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

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

link here

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.

Safari's Favourite Stuff of 2019

Films:

The Bikes of Wrath 2018 

Doss Flamingoss 

website

I saw this great Aussie film at my local independent Star Theatre during a one off screening with a bunch of other dedicated adventure nuts.

The premise is basically this; 5 dudes who have no experience in bike packing head off with John Steinbeck's classic tale of woe in hand on a pedal powered re-discovery of Route 66 and the people who reside along the way between Oklahoma and California.

An enlightening and engaging commentary on rural America.

Suzy and the Simple Man  2016

Shark Island

website

stream here

We meet gentle self sufficiency advocate Suzy and outdoor badass and professed 'simple man', Jon on their lovely Wimmera farm.
The camera follows the Muir's over 8 years and if you have any slight interest in getting off the grid and leading a more holistic, less stressful life then this real life doco may hit the mark.

Jon needs no introduction being Australia's foremost living explorer and Suzy's health issues and her neverending optimism whilst undergoing treatment underpin the narrative here.
Recommended and enjoyed.


Books:

'My Midsummer Morning: Rediscovering a Life of Adventure' Alastair Humphreys
(Audible Audio Edition) 2019

There's a great book written in 1969 by the legendary Laurie Lee I can utterly recommend, called 'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning'.  It recounts his wanderings through rural Spain in the 1930's and Alastair Humpfreys is also a strong enthusiast of this memoir as well.
So much so he decides to forsake crossing a polar cap or rowing an ocean this time and recreate Lee's jaunt through the Spanish countryside with no funds and to busk his way to Madrid with a violin and little 'ahem' talent for violin playing.  Glory be!

I'm a bit of a fan of humble Brit Alastair and his prolific adventure themed writing, and during this recollection of his Spanish journey he opens up and gets real about his personal life and the internal battles he fights in creating balance between being a good father and husband and the yearning to just nick off on a long mission with a backpack and a tent.

Bonus- the author also narrates the audio version of this book which gives it a grounded feeling.

'Clear Waters Rising- A Mountain Walk Across Europe'  Nicholas Crane

Penguin 1996

Crane's 'Clear Waters Rising' was one of the first adventure travel books outside of mountaineering literature I ever read way back in the day.
As a much younger man at the time, I was blown away to read about his 18 month long hike from the West Coast of Spain to Istanbul, Turkey and a realisation was born in me that humans do indeed go on very long walks and so I too scampered off to wander some lengthy trails once my perceptions were altered.

I recently re read this book during a short trip to Java and although Crane doesn't like dogs, WTF?!- well they continually attack him during his walk so fair enough- and I wouldn't call it an easy 'airport novel' style read; it still stands up as a staggeringly well written account of his journey and the hardships suffered with plenty of dry humour sprinkled in.

'Stranger In The Woods'  Michael Finkel

(Audible Audio Edition) 2018

Oh wow, this ones a doozy... here's the setup:
A bloke in his early 20's decides to leave society.  As in utterly and completely.
Off into the woods of Maine and absolutely no human contact.  For nearly 3 decades Christopher Knight survived freezing nights, avoided people, thieved his food and became a local legend.

The author Michael Finkel weaves an enthralling investigation into just what methods he engaged to evade discovery and how society viewed his lifestyle choice.

This is an account of an extremist hermit who really just wanted to be alone.

Beer:

So many tasty ales and hoppy brews were chugged this year it's honestly hard to pick a clear stand out or 2... anyway I really liked these fizzy refreshments.

Zytho IPA- a reasonably priced, palatable IPA by Tribe Breweries, NSW.  Hard to stop at one...

Lost Forty Brewing 'Ice Day Arkansas Winter' Red IPA- I have much time for the beautiful state of Arkansas and I also have probably spent too much time sampling delicious Arkansas craft beer over the past few years.
This piney India Pale Ale was spot on for an after hike session.

Other cool stuff:

*Ran Fiennes making chit chat- I had the privilege to attend a talking tour down in Hobart during the month of March, featuring a true outdoor adventure legend; Ranulph Fiennes.

Image sourced from: www.ranulphfiennesliveonstage.com 

When I was a wee young fellow growing up in New Zealand, one of the high schools I went to had these awful dreary morning assemblies that were made far more interesting once or twice a year by the appearance of a towering, elderly Edmund Hillary. 
If you weren't jolted awake and energized by Sir Ed's presence then you had no pulse.

He was (and still is, RIP) a bonafide genuine first class legend.

Hearing Sir Ran talk about his life and the stupendous feats he has pulled off in the remote corners of our planet was very similar to listening to Sir Ed all those years ago.  I was a tad wistful though, that he didn't carry on sharing the stories for another 4 or maybe 7 hours.
I lapped it up and was keen for more .  He's a funny dude too.

I'm super stoked to have seen both of these 'Giants of Exploration' in the flesh during my lifetime.

