Friday, 11 December 2020

Safari's Favourite Stuff of 2020: Brews, Books & Flicks.

Beer:

Although I really don't drink that often these days (ahem), when I did partake this year I sampled some seriously tasty brews.  
All bar one of the following beers originate here in Tasmania, reflecting 2020 and the enforced travel restrictions it brought.  Staying local, drinking local?  Did we have a choice?

But that's quite ok.  Tasmanian breweries are kicking it in the dick and punching out loads of world class concoctions. 


Shambles Brewery: Summer Ale 500ml can

Tasmania















Morrison Brewery: 1000 English IPA

Tasmania














Last Rites Brewing Company: The Boozy Ditch, Smoked Brown Ale

Tasmania














Little Rivers Brewing: Vanilla Vice Milkshake IPA

Tasmania















Du Cane Brewing: Peak Pils Pilsner

Tasmania
















Little Bang Brewing Company: Face Inverter Citrus Sour

South Australia.















Books:

Picture sourced from Booktopia.com.au
Picture sourced from booktopia.com.au

Simon Reeve-  Step By Step
Hodder & Stoughton 2019

One of my fav BBC adventure travel presenters turned out to be far more relatable and vulnerable than I perceived.  
Simon goes deep and long into living a life of chronic despondency and despair whilst attaining adulthood and the choices and good fortune he embraced to reinvent himself into the uber well traveled TV star he is today.
Very readable and reeking of humility.




Jono Lineen  Perfect Motion: How Walking Makes Us Wiser
Random House Australia 2019

Jono Lineen truly embodies the phrase 'no time wasted'.
This legend has worked in a diverse number of vocations throughout his adventurous life such as tree planter in Canada, humanitarian worker across various war torn regions and tour guide in the Himalayas.   In Perfect Motion he reveals himself as a deep thinker and keen observer of humans interacting in the natural environment through his enigmatic writings.

I found it tricky to put down and am re-reading it for a second time.


Picture sourced from penguin.com.au


Wim Hof  The Wim Hof Method: Activate your potential, transcend your limits
Penguin 2020

Mr Hof needs no introduction.  
His breathwork and cold immersion techniques kick arse and they are an important daily ritual for myself and thousands of others.

This part memoir/ part instructional manual focuses on those 2 practices and the scientific evidence arising to validate his claims of good health and lower stress levels.
I also got to discover a funny, poignant side of Wim as he describes his love for his children and pushes a message of kindness and acceptance without prejudice.

Legend.  Hardman.  Boundless energy and positivity.


Robert Macfarlane The Old Ways
Penguin 2013

Rob Macfarlane is possibly the pre eminent writer on walking and wandering in the world today.  His output is prolific and the descriptive prose enchanting.

The Old Ways is a collection of journeys mostly around Britain, following ancient tracks and trails as well as a few sea routes thrown in.

I find Macfarlane's writing requires a fair bit of attention and being in a switched on state of mind to fully digest his observations and ideas.  This isn't throwaway airport reading, more like the thinking person's  writings on foot travel. 


 Neil Price A History of the Vikings: Children of Ash and Elm
Basic Books 2020

I listened to Neil on the very first episode of the Northern Fire podcast this year and immediately ordered his excellent work on the peoples whose exploits identified the 400 years or so of time known as the Viking age.

This is a subject close to my heart, not just because of the pop culture driven Dark Ages craze on the small screen via The Last Kingdom and Vikings tv shows- which are admittedly very good.  
I have been diving deep into my genealogy and learning about my Saxon, Celtic and Scandinavian roots.  I enjoy being part of a small sub culture that celebrates heathen tattoos and medieval art work.  All a bit of fun and giggles.

Building on a lifetime of academia, researching Viking culture, Neil blasts away any romantic notions about these long dead people and their way of life and exposes some disturbing finds.  
On top of the disturbing shit we are already familiar with.
Life was shit back then, people did shit things to each other and their enemies.  No way would any of us want to be living a thousand years ago, fuck that- but it was a fascinating, and culturally transforming, chunk of time in human history and deserving of this easily read, grand work he has collated.

