tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-110947062012-02-11T19:26:07.203+11:00walking: an excuse to have gourmet picnicsdanjonathantravelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02153605161872419993noreply@blogger.comBlogger3681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-45207878401043822782012-02-07T18:08:00.003+11:002012-02-07T18:24:14.715+11:00

Did we mention that we have a long-distance walking project or two? One of them is a walk from D's parents' place in London to their holiday cottage in Norfolk. In December we did our first multi-day walk as part of this project. We walked from Cuffley to Bishops Stortford, stopping overnight in Hertford and Green Tye. The most exciting part of it, for me, was the snow! Here's a (large!)

danjonathantravelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00390069746947757886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-56856558756675872772012-01-22T07:11:00.003+11:002012-01-22T07:26:38.609+11:00

Scrolling through my Twitter feed this evening, I read these two pieces back to back. First, a blog post by a young woman whose experience of London continue to be tainted by the bizarre lack of wheelchair access on the tube and in major venues: Wheelchair Access: The WHEEL DEAL by Bunnyaimee. Second, an article in the Guardian about four women who walked the Capital Ring, camping out in green

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-39973197589935730322012-01-17T19:15:00.003+11:002012-01-17T19:19:55.036+11:00

Hello peeps! I hadn't heard of this group before I left Melbourne, but it looks like it could be of interest to some of you: Two Legged Adventures: Melbourne and Beyond. It seems like it could be fun, so long as they don't dwell IRL on all the anti-fat stuff they mention on the website. Anyone want to check them out and report back to me?!

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-65206515726075552702011-12-22T21:00:00.002+11:002012-02-07T18:24:38.582+11:00

Here are some mushrooms, toadstools and fungi that we saw on our walk from High Barnet to Cuffley on the 17th of November.You can see more photos of fungus here.I'll post an update about that walk at some point in the not too distant future!

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-37636454008449118832011-12-15T01:24:00.002+11:002011-12-15T01:46:42.632+11:00

We've uploaded some more photos to Flickr for your enjoyment.On the 2nd of November, we went for a little local walk to check out some parks we hadn't visited before: Brent Park and Hendon Park.At Brent Park, Dollis Brook feeds into a pond - formerly part of a lake that possibly acted as a duck decoy (hence the nearby Decoy Avenue, I suppose).At the southern end of Brent Park, Dollis Brook/River

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-16058135271624303892011-11-27T18:54:00.005+11:002011-11-27T19:08:43.470+11:00

When we got back to London after WWOOFing, autumn had well and truly arrived. We went for a couple of lovely strolls in the days before we headed up to Norfolk. Here are a few photos.A serene moment in Highgate Wood.The skyline and sky above some local playing fields. Autumn leaves.More autumn leaves.*Please also consider donating to this fundraiser:

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-33161786733313480992011-11-26T19:08:00.005+11:002011-11-26T19:31:38.132+11:00

Here is a picture of what the tube looks like to people who can't use the stairs:Read more here.*We have been given some free tickets to the Degas exhibition at the Royal Academy today. It'll be our first art outing in London since we got here!

danjonathantravelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00390069746947757886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-33425227328736450482011-11-23T18:34:00.003+11:002011-11-23T18:49:55.962+11:00

After our last day of planting, D and M dropped us off in Brighton, where we went to the cinema to see Tintin (really just to fill in a couple of hours without dragging our packs around) then headed up to our next accommodation: our friend G's place. G and her partner A showed us around, taking us to a number of good eateries and purveyors of coffee, pointing out some of the tucked-away shops,

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-56912716748274176742011-11-20T22:02:00.004+11:002011-11-20T22:14:23.627+11:00

Hi all! In lieu of actual posts about our WWOOFing adventures, allow me to point you to the photos! Here are three pages of photos from our time at The Bungalow and here are two pages of photos from our time at Beaconscroft. (Click each image to see a larger version with comments.) Here are a few samples:The BungalowRe-establishing a hawthorn hedge.Our accommodation.Clearing and burning.A walk on

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-22021805223845877492011-11-06T19:07:00.003+11:002011-11-06T20:18:51.468+11:00

