Proposal a big surprise during WA hike
Dan, 50, surpirsed Valerie, 52 – and the Cape to Cape Explorer Tours team – when he proposed. It was the morning of Day 4, mid-way through our 8-Day Guided End-to-End adventure. Here they are (pictured above) celebrating outside the Prevelly Chapel on the way to the start of the day’s hike. The pair dated briefly in high school but rekindled their love decades later, first dating long distance before Valerie moved to Perth to be with Dan.
Birthday present turned into engagement for Valerie
“It was a total surprise,” says Valerie, who also celebrated her birthday on the day of Dan’s wedding proposal. “I was half awake. Hot got me at a vulnerable moment! And the ring was hidden in my birthday present, which was a set of Apple ear pods. The ring fell out and I went, ‘Oh, what’s this?’.”
Overhwhelming memories and a week of great company
Valerie said the day was “magnificent” and “overwhelming”, with a spectacular day’s hiking on top of the proposal. “Our friend John even carried champagne on ice with him till lunch time, when we cracked it open,” says Valerie. “It was such a special day. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. And what a great group of hikers to do it with. They’ve been so much fun! So have the crew from Cape to Cape Explorer Tours. You all made it so special.”
WA hike a perfect warm up for Spain’s Camino
Daniel said he thought of the idea of proposing mid-way through their Cape to Cape hike because it was “something special”. “A memory she won’t forget,” he says. “I was pretty nervous. I had to be careful she wouldn’t find the ring. But I thought it’d be great to surprise her on her birthday.” Next, the pair are planning on hiking the epic Camino de Santiago in Spain. And they reckon the Cape to Cape Track was the perfect training ground. Good luck guys!
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