If we identify as an ‘ecotourism’ business, nature and its biodiversity are integral to our business model. Our product IS the environment.
Without healthy, thriving, biodiverse ecosystems, there’d be NO future for nature-based tourism. Without nature-based tourism, it’s safe to say, WA’s tourism industry would be radically diminished.
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Eucalyptus lehmannii - Fitzgerald River National Park, near Bremer Bay, Western Australia
This is a Eucalyptus lehmannii subsp. Lehmannii.
Also called a Bushy Yate.
They’re endemic to the southwest of Western Australia.
I think it’s one of the most joyous of flowering trees.
This one was photographed in the Fitzgerald River National Park, near Bremer Bay
When it’s in flower it looks like there are hundreds of suns exploding inside its canopy.
Each one of those globes is a cluster of flowers bonded together.
They (botanists) call the flowers and how they’re arranged, the plant’s inflorescence - that’s my favourite new word.
Along with all the other plant species found in the highly diverse southwest region - 8000 or more - Eucalyptus have evolved and ‘innovated’ - the features necessary to survive the intense conditions of the region.
This evolution began over 100 million years ago.
All flowering plants - AKA angiosperms - appeared at least 100 millions years ago possessing a distinct and innovative feature.
A flower.
This meant they could do two things:
Be pollinated by other organisms
Store their seed inside a fruit.
This was a reproductive system double whammy.
They also produced natural insecticides and maximised photosynthesis with 10x more veins in their leaves.
Armed with these features, and helped along by the extinction of dinosaurs, flowering plants continued to diversify.
A major shift came when they engaged insects, birds and small mammals to help them pollinate and distribute seeds.
This drove the biodiversity of those and 100,000s of other organisms too.
They are the foundation on which our civilisations are built: our food, our materials, our medicine.
It took them 50 million years - not that long in evolutionary terms - to colonise almost every land ecosystem on the planet.
They (paleobotanists) call it the Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution.
Today, 90 percent of all plants on the planet are angiosperms.
Most of the major families of WA’s southwest appeared during this period.
Ravensthorpe Range - Eucalyptus epicentre in WA
The environment into which plants appeared in WA’s southwest posed a lot of challenges.
Poor soils - hardly any nutrients, depleted of Phosphorus
Seasonal drought and lack of water
Seasonal heat - high temperatures
Fire - with the environment becoming increasingly flammable increasing over time
No useful organisms to pollinate or spread seeds
Plenty of plant eating creatures
It was an extreme Darwinian survival of the fittest scenario.
Adaptation or die!
Many perished.
But the ones that made it, thrived.
The ones that made it diversified, and proliferated.
Eucalyptus made it!
Thank goodness. They are the quintessential Australian plant.
There are 900 species of Eucalyptus - apart from a hand ful of species in Indonesia, New Guinea and one in the Philippines, they’re native to Australia.
147 are found in the southwest of WA, about 60 of them are endemic.
About 62 million years ago, when they first appeared, Eucalyptus had distinct features that enabled their survival
Against fire
the ability to sprout a fresh shoot from branches or trunk
The ability to resprout fresh shoots from a lignotuber (a woody structure containing nutrients to help feed new growth)
Against poor soils
relationship with fungi where a mycorrhyza is formed allowing the roots of the tree to reach further away and access water and nutrients
Above is Eucalyptus proxima - with colour variations of its flowers.
It could also be a Eucalyptus cernua. They’re very similar.
Both are both found exclusively around Ravensthorpe, northeast of the Fitzgerald River National Park. They share the same downturn in the flower stalk and the fruits and leaves are almost the same.
The big difference: one is a mallee (many branches coming out of a root in the ground) and the other is a mallet (one trunk).
But these are both Eucalyptus proxima - because the cernua is very tall - and I took the photo of a mallee not so tall that I couldn’t get to the flower!
How beautiful are the bud caps?
There are about 1400 species of Banksia around the world and Australia.
800 of them are found in the southwest and almost all of them are endemic!
Clustered roots that allowed them to optimise the access to nutrients
They have leaves that are hard and thick- to survive the heat (schleromorphic)
They have seeds that are contained inside woody fruit that have to be heated by fire to be released.
Seeds are dispersed by ants and emus
There is often a delay between flowering and seed dispersal - called seretony
18 million years ago, they appeared in the southwest.
There are 150 different species of Hakea, 100 in southwest WA.
clustered their roots to optimise access to nutrients.
evolved into being insect-pollinated and then bird-pollinated - maybe helped along by black cockatoos.
their highly nutritious seed is inside a hard woody fruit that is made of resin and melts during fires to release the seed.
Sometimes these fruit are large and sometimes they are scarce and difficult to find.
They have resprouting features (like Eucalyptus) near the roots that enable them to survive fires
Leaves shapes vary - some have thick and hard leaves to tolerate heat (sclerophyll) and some are spiny to deter insects or birds from eating the flower
Look at the Royal Hakea below (Hakea Victoria).
Endemic to the Fitzgerald River National Park - it dominates parts of the landscapes.
Hakea victoria - Royal Hakea - Fitzgerald River National Park
References:
Benton, M. J., Wilf, P. & Sauquet, H. 2021. The Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution and the origins of modern biodiversity, New Phytologist, 233: 2017–2035
Brundett, M. 2021. One biodiversity hotspot to rule them all: southwestern Australia—an extraordinary evolutionary centre for plant functional and taxonomic diversity, Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 104, 91 - 122.
French M. & Nicolle, D. 2019, Eucalypts of Western Australia The South-west Coast and Ranges
Groom, P. & Lamont, B. 2015. Plant Life of Southwestern Australia. Adaptations for Survival
Lamont. B.B & Pausas J.G. (nd) Ecology and biogeography in 3D: The case of the Australian Proteaceae
I’m a traveller, not a tourist!’
How many times have you said that?
I admit, I’ve said it a few times myself.
What we’re really saying is:
Don’t put me in the same category!
Can’t you see that I’m clearly not in a packaged tour?
Haven’t you noticed the size of my backpack?
Can’t you see I’m wearing a Sari? 😛
The Kennedy Range National Park
A couple of years ago while hiking to the top of Burringurrah/Mt Augustus - a giant monocline in remote Wadjari country in Western Australia, I overheard a couple of hikers talking about how bad the markers on the trail were.
I'd thought the markers were OK.
I’d even thought whoever had the task of figuring out the best place to put them, had done a great job.
Burringurrah sits in the middle of the Mt Augustus National Park about 1000 kilometres north of Perth in the West Australian Outback. It’s remote (even by Australian standards), rugged, extremely hot in summer and surrounded by arid vegetation as far as the eye can see.
Beedoboondu (or The Summit Trail) is a challenging 12km, steep, grade 5 track that makes its way up the giant rock through pristine bush to the 700 metre summit. There are lots of unclear paths, plenty of uneven or loose ground, boulders in the way, narrow sections close to cliff edges and some on-all-fours scrambling. The view from the summit is worth every misstep, bruise, scratch and moment of suspense between seeing a marker and locating the next one.
Once you enter the trail, apart from the small circular markers (yes, some of them are a bit worn) and the odd set of footprints, you might not know it was a planned hiking trail.
And that’s what I love about wilderness trails.
They take us into places that connect us to nature, to our wild; where we can 'undomesticate' ourselves, use our instincts, challenge our bodies. In nature we reconnect with our spirit, with others, be inspired and even healed.
On trails we can learn about cultural and natural heritage, about nature and about ourselves.
Trails can support local economies and generate income for people who live near them.
When I think about what it took to get Beedoboondu trail up and ready for public use, it's amazing anyone bothered.
