Last Updated Jan 20, 2021 I’ll never forget my first down jacket. It was a game-changer for how I experienced the outdoors in winter and how I went from diving for my sleeping bag soon after sunset, to enjoying cold nights and brisk mornings without shivering. Why I love down jackets Up until that first … Read more
Or “How to get unlost” when bushwalking Last Updated Jul 10, 2020 In 1987 pioneering Aussie bushwalker and businessman Paddy Pallin wrote a book called, ‘Never Truly Lost’. It’s a classic from the traditional style of bushwalking (what many now refer to as ‘hiking’… oh, the controversy!) and as a statement, touches on the soul … Read more
Map and compass navigation course One of the biggest changes to my bushwalking and hiking experience came when I finally learned how to navigate with a map and compass. It wasn’t just about the theory of how to take bearings or even understanding how to read a topographic map, it was when the lights started … Read more
Up in the Blue Mountains, 2hrs from Sydney and the nearest surf beach, there’s a hidden and adventurous water world that is best experienced from inside the warm comfort of a snug fitting wetsuit. Welcome to the world of canyoning. What is canyoning? Canyoning is the adventure sport where you follow ancient water courses down … Read more
Do you remember that feeling as a kid, of running along and the sense of utter freedom that it brought? I’ve often wondered why when we grow up, unless we’re a sporty type, we tend to stop running. It seems as though we somehow start to see it as a competitive style form of athletics, … Read more
Terms and Conditions The Promoter The Promoter is Juicy Projects Pty Limited, trading as LotsaFreshAir of Katoomba NSW 2780. Eligibility Entry is open to residents of Australia and New Zealand over 14 years of age. Employees, immediate family members of employees, employees of any company associated with the Promotion are ineligible to enter. Entrants will … Read more
Sleeping Mat Gear Review Being comfortable enough (or tired enough) to get a good night’s sleep in the bush is one of the key complaints that people have when thinking about staying out overnight and camping. Over the years I’ve slept on different types of sleeping mats, mostly from the traditional players in the field, … Read more
I know you think you’d rather be tucked up warm inside, reading a good book or bingeing on Netflix, but if you do, you’ll be missing out on the best season for hiking in Australia. Here’s why: Our pioneering bushwalking fore-fathers… (and mothers) – people like Paddy Pallin or the legend, Dot Butler – had … Read more
Apart from a map and compass, the most important tool for navigating in the bush is a watch. Just a humble, everyday, bog standard, time telling watch. It helps you work out how fast you’re travelling, how long it will take to get somewhere and offers clues to your location and finding your way. These … Read more
Last Updated Dec 21, 2020 I get it. It’s summer, you’re on holidays and you’ve finally got the time to go out on your bucket list bushwalking adventure. We may even feel it’s our right to reward ourselves at this time of year by throwing on our backpack, stepping away from urban life and embracing … Read more
Thanks to everyone who tuned (and called!) in to the segment on ABC Radio yesterday with the lovely Jen Fleming (filling in for Simon Marnie) on Weekends, where I was joined by Matt from Wildwalks and chatted through some ideas for bushwalking and camping over the Summer holidays. We had so much material that we … Read more
To enter a canyon is to enter another world. The canyons of the Blue Mountains in Australia, carved over millions of years through sandstone, are home to myriad of creatures and unique plants. Ferns, mosses, lichen, fungus, yabbies, water spiders and frogs, all washed by the waters that continue to move, carve, tickle and dance … Read more