*Hubert 100 mile Ultramarathon- In May I ran a slow and cruisey 100 mile Ultra on a truly lush course following part of the Heysen Trail in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia.  I was getting my monies worth...😏

Image sourced from: www.ultrasa.com.au

The Hubert 100 -named for the little known but extremely prolific Australian explorer Hubert Wilkins- was on my to do list for a number of years and in 2019 the stars aligned and to the desert I took.

Great organisation from Race Director Ben, fantastic volunteers and the bewitching Flinders Ranges should be on everyone's hiking inventory.

Image sourced from: www.ultrasa.com.au

Hubert 100 website

*Penny my little Kelpie-My best mate Penny turned 12 in November.

I feel very blessed and am extremely grateful every day that she is still with me after all the phases in life I have experienced over the past decade.
We've had a 1000 crazy adventures, travelled all over Aussie and her constant enthusiasm for life reminds me, daily, to get after it.

Pen has slowed down a fair bit compared to our former mountain running days but I figure if she is itching to roar out the door with wonky paws and creaky joints then there is no excuses when I feel whiney and lazy.
A top lady.

Safari's Favourite Stuff of 2018

*Yeah the end of February 2019... a tad late posting this one but hey.  😋

                                               First up, it's been a fun and audacious Summer-

                     ...plenty of hikes in Tassie up in the Walls of Jerusalem area and Central Plateau,

                                                          ...off track on Ben Lomond

...and a groovy trip up to Queensland hanging out with the hippies at the Woodford Folk Festival after Christmas.
Good vibes, kind people, The Waifs live, constant sensory engagement, totally recommended.

I do my utter most to avoid the attention seeking, soul sucking angry outrage culture so prevalent in our clickbait media and increasingly fractured society.

Dunno about you but people inventing trivial problems and screaming at each other encourages me too, well... disappear off into the wilds. 😜  See ya.

However no man is the proverbial island and I still selectively seek out encouraging, creative material that adds value to my outdoor pursuits and travel addiction.
Here's some stuff.

3 books I really got into this year:

'You Can't Hurt Me' 
David Goggins. 2018
Audible Audio Edition.

Goggins is a bit of a legend in Ultra running and easily snatches the title of biggest badass alive today.
His story is proof that a lost, overweight, bullied kid from the back blocks of Indiana can completely reinvent himself as a first class special operator in multiple Armed Force branches and summon the inspiration and drive to take on any physical challenge no matter how disgusting and seemingly insurmountable.

If you enjoyed Jesse Itzler's lighthearted 'Living With A Seal' about being trained by David Goggins, then this book is a natural extension.

I snagged the excellent audio version of David's autobiography with co-author Adam Skolnick narrating for the most part.

13.5 hours of kickass motivation to set the bar higher and stop being a poopy pants whiner.


'Lost Connections, Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression- and the Unexpected Solutions'
Johann Hari. 2018
Bloomsbury.

Definitely not my usual serve of literature.

Listening to Johann Hari on various podcasts had me curious though so I grabbed a copy of his latest book and forced myself to open it.  After 3 pages I was hooked and crashed through the whole thing in a few days.
Brilliant observations and intelligent explorations that run hard against mainstream consensus.

Although I have no experience of chronic depression or anxiety I can relate very much to the modern conundrum of excessive emphasis on social media (or is it 'unsocial media?) and a lack of meaningful values in life and the consequences of few friendships and unfulfilling work.

Not just questions and stories but well thought out conclusions suggesting why so many people in society are unhappy and disconnected too.


'Blood River'
Tim Butcher. 2007
Vintage Books.

Chest beating, death defying journeys are common fodder in the modern day 'look at me, look at me, I hiked a trail and I'm going to write a 400 page book about it' yawn, I mean- adventure genre.

In 2004, journalist Tim Butcher took 3 steps up the ladder and slipped quietly across the Democratic Republic of Congo chasing the trail of H.M.Stanley's famous East to West 1874-77 expedition.
What followed was a truly pants browning, shit yourself in the face tale of optimism and luck.

Tim is a proven badass adventurer who gets after it, but he relates his journey as one of fear, blind trust, constant paranoia and that of a foreigner very much out of his comfort zone in a nation lacking anything remotely close to a comfort zone.

It's a humble classic that does not cast judgements and goes to great lengths to comprehend why and how the Congo is far less advanced and lawless nowadays than 50 years ago.
I have no great urge to visit the Congo after reading this to be honest (that's just crazy talk) but when was the last time I did some gnarly overland African travel?...hmmm 😏
Ideas are brewing.


3 films that deserve a viewing over a dandy brew or 2:

Free Solo. 2018
website & trailer

Alex Honnold and his quest to solo (no gear, no rope) Freerider, a route up El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley.

You get to peek into the machinations of his spartan life, meet his girlfriend and possibly like me; wipe your sweaty hands on your pants many times whilst watching this fantastic documentary. 

Not just for climbing junkies.

Alpha. 2018

website & trailer

Not just for the kids.  A fun coming of age survival epic that suggests how the bond between homo sapiens and canines was founded.  