Someone had to convince stakeholders / secure funding / seek tenders / conduct environmental surveys / identify threatened species / mark sensitive habitats / consult with local Wadjari custodians for cultural issues / assess risks / attempt various routes / select the safest routes with least impact / write many reports / get the right markers for that extreme climate / get a team of people to fix them to the rock…
The point is even trails that don’t have a lot of infrastructure are created with a lot of effort, resources, and understanding of the many benefits they bring.
As someone who has chosen to earn part of her livelihood on trails, I know these benefits first hand. 🥰
Are we taking trails and their benefits for granted?
International Trails Day is a day to celebrate everything that trails provide and ensure they are never taken for granted.
Here in WA our trails give us access to some of the most pristine, biodiverse and blow-your-mind beautiful wilderness environments in the world. That is so worth celebrating!
Mt Augustus Burringurrah nearing summit
Mt Augustus Buringurrah Mulla Mulla
Kennedy Range National Park
Kennedy Range National Park
The Hakea Trail in the Fitzgerald River National Park
Fitzgerald Beach on the Mamang Trail - Fitzgerald River National Park
Yued Ponar Trail Lesueur National Park
The Cape to Cape - Photo by Donna Wolter
The Cape to Cape - Wilyabrup Cliffs
A Jewel Beetle - Castiarina cruentata- East Mt Barren in the distance - Fitzgerald River National Park
Today is World Biodiversity Day – a day established to promote awareness of how much biodiversity matters.
Most people know that biodiversity is important.
Here in Western Australia we hear the word ‘biodiversity’ often. Most of the time in the same sentence as ‘floral’ or ‘hotspot’.
The Nature’s Window Loop Trail - Kalbarri National Park
I made it to the start of the Nature’s Window Loop Trail at 6:45 am.
It was February, and the trail is closed from 7 am.
For good reason.
The heat is intense in the summer months between November and February.
Feeling the heat … 8 am and already over 35 degrees in the Murchison Gorge - Kalbarri National Park
It took me just over 3 hours to complete the 9 kilometres of this impressive class 4 trail, with a couple of short stops for shade.
Despite the intense heat, this first and short immersion into this ancient landscape of white and red layered sandstone, weathered rocky ledges skirting the winding river, sandy riverbanks lined with paperbarks and reeds, black swans … it was a magical introduction.
Enough to make me want to come back for more.
And we did.
We walked the 38 km of the 80 km riverine system, from Ross Graham Lookout to Nature’s Window, twice more before offering it as one of our Edgewalkers adventures.
The first of these was also in February. There had been a dip in temperature rom low 40s to mid 20’s, I got permission from the head ranger to scope the gorge with a photographer for 4 days.
With water levels at their lowest, crossing back and forth across the river is easy, most of the time there are enough exposed rocks to step comfortably all the way across.
The second time was in June.
The difference was significant.
First, the lower temperatures made walking with 15 plus kilos of water and food much easier. We also did not need to drink as much water.
Edgewalkers guide Kirra Diconza, staying close to the edge of the Murchison River - Kalbarri National Park
Second, the higher water levels meant having to work out the safest place to cross the river and shorter distances covered every day.
It also meant having wet boots from the start.
Both times were breathtaking.
The Murchison Gorge is one of our regular walking adventures usually run in June or August. We love this raw West Australian wilderness.
Yellow poppies - Papaver nudicaule
Walking through the Tavan Bogd National Park in Mongolia’s northwest in spring and summer is a delight for the senses.
The spectacle of snow-capped mountains always visible in the distance, picturesque rocky gorges, raucous streams rushing or gently meandering; the changing terrain underfoot: soft grassy stretches, sometimes dry, sometimes wet and boggy, dirt and gravel paths, loose rock, slippery slate, banks of unmelted snow, scree.
The scent of alpine larches mixed with the scent of juniper and the surprisingly not unpleasant odour of livestock scat that litters the ground. The calls of domesticated animals that wonder free throughout: horses, yaks, sheep, goats, camels and dogs; the scrambling of land squirrels and marmots, overhead the occasional shrill cries of hawks and kites.
And to add a magical touch, scattered in bursts daring bright, from under slate and in between rocks, sometimes carpets of them, sometimes solitary tufts swaying defiantly and vibrant, an abundance of wildflowers celebrate with jubilant colour the end of the long and relentless winter that until not long before had covered everything with ice and snow.
Wildflowers are everywhere and although we are still learning the names of these beauties, here are some of them.
Please feel free to make any corrections!
Top photo: poppies above the Potanin Glacier Papaver ammophilum or nudicaule?
China Pink - Dianthus Chinensis
This article is a work-in-progress … wildflowers abound throughout the Tavan Bogd National Park and each year it seems that more that have not been photographed appear … they adorn our surroundings while we walk, when we rest and eat, and fill the hike with burst of colourful joy.
I’ve been a vegetarian more than half my life.
When I made this choice, my health was not my main motivation. I just didn’t want to eat anything that had been killed.
However, over the years, I believe that following a vegetarian, mostly vegan diet has kept me in optimal health. But don’t take my word for it.
Here are 4 science-based reasons why going vegan (or reducing your animal product intake) may make you healthier.
The top 3 killers of Australians and probably other countries following typical animal based western diets, are heart disease, stroke and dementia.
Eating more fresh fruit and vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes in a balanced vegan diet, may reduce your chance of having high blood pressure by up to 75%.
You will probably also display healthier cholesterol and blood sugar levels, both helping to reduce heart disease by up to 46%
Lowered cholesterol and blood pressure can also minimise the chance of cardiovascular issues such as stroke. One study showed that the more fruit and vegetables you eat the less chance of stroke.
Lastly, increase intake of fruit and vegetables may also help slow down brain diseases like Alzheimer’s. It appears that the polyphenols (compounds found in abundance in fruit and vegetables) have a significant impact slowing down and even reversing brain decline.
People eating a vegan diet may have as much as 15% less chance of getting cancer and, if they’ve survived it, keeping it at bay.
Because vegan diets have a much higher consumption of vegetables, fruit and legumes, and soy products the chance of certain types of cancers are reduced. These include stomach, colon, prostate, lung, mouth, throat and even breast cancer.
And because vegans do not eat any meat at all, they will not consume cancer-promoting processed, red or smoked meats. This will reduce their chances of stomach, prostate, colon and breast cancer.
Vegans may have almost 5% lower BMI than omnivores, even when they consumed the same amount of calories. There may be up to 20 pounds difference between an average adult vegan and an adult meat-eaters.
Losing extra weight may be easier on a vegan diet. This may be for a combinations of reasons. Grains and vegetables are digested more slowly because their glycemic levels are lower. Also, the fibre content is higher so vegans feel more satisfied and not feel hungry so quickly.
Given that a vegan diet may reduce the incidence of heart disease, stroke, dementia, some cancers and type 2 diabetes and help maintain a healthy weight, it is only significantly increase your chances of living a longer and healthier life.
There really are no reasons for not trying a vegan diet.
We still need a lot more research - here are some links to existing research.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4845138/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4845138/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24811336/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25312617/
https://progressreport.cancer.gov/prevention/fruit_vegetable
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.31612
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26143683/
https://progressreport.cancer.gov/prevention/fruit_vegetable
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegan-diet-studies
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29659968/
Boranup Forest - Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park - Western Australia
I started this blog wanting to write about the current biodiversity crisis, around the time of the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal last year.
I read some of the latest and tragic statistics on the snowballing speed at which our activity is killing other species.
Mammals, insects, turtles, fish, vertebrates, invertebrates, wetlands, coral, forests.
All life on Earth is under threat.
I thought, woah, we don’t want to read more about that.
I’ll have a mass-extinction of subscribers if I hit you with all that gloom.
I took a break from writing.