Film:


The Walkumentary: Southbound on the CDT


Disco from the Trail Show podcast recently uploaded his full length homage to wandering across the USA from Canada to Mexico on the Continental Divide Trail on Youtube.

Although it dates from waaaaay back in 2006 when far fewer people walked or even knew about the CDT, I reckon it still holds up well in a now crowded genre of homemade walking films.  
Minus the poxy high pitched top 40 muzak that accompanies many efforts. 😉

Picture sourced from Amazon.com.au

The Biggest Little Farm

link here


I've been super motivated this year to smash the garden into shape and grow as much produce as possible under my own labour.  Not always the easiest goal given Tasmania's sometimes gloomy Winter and the instability of the natural environment of late (yes climate change is happening, go check out how the Arctic is faring if you doubt it).

There's nothing 'little' about this ambitious couple's newly acquired property; the 200 acres that is Apricot Lane Farm in California.  
What John and Molly do to transform the beat up, flogged out landscape deserves a fist pump or 2 and should give anyone a sharp nudge to innovate ways to enrich their own piece of dirt and grass.


Monday, 20 July 2020

Leeaberra Track, Douglas-Apsley National Park 28km

Tall trees, (mostly) dry terrain, coastal views, clean clear waters and best of all; no crowds. 
Sounds great right?



Douglas- Apsley National Park has all these desirable traits and you can sample them along the sometimes visited Leeabeera Track, over on the East Coast of Tasmania.

While the insta-facepage-addicted-hoards descend cheek by jowl on the flogged out yet very pretty Freycinet National Park, this wilder and more rugged chunk of rock and woods sees comparatively fewer hikers meaning more chance of solitude and less sightings of twenty somethings lining up to pose for 'must have' selfies at Wineglass Bay.

Posing for a 'must have' selfie at Thompson's Marshes 😜

I couldn't drum up any information on the meaning of 'Leeaberra' which is a shame.



Map sourced from www.ontheworldmap.com

How to access the Northern Terminus:


  • The 'E' road or East Road, is 22.3km North of Bicheno, just past Seymour.  It is an unsigned gravel track with 2 black posts at the Highway end that look like they previously held a Parks sign or something.  I toddled down the path in my 2WD van for less than a kilometre and parked it on the right hand side before the creek ditch. 


  • If you have a high clearance AWD or 4WD then skipping through the washout and the next one will save you 5 or 6 kilometres slogging it up the top of the wiggly track.

  • I quite liked the road walk up to the start, however a few other blogs and trip reports rag on this hike due to the access and logistics that require a car shuttle or pickup/ drop off from either end.


  • For what it's worth, I just turned the whole thing into a loop and walked from the Southern end point at Apsley Waterhole back up the Tasman Highway to my vehicle on day 3, notching up another 25 or 30 odd kilometres or whatever it was. 


Map sourced from www.aurorabeachcottages.com.au


  • Parks Tasmania has a page dedicated to the trail here

  • Parks Tasmania asks all walkers to hike North to South in order to prevent the further spread of Phytophthora, a root rot disease.  In addition; you can keep your kit clean.

  • Follow the orange markers.  There are a few groovy side trips along this path leading to waterfalls and lookouts.  I have visited them all in the past and just craved a linear A to B journey this time.

  • I walked the Leeaberra Track mid July 2020.




I used this crusty old map I have had for at least a dozen years.  It is easily procured from outdoor equipment retailers and online.


Day 1:  "E" Road entrance near the Tasman Highway to Heritage Falls Campsite.
              5.5km road walk plus 5.5km Northern Terminus to campsite.

Originally I was planning on a 2 day/ 1 night plod around the Rainforest Circuit and back out the same way to my car.  After arriving at the Heritage Falls campsite (no falls, they are another 40 minutes further down a side track), I was getting the happy brain juices flowing so I decided to bash on through the next day and finish up at Apsley. 

