots of seagrass and important seahorse habitat. The first pregnant male seahorse found here in 2005. The sun is on our backs as I watch the millpond-calm water and listen to the soft late afternoon chatter. It’s quieter than Middle Beach, and you can hire paddleboards to discover the sheltered bay.
• Middle Beach – You can hire paddle boards, kayaks, bathe in a beach hut. Cafe with cakes. View of Isle of Wight and old Harry rocks. Sand seabed. Kayak foraging trips. Bankes Inn for outside beers and food in the best garden! Rent equipment from ‘Forte’.

Highs

• South and middle beach at Studland beach.
• Owls and young stags at dusk.
• Pub meet up with familiar faces.
• Swimming with Kiana at Studland.
• View of the castle from Radom Road.

Lows

• Putting the tent up alone after 1.5hr journey.
• And 3 year old running around the campsite.

I don’t change much in my life for her, she does what I do. So far, she likes what I do. I observe her changing and adapting to her makes adventures unique. We have adventures together as I would be if I were alone and I suppose that has allowed her lots of experiences to chat and gain confidence in the outdoor world.

A Little Poem

Car full
Roads clear
Blue skies in Frome
Must in Purbeck
Drove through the weather front
14 degrees
Kiana excited and all over the place
Nervous she’s too the boiling pasta
Tent would go up first time
Should injured and achy
Eating by 8pm
Sleep by 10pm!
Kiana head on ball!

🌊 Protecting the Blue: A Dorset Ocean Diary

I’ve just been swept into the ocean once again — not physically, but through the deep, resonant voice of David Attenborough in his latest film, Ocean. One moment has stayed with me like a shell tucked in the palm of my hand. A woman was asked, “What are you protecting the ocean from?” as she spoke about the immense no-take zone off the coast of Hawaii. Her reply was soft but powerful:

“We’re not protecting it from anything. We’re protecting it for the future. For our children.”

That stopped me.

Because sometimes, the most radical truths are also the most gentle.

Here at Island Spirit, I’ve always felt the quiet magic of applied conservation — from coral gardening in Fiji, where every living fragment whispered a second chance, to the windswept shores of England’s Jurassic coast. People sometimes say, “Isn’t it all just a drop in the ocean?” But when I led groups in restoring reefs, you could feel it — the power of many drops, working together.

Each coral planted. Each child inspired. Each itinerary lovingly woven with purpose.

And now, back home in the UK, I’m planting seeds of hope in a different way — by weaving applied conservation projects into handcrafted, slow travel experiences across Dorset. This place, with its golden cliffs and wild seas, is alive with quiet efforts that matter deeply

🌿 Dorset’s Conservation Heartbeat

🐟 Lyme Bay Marine Protected Area (MPA)

A beacon of ocean hope. Fishermen, scientists, and NGOs come together here to restore fragile seabeds and support sustainable practices. Reefs are returning. So is trust.

🐚 Chesil Beach & Fleet Lagoon

A place where time slows. This rare saline lagoon shelters shy creatures like the lagoon sand shrimp. Monitoring, restoration, and education combine here like tide and moon.

🪸 Studland Bay Seagrass Restoration

Did you know seagrass captures more carbon than forests? These meadows are underwater nurseries, and local communities are bringing them back — one mooring, one seed at a time.

🐬 Dolphin Watch & Marine Monitoring

Eyes to the waves. Volunteers and scientists track dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds. It’s science, yes — but it’s also love. A love that guides marine policy, one fin at a time.

🌍 Your Journey Can Be Part of the Solution

Whether you’re walking barefoot along the fossil-rich cliffs of the Jurassic Coast or sailing gently through Studland’s seagrass shallows, know this: your journey can give back. Each step can be part of a greater movement to protect not from fear — but for wonder. For future generations.

We do not inherit the sea from our ancestors.
We borrow it from our children.

Let’s leave them something they can still fall in love with.