I went back to reading Entangled Life a book about fungi, mycology and ground-breaking research on the remarkable properties of fungi.
Maybe I'd take some notes, I'd love to write more about fungi.
I could spend all day reading about them.
I did. The whole day, maybe two; no notes.
Did you know the largest organism on the planet is a fungus? Armillaria ostoyae – they call it the honey mushroom; 3.5 sq miles under a forest in Oregon.
I pushed on with biodiversity. I made myself read a few paragraphs about the conference in Montreal.
The nations of the world had agreed on a ‘landmark’ global biodiversity framework.
4 goals, 23 targets.
30 percent of the planet protected by 2030.
Hope?
Déjà vu?
Blah blah blah,’ said Greta Thunberg.
I googled Greta to find out how old she was now. She’s 20 and she’d released a book: The Climate Book. I downloaded it, put in my earbuds and listened to it for the next 3 days.
It’s impressive, urgent and angry, with contributions from 100 global leaders in their field; it is also authoritative.
‘When it comes to the climate and ecological crisis, we have solid unequivocal scientific evidence of the need for change.
The science is as solid as it gets.
We need a new way of thinking,’ says Greta.
We sure do.
I spent two days writing marketing copy instead.
When I come back to this blog, it’s the middle of February, soon I’d have to write about International Women’s Day.
I sigh, it’s time to pull my finger out.
I google different combinations of ‘women, fungi, biodiversity’.
And there, on the world wide web, women, fungi and biodiversity, I found.
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!
Suzanne Simard, is a Canadian professor of forest ecology at the university of British Columbia.
She was the first to suggest the possibility that trees move carbon and other resources through fungal networks under the forest floor.
Then she proved it.
Unequivocally.
Her pioneering research into what she coined ‘the Wood Wide Web’ showed that forests are intelligent systems.
They communicate.
They collaborate.
These systems are sustained by a mutually beneficial relationship between trees and the mycorrhizal networks of mycelia (fungi).
They are also overseen and directed by ‘mother trees’ who ensure that carbon, sugar, hormones, nitrogen, water, and other resources are sent to the trees that need them the most.
Darwinists, whose ‘survival of the fittest’, competitive paradigm has been turned on its head, were resistant.
Simard struggled to find funding.
But science is science, and a PhD and more than 200 articles on the subject, could not be silenced.
Simard is trying to influence logging practices, a principal contributor to biodiversity loss.
If logging continues to ignore the role Mother Trees play in the resilience of old growth forests, they will destroy any possibility of survival and renewal.
She makes an analogy to bolts being removed from an airplane.
You can take quite a few bolts and screws out without causing any great damage, but if you take out the bolts that hold the wings to the body of the plane, there is nothing to do but plummet.
Likewise, in a forest, certain trees hold the forest together.
In her book, Finding the Mother Tree, Simard shares this important understanding of forests and their innate wisdom.
She also leads The Mother Tree Project, a research project into old growth forests and all the ways in which biodiversity, regeneration and carbon storage can be protected.
Giuliana Furci - Fungi Foundation
Giuliana Furci, is a Chilean mycologist who established and leads the Fungi Foundation, an international NGO completely dedicated to the study and protection of fungi.
Furci and her colleagues (in Chile and around the world) are passionate about their work to influence law, policy, and research to include and protect fungi.
In July 2021, the Chilean government became the first in the world to include fungi in their environmental law.
Their declaration called on world leaders and scientists to
“… create protections for fungi under international, regional and domestic law and policy, both to state the equal significance of fungi among the kingdoms of life and to help address the threats that jeopardize the ability of many fungal species to thrive and survive,”
Furci was responsible for this important declaration and continues to lead this initiative.
They want ‘funga’ to recognised as the interconnectors of life on the planet and to be given the same protection, funding and importance as flora and fauna.
Why?
Because if we want to have an impact on climate change, we have to take into account the 450 quadrillion km of mycorrhizal networks underground that help sequester at least 5 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year.
(BTW quadrillion is 450 plus fifteen zeros - or one thousand trillions, i.e. a lot)
Because there are between 2 and 4 million species of fungi, and we hardly know anything about them.
Because the biodiversity of the fungi is integral to the survival and resilience of all life on earth. Fungi were instrumental in the evolution of life on the planet.
Because without fungi life would not be possible.
In a recent article in Time Magazine she calls for fungal education to be included in school and academic curricula.
‘Accounts of the living world that do not include fungi are accounts of a world that doesn’t exist.’
Find out more about this important initiative here.
Guiliana Furci and Suzanne Simard are inspiring leaders in their fields; their work is ground breaking and important.
We celebrate and applaud them.
We celebrate women all around the world.
We celebrate our stories, our intelligence and creativity, our resilience and capacity for love and empathy; our adventurous spirits and intuition, our discipline and physical prowess, our humour and our courage.
But let’s also remember that women still make up a minority in the sciences, in research, in decision-making and in leadership.
Let’s remember that 70% of women live in poverty. And that at the coal face of the biodiversity crisis are women and girls who have to work harder to find wood for fuel, clean water and plants for food and medicine.
So, let’s celebrate.
But let’s also act in whatever way we can.
Imagine the world if all women had the freedom and agency to pursue their passions, reach their fullest potential and offer the world their unique contribution.
Let’s act because we too must be allies in the survival of our planet.
The physical benefits of walking are many: cardiovascular exercise improves circulation, helps maintain stable weight, good digestion, stronger bones, reduces the risk of various diseases, in all, walking is great for keeping healthy.
But you already knew that!
What you might not know, but you have sensed intuitively, is that walking is a way to access higher levels of creativity.
1. It’s in our DNA
Why we became bi-pedalled is unknown.
According to some anthropologists, walking on two feet, may be one of the primary actions that shifted our collective human destiny, separating us from our primate cousins.
The fossilised footprints dating back 3.7 million years found in east Africa in the mid 1970s are proof that even before we had stone tools we had stood up and walked on two feet.
In effect, for millions of years we travelled on foot.
Some anthropologists believe that we became creative from a need to learn as we moved across the planet.
Walking meant we had to learn new environments, new edible plants, new danger. We encountered new challenges, so we solved problems.
Learning and solving problems helped us expand our cognitive ability. It may even be that the reason we are creative is because we stood up, freed our hands, and started making stuff.
We have been making stuff ever since. Walking and making is in our evolutionary DNA.
As Jon Lineen puts it walking has ‘influenced and accelerated humanity’s creative capacity and thus our evolution’.
2. We are starting to prove it
In 2014 Stanford University behavioural scientists conducted four experiments to test the effects of walking on creativity, when compared to sitting.
The 176 participants were given tasks used to gauge aspects of creativity.
They looked at three main areas associated with creativity: divergent, convergent, and analogical thinking.
Divergent thinking is the ability to generate a high quantity of possible solutions and ideas. In this area those walking or who had just walked generated 81% more ideas than those who had been sitting.
Convergent thinking is the ability to discern best solutions out of those ideas. While the increase in this area for those walking was not as high, there was still a 20% increase compared to the sitters.
When it came to generating analogies, that is, similes, metaphors and complex comparisons, everyone who walked came up with at least one novel and complex analogy compared to only half of those seated.
Their results confirmed what many have known for a long time: walking increases our ability to generate ideas and often quality analogies.
3. If they did it…
From Virginia Woolf to Simone de Beauvoir; from the Bronte sisters to Charles Dickens to Friedrich Nietzsche; from Georgia O’Keefe to Daphne du Maurier, from Einstein to Steve Jobs; philosophers and writers; thinkers of many different moulds, have been recorded as being partial to a stroll, predisposed to a promenade, wild about a walk in the park.
Why?