I encountered no leeches, no other people, mild weather and blue skies slap bang in the middle of a Tasmanian Winter.  This is why the East Coast is my go to region for non snow-bound hikes when the rest of the island is locked up in a wet and cold fug.

The dry eucalypt forests and dolerite boulders scattered about remind me strongly of walking in New South Wales or Western Victoria.  The track is easy to follow and there was absolutely none of the  disgusting toilet paper and human faeces commonly encountered steaming on the trail elsewhere on more popular hikes.  Just myself, the wallabies and the abundant birdlife.  Blissful.



Day 2:  Heritage Falls Campsite to Apsley Gorge Campsite.
             22.5km.

The trail undulates and rolls through a variety of terrain including pockets of wetter rainforest, views of the nearby coastline and ocean and a very steep drop down to the Douglas River for lunch.  

I crossed over and spread my quilt out to dry as the night before had brought with it a fair bit of condensation in the forested camp.



It is a lovely spot and I found I was reluctant to leave the sunshine and calm, hypnotic gurgle of the river.  Anyway, the track leads straight up, up, up and then along an old foresty track that has been reclaimed by the bush.  I didn't get my feet wet zip zagging through the Denison Marshes due to some very recent track maintenance work.  Thank you to whoever put in the effort.







One of many cheeky campsite possums keen to check out what I'm scoffing down for dinner.

There's a final climb before heading down to the Apsley River, then grazing farmland can be sighted.  I crossed the river before last light, collected water and trundled up the crushed rock path to the walk in campsite and cooked up dinner and threw up the tent.

Day 3: Apsley River Campsite to 'E' Road.  30km (??) along the Tasman Highway.

Road walking.  I really don't hate it like many other hikers do.

I woke super early and chugged a coffee and packed up quick.  A near full moon illuminated Rosedale Road and the odd farm dog bark, bark barked at me as I marched under clear skies to the A3 Highway.  Turning North I encountered little traffic until the bridge over the Douglas River then it was constant dual cab utes and busy people in a hurry blowing past until meeting the E Road again.  

Wasn't too bad though and a deviation to mooch up Denison Beach for an hour and watch the sunrise capped off a pleasurable couple of days.  I was at the van by 11 and in St Helen's for lunch soon after.



Douglas Apsley is a surprisingly wild National Park near the East Coast population centres with plenty of scope for side missions along the rough forestry roads and accessible peaks and gorges.

Years ago I lived in Bicheno (a nearby town) and walked the Leeaberra Track as a day-long hike a few times.  
You'll need to utilise a friend with a vehicle for pick up and drop off or plant an old bicycle at the Southern Terminus to pull this off.





Monday, 20 April 2020

The world's gone weird; Covid19, hunkering down in Northern Tasmania & nude Jenga.

What a crazy ol shit-storm we're rolling through this year.

According to the calendar hanging over my side of the bed, today I should be kicking off my Northbound hike of the Centennial Trail in the Black Hills, South Dakota.
After a week of stomping around in Dances with Wolves country I was planning to camp out for a while in Badlands National Park to the East.
Sounds like a marvellous romp to begin my annual trip to the USA.  Or it would have been right...


I bailed on this years mission to Colorado, South Dakota and Florida (sorry Uncle Gary) at the end of February after progressively twitchy information regarding the coronavirus signalled a no go this year.  With all respect to my American relatives and hombres, the States is not the location I would want to be jammed in during the panic and shelter in place antics going on.

As the Covid19 monster gathered size and made it's way around the globe I first I looked at changing my travel destination to Peru... then that didn't look like a great place to get stuck in either so I tentatively planned a hike on the Heysen Trail in South Australia then the shit hit the fan on Thursday March 19 and everyone was designated to 'hunker down and keep the hell away from one another' status.  I got off easy- full refunds on tickets and cancellations.  1000's of travellers are still going nowhere in remote locations all over the globe even now a month onwards.