We recently drove an hour South to the Isle of Purbeck. I’m still amazed by the strong feeling I get when I’m en route to a new adventure. It’s this that drives me and I want to share it all with you!

Itinerary

🌿 Salty Air & Wild Heartbeats: A Slow Adventure in the Isle of Purbeck

Here on the rugged, sun-brushed coast of Dorset, where chalk cliffs kiss the sea and heathland hums with life, lies the Isle of Purbeck. A place where time stretches out wide and warm like a picnic blanket. This is a week-long story of sea, fire, and foraging—an eco-adventure curated for those who crave connection: with the land, with the sea, and with the self.

🌊 

Day 1 – Arrival + Glamping Under the Stars

Arrive at your handpicked glamping site tucked between woodland and meadow. Think canvas bell tents, driftwood fire pits, and star-washed skies. You’ll be welcomed with a warm herbal tea and local produce basket—perfect for settling into your wild home.

Optional: Guided nature meditation at dusk beneath the hawthorn trees.

Stay: Camp Hartland or Burnbake Forest Lodges (eco pods)

Evening Tipple: Sip a local cider as the sun melts into the hills.

🌿 

Day 2 – Marine Volunteering Along the Jurassic Coast

Today, give back to the sea that gives us so much. Join a local marine conservation group for a day of shoreline surveying or beach cleaning. You’ll learn about seagrass meadows, marine mammals, and microplastics—becoming part of a living, breathing movement for change.

Hosted by: Local conservation groups such as Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve

Bring: Refillable bottle, gloves, open heart

🏄‍♀️ 

Day 3 – Paddleboarding at Middle Beach

Glide through glassy waters with only the rhythm of your paddle and the cormorants for company. Middle Beach is a gentle, cradling cove—ideal for beginners or soulful solo paddles alike. At low tide, the underwater world shimmers just beneath your board.

Optional: Private SUP session or sunrise paddle

Refuel: Coffee and crab sandwich at Middle Beach Café

Stand up paddle boarding island spirit

🌺 

Day 4 – The Square and Compass + Coastal Hike

Follow the clifftop paths to Worth Matravers and make your way to the legendary Square and Compass pub—part time warp, part music hall. Fossils in the walls, local cider on tap, and maybe a poet or two by the fire.

Walk: Durlston Country Park to Dancing Ledge, then inland to Worth Matravers

Try: The steak pasty or curried lentil pie

🌾 

Day 5 – Foraging + Kayaking Adventure

Today’s a feast for the senses. Paddle through calm estuaries or shallow coastlines, guided by an expert forager who’ll help you spot edible seaweeds, salt marsh herbs, and shoreline treasures. We end with a fire-cooked meal made from the day’s wild harvest.

With: Local forager & kayak guide

Bonus: Stories about ancient plant uses and wild medicine

☀️ 

Day 6 – South Beach Slow Day + Pub Afternoon

South Beach in Studland is a gentle crescent of golden sand and clear water—perfect for a beach day. Swim, nap, read, repeat. Then wander up to The Bankes Arms, a stone-built pub with views across the bay and a mighty local ale selection.

Lunch: Local seafood and a pint in the garden

Evening: Optional sunset dip or short coastal walk

💚 

Day 7 – Reflection + Departure

Slow morning. Brew a pot of wild nettle tea. Journal. Breathe deep. Maybe a final walk under the whispering pines or a last paddle if tides are kind. You leave not just with sand in your shoes, but a pocketful of stories.

💼 Packing Tips:

• Reusable everything (bottle, cutlery, bag)
• Quick-dry swimwear and wetsuit
• Journal or sketchpad
• Beach shoes + waterproof dry bag
• Curiosity, reverence, and lightness

🌍 Travel Gently

This itinerary is crafted in partnership with nature. All experiences support local, independent businesses or conservation projects. Please tread lightly, buy mindfully, and carry out what you carry in.

Let me know if you’d like me to prepare this as a downloadable PDF or branded handout for Island Spirit guests. I can also help integrate your own photos into the design and layout.