Even before the Stamford experiments proved its benefit on creativity, walking has been an activity attributed with giving us access to a state of ‘flow’ as identified by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
Flow is when we stay in a state of heightened focus, like when we do something we love, and we have some skill in it so that we feel so present, and it seems that time stands still.
Flow is associated with creativity and improvisation.
It requires focus but it’s not so challenging that we can’t think about anything else. Like walking.
Most of us are proficient enough walkers to be able to let the mind wander while we wonder and think, thought after thought percolating effortlessly. While part of our brain is engaged in keeping us upright and putting one step in front of the other, another part is making connections, associations and imagining.
As Rebecca Solnit writes:
‘Walking allows us to be in our bodies and in the world without being made busy by them. It leaves us free to think without being wholly lost in our thoughts’
Walking is in our developmental DNA. Walking slows us down enough to let our thoughts travel through unchartered spaces in our minds where they become inklings, ideas and even solutions, where patterns emerge and perspective gain clarity.
How it happens and why is still quite a mystery, but we have some proof that walking improves our ability to be creative.
Through the ages some have known this intuitively.
Today, you might know this too.
Malchin Peak - Tavan Bogd National Park - Mongolia
In an Instagram-curated world, hiking adventures may be depicted by an image of intrepid, outdoor-gear clad people standing on a remote mountain top or a rugged outback river gorge.
The effort it took to get to that spectacular place is implied but our focus is on the triumph of the arrival – the destination.
We don’t see the grimace that went with that first step to cross a cold river as the icy water fills our boots. Or the rank wet smell as we slide our feet into damp socks and wet boots the next morning.
There’s no sound of gasping for air as altitude and scree conspire against us up the side of a steep mountain.
There’s no mention of the raw skin left on our hips from the rubbing of the backpack straps, or blisters or lost toenails.
We have no inkling of how many wrong turns were taken and whether snakes, bears or swarms of mosquitoes were encountered on the adventure.
Murchison Gorge - Kalbarri National Park - Western Australia
More specifically, we do not see what personal fears and limitations were conquered to get to that magnificent spot.
There is no attention drawn to the many times the adventure takes us out of our comfort zone and the transformative impact that can have on our lives.
Because that’s the thing about adventure.
It’s all about getting out of your comfort zone!
And getting our comfort zone can be life changing and transformative.
Here are three reasons why:
1. Stepping out of our comfort zones fosters a mindset of growth and learning.
Our comfort zone is a state of being in which we are ‘comfortable’ because there is no stress or anxiety; we are familiar with what we are experiencing, and we do not need to do anything we do not how to do.
Since we are not pushing outside of our limits we don’t get to know what we are capable of doing.
Murchison Gorge - Kalbarri National Park
The first time we step into a river and start to tentatively feel our way around slippery rocks and wade in the opaque, cold water we may not know what we are doing but when we get to the other side of the river, we KNOW we can.
We will never NOT know that we can.
That is transformation.
Plenty of studies tell us that if it’s too easy we do not learn.
We also get to embrace challenge instead of avoiding it.
There is nowhere to go once you are halfway up the side of a scree- covered mountain at 4,000 metres. You either come down or keep going. This carries over into other aspects of our lives. It builds resilience. There is nothing more to do but walk if you are half way along a remote beach with limited access.
The Cape to Cape - Margaret River Region - Western Australia
Which means we learn to persist rather than give up.
And as many a self-development guru will tell us, persistence is power. To achieve great things, whether it is a Phd, a successful business or healthy relationships and communication, it takes persistence.
What is more, through persistence and embracing the challenge we get understand why the effort matters and how much it is worth once we get to a place that literally takes our breath away with its beauty.
Turgen National Park - Mongolia
We cannot exist healthily in constant stress and discomfort without it taking a toll emotionally, psychologically and physically. But most of us spend way too much time shrouded in certainty and comfort.
As Maslow proposed, once we have met our most basic needs, we are left with a driving desire to attain higher levels of purpose and self-actualisation.
2. Stepping out of our comfort zone can give us new perspectives.
The view from the top of Malchin Peak in the north-west Mongolian wilderness has literally brough tears to my eyes each time I have summitted. The view of mountains and snow peaks and glaciers as far as the eyes can see leaves an imprint and physically changes our brain.
These new perspectives are not only physically as we see something we have not seen before and that cannot be seen from anywhere else; but they are also, emotional and symbolic as they open our minds to new possibilities and ideas.
We become able to turn a fear of failing into opportunities for learning
We learn that there are different ways of viewing EVERYTHING.
Kamchatka - Mutnovsky Volcano Hike 2019
3. Stepping out of our comfort zone makes us happy.
This may be for a number of reasons. First, as described above, the overwhelming emotion of beauty can give us a ‘peak experience’, that is, an experience of intense joy that is ‘ meaningful and transformational’.
My first ever solo hike was to the Annapurna basecamp in Nepal. I had decided to do it without a porter or a guide and so I hiked on my own for 10 days. As I approached one of the passes, the mist rose around me covering any view other than the path and nearby vegetation. When I woke up in the morning and looked around at the clear, sharp and breathtaking spectacle of the Himalayan mountain I was overwhelmed with emotion. Something that was intensely joyful and unforgettable.
Himalayas - Nepal
Another reason we feel happy when we step out of our comfort zone, is that we can feel a huge sense of accomplishment that fuels our self-esteem and makes us feel powerful.
On another solo walk, this time in the Turgen National Park in northwest Mongolia, uncertain about the route and distance to my pick up point, I was in a heightened state of awareness as I walked alone over a 3,100 metre pass to a gigantic view of a meandering river that stretched for miles. After more than 35 kms walking, I reached the place and waited, very wary and uncertain. When I saw the driver and his smiling Tuvan wife approach in the distance, I felt an immeasurable sense of achievement and capability.
I had done it! Nobody can take that away.
Lastly, as some post-pandemic research has shown, breaking that feeling of being in a rut can be simply overcome by doing something that is outside our comfort zone. For some people this could be hiking a 4,000 metre mountain in a remote corner of the planet and for others clambering up a 360 metres mount littered with beautiful wildflowers is enough to shake them out of complacency and dullness.
Climbing down East Mt Barren - Fitzgerald River National Park
East Mt Barren - Fitzgerald River National Park - smiles all round.
Stepping out of our comfort zone, in whatever form that takes, fosters a mindset for growth and learning, it opens our minds to new perspectives, and it just makes us happy!
When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone?
Cowslip Orchids …Caledenia sp
“I am blooming from the wound where I once bled”
Rumi
Kukenarup Memorial, about 15 km out of Ravensthorpe, is an eerily quiet and deeply peaceful place.
Walking around the short trail in seems at first very solemn. It is, after all, the memorial of a massacre of local indigenous people perpetrated by local European settlers in the early 1800s. One of the first of its kind in Australia.
At the same time, it is a place of great beauty - full of wildflowers.
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Tavan Bogd National Park
Since 2015 I have been travelling to the Tavan Bogd National Park, approximately 1,700 km from Ulaan Baatar (UB), Mongolia’s capital, and home to the Mongolian section of the Altai Mountains.
In summer, many Tuvan and Kazakh nomadic herders bring their animals to graze in its pastures. It is an idyllic place to spend day after day walking immersed in unspoilt and remote wilderness with waterfalls, streams, glaciers and Mongolia’s tallest peaks.
The journey to the Tavan Bogd National Park starts in Ulgii, a town of about 30,000 people - mostly Kazakh muslims - in the western province of Bayan-Ulgii.
Ulgii - looking across the River Hovd.
We leave Ulgii from the northwest end of the town, past the airport where the bitumen road ends and almost seamlessly veers slightly to the left and onto a dirt track. Most of Mongolia road travel takes place along this colossal network of dirt roads and paths on which you rarely see a post or sign for directions.