I’m writing this while sitting on a huge, comfy couch in a spacious holiday house in Old Hunstanton, Norfolk. D and I are about to have a leisurely breakfast, then M and A will drive down to one of their favourite pubs, we'll go for a 7km walk and have lunch. Yesterday we also started the day with croissants, then D and I walked about 8km along the coast path to Thornham, where we met M and A,

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-70696118913644915382011-11-02T20:37:00.003+11:002011-11-02T20:51:47.284+11:00

Wednesday 12th October, 2011As promised, here is the post (with pictures!) of our day in the Oxfordshire countryside. You can see all the photos here.We set off from home at 8am, and once we had passed the traffic of Aylesbury, were thoroughly distracted by what can only be described as the disgustingly quaint little villages of Buckinghamshire.At our destination - a charmingly tiny Oxfordshire

danjonathantravelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00390069746947757886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-88654368020847931882011-10-17T23:01:00.003+11:002011-10-17T23:13:09.920+11:00

We're about to head off to our first WWOOF host near Reigate/Redhill, south of London. We're there for about a week, then we head to Peacehaven, near Brighton, for another week. We're not sure if we'll have internet access while we're away. Hopefully we'll get back to blogging when we return to London. In the meantime, here are some photos from the flight over and from our first few days in

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-61083473939006409652011-10-14T06:55:00.004+11:002011-10-15T03:59:54.956+11:00

Yesterday we helped make cider! A more detailed post will come at some stage (with pics, I hope), but for now, YAY!We picked apples, put them through the scratter, pressed them and then pasteurised some of the juice for drinking (we've been drinking it today!) and watched as J added the yeast and other bits to the rest of it to make it into cider.What a super day! The sun was even shining...

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-37429524821349566312011-10-12T02:18:00.003+11:002011-10-12T02:23:54.028+11:00

We went down to East Gippsland in August for J's 60th birthday. Here are some photos!Flowers and orchids and teeny tiny fungus:Water and sand:People:

danjonathantravelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00390069746947757886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-8488565957413176932011-10-07T18:08:00.003+11:002011-10-07T18:22:09.420+11:00

It actually feels like we're on holidays, now! Yesterday we went for a lovely walk around Totteridge with D's parents. You can see the map here. Today we're heading to Bristol for the weekend. We're looking forward to seeing our friends and maybe having a day out in the countryside.I'm still editing and uploading photos from July, but hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll start to upload

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-42272854611198514842011-10-06T19:53:00.004+11:002011-10-07T03:23:40.835+11:00

Just a quick update to let you all know we arrived safely after a fairly uneventful flight. There was a lot of minor turbulence on the first leg, but otherwise fairly pleasant, with great views of lights over Australia and Sri Lanka, and then of the deserts, mountains, lakes and shorelines of the UAE, Iran, Turkey, Slovenia and Italy (there was one MASSIVE mountain on the horizon at one point -

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-60354592712195988552011-10-03T06:43:00.004+11:002011-10-03T07:05:27.664+11:00

We've just woken up from our last sleep in our flat. We've been sleeping on the floor for the last week, as a friend bought the bed! Luckily some other friends have let us borrow some camp mattresses, and we have a bunch of fabric going to the opshop that includes a very thick curtain to use as a base layer!I planned to write more here about the process of packing up the house and migrating, but

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-38012650316250989752011-10-01T08:01:00.006+10:002011-10-01T10:40:33.628+10:00

Several months ago we wrote a list of places we wanted to eat at before we left Melbourne. A few people have asked, so here's the list, divided into places we went, places we didn't go (yet) and places that closed before we got the chance. (Places one or both of us have never eaten/had never eaten before marked with an asterisk.)PLACES WE WENT:Trippy TacoThaila ThaiThai Nee CafeTiba'si

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-91876703894487906652011-08-24T14:29:00.000+10:002011-08-24T14:30:31.026+10:00

It’s spring in Melbourne. It crept up softly, gradually; then in the last few days, suddenly, noisily, with the burst of flowers, the sprout of leaves, an explosion of birdlife and nest building. The sky has been blue, the sun warm – perfect for strolling along the creek, if you have the inclination and the time. And I do have the inclination, and I’ve been making as much time as I can in

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-26290347279900580142011-08-24T09:04:00.004+10:002011-08-24T09:20:09.440+10:00

It was my birthday in June, so we had a mini-break. We really enjoyed our stay at Glenview Retreat in Emerald last July (for our anniversary walk), so we decided to repeat the experience. Once again, we walked there from Belgrave, though this time we took a slightly different route. We stayed two nights, giving us the chance to properly relax, read a book, and wander around Emerald Lake Park.

