In organising the record-setting trip to ‘treacherous’ Point Nemo, Puttock helped set a record after she helped an adventurous client realise a dream of becoming the first person to swim in the isolated destination.
Somewhere in the South Pacific between New Zealand and Chile and located 1,670 miles from any landmass, Point Nemo is one of the Earth’s eight ‘poles of inaccessibility’ and has been virtually unexplored by humans.
Puttock, who has been working in experiential travel for more than 16 years, says it was the voyage’s ‘never been done before’ footnote that prompted her to investigate it further. “Nobody really knows what Point Nemo is like. Nobody knew if it was even possible to do,” she tells TTG Luxury.
But after six months’ planning, 8,000 nautical miles and 10 days of sailing, Wanderlux, along with the courageous client, confirmed to the world in March: Yes, it is possible.
Meeting the client
Puttock explains her Point Nemo expedition began with another travel industry professional she had become acquainted with on LinkedIn.
After developing a friendship online, the pair finally met in real life, and, inevitably, became immersed in each other’s networks.
It was during this period that Puttock was introduced to a well-known British explorer, who, in 2019, has made it his mission to visit all eight poles of inaccessibility. Also defined as locations that are furthest away from either land or water, these invisible spots are notoriously remote and require meticulous planning (as well as ample resources) to get to.
Inspired by his vision, Puttock offered to organise a tour to the next stop on the client’s ‘poles’ bucket list – Point Nemo.
“The initial synergy was the fact we’re both British and he’s a keen avid explorer. He was interested in the work I was doing and vice versa,” she says. “It was a natural progression to introduce us and to see if there was a way I could help him to achieve his life goals.
“I proactively went to him because I knew it was something he wanted to achieve, and I worked with a supplier who I thought could help him achieve it.”
Making plans
Once the client had accepted her proposal, it was time to arrange logistics. Usual expedition travel issues, such as budget and time frame (depending on variables), were discussed and agreed upon. As for the vessel, Puttock settled on the luxurious yet compact Hanse Explorer after discovering it would already be sailing in the general direction of Point Nemo.
“This particular yacht was migrating across to Papua New Guinea and the alignment was perfect, which was why I chose this vessel. It was kinda going that way anyway!” she explains. “It was about pitching to the captain to do a detour of about a thousand miles and figuring out if that was possible.”
Having chartered the ship and secured the route, Puttock’s client, joined by his adult son and a small crew, set sail on 12 March in the hope of finally turning his fantasy into a reality.