It is an exciting, bumpy ride inside the Russian furgon (like a 4WD Combi van), coasting down the side of hills; bouncing and sliding on the felt seat covers, slowing down often to let the herds of sheep or goats scatter around us, and let us through.
All around the views are expansive. Long stretches of undulating grassy green hills with yaks, horses, goats and sheep grazing in herds. In the horizon snow-peaked mountains, beside us rushing rivers and creeks whose crossings require skilled 4WD action over uneven, pebbled banks; above us, endless skies.
The 150 km between Ulgii and the National Park takes about 5 to 6 hours and we arrive at the southern entry (only 12 km from the border with China).
Our hike starts here, with a bridge crossing over the southern-most end of Khoton Lake at about 2,000 metres above sea level.
Because the National Park is found at such proximity to the borders with both China and Russia, there are a number of check points with local rangers. Just past the bridge to the south is the first check-point. Permits and passports need to be shown to the military guard there - they also check that you are travelling with a local guide.
After sitting in the van for half the day it is great to finally start walking, Khoton lake on the right, China not far on our left and all around scattered larch trees and remaining trunks, hacked, evidence of significant clearing, probably for firewood.
What is most remarkable about hiking through this wilderness is that camp can be set up anywhere. Most of the time we walk for 8 - 10 km on day one and find a grassy patch, free of twigs and rocks, near the lake’s edge.
When the sun sets on this first day of this 9-day hike it is not unusual to see a pack of horses or the silhouette of yaks in the distance...a great last view of the day on this already amazing journey.
We set off early and continue walking along the edge of the lake, as close to the water as possible, regularly coming across herds of yaks, sheep or goats grazing. Occasionally, in the distance a couple of young children play in front of a 'ger' or yurt. Often local nomads are setting up or taking down their camps, or have cheese drying in the sun.
Walking on this side of the lake means walking through patches of fairly dense larch forest. We also walk through quite boggy terrain surrounding meandering creeks and brooks that empty into the lake. We have to cross many of these waterways by taking off our shoes and wading through calf high water.
There are times when to get across the delta-like network of streams emptying into one side of the lake, we have to take off our shoes and wade to sandy islands that deceivingly seem to offer a shallower place for crossing. Sometimes we just jump on the horses and let them carry us across.
In the mountains the weather can change very quickly and sometimes we have to hurry to get our wet weather gear out and scramble to take cover in between the branches of a small, bushy trees.
The second night is also beside the lake, much further north. We camp only 6 or 7 metres from the edge of the lake, the water laps the mossy pebbles all night while the moon and a warm fire makes it a very peaceful night. The fire is a great place to dry wet shoes - there is always plenty of firewood at this altitude.
I often have the best night’s sleep while camping and wake before sunrise to a faint, early morning moon suspended pearl-like above the lake, usually followed by a sensational sunrise.
We often meet Kazakh women and children as we walk away from the campground - they are very hospitable and often invite us in for tea, bread and dried cheese.
The third day is a bit more rigorous with some hills offering a welcomed challenge. It is just the right combination of warm sun and cool breeze for it too.
At the northern end of the lake, where the river flows into it from the mountain glaciers, we cross another long wooden bridge that takes us almost directly to the second ranger's station.
The ranger spots us from a distance and is already approaching on his motorbike by the time we reach the post.
Further north we leave the river on one side as we start to climb steadily up a large rocky outcrop fringed abundantly with juniper bushes and follow the clear path along the rocky ridge of a gorge.
With the added elevation come impressive views of the lake on one side and snow-peaked mountain tops in the distance on the other. It does not matter where we look, the views are magnificent.
We leave the wide open space of the valley to go into a gorge where the valley deepens and starts to ascend into the mountains.
We camp beside the fast-moving river, loud and powerful, at a spot that has been used as a campsite before; firewood has been left stacked on one side for us to find.
So many streams as we climb higher into the mountains
At the northern end of the lake, where the river flows into it from the mountain glaciers, we cross another long wooden bridge that takes us almost directly to the second ranger's station.
Further north we leave the river on one side as we start to climb steadily up a large rocky outcrop fringed abundantly with juniper bushes and follow the clear path along the rocky ridge of a gorge.
With the added elevation come impressive views of the lake on one side and snow-peaked mountain tops in the distance on the other. It does not matter where we look, the views are magnificent.
We leave the wide open space of the valley to go into a gorge where the valley deepens and starts to ascend into the mountains.
We camp beside the fast-moving river, loud and powerful, at a spot that has been used as a campsite before; firewood has been left stacked on one side for us to find.
Although the river is loud and the ground hard, neither deters us from sleeping well. It is one of the most magical spots on the hike, with the river foaming white as it races round the rocky bends, speeding past us roaring.
And yet, from the moment we set off, walking is more than wonderful that whole fourth day. Most people start to get into a groove, become comfortable with the weight of their packs, and start to fully notice, enjoy and appreciate the flowers and insects, the different succulents sprouting out of rock crannies, the sounds of kites, hawks and eagles, the scurrying land squirrels…
We continue to gradually climb. The terrain, a combination of arid gravelly paths over rocky outcrops, clear dirt tracks through patches of forest and bog like wetlands on the lower sections of the valley… fast moving streams cascade down the side of the hills around us and long and narrow waterfalls can be seen in the distant mountain sides.
We walk past a small lake surrounded by wildflowers and it feels like we are truly in the mountains. Walking over the wetlands keeps us alert, leaping over deceivingly shallow puddles to avoid drenching boots. Climbing becomes tougher and steeper, breathing quickens as we ascend above the valley and zig zag up the side of the mountain.
We are starting to climb towards 2,600 metres here and this is when we start to sweat and puff and feel the weight or our packs. We also cross the second widest stream. It is not so shallow, about 30 metres wide and its glacier water is bitingly, painfully cold. We have crossed on foot before but if possible we always choose to cross on horseback.
Once we get across the stream, we climb a few more hundred meters and camp once again, on the softest, warmest grass next to a narrow brook.
What a sublime view to wake up to and how tranquil is the sound of the brook whispering beside the camping spot. Squirrels and marmots are all around and we once even saw a Mongolian mountain goat - Capra sibirica - but they are too fast to photograph.
Day five is the toughest climb and altitude makes breathing short and fast, but the views keep getting more and more magnificent as we reach the 3,400-metre pass. The ground up here is covered with chunks of black and grey slate and the sharp chilly wind is offset by the bright, warm sun, and being surrounded by a 360 degree views of the top of several peaks and smaller glaciers.
Mountain shrine at mountain pass 3,300 metres
All around are mountain edges, shrines, the river flowing in the distance, glaciers, changing terrain & wildflowers. This is a breathtaking and very dramatic section of walking; a sensory overload from every direction.
As we descend to the valley, we can sometimes see the activities of nomadic Tuvan herders. We can see nomads fixing a truck, or checking on the drying goat skins spread like offerings outside a ger. Or a team of men and women finishing a day of grass cutting (using scythes) and packing it tight into the back of a truck.
Today we walk under the bold and vivid blue of the sky, over the summer green & yellow hues of the grassy slopes and with the murmur of the distant river in our ears. Occasionally, a rabbit, a marmot or a land squirrel scampers in front of us, looking for their underground shelter; wildflowers abound.
Before turning north towards the next pass and our final destination, we go off the path to a rocky outcrop where ancient petroglyphs are found. These rock carvings are evidence that these mountains were inhabited at least 10,000 ago.
Once over the pass, the descent to the Tsagaan Gol River is steady; the slope growing steeper as we approach the raucous rushing water.