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-55089732680465533542011-08-11T08:50:00.003+10:002011-08-11T09:02:25.321+10:00

I've been so busy with uni that I haven't had time to edit and upload the photos from our last trip to East Gippsland in April. But now I have! You can find them on Flickr, but here are a few of my faves. Click through to see comments on Flickr. On the way there: picnic lunch at Bairnsdale and bushfire regrowth on the Princes Hwy. A dog we met when we went on a walk. She was super

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-63589021728475397572011-08-08T17:12:00.005+10:002011-08-08T17:22:35.666+10:00

Oof. I'd forgotten how long it takes to pack up a house. I'm glad we've started early. We've boxed almost all the books (except my uni books). Last time we put things in storage it was for a bit over 6 months, and when we got back there was a lot of stuff we thought we should have got rid of in the garage sale we had before we left. This time we're trying to be more ruthless! But still . .

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-11128864250104077072011-07-28T10:35:00.006+10:002011-07-28T10:58:55.248+10:00

We're going to head to Bristol on our first weekend in the UK to see a couple of friends who are moving to Australia soon after we arrive. (That makes 3 friends vacating the UK just in time for our arrival. Is there something you're not telling us about? Other than your screwed up government?)Anyway! I had been trying to wade through all the train/bus and hotel/hostel/b&b sites with little joy

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-21100338441859800552011-06-27T20:20:00.002+10:002011-06-27T20:23:16.940+10:00

Yesterday we bought our WWOOF membership! Now it's time to start seriously thinking about where we'd like to go and what we'd like to do. Have you done any WWOOFing, friends? What did you like/dislike? Any tips for finding, booking, and getting on with hosts? Any suggestions about dealing with your personal requirements (e.g. diet) or avoiding people who don't like your kind (e.g. queers)?

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-25893633125183852102011-06-16T13:38:00.003+10:002011-06-16T13:42:05.714+10:00

Today I went and picked up a package from the Post Office. Inside was pretty much all the paperwork I sent for my visa application (they kept copies of only a few key documents) and my passport with a brand new visa inside! It's valid from the end of September 2011 to December 2013, multiple entries allowed, no recourse to public funds. It unfortunately lists me as "Sex: F", but then, that's

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-43384615857507353342011-06-02T12:45:00.005+10:002011-06-02T12:59:53.978+10:00

A couple of people have privately asked about what you need to submit for a UK settlement visa application. I thought I'd record what we've sent off to give others an idea. Here is the (slightly abridged) list of the forms and docs we sent.*1. Application forms: VAF4A and passport-sized photograph; VAF4A Annex (ELT).2. Identification: My current and previous passports; my current birth

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-63816639565244489952011-05-24T15:06:00.003+10:002011-05-24T15:26:14.645+10:00

Well, I've submitted the online component of the visa application for settlement in the UK. It's been a very long time in the planning - finding out how much it would cost, when to apply, what documents we'd need as supporting evidence, and then getting everything together, making photocopies of the original docs we'd need to send off for our records (and having just done the application I

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-179541169952053532011-04-29T13:45:00.002+10:002011-04-29T13:58:15.297+10:00

A few weeks ago a post on Simple Green Frugal Co-Op mentioned replaceable head toothbrushes as a more environmentally sound option to always disposing of the whole brush. I've thought about getting one before, but it's always seemed like quite a commitment - what if I don't like the style of the brush? Anyway, I checked out the comments on the post and there were some other suggestions -

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-86244562729153284462011-04-18T13:01:00.003+10:002011-04-18T13:15:36.286+10:00

I stumbled on a great post the other day while doing some link-hopping. With Robes and Bowl on the Cotswold Way: My First English Tudong is a piece by Ajahn Manapo, an English Buddhist monk, recounting his tudong in the English countryside.I could go tudong – that’s what I could do. But where would I go? Would I get fed? Where would I sleep? How would I be treated? These are precisely the

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-71028048596003810452011-04-14T08:20:00.001+10:002011-04-14T08:21:56.744+10:00

You can now follow us on Twitter - see the link in the column to the right!