Watch this one with your furry buddy.

Dugout. 2017

website & trailer

In a year of mostly forgettable Banff Film Fest flicks this one made me sit up and get excited.

Two Brits plonk themselves down in an indigenous village in the Ecuadorian Amazon and learn how to carve a dugout canoe the traditional way. 

The epilogue sadly demonstrates how super quick industrialisation is hitting the fragile ecosystem of the Amazon basin.

3 kick arse brews that ate my wallet:

I discovered Hornet IPA from Black Hops Brewery while sweating out a sub tropical Christmas beachside in Northern New South Wales.

Dangerous and goes down far too easy.  Recommended and stay the hell away from it. 

Two Birds Taco Beer won't be to every one's taste... but hey; taco's & beer!  

My fav two indulgences.

Made by a female owned brew force, I chugged quite a few of these tasty drops on my birthday night in Brisbane city.

During my hiking trip to Colorado I hooked into a number of delicious Sour's.  

Thankfully homegrown versions are getting more prolific here in Aussie. I particularly enjoyed destroying multiple cans of the Crystal Springs Brewing Cherry Saison (on the left).

Safari's Favourite Stuff of 2017.

5 Books I really got into this year:

What Doesn't Kill Us- SCOTT CARNEY

Average man becomes a fricken rockstar.  Truly.  Due to Scott's easy to read recollections I spend 15 minutes a day every morning doing a silly Wif Hof deep breathing/ breath hold/ cold shower routine because of this book and it feels great... I didn't get sick at all in 2017. Nothing. Solid immunity, positive mindset.  

Wif Hof! Works for me.  

If you like Chris McDougall's 'Natural Born Heroes' & 'Born to Run', this is in the same vein.

The Road to Sparta- DEAN KARNAZES

In my opinion this is Dean's best writing yet; a mix mash of Greek mythological history, personal memoir and trail tale.  You learn the fabled Spartathlon Ultramarathon is set along a greasy polluted road for much of it's route and Dean found ancient nutritional ideas don't necessarily make for the greatest gastronomic endeavours. You rock Mr Karnazes!

Tribe- SEBASTIAN JUNGER

This guy knows how to write, and although just a slim volume- it kicks arse.  I enjoyed the first quarter the most that detailed how White settlers in the US 1800's abscounded to live with the local Indian tribes. How cool does that sound?!  Do humans really function better and feel happier during wartime when something worthwhile is going on?  Your call.

Indonesia Etc.- ELIZABETH PISANI

Elizabeth is in a different world from most of us.  Hardcore traveller.  Happy to be stared at.  Comfortable waiting for a flight to scoop her up... waiting for days at a time.  Knows the history and dodges the stitch ups.  She flits around the many islands of Indonesia, nicely skipping Bali (noticeably actually) and painting an honest picture of everyday humdrum life minus the tourism brochure make up and slick photography filters.  Makes you want to jump on a flight to Jakarta right now.  And no one goes to Jakarta...

On Trails- ROBERT MOOR

The author hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2009, same year as I did.  But in the wrong, I mean opposite direction.  (He went with the herd, Northbound, 'sigh') Robert gives a charming and broad history of the how, why and who of paths and formation of trails, from interpreting colonies of ants to ancient Indian clans and their relevance in our understanding of why the hell do we follow the paths we see and not just blaze our own trails??!

3 Films that deserve a viewing over a dandy brew or 2: note: not necessarily 2017 vintage, just ones that motivated me to remember life is not just about struggling to pay the bills and sedately towing the line, when I forgot from time to time.

180° South.

Bit of classic adventure flick- man chases the path of his heroes Yvon Chouinard & Doug Tompkins, meets hottie Easter Island lass and gets stuck into plenty of sailing, hiking & climbing.  It's been around for a while but comes across as timeless.

You can watch it on Youtube here

Walking the Amazon.

Wandering along the Amazon for years (yes, years) and making it out alive after dodging drug runners, exciting animals and what must have been bloody hard yakka is surely a supreme test of will and dedication.  This guy is a fuckin legend, no arguments thanks.
And there is virtually no whinging in this flick.

The Beer Mile.

A slick Mountain Outpost creation. Watch it on Youtube here

No Jam Jam (Jamil Coury) in this one, just some mad buggers that live in the Rockies who know how to have fun. If you have ever had the pleasure of chugging 4 beers in between 4 laps of an athletic track in under 10 minutes you will probably watch this more than once.  And it's great to see the mighty Jim Walmsley having a hard go of it!

Favourite Brew:

Modus Operandi- Sonic Prayer IPA  6 % alc/vol

This citrus infused 500ml can of WOW, fuck me, that's awesome!...is my choice for brew of 2017.  Entirely personal opinion and taste of course but at $30 AUD for a pack of 4, 500ml it isn't cheap but I promise it isn't crap.  Definitely not.  New South Wales is pushing out some great craft beers and this just proves my point.

If anyone is keen on a book featured here give me a holla; safarihiker@gmail.com

All taken!