The Tsagaan Gol River, also known as White River, is milky white from the sediment and silt it carries from the glacier. This part of the National Park is also one of the most popular entries. Many people arrive directly here by 4WD and day-hike up to the base camp then return to camp near the river. Another ranger meets us here and checks our permits.
On all the other camping spots we are alone, here there are usually a few groups, depending on the time of the year. It is a place to have some social contact and to rest before the final ascent to basecamp.
Tsagaan Gol - White River - Tavan Bogd National Park
The ascent from the river camp up to the base camp and the Potanin Glacier is steep for about 1 km, then it steadily rises to over 3,000 metres. The ground is boggy at times, with squelching, muddy sections to manoeuvre.
The five sacred peaks get closer and closer. It is all about the journey, of course, but it is an awesome feeling when you finally get a clear, sharp view of the destination.
The basecamp above the glacier is where most people camp. The Potanin Glacier is the longest in Mongolia stretching for over 14 km through the Altai Mountains into Russia. Sadly, like many other glaciers around the world, the Potanin Glacier is decreasing in size at approximately 11 metres a year.
In the evening, the sky can really put on a show that no photos can do justice to it.
Waking up to the 180 degree view of the five sacred peaks - Nairamdal, Burged, Ulgii, Malchin, Khuiten and the Potanin Glacier below is one of those moments that gets etched in the mind to be recalled many times over, years after it has passed. It is a moment that holds power, mystery and beauty.
Tavan Bogd - the five sacred peaks
On day 8 some of us climb up Malchin Peak, the only peak that does not require equipment or experience in alpine climbing. It is far from easy though. First, there is the 5 km walk to the foot of the peak.
Walking to the base of Malchin Peak.
Then there is the tough walk uphill, at altitude. It requires stamina and patience as we very slowly walk up the slippery and loose scree. The ‘marked’ path is often not clear and the weather changes several times during one day. There is scrambling over boulders, slushing through wet snow and slipping backwards on the loose scree. And then, after a few hours, and a hundred stops to catch your breath, there it is!
The peak and the 360 degree views of extraordinary panoramas that make me pinch myself every time.
We don’t stay long at the summit, it’s windy and usually cold and we still need to get back down and walk the 5 km back to basecamp. It’s a long day and not everyone is up for it, but if you are, it’s worth it!
About two kilometres after leaving basecamp there is a large shrine or ‘tobo’ where Mongolians - Buddhist, Muslim or not - leave offerings to the spirits of the mountain. Biscuits, juniper, prayer flags, money and even animal sacrifices are left and prayers sent high up into the mountain deities.
Mountain shrine Tavan Bird National P
From this spot the glacier the 5 sacred peaks are clearly visible for one last time before we start to head to the northeastern entrance to the national park.
There is one more stream to negotiate, before reaching the ranger’s post, but this is usually shallow and although still icy, it is very easily managed.
There is a feeling of sadness on this last day and as we make our way back through the Mongolian countryside to Ulgii I am always overcome with a feeling of great achievement and fulfilment, as well as gratitude for having witnessed such pristine wilderness.
All the food we serve is vegetarian or plant-based.
A couple of weeks ago someone posted a query on our Edgewalkers Facebook Page about one of our walks.
I asked them what dates they were interested in coming.
Their cheeky answer was: "we'll come the day you serve meat!
I laughed and wrote back that I wished them a happy hike ... with another company!
Of course, there are plenty of other companies choosing to cater for the growing plant-based and vegetarian clientele; however, most businesses that serve food generally provide meat options. And that is fine.
Edgewalkers, is a vegetarian and plant-based company.
For some people this is the reason they’ve booked with us.
For a small minority of people, it may be the reason why they haven’t.
For most, it is not important, they welcome the opportunity to try something different and leave having tried ‘some of the best plant-based food’ they have ever eaten.
Here are some reasons why I chose to make Edgewalkers a plant-based & vegetarian company:
I am vegetarian. I know; it’s all my fault.
I became a vegetarian while living and working in Japan in 1991 - I was 22 years old and I had a moment (you could call it an epiphany) half way down a set of stairs leading into the meat section of a Daiei department store in Nagoya, when I realised that I did not belong in the life-death cycle as a meat-eater. There was something about the beautifully wrapped and glistening meat cuts that I was descending into that had this momentous impact on my life.
Just to be clear, I am not against other people eating meat.
In fact, I think that it is a natural cycle of life and death and like many other animals humans can fall into a number of categories. We can be like lions, sharks, hyenas. We can be like chooks, otters and monkeys. And we can be elephants, bison, elks.
I am an elk. I’m fine with grass. I thrive on plant-based food. I am not naturally inclined to fish or hunt, or to kill anything in general for food.
So, there is no way that I could be part of an enterprise that involves going out and procuring chicken drumsticks or pork chops. There was no other avenue for me in this business.’
We are aspiring to be a fully accredited ecotourism company. And yes, it makes a huge difference to reduce how much we participate in animal agriculture.
Between 15 - 25% of greenhouse gas emissions come from animal agriculture (depending on what you read and how the carbon footprint is calculated) ...however you work it - it is significant.
Beef, lamb and dairy contribute almost 60% of all the emissions produced by food production... I know, it’s huge. Even if we cut back on eating beef and lamb to once a week and cheese and milk to a few times a week, we are making an impact. This is according to peer-reviewed journal the Lancet & other reputable sites like the Medical Journal of Australia, not my opinion.
Our water consumption is reduced by 55% on a plant based diet. For example, there are various calculations of this but generally to produce 100 g of beef protein, it takes approximately 700 litres of water - for the equivalent protein from tofu it only takes about 90 litres of water, 8 times less water.
It’s the easiest and quickest way we can immediately make a difference…
Edgewalkers is also a wellness company. Therefore we are here to promote wellbeing and health.
There is plenty of evidence out there to show that the consumption of animal products, especially in the quantities that we consume them, are making us sick.
I want to stress that I am NOT against animal consumption and believe that many people are naturally inclined to do better by eating meat. However, eating meat every day is NOT healthy. Look into it. Here is a start
Cooking plant-based food at one of our retreats
Most of us are passionate about our food.
Nobody likes to be told what they ought to be eating or that what they eat is part of our environmental problem.
I don't like it. You probably don’t like it either.
But you don't have to be a militant vegan or radically change your diet to make an impact.
At Edgewalkers we want to support all our fellow adventurers and creative souls in reducing our impact on the planet and helping to regenerate the pristine wilderness and care for the diversity that our amazing natural environments offer us.
Before our borders were slammed shut in March 2020 because of the COVID 19 pandemic, I had plans to travel far and wide like I do almost every year.
2020 held in store a number of interstate and overseas adventures: a quick trip to the Northern Territory to walk through the MacDonnell Ranges on the the Lara Pinta Trail; a 4-week reccy of eastern European mountains across the Borbalo Pass deep in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia (country) and two weeks scoping the Peak of the Balkans across Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo.
I was then going to head east to Mongolia to lead our 4th hiking expedition through the Tavan Bogd National Park, pictured above. And then later in the year, the plan was to travel to Panama to scout a walk across the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia.
I had also planned to write about it.
Of course, these plans were all put on hold for a couple of years, but very soon, armed with a new passport, a trusted backpack and triply vaccinated, I will once again traverse the Indian Ocean and make my way to distant lands.
Despite travelling not always being easily accessible to women, especially on our own, many gutsy and adventurous women before us, defied untenable obstacles, way more hindering than a global pandemic, and blazed trails to write about their travels and adventures, inspiring others, like me, to do the same.
In her book Wayward Women: A Guide to Women Travellers, Jane Robinson presents a collection of more than 350 women across 16 centuries whose writing stands as a testament to a spirit of discovery and curiosity.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day this week, and as I prepare to run my 7th Women’s Walking & Writing Retreat, I pay homage to two of these remarkable women, both from the 18th century. Their courage and refusal to conform led them to forge new paths for themselves and for women travellers. Reading their words more than 200 years after they were penned, feels like I am being guided; being mentored and connected across time.