Life here for me in Launceston has been surprisingly, well... business as usual. If you still have a business.  Or employment with one.
I am fortunate to be working on a farm in the primary industry sector and am very much isolated whilst located in a rural area and our processed products are in heavy demand.  So that's that.

There isn't a true lockdown situation in Tasmania however our State government sealed the borders which means no one in, no one out.  Same for Australia as a nation.  For the first time in my life international travel is prohibited and all citizens are banned from exiting the country.  Add to that an almost complete shutdown of the airline industry and Safari isn't going anywhere anytime soon.



National Parks and public lands managed by  Parks Tasmania are closed which kinda sucks big time as all the few remaining dog parks and river side trails around Launceston are jam packed most days with families and mountain bikers and walkers pushing past each other...short sighted but I get why the decision was made.

Ree & I are fully supportive of the stay at home order and keep the fuck away from everyone else.  We're getting on with it as usual by going to work, doing badass workouts, walking and running the same 3 walking trails over and over and over again.... Definitely want to see Australia and New Zealand come out of this as soon as possible and with minimal life lost.  The economic damage is already truly horrible but as I have alluded to; we are in a better place than most and fortunately I held off on pulling the trigger on my cheap & cheerful cafe business idea last year.  Phew!

Have I been baking?  Actually, yes.  Not because I have extra time or am bored or following the herd (not me!), more to do with continuing a habit I started up when up on the cattle station I worked at last year as a cook.  Banana muffins and bliss balls baby!  Oh yeah, and nude Jenga.
We know no one is going to rock up these days so that's safe.

Am I planning an adventure or 2 for when this piece of shit virus abates?  Kind of.  Everything is so fluid and changeable at present I'm being a bit corny and twee and 'living in the moment' for the first time in yonks and not really worrying about the future.
It'll happen. Time rolls on.

'beware those who seek constant crowds for they are nothing alone' 

Charles Bukowski

Meanwhile there are movies about hobbits and Italian/ American boxers and old Kelpies that need walking to distract me and my job absolutely wears me out physically on top of all the road running I'm doing so again, being a tad corny; feeling grateful for my lot in life and good health.


Big thanks to anyone and everyone who has messaged me and positive thoughts to all reading this.  It's not the zombie apocalypse but shit I wash my hands an awful lot now. 😀 

Wednesday, 29 January 2020

Jakarta to Lombok- November 2019. 12 day Journey.




Jakarta to Lombok overland through Java was an easy sounding, no brainer journey I had on my to-do list for a few years.  Loads of travelers have paved the way on this route.

I'm a keen train enthusiast when it comes to getting around whilst travelling internationally and I knew Java is criss crossed with train tracks leading to towns and cities I have never heard of. 
Game on.

The opportunity popped up after working on a remote cattle station in the middle-of-nowhere Pilbara region of Western Australia. 
I figured I could grab a cheap flight from Perth on the way home to Tasmania and play a while in an easily accessible part of South East Asia... This plan was hatched and what resulted was a safe, touristy and yet somewhat diverse experience, heading East from the crazy concrete strewn metropolis of Jakarta to the sleepy green volcanic isle of Lombok over 12 easy days.

Image sourced from: Google Maps.


Jakarta to Yogyakarta (Red) Train

Yogyakarta to Surabaya (Gold) Train

Surabaya to Lombok (Green) Flight

Lombok to Bali (Purple) Ferry

FLIGHTS FROM AUSTRALIA TO INDONESIA AND BACK AGAIN:


Perth to Jakarta direct with Garuda Indonesia. 5 hours duration. I paid $300 AUD one way via the Traveloka website.
Free Visa on Arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for Australians and citizens of 168 other nations.

Denpasar to Perth direct with Air Asia. 3 hours, 45 minutes duration.  I paid $150 AUD one way via the Air Asia website.


