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
“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 beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.” When I first sat down to write about the Yaddamun Trail, an exposed, hot, dry, hilly, 19 kilometre walk at White Rock Conservation Estate near Ipswich, I recalled my mother singing these words many years ago. The Lynn Anderson hit continues, “Along with the sunshine, there’s gotta be a little rain some time.” In the case of the Yaddamun Trail, more rain and far less sunshine would have been a relief. 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
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
I enjoy history almost as much as I love hiking and there’s a walk in Ipswich, near Brisbane in south-east Queensland, which allows me to combine both. It has an interesting and somewhat poignant past. Continue reading
Mildly Extreme 