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? Surely once you are familiar with it, a place should feel smaller – be less of a mystery? Continue reading
Let me be perfectly honest. This was certainly no rugged adventure. I didn’t get hurt or lost. There were no epiphanies. I didn’t reach a profound conclusion. There was a risk that I would never want to return home though. Continue reading
“Mum, you’re such a nerd!” My daughter may be right but given she’s a self-confessed anatomy and biochemistry nerd, it was a sign of affection rather than criticism. Continue reading
I had such grand plans. I always do. You’d think by now I’d be a little more realistic. But what is life without a dream or two…
If you read my last blog post, you’ll be expecting me to reveal the gory details of the Great Finger Debacle of 2016. Continue reading
Rare adventures with my adult daughter, Tough Cookie, are always memorable, and the great finger debacle of 2016 was no exception. Continue reading
Second chances can be rare. My last post, The Tarcoola Track, showcased a very short city walk. The 21km Ship’s Stern Circuit at Lamington National Park is at the other end of the extreme and for me was a celebration of being given a second chance. Continue reading
When this twentieth century of ours became obsessed with a passion for mere size, what was lost sight of was the ancient wisdom that the emotions have their own standards of judgement and their own sense of scale. In the emotional world a small thing can touch the heart and the imagination every bit as much as something impressively gigantic; a fine phrase is as good as an epic, and a small brook in the quiet of a wood can have its say with a voice more profound than the thunder of any cataract. – Henry Beston, Northern Farm
“Accept the abundance,” the Cormorant Bay Café waitress ordered with a bow after placing a complimentary freshly brewed coffee next to my meal. Abundance sums up my three explorations in summer of the Wivenhoe Dam area, 80km west of Brisbane. To be honest, I would have been satisfied with much less abundance of sunshine and sweat while attempting to walk the 16km of trails. Continue reading
“Are you made of sugar?” I smiled as I remembered these joking words from my childhood while my little green car struggled valiantly up the winding, slippery mountain road, her windscreen wipers squeaking in protest. No, I wasn’t made of sugar. My body composition is about one third fat. Rather than melt in the rain, I’m more likely to float away. Continue reading
What do Keats, drunken pygmy possums, a famous Harry and the TV series, Mad Men, have in common? Well, for a start they’re all mentioned in this blog post. Usually I temper my imagination when writing hiking commentaries but this week I’m exposing you a little to the convoluted workings of my mildly extreme brain. Continue reading
“O Binna Binna, Binna Burra, wherefore art thou, Binna Burra?”
Ever since my last trip to Binna Burra, the eastern side of Lamington National Park, I’ve been in love with this unique and incredibly beautiful region. It’s part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, which includes the largest section of subtropical rainforest in the world. Despite how impressive this sounds, in the tempestuous early days, I wondered whether my relationship with Binna Burra had a future. What were my early fears and how were they turned into infatuation? Continue reading
Regular readers know I’m a sufferer of bark bliss, fungi fever, lichen lust, moss mania, and insect infatuation. These distractions mean walking partners need to be passionate about the same interests, have the patience of a saint, or be content to charge ahead without me. Today I reveal my rock rapture, another distraction which contributes to the torture of walking companions. Continue reading
Had I known there might be crocodiles on my walk I would have taken precautions. In a scene from a famous UK “reality” TV show, celebrity contestants swam through a crocodile invested swamp with marksmen ready to shoot any creatures that attacked. However, the location used for that episode was in Springbrook, inland from the Gold Coast, about 100km south of Brisbane, and a guaranteed crocodile free habitat. It also happens to be the topic of this post. Continue reading