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-3290998485536833292011-04-14T07:19:00.003+10:002011-04-14T07:29:33.063+10:00

Over at terralectualism they made made dandelion wine! This is definitely something to keep in mind alongside the pickled wild onions I made last year.

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-25769203858470415672011-03-27T09:29:00.003+11:002011-03-27T09:35:51.263+11:00

A friend of mine is currently in Vancouver - on my strong recommendation as a place to visit in North America - and is loving it! Yay! Anyway, I was reminiscing about the city and noticed something curious (which I have noticed before, but maybe not commented upon here). When I think about being there, I can only remember the traffic driving on the left side of the road (as it does in

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-10251782394226613012011-03-16T06:51:00.006+11:002011-03-26T06:22:42.877+11:00

so, midsomer murders is not racist (and homophobic) by default or by accident. it's racist (and homophobic) by design. click for article.Brian True-May, the producer and co-creator of ITV1 drama series Midsomer Murders, has been suspended by production company All3Media following controversial comments made about the show in the latest issue of Radio Times.True-May told RT, "We don't have ethnic

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-4263426473858149342011-03-04T19:46:00.003+11:002011-03-04T19:55:16.752+11:00

Is it possible to be addicted to someone else's life? I have never been a soap opera watcher, I have never read serials in magazines or papers, I have never listened to long-running radio shows, I have (almost) never been a fan of reality TV like Big Brother . . . but I am seriously hooked on Wondering Wanderers!WW is the blog of a white, middle-class family (Mum, Dad, two kids) who have just set

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-42863175405635906942011-02-28T10:22:00.003+11:002011-02-28T10:32:49.452+11:00

(Wow, this is a bit late!)Here is a map of the walk.Here are all the photos we took.We met E at Essendon station (unplanned) and took the 903 bus to the start of the walk. The plan was to walk up to Brimbank Park, do a loop back to (near) the start, then head downstream around the large curve in the river to catch the 903 bus back to Essendon at Steele Creek.We headed down the side of the valley

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-17234345324298739692011-02-20T17:09:00.005+11:002011-02-20T20:10:44.118+11:00

We have plans for the rest of the year. Clearly defined plans for now, next week, much fuzzier plans for November, December. This change of focus (to continue with the imagery) is punctuated by a few signposts and events, some more flexible than others. Things to do, in vague order: "mum's birthday in April", "apply for a visa", "my birthday in June", "save some money", "finish painting the

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-51905471384926670302011-02-12T08:43:00.001+11:002011-02-12T08:50:29.769+11:00

I'm very glad that my folks' place is still standing after the fires in East Gippsland. Here are a few photos taken by them on the road between Orbost and Lakes.

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-40271308038577745002011-02-12T08:23:00.003+11:002011-02-12T08:39:42.516+11:00

So... long time, no write! I blame a number of things. First and foremost, I've stepped up my dissertation-writing a notch and therefore have less time to blog, walk, upload photos, or blog about walking and photos! Second, now that I'm not doing a significant challenge like 2010km in 2010, I'm just not walking as much. My challenge this year is to get out of the house every day (minimum walk:

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-8959447736550074062011-01-09T08:40:00.006+11:002011-01-11T08:16:44.966+11:00

(I love the way that futures hover, unmanageably big, beautiful and slightly out of reach, like a kite, but inevitably there’s the process of trying to catch at it, to tug down a string to let it become at least mildly real)~ Wildly Parenthetical's wordsThere will be more discussions of futures on this blog in 2011, I think, as we start attaching the strings of bureaucracy and reality to our

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-10570440932954575412010-12-31T08:24:00.003+11:002010-12-31T08:37:22.714+11:00

almost exactly a month ago we went out o healesville for a couple of nights. we went to the sanctuary for an afternoon (it was fab) and walked down to our b&b (rescuing a poor, orphaned blackbird chick on the way), then the next day did a 26km walk up to the top of mt st leonard and back via the reservoir. this post is just our walk in photos, not much commentary. you can see all the photos from