Isabella Bird
I first came across Isabella Bird in Caryl Churchill’s play Top Girls - where she is the indefatigable explorer; a character who rejects traditional femininity and talks about her extensive travels. But it was when I first researched travelling to Tibet in 2004 that I came across her book Among the Tibetans. I didn’t read it, to my 35 year old mind it seemed antiquated. Now as a 53 year old, and after living for 2 years in Tibet, I understand and admire the extraordinary feat of its author.
Women in Yushu, Qinghai Province, China.
Isabella Bird, born in 1831 to a wealthy and religious family in north Yorkshire, turned her back on the restricting gender expectations of Victorian England to become an intrepid and adventurous traveller, travel writer, photographer and naturalist.
Suffering from debilitating health issues, Bird was encouraged by her doctor to take an ocean voyage to reap the rewards of fresh sea air. With one hundred pounds from her father and a command to not return until she had spent it, her journey to Canada would become the beginning of her adventure-filled life and remarkable travel writing.
‘I have just dropped into the very place I have been seeking, but in everything it exceeds all my dreams.’
Between 1854 and 1901 she travelled to Hawaii, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey, Egypt, Persia, Kurdistan, Morocco and Tibet.
See the map below:
from Victorian Women Travellers in Meiji Japan, Nippon.com
Even hardcore travellers of the 21st century would have trouble matching the globetrotting effort of this extraordinary adventurer. She rode mules, horses, oxen, rickshaws, slept in huts and climbed Himalayan mountains and Hawaiian volcanoes; she even had a romance with an American outlaw while in the Rocky Mountains. Her writing had social commentary and she did not hold back her own opinions:
‘The 'almighty dollar' is the true divinity, and its worship is universal.’
Her first book The English Woman in America was so well received she was able to continue travelling with the money she earned. Her second book, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, was her most popular, and gave her not only the ability to finance her travels but also some notoriety.
Among her 9 travel books, is an 800 page tome Unbeaten Tracks in Japan where she was one of few foreigners to explore Meiji Japan extensively at a time when travel for foreigners was very restricted; and, Among the Tibetans in which she recounts her astonishing and arduous journey through Tibet.
‘My first yak was fairly quiet and looked a noble steed with my Mexican saddle and gay blanket among rather than upon his thick black locks.’
For me not such an arduous journey through Tibet
She came to love the freedom of travel and the unencumbered simplicity of few possessions, and travelled light.
“I still vote civilization a nuisance, society a humbug and all conventionality a crime.”
Not satisfied with her success in writing, she took up photography in her 60s and provided images of lands and people few had ever set eyes on in Europe.
Isabella Bird was well known in Britain and became the first woman to be made a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society.
Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft was also an English writer and radical philosopher who is more famous today for her significant contribution to the feminist canon with the Vindication on the Rights of Women, than for her travel writing. I came across here while studying feminist theory at university. She was one of our first true feminists believing in the rights of everyone to learn, express their views and make ‘improving our minds’ a life pursuit.
This extraordinary and inspiring woman, born in 1759 to a family whose patriarch had little value for girls, defied the expected role of women of her time in so many ways. She disregarded traditional roles by pursuing a career in writing, travelled extensively in Europe on her own and refused to marry her American businessman boyfriend, with whom she had a daughter.
More than 100 years before she would be allowed to vote Wollstonecraft travelled through Sweden Norway and Denmark - with her 1-year old Fanny and maid in tow - on a ‘clandestine errand’ to help her lover recover some silver that had gone missing from one of his commercial ships.
For four months, as she risked life on dangerous sea voyages, dealt with greedy port officials, and experienced the natural beauty she encountered, Wollstonecraft wrote letter after letter to him. The collection of these letters was later published as a remarkable travel book Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
Wollstonecraft’s travel writing did not focus on customs, manners and traditions as did most women travel writers emerging at the time. Instead, she engaged with topics relating to contemporary life, politics and social issues, with critical observations and reflections about the society she was travelling through:
She discussed the French Revolution, the way men treated women, the horror of slavery ‘slavery has retard the improvement of every class in Denmark’; she criticises the folly of commercial enterprise,
‘Everywhere wealth commands too much respect; and it is the only object pursued’.
And many topics which at that time commonly left out of travel writing including many existential wonderings.
‘What a long time it requires to know ourselves; and yet almost every one has more of this knowledge than he is willing to own, even to himself’
Spending time in spectacular natural landscapes she wrote passages that were moving and inspiring:
‘Reaching the cascade…my soul was hurried by the falls into a new twin of reflections…I asked myself why I was chained to life and its misery? Still the tumultuous emotions of this sublime object excited were pleasurable; and viewing it, my soul rose, with renewed dignity, above its cares - grasping at immortality - it seemed as impossible to stop the current of my thoughts, as of the always varying, still the same, torrent before me - I stretch out my hand to eternity, bounding over the dark speck of life to come.’
Wollstonecraft was not only one of the first instigators of feminism, she also opened the door for women travel writers ‘to present themselves authoritatively in a narration and within a vocation’.
Some sources
Bird, I. Among the Tibetans,
Harper, L., The Stigma or Emotions, Mary Wollstonecraft’s Travel Writing
Parks, C., 2014, The Peripatetic Life of Isabella Bird, The Appendix, Vol 2, no 4
Robinson, J., 2002, Wayward Women: A Guide to Women Travellers, Oxford University Press
Sterry, L., 2009, Isabella Bird, Victorian Women Travellers in Meiji Japan, Brill
Wollstonecraft, M., 1895, Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway and Denmark
Walking & Yoga Weekend - a fabulous and popular new addition to our products
18 months ago I sat at my dining table, paper and markers in hand, brainstorming what direction to take Edgewalkers in.
My plans to expand our International adventures in Mongolia and Russia and to explore new possibilities in Panama and Georgia (country) were suddenly halted; the international and interstate client base that we had been building over the previous 4 years was gone and it was looking like we would not have much work to the new staff member I was planning to hire: i.e. the amazing Kirra Diconza.
(pictured above at yoga weekend)
The word 'pivot' was everywhere. At first, I thought it was some netball or basketball-related business analogy. I soon learnt that as a business model, ‘pivoting’ is a business strategy (used a lot by start-ups) that allows the business to drop one aspect of the business and refocus on another, usually letting go of the previous direction.
The point is to allow the enterprise to change course and discard anything it no longer needs, this could be its partners, its key client base, its activities, its revenue streams; its resources. Basically, change whatever allows it to adapt as the climate changes around it.
Well, we pivoted.
Working with Kirra is total joy!
We created the 2-day Cape to Cape Quickie & the 3-day Walking & Yoga Weekend. We dropped our margin and priced them so that our local WA market would find them appealing. We got to hire Kirra and keep our small team working the whole time.
Walking & Yoga Weekend - Margaret River
We built on the success of our Walking with Wildflowers and offered more dates. We adventured further north in WA and trialed an outback adventure featuring the Murchison Gorge in Kalbarri.
Walking with Wildflowers - Fitzgerald Biosphere
We continued to have success with The Creativity Retreat and the Women's Walking & Writing Retreat and decided to try a few others. We added a Leadership Retreat (so, so 😐) a Mother-Daughter Retreat (no go 😞) and then a Walking, Yoga, and Plant-Based Cooking Retreat (oh yeah baby 😁). We cut costs by buying our own van, having my partner John join the company, and working our little butts off.
2021 has been all about trial and error, adaptation, flexibility, patience, and continuing to walk our talk by providing wholehearted and high-quality experiences that leave people feeling fulfilled and reset.
