Rain Kilt

On our recent walk on the South Coast Track NZ this interesting zpacks innovation worked really well for me, keeping me warm (but not too) and dry above the knees, and providing a dry seat whenever I wanted to rest on a log. At 54 grams you are hardly going to notice it in your […]

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Ion Idriess: The Desert Column

Facsimile CoverWhen I was a lad I thrilled to the works of Ion Idriess http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_Idriess (and Nevil Shute: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevil_Shute ‘A Town Like Alice’, ‘On the Beach’, etc) I still wonder at his retelling of the Kidman story (‘The Cattle King’) I confess I have not read the wonderful book reviewed so capably here: https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2011/09/ion-idriess-and-the-desert-column/ regarding

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South Coast Track Fiordland NZ: Wairaurahiri to Rarakau

Following our gruelling walk to the Waitutu River, we had a rest day at the WaitutuLodge (http://www.waitutu.co.nz/ on the Wairaurahiri River to pamper Della’s knee and socialise with the delightful caretakers. Well restored we said our farewells to Rose Baldwin who had made us a delicious dinner the night before, and set off to conquer

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South Coast Track Fiordland NZ: Wairaurahiri to Waitutu

After a delightful night at the Waitutu Lodge (http://www.waitutu.co.nz/) we headed out towards the Waitutu River at 9:30, plenty of time for the 5 hours the sign at the Wairaurahiri Hut (and the DOC brochure opined), we thought. Little did we know that the signs at the Waitutu River pointing back where we were coming

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Yams (Oxalis Tuberosa)

OCA (Yams = Oxalis Tuberosa): Pete & Rose Baldwin at the Waitutu Lodge (http://www.waitutu.co.nz/) were growing these prolifically in their vegie garden. I had never seen them before, but obviously they would grow equally well in Southern Vic. I will be planting some this year: http://greenharvest.com.au/Plants/Information/Oca.html PS: I did so and they grew prolifically. See: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/root-vegie-pots-no-dig-no-weed-growing/

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The Far Horizons 1955

THRILLING TALES #4: ‘The Far Horizons’ 1955 is a retelling of Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition of 1804-6. Boy those old guys (I was minded of ‘our’ Bass & Flinders for comparison) could really travel the country. Get your copy here: https://kickasstorrents.im/the-far-horizons-1955-dual-audio-eng-spa-gem-share-t4907276.html) :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Far_Horizons

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Anzac Day

(VICTOR FRANK) LAWRENCE JONES (25/04/2015 – 28/07/1963). My beloved dad would have been 100 years old today (having been born on the first Anzac Day), if he had not been stolen from us just days before my fourteenth birthday (brain cancer) fifty two years ago. Tomorrow I will be able for the first time to

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