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-65281391461482135822010-12-31T08:18:00.002+11:002010-12-31T08:24:20.556+11:00

some readers may remember that i had a plan to walk 2010km this year - and i hit that target three days ahead of schedule! yay! as a reward i went and bought myself a new pair of boots as the old ones are well and truly worn out! (and they were on sale, so they cost me about $300 instead of $350!)anyway, i have written up a discussion of my experiences with the 2010 project below - feel free to

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-78711194200755596262010-12-13T09:05:00.003+11:002010-12-13T09:20:54.859+11:00

on the 27th of october, we headed out for an impromptu walk along the maribyrnong river. it was about 15km from the bus drop off point on buckley st back to the 510 bus at essendon station. you can see the map by clicking here. you can see all the photos of the day by clicking here. all in all it was a really lovely walk along a stretch of the river we hadn't seen before. given that it's one of

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-36669128021191651962010-12-09T09:34:00.004+11:002010-12-09T09:50:34.458+11:00

A few weeks ago we walked from our place to the St Kilda Botanic Gardens to meet J's sister. Our route took us down the Merri Creek, onto the North Fitzroy branch of the old Inner Circle Railway, through Edinburgh Gardens, down Napier St to Fitzroy Gardens, through Treasury Gardens, over the Yarra and into the Royal Botanic Gardens, down through Fawkner Park, along St Kilda Rd and Barkly St to St

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-89451307468929694142010-10-18T18:09:00.005+11:002011-04-14T07:29:08.116+10:00

Allium triquetrum. Angled onion, onion weed, three-cornered leek or garlic. You might notice it growing beside Melbourne creeks or popping up by the roadside – either by the garlicky smell, or by the distinctive clusters of white, bell-shaped flowers nodding in the breeze. It’s very pretty (looks a little like snowdrops), but it’s an extremely invasive weed (in Australia), and authorities are

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-23826095052768518442010-10-02T14:52:00.000+10:002010-10-02T14:53:31.114+10:00

The direction doesn't matter; it's about the shape of the path.

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-67635402294325879172010-09-27T09:24:00.002+10:002010-09-27T15:11:57.710+10:00

Tuesday 27 July 2010Lilydale to Woori Yallock26km / Approx 7 hoursMapMy photosDear Diary,Today we walked out of the city.This is the entry I jokingly suggested I should write after the fifth day of our walk, which took us from Lilydale station through outer suburbia and remnants of bushland, over a filled-in aqueduct, past the place my mum went to school as a kid, around the other side of Mt

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-88544567992122344312010-09-20T20:13:00.004+10:002010-09-20T20:20:03.618+10:00

There are several videos to watch on Victoria Walks. Here's one that gives a very simple (simplistic?) view on something close to my heart (or, rather, far from my heart): urban sprawl.When I have time, I will check out this 'New Urbanism' business a bit more.

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-89803952423964672752010-09-02T08:16:00.003+10:002010-09-02T08:17:37.697+10:00

my photo of a sea kayaker in a big sea is now up as part of a matador trips photo essay, collated by hal amen.i feel i should warn you that the first image in that essay is of people climbing uluru. yes, he says under the photo "despite pleas from local indigenous groups", but the article he links to is of the "they're gonna stop us climbing the roooock!" persuaion (though most of the comments

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-37441899276142240622010-08-18T08:31:00.003+10:002011-08-25T15:21:46.049+10:00

Ooh, one of my photos is on the RSPB page for Fen Drayton (near Cambridge in the UK). And another one is soon to be in a photo essay by the guy who does these collections. (I'm sure I'll let you know when it actually goes up!) * Also, we've completed our walk to Warburton! Pics can be found here (day 5) and here (day 6). A brief selection, in lieu of a proper post (which hopefully I'll get

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-52517794043020012262010-07-26T07:23:00.007+10:002010-07-26T20:34:44.216+10:00

It’s about time I shared some photos from our lovely anniversary (8 years!) walk, since it was a week and a half ago now! I really can’t be bothered writing up a big report (famous last words! I bet this will end up huge!), so maybe I’ll just post photos and have a ramble about them underneath each one. It was a nice two-day trip, and reminded us that walking for more than one day in a row is

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-38581061280161228502010-07-23T15:31:00.004+10:002010-07-23T15:58:19.345+10:00