JAKARTA.





We slammed down into the steamy, gritty city of Jakarta on a rainy Sunday evening.
I somehow, inadvertently, chose the most expensive taxi service possible to get to our lodgings which involved a brand new Tesla and a kamikaze driver hellbent on reaching the afterlife that very night.


After a long ride of stop start, stop start and being in the crush of 20 million other cars and scooters flying around, we were thrown out in the Cikini Raya area outside 6 Degrees Hostel.  website
I totally recommend 6 Degrees- it's been around for yonks, there's plenty of eateries scattered nearby and the rooftop bar gets you up, out of the chaotic craziness with some good city views and very cool, helpful staff.









It was the first time in a long time I have stayed at a hostel but for $30 AUD a night for a self contained, air con room the price was right and breakfast was tasty and filling.  It seems most of the other travellers buried themselves in their mobile devices at all times so socialising was minimal but that's the way it is these days.
We stayed 2 nights and hopped on the train from the nearby station to check out the Old City.







To be honest there isn't much to do in Jakarta apart from revel in the traffic jams and seek respite in the shiny air con shopping malls but it was a solid starting point to scoot off on a train East to Yogyakarta.
You can change money, get orientated and learn a bit of Bahasa.


At the time $1 AUD was about  9,500 Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
At the time $1 USD was about 13,700 Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)


Grab is the default crowd sourced transport go to option, similar to Uber but you just order a motorbike or car and there's no prepay.
Cash after the ride concludes.
Super cheap and these guys work their arses off for very little, I urge you to tip as well. 

Grab app here


YOGYAKARTA.



We shimmied onboard the train to Yogyakarta at the Gambir Station which is a kilometre or 2 from the 6 degrees hostel. Although we shared a Grab ride costing $1.70 AUD with an American backpacker it is easily walkable and once there you scan in your pre bought tickets (we used the Traveloka app and had it approved to take an Australian credit card, website here)


2 seats in Executive Class cost $60 AUD, the trip takes around 8 hours.  

It's not the lightning fast Japanese/ Chinese/ Taiwanese train service but reliable, with air con, an eatery carriage and the scenery across rural Java is fantastic.






We stayed at the Hotel Neo Malioboro opposite the train station for $30 AUD a night. New decor, friendly staff and kick ass buffet breakfast.  Recommended.







I have to admit I dragged us down to Yogyakarta for the express purpose of visiting Borobudur Temple.
I first heard of legendary Borobudur 20+ years ago and always meant to make the effort to swing by...however when I got to Yogyakarta (which is an expensive yet fun city chock full of things to do) I couldn't be bothered ponying up crazy money to join a crowd of dickhead tourists in maddening heat to see yet another jam packed temple (yes I've seen quite a few in the preceding 20 years since hearing about Borobudur) so we slunk out of town on a cool little village bicycle trip and Ree had an eye opening afternoon during a one on one cooking class.










The bikes were rough, the lunch at a genuine local warung was delicious and our guides were rock stars!
Touristy yet fun riding around rural villages just outside Yogyakarta bopping into markets and various businesses.
Bicycle tour website


The cycling morning is recommended, however Ree's cookery afternoon was so so.  So I won't elaborate.  In her words: 'Don't look behind the curtain'.  Wise words!


Eating in Yogyakarta: there are loads of great eateries in the city.  We had a blast stuffing ourselves silly.
We sampled everything from pub food to grab and go off the street but mostly family run cheap and cheerful backpacker restaurants/ guesthouses/ tour agencies whose menus reminded me of travelling Thailand circa 2001.




Takeaway booze isn't easy to get in Yogyakarta due to draconian government restrictions but most hotels have a bar and there are a few pubs and clubs scattered around.


SURABAYA.


