Definitions of friendship vary, but usually include mutual affection and support. In the case of my feathered friends, the relationship is usually one-sided. I benefit from the association and they are unaware of the many lessons and gifts they impart to me. I’m fond of these winged teachers and therapists, and thankful for the moments of joy and comfort I receive from their presence.
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Standing knee-deep in mud in the pitch-dark is not the usual way I spend a Saturday night, but I was with my younger brother and that explains everything really. We both lead responsible lives, but on the rare occasions we do meet up, an element of playfulness and even recklessness can ensue.
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Continue readingTardis-like: “Something with a larger capacity than its outward appearance suggests, or with more to it than appears at first glance.”
What possessed me to meet up with a man in a deserted city park by the river on a Friday night? I often look back at past escapades and ask myself, “What were you thinking, Jane!” When I’m caught up in the throes of passion, common sense often takes a back seat.
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“At the still point of the turning world. Neither Flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is…” T.S. Elliot
After revealing my unnerving night escapade in the previous post, I think it’s time to share far more genteel pursuits. Continue reading
As I crouched in the chilly darkness, gripped by terror, I berated myself once again for letting my heart overtake my head. What possessed me to venture alone into an unlit outer city nature reserve at night, even though I’d seen evidence of nefarious nocturnal activities? Continue reading
After my adrenaline-pumping rock climbing fiasco, it’s time for a complete change of pace. Sit back, relax, and let me take you on a little journey into the wild. Continue reading
It was a leap of faith – one of those spontaneous decisions that could have ended in disaster. In the summer of 2018, I agreed to farm-sit for a couple I’d never met, in a location I’d never been, almost 1700 km from my home base. Continue reading
If abundant alliteration alarms you, I suggest you avert your attention to an alternative article, as I’m feeling phonetically flamboyant on this fine Friday morning.
Wildlife watchers or flora and fungi fans will probably agree that repetition reaps rewards, particularly in rainforests. Continue reading
Sometimes I am my worst enemy. Instead of living in the moment, I wasted some of my precious trip at Warrumbungle National Park berating myself for not allocating more time for exploration, and then wasted even more energy berating myself for berating myself. There may have also been some energy expended berating myself, for berating myself, for berating myself. Ah yes, it’s time for a brief glimpse into the terrifying misfirings of the Jane brain. You’ve been warned! Continue reading
“The path to paradise begins in hell.” When 13th century Italian poet, Dante, wrote these words in Divine Comedy, he couldn’t have predicted how applicable they would be to my first walk in the Bunya Mountains. Continue reading
I had to wonder if mountains have ears and Mt Edward decided to reward my loyalty. There’s a wildlife encounter I’ve always longed for and in March, 2018, it finally came to pass, although not in a way I’d ever envisaged. Initially, it evoked terror rather than delight. Continue reading
I’m not in the habit of taking hallucinogens but what I was seeing in front of me made me wonder if I’d been slipped a few magic mushrooms in my morning omelette. Guarding the entrance to Crows Nest National Park was this. Continue reading
In The Living Mountain, Scottish walker, Nan Shepherd, wrote, “The thing to be known grows with the knowing.” She was referring to how much larger the mountain felt after she explored it slowly and observed it through all her senses. How can a setting grow after exploring it thoroughly? Continue reading
Next to a boardwalk winding up to the Red Rock headland in New South Wales, rests a simple memorial plaque. Easily missed in overgrown grass, it records a brutal event in Australian history unknown to many who flock to the small coastal village during holiday season. Continue reading
Who would be mad enough to go solo bushwalking and camping during heatwave conditions in a rugged wilderness area with little or no phone signal? Me, of course. Continue reading
She “shakes my soul like a pothole, every time.” I smiled as these lyrics played on my car radio and wondered if Ed Sheeran had ever driven on remote roads while touring Australia, where some of these giant craters could swallow a small car. Continue reading
Mildly Extreme 