Last Updated Jul 17, 2020 Grab a cuppa guys, this one’s a bit of an essay… It’s pretty rare that there’s a feature film, documentary or otherwise, that aims to get to the true heart of the wild places that many of us love. Therefore, it was with a certain sense of curiosity that I … Read more
Last Updated Mar 12, 2022 There’s nothing quite like that feeling you get from stepping off the pavement, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and venturing out into the wilderness. The fact is, we all lead busy lives so for many of us, going out for a short bushwalk or day hike … Read more
I love a good story. And the story of The Lindeman Pass in the Blue Mountains is a cracker. Today I was reminded of this quote by Thomas Edison, which I found inside my daily Happy Pills. So, Edison was obviously passionate, focussed, single-minded and one could argue, obsessive. So too, was Charles Lindeman. A council alderman … Read more
Last Updated Aug 28, 2021 The older I get, the more wear and tear my knees suffer, I find myself reaching for my trekking poles more and more. Sure, some people swear by just picking up an old stick for helping with hills or fatigue, but in this post we go deep into how to … Read more
Yay! I’m so excited!! You know how they say that change is as good as a holiday? Well, I guess I’m about to feel as though I’ve had one big holiday, because there’s a whole lot of ‘change’ coming very soon. If you follow the @Lotsafreshair Instagram or Twitter, you might have seen me and … Read more
Following on from last week’s post about living in small spaces, I’ve been thinking about where I feel most at home. I’ve always said, that ‘home should be your refuge’. It’s the place where you can go and shut the door, relax, truly be yourself and be at peace. I kinda feel like I’ve got … Read more
Can you feel it? Nah, you probably can’t. If you’re anything like me, sometimes the first thing you feel is the damp trousers against your calf as your blue blood oozes, unrestrained, into the fresh wilderness air. Last Monday, Australia Day (Invasion Day), I set out to walk a historic, somewhat invisible, track in the Blue … Read more
Last Updated Jul 9, 2020 I love maps. As a young kid, I used to lie on the lounge room floor and plan imaginary trips across the vast continent of Australia. In the internal conversation (that only makes sense to an 8 year old), I was an intrepid explorer, explaining the route to a curious … Read more
When looking over the topographic maps for the southern parts of the Blue Mountains, especially the Kanangra-Boyd Wilderness area, a virgin navigator would be forgiven for never wanting to step foot in this part of the world, due to the array of fear inducing, high blood-pressure invoking place names. After putting off tackling Mt Paralyser … Read more
Manufacturer: Macpac Product: Macpac Tasman 45 Link: Macpac Product Info Empty Weight: 1.1kg (size 2) RRP: AUD$299 Test Packed Weight: 13kgs (incl 2 litres water) Test Date: 4-6 October 2013 Location: Ettrema Wilderness, Morton National Park, NSW, Australia Terrain: Everything! Firetrail, tracks, off-track scrub (light to extreme including Hakea and Banksia) rock scrambling, narrow slots … Read more
A little while back I took part in a Land Search and Rescue workshop run by the Blue Mountains Police Rescue squad. It’s just one of the many great training opportunities thanks to the NSW SES Bush Search and Rescue. On this two day workshop, we worked with our colleagues in other volunteer squads such … Read more
All too often our local councils get the rough end of the pineapple when it comes to people’s opinions on the services that they do / do not deliver. But right here, I’m going to give a massive shout out to the Blue Mountains City Council for their loos behind the Ivanhoe Hotel in Blackheath. … Read more