An interesting bit of trivia over on Sociological Images about street signs. Lisa commented that in New Orleans, many of the corners have the street names embedded in blue and white tiles, like this. Her comment was that such signage is of no use to motorists, and isn't it interesting that such things were planned with pedestrians in mind?This reminded me of how quaint I found much of the signage

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-46615795226893084862010-07-12T21:20:00.006+10:002010-07-13T16:54:20.166+10:00

Saturday 3 July 2010Ringwood to Lilydale23km / Approx 7 hoursMapMy photosG, J & D just beside the freeway in Ringwood: our ‘before’ picture“A shift in atmosphere or perspective”. That’s what I wrote in the first post in this series about walking out of the city, thinking about boundaries and subtle borders that only appear obvious in the crossing. The shifts I’ve mentioned so far have been from

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-4547189022539007522010-07-01T21:24:00.005+10:002010-07-02T20:12:35.955+10:00

Tuesday 15 June 2010Eltham to Ringwood24km / Approx 7 hoursMapHaving recently walked for miles in the bush of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, I was prepared to be disappointed with this walk – I was half-expecting it to run through housing developments, with the Mullum Mullum Creek resembling the concrete-drain sections of Moonee Ponds Creek. Not, I hasten to add, that this would be a bad

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-6375842690931487172010-06-27T20:06:00.002+10:002010-06-27T20:08:05.002+10:00

Today I (nix) passed the 1000km mark in my aim to walk 2010km this year. In fact, I am now sitting on 1003km, so I'm almost exactly half way, and 4 days ahead of schedule!

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-70535949974831088882010-06-20T22:39:00.003+10:002010-06-20T22:50:58.854+10:00

* The delicate, fine drizzle that wafts through the air, catching on my woollen jumper and making it look like it's covered in tiny glass beads, and sitting on my eyelashes making it look like faeries dancing when I blink.* People wear excellent tights! All kinds of patterns and textures.* Snuggling up in bed under the doona. When the night time temperatures don't drop below, say, 13 degrees it

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-39135258524093584452010-06-14T08:02:00.011+10:002010-06-14T14:46:51.837+10:00

Sorry! I meant to get back to this blog sooner with photos and stories of our adventures in the Dandenongs, but life happened (as did a cold, yuck) and so it's a week later and I'm only just posting! Anyway, we had a fantastic time. You can see all our pics here, or you can look at photos just from the Saturday here or the Sunday here. We'd planned to do all of this, but we decided to cut the

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-58102513283378804112010-06-03T09:23:00.004+10:002010-06-03T09:29:36.898+10:00

1. We're going out to the Dandenongs on the weekend for 2 days of walking (present to myself for my birthday)! Yay! Here's a map of the route we plan to walk and here's the lol!B&B where we're staying on Saturday night. Looking forward to it!2. Here's a cool article about walking from the mainland of the Netherlands to Ameland. We stayed on Ameland with my family in early January 2009, and it

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-53793593198688272652010-05-11T08:34:00.005+10:002010-05-14T09:12:57.172+10:00

Friday 7 May 2010Heidelberg to Eltham16km / Approx 4½ hoursMapThe path from Heidelberg to Eltham is very green (or at least, it is very green on a sometimes-sunny day at this time of the year after a few weeks of scattered rain – we’ve also walked here when it’s been very hot and yellow and brown, and when it’s been grey and pelting with rain!). In fact, one of the things that made this day of

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-81902058079694910022010-05-03T12:03:00.004+10:002010-05-03T12:09:16.659+10:00

Just to remind you of our sartorial choices:Now, let me direct you towards The Sartorialist, "Selected as one of Time Magazine's Top 100 Design Influencers", where the most recent photo is of this gentleman in Tokyo:Now, if that's not a thumbs up for leggings under shorts, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS! Mind you, his shoes without socks don't look ideal for hiking...