For this leg of the journey we opted for 'Business Class' train tickets which to be honest were a bit of a disappointment.  Cheaper, similar shabby carriage and seating but absolutely no air flow or air conditioning.  Super stuffy and difficult to relax.  Maybe it was just the carriage we were in but we were elated to run out into the frenetic madness that is Indonesia's second city and check into the Max One Hotel at Tidar.  $30 a night and scrumptious breakfast.  Outside dance floor and bar on the roof if that's your thing.

We grabbed a cab to the airport next day and I crossed my fingers and clenched my arse muscles as Lion Air swung us up up up into the sky for the 50 minute flight to Lombok.


LOMBOK.


We prearranged a transfer with our accommodation and after prayers (yes, I kid you not) and a quick dash through the main town, Mantaram, it was 3 days of bliss exploring the Western side of the island and hooking into fried fish and cold beer.











Absolutely recommend Cozy Cottages in sleepy Mangsit.  

Situated around 5km North of Senggigi where most travellers stay and party, the beach is black and shaded by palm trees.  Lots of eateries and bars nearby serving Indonesian and Western stuff.  Cozy Cottages is owned and run by a British guy, there are only 5 stand alone villas and the swimming pool is lush.
Website here

I rented a newish Honda Vario scooter from a local outfit via Cozy Cottages for 60,000 IDR a day and we hopped on and blitzed around the coastal roads.  Fantastic fun!  It was off season so few if any other tourists and little traffic on the surprisingly very well maintained roads.  






The highlight for me- and if I'm being honest, the underlying reason for visiting Lombok- was the incredible seafood on offer.
Loads of beachside dive bars serving up cheap rice plates.  Ree found eating vegetarian fairly easy throughout Java and Lombok too.





















So few travellers mooching around meant there were some desperate bracelet sellers and empty beaches.  Rubbish abounds on the coastal sands fringing Lombok and the interior roads are worth a fang on the scooter if you feel adventurous.  

However the locals are friendly and we never once encountered the slippery scam.


BALI.


Ah, Bali.  Bogan shithole of the South Pacific.  Yet cheap and accessible port of entry to explore Indonesia.  

We ran the gauntlet of  wanna be con -men and touts at the wharf North of Senggigi at Bangsal and took the speedboat direct to Padang Bai on Bali's East coast. You can also head to the Gili Islands on a similiar route.

There we ran the gauntlet hustlers and touts to crawl stop start in a crowded van and experience grid lock traffic for 2 hours before being dropped off in Legian, backpacker central.  



The journey was arranged via Cozy Cottages on Golden Queen and it was actually quite well run.
Price includes pickup from Lombok accommodation, ferry service and transfer to Bali hotel.   

$30 AUD per person.

website



2 nights at Grandma's Plus Legian scoffing a scrumptious buffet breakfast (yes, breakfast is massively important to me) and utilising the free bicycles for a ride along the beachfront was enough for us. 


Day trips around the island are expensive and many travellers rent a scooter and have a pants browning experience escaping the built up congested Kuta area. 


I usually avoid these types of over developed party places in Asia.  Saying that it WAS my 3rd visit to Bali over 20 years so seeing the crowds and crazy pricing for drinks and activities first hand- since my last time there many years ago, I used it as an entry point to travel to the Komodo Islands around 2005?- reinforced why it was important to experience Lombok NOW before it is quickly turned into another Bali.


Food is good!  Can recommend any of the cheap Warung's in the side streets around Legian, just keep an eye out for the fat drunk Aussie's staggering around.  


3 on a tiny scooter each clutching a Bintang was the most we saw one hairy night complete with burgers and warm beer, but people watching is always good value when you're seeing your fellow country men and women fighting each other and puking up in the gutter.








That's it.  


Java; fun and shambolic.  Just the dose of craziness and noise and urban landscapes I wanted after 4 months in the Great Sandy Desert. 


Lombok; gorgeous, laidback and green.  Worth a journey and on the cusp of big changes.


Bali;  Because there is an airport with budget direct flights many times a day to Australian cities.  Not my cup of joe but I'm in the minority.