Edgewalkers is not out of the woods yet, but 2021, despite the refunds, the impending lock-downs, the tight-shut WA borders, and the shortage of staff, has been a WILD and STUNNING year!
Bring on 2022 and our seventh year bringing people close to nature and to their most creative possibilities. 😁
The Fitzgerald Biosphere - Western Australia
On St Mary’s Beach at Point Ann, the powdery white sand squeaks beneath our hiking boots as the dazzling turquoise of the Southern Ocean gently laps the shore. About 50 metres out from the beach a dark, grey fin waves to us. Then another. We are all excited at the sighting. Whales!
The water is not always this calm. Sometimes the southerly wind is icy and the ocean wild, the wind strong behind us walking eastwards along the beach.
About a kilometre along St Mary’s Beach we turn off the beach, and walk up a dune and into the bush.
We are on the Mamang trail (Mamang is a Noongar word for whale), we will see more whales once we are back near the ocean. Now, we wade through a pink carpet of melaleucas and verticortias.
The Mamang Trail - in the Fitzgerald River National Park…
Blue Leschenaultia claw flowers sway in the low coastal heath and red grevillea nudiflora flowers reach out onto the rocky sandy path, alone on their stems.
Exposed hakea seed pods range in sizes as the end of the curly white tendrils start to brown and come to the end of their bloom.
Low on the ground Honey Pot Banksias and Petrophile Longifolia give texture to the path, softened by the pastel blue of a subtle smoke bush.
This year, probably due to the plentiful rainfall they have experienced after almost 3 years of drought, the Banksia lemanniana shrubs are heavy with yellowing flowers, in various stages of growth. Like lanterns these textured banksias illuminate the bush.
Banksia lemanniana - Fitzgerald River National Park
Not much later, I shriek when we find the Western Tiny Blue orchids in the same spot they were last year.
On the way to the Ravensthorpe Range we stop for a short stroll through the Kukenarup Memorial. Like sweet surprises, Purple Enamel and Lemon-Scented Sun orchids appear throughout the low heath. Scattered in small groups, colonies of Spider Orchids, sway peacefully in the breeze.
On the Ravensthorpe Range the pink Kunzea flowers spill out onto the rugged red of the four-wheel track where we walk, oohing and wowing at the floral spectacle. The views of the mine below us do not detract from the sheer enjoyment of being immersed in a diversity of wildflowers that is hard to match.
Kunzea sp. on the Ravensthorpe Range
Yellow Grevillea Shuttleworthiannas and Acacia opheolithica hug the edges of the trail.
There are Purple Dampiera and white Goodenias, Grevillea coccinea (toothbrush), Grevillea pectinata, Grevillea tripartite, Grevillea fulgens, and two different species of Boronia. The Ravensthorpe Bottlebrush is also flowering early and the Acacia glaucoptera is full of yellow blooms.
Tennis Ball Banksia - Banksia laevigata
The Hake Trail - Fitzgerald River National Park
Further south, we walk on the west side of the FRNP where the Hakea trail follows the coastline from Quoin Head to Cave Point. Our walk from Hammersley Inlet to West Beach is about 13 km. There are plenty of Melaleucas in flower; more pink. Royal Hakeas sway and rattle above red spiky claw flowers (Calathamnus sp), light pink boronias, and Banksia lemannias are plentiful.
We sight purple enamel orchids and cowslips too. Trigger plants litter the edges of the trail as we approach West Beach - tall pink ones and creamy cow-kicks; here also the yellow of Eucalyptus preissiana flowers shine to the brackdrop of the breathtaking coastline.
All over the biosphere, we see Qualup Bells, but nowhere are they more colourful and abundant than at the Barren’s Lookout. Several bushes there are heavy with scoops of pink-yellow blooms.
And, this year, also flowering early, the Barren’s Regalia or Regelia velutina, lines the track all the way up to the magnificent views from East Mt Barren
Barren’s Regalia on top of East Mt Barren, Fitzgerald River National Park
Verticordia grandis - Lesueur National Park
It may be raining and blowing a gale outside right now but as we get closer to the Djilba season (Noongar name for August and September season), you can already see the bright yellow acacias brightening up the bush from the Pilbara to the great southern regions.
We love the wildflower season in Western Australia. And this year is already proving to be a bumper season.
If you want to see some stunning wildflowers right now within 3 hours drive of Perth, then head north to the florally diverse Lesueur National Park. There are currently 3 set trails there (with a multi-day trail being built at the moment) and these will take you on a magical meander through some florally rich landscapes.
The Lesueur National Park is home to over 10 declared threatened species and over 900 species of flowers. It is a hub of diversity and the trails are well posted. Here are some captures from a recent scoping trip into this magical wildflower wonderland.
The Stirling Range National Park is one of Western Australia’s most visited national parks and has been called a ‘coral reef out of water’ for its great floral diversity and environmental value.
Early in May (autumn in the southern hemisphere) we took a much-needed, unstructured day off and travelled the 5 hours south of Perth to hike Mt Magog and Talyuberlup, two of the more demanding peaks in the park.
From the very moment we turned onto Stirling Range Drive to access the trailhead, bright and glistening blooms covered in the morning dew and soft rain adorned the way.
On the trail too, which starts with a gentle slope and steadily becomes more demanding, an abundance of flowering plants lined the path.
Fascinated by the fabulous view of Mt Magog and Talyuberlup we hiked up its craggy & slippery granite footholds and muddy slopes, captivated by the floral natives that lit up the path all the way up to the increasingly challenging peak. Acacias, hakeas, banksias, bottlebrushes endemic to the area and a scattering of Kingia australis visible throughout, to name just a few of the more prominent plants.
The day was damp and the trail was challenging. We made our way over the densely vegetated ridge on the less travelled trail from Magog to Talyuberlup and by the time we had hiked all the way there and back, and down to the car, we were exhausted and wet but filled with a deep sense of wellbeing.
Sure, physical exercise results in a myriad of physical and mental benefits – our bodies have evolved for physical activity, but much of the feeling of wellbeing may well be due to the beauty we were immersed in.
When we fascinate, it was discovered in 1890 by American psychologist William James, we switch on the parasympathetic system and help the brain regenerate mental energy.
Fascination may be why natural organisms and environments can engender such a feeling of wellness and peace. Fascination, regenerates mental energy and although the body might be tired from the physical exertion, the mind is calm and fresh and more aware of its surroundings.
Below are some of the spectacular plants we saw along the way.
The first bright yellow & orange flower is a Hibbertia selkii. I was delighted to see this beautiful species of the Hibbertia genus just casually brightening up the side of Stirling Range Drive, it’s a priority 2 listed species, which means that we don’t really know too much about this species because there are less than 5 locations where it is found. It means that the species needs to be studied more but is possibly going to be labelled threatened.
In the middle is Hakea cucullata, or Scalloped Hakea - a pretty plated offering of curly pink tassels. This is quite a tall plant, a couple of metres or more, sometimes leaning right out from the edge of the road.
Next to it is another hakea, Hakea lissocarpha, also called Honey Bush, and is widely spread around Western Australia from Geraldton to Esperance, its flowers creamy with pink hues.
Hakeas are endemic to Australia – most are found in WA - and were traditionally used as a source of food by Noongars for their sweet nectar – sometimes they sucked it straight from the plant, sometimes the flowers were soaked in water. The fruit of some hakeas, which is woody and hard was also roasted until the seeds popped out and were eaten like nuts.
There are so many species of flowers in the Stirling Ranges - 1500 to be exact and many only found here, as in nowhere else on the planet. Like this one: Darwinia hyperifolia. There is always something to fascinate about.
Here’s a short video of our exhilirating day!
