PATHWAYS AND DOORWAYS

Absorbed into the trail, my footsteps join the collage of those who have walked before me, documenting my transient participation in deep time. My personage is enshrouded by a mystery of greatness. My thoughts centre around a vista of heroes, whose legend clings to trees, drips down rock faces, clacks on cobblestones, flows richly in rivers, and breaths in the valley-draping mist. Their stories shape direction, blaze trails and create pathways for precedent. Horizons scaped with valour, inspiration, discovery, innovation, perspicacity. They were the vanguards of…

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10/11/2019

discovery / Experience / Germany / hiking / long distance hiking / RAMBLINGS / Slow living / TRAVEL / TRAVEL RAMBLINGS / Uncategorized / walking / wanderlust

SIMPLY SLOWLY

Summarizing slow living: ‘You see stuff, hear stuff, learn stuff, connect stuff, appreciate stuff.’ For want of an ideologically saturated, nausea inducing attempt at describing a commonly cliched state of gratitude, mindfulness, contemplation and solace; simple is best. Simple is transparent and simple resonates. It sits well with the territory; the tractors, the old towns, the church turrets, the corn fields, village fountains and the ever - present tabby. Simple is what we have strapped to our backs, stuffed in our mouths and sets the unassuming…

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27/09/2019

australia / blessing / community / CONFIDENCE / Experience / groups / LIFE RAMBLINGS / RAMBLINGS / sharing / Uncategorized

Community – Comeshareunity

“What colour will it be? Will the inside be varnished? Is the sanding finished? How long will it take? How old is it? Where did you dig it up from? Did it come with sails? Looks great. Good progress!” A barrage of questions fired like shots from a Heckler and Koch. Undisturbed by the onslaught from bystanders, hand-workers on the boat renovation project remain unvexed, composed and keen to answer questions, seemingly happy to share ideas, plans and progress. Around the workplace coffee machine conversation froths…

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05/07/2019

australia / Determination / discovery / Experience / hiking / LIFE RAMBLINGS / milestones / positive thinking / RAMBLINGS / TRAVEL / Uncategorized / walking

ARE YOU KID-DING?

“Because the teachers hate me.” Is the sweaty response from the continuously complaining 14 year old as to why he was in the most difficult hiking group on the school camp. “That way they don’t have me hanging around base camp for three days.” His athletic, teen build and energetic aura hinted at the more likely reason he’d been selected to pound the three day trail from Tidal River, to Waterloo Bay and on to Sealers Cove. Radiating heat from rugged granitic rock faces smothers conversation…

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16/02/2019

australia / blessing / Experience / RAMBLINGS / road trip / TRAVEL / TRAVEL RAMBLINGS / Uncategorized

Coconuts and Coal

“Just slow down, slow down. Holy crap, that’s scary”. Surrounded by smoke, front and rear vision blocked, uncertain when the road would appear; driving through a bushfire was not part of the original list of experiences. Travelling along the Bruce Highway from the volcanic coastline of Yeppoon and Capricorn National Park, the heat source shaping this part of the hinterland landscape was a grassfire. Appearing suddenly and out of nowhere, we were somehow always going to meet the same fate as Thelma and Louise. We’d just…

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13/01/2019

australia / Experience / RAMBLINGS / road trip / TRAVEL / TRAVEL RAMBLINGS / Uncategorized

Pineapple Pyjamas

“Which way?” I ask. “Not sure. Put it into Google Maps and check the options” she answers. The itinerary is scratched on a shopping receipt shoved in the side door pocket and lists five overnight destinations. “The GPS is melting down, it wants you to turn right,” I direct. “I can’t, there’s a concrete median strip, the entire length of this highway” she replies. “I think that was an illegal U-Turn.” I add constructively. “I know. I didn’t think we’d make it with our turning…

6 Comments

04/01/2019

blessing / Experience / Germany / hiking / RAMBLINGS / TRAVEL RAMBLINGS / Uncategorized / walking

LEAVE IT AND TAKE IT

There are stories here of ancient times, deep concealed caves, underground lakes, Jurassic Dolomite outcrops, bloody battles, wayfarers, pilgrims and faith transformed. Peoples have peregrinated through the valleys of the Franken Jura, this Fränkische Schweiz for centuries. We connect with their footsteps and weave our trail in its magnificent history. Beneath rocky limestone outcrops we leave laughter. On fortress peaks we leave awe. Along rivers windy we leave stories. In deep caverns we leave intrigue. Across rich green fields we leave gratitude. At town squares…

5 Comments

25/10/2018

Experience / joy / perspective / positive thinking / RAMBLINGS / TRAVEL / TRAVEL RAMBLINGS / Uncategorized

IMPRESSED

Bold expressions. Overt undertones. Contrasting canvasses. An arresting awareness of things optically, orally and aromatically atypical. An absorption of, immersion and participation in, the manifold encounters of cultural consonance and dissonance. I’m pressed to consider the new I’m pressed to adopt the unfamiliar I’m pressed to adjust periphery I’m pressed to admire I’m pressed to accept and embrace I’m pressed to understand I’m pressed to listen astutely I’m pressed to look deeper I’m pressed to learn richly I’m pressed to laugh I’m pressed to enjoy immeasurably…

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10/10/2018