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-74778259422696536392010-04-27T19:04:00.010+10:002010-09-27T08:09:52.093+10:00

Friday 23 April 2010Thornbury to Heidelberg18km / Approx 5 hoursMapMany of the Melbourne walks that I enjoy are those that run alongside the creeks and rivers. In part this is because the organic, snaking lines disrupt the city and suburban grids, both spatially and atmospherically – on this walk, for instance, we saw half a dozen Australian White Ibises stalking quietly through the scrub beside

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-47778841429342591752010-04-26T06:31:00.003+10:002010-04-26T06:34:36.899+10:00

Three figures we found on our walk to Heidelberg on Friday. I particularly like the one with the turtleneck! (Click on the images to see larger versions at Flickr.)

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-41176895709123168422010-04-22T18:20:00.004+10:002010-04-22T18:32:01.663+10:00

Barcelona (or even Valencia or Madrid), just me and D eating patatas bravas and drinking sangria; or perhaps sampling the local cheese and drinking good, cheap red wine with other backpackers; or maybe searching the streets to find some surprisingly elusive xurros amb xocolata/churros con chocolate.I'm trying to make salsa brava, but I don't have a trusted recipe and I don't have much in the way

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-47653455126081310882010-04-11T12:15:00.005+10:002010-04-11T18:51:08.301+10:00

I woke up this morning feeling a little seedy after a night that involved a couple of cocktails more and a few hours of sleep less than i needed. However, the wind was blowing in through the open windows, bringing with it the crisp, clean smell of autumn! Yes, it's here! Walking season, here we come! Instead of walking, however, I had a long bath and listened to some podcasts about hiking the

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-34625900099212230082010-03-31T19:34:00.004+11:002010-03-31T20:21:54.378+11:00

Ooh, what an ominous title! We're getting over jetlag at the moment - yesterday was very hard! We both had naps during the day, but didn't let ourselves sleep for longer than an hour-ish, wanting to spend as much of the night as possible in bed. We went to bed at the nearly respectable time of 8:30-9pm and I got up at 3:30 while D slept until just after 7. So, we're doing OK. We're watching

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-61900461573817859762010-03-30T08:21:00.004+11:002010-03-30T08:34:07.030+11:00

After those weird flights during which time seemed to move at a difference rate to usual, we were greeted by a glorious sunrise, the moon low over the plane wing, and then gold-lined clouds in the east and billowing pink and purple clouds in the west as we drove down the freeway. Big skies and space, the familiar shapes of eucalyptus trees and verandahs. A hot shower and our own bed . . . but

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-3341641800732920842010-03-28T22:53:00.003+11:002010-03-28T23:34:29.260+11:00

HULLO! We are packing up and getting ready to hop on the plane this evening! So this will be our last blog post until we return (only a week behind)! Thanks again to D for writing this up.22nd March 2010, a Monday, as luck would have it.Today was a driving day. Packed and loaded, we set off around 10 in the a.m., and headed off to our first stop of the day – the rather well-to-do town of Ilkley

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-80838648802813090142010-03-26T20:32:00.003+11:002010-03-26T21:15:41.264+11:00

Sunday 21st MarchWe awoke to a clear, frosty morning, but unfortunately the clarity it didn’t last. The mist crept down the mountains and into the dales, and by the time we left, visibility was severely restricted.It leant a mysterious air to the countryside as we drove through ever-worsening visibility. We had intended to walk up Pen-y-Ghent – the highest peak in the Dales, but as we drove the

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-70872221998571316272010-03-25T21:03:00.003+11:002010-03-25T21:22:19.158+11:00

Although we won’t post this until we get back to London, I feel like I should tell you that I’m writing this while sitting in the kitchen of Old Hall in Hawkswick, making pancakes and looking out the window at the looming, mist-covered flank of the hill that rises immediately behind this property. Last night when we arrived, D and I donned our boots straight away and took a brisk stroll up the

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-47449134572473137782010-03-25T07:12:00.002+11:002010-03-25T07:21:29.156+11:00

Sorry about the delay in uploading blogs! We'll try to get the Yorkshire trip up tomorrow!Wednesday 17thToday was a day of walking and eating. In other words, it was a GOOD DAY! N came down from Glasgow on the overnight bus, and was spending the day in London before jetting off on an American adventure. We met him at the bus stop, dumped his luggage at my parent's house, and set off on foot!We

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-17002149513791813432010-03-24T08:46:00.001+11:002010-03-24T08:49:06.140+11:00

We had a fantastic time in Yorkshire, and we have bits of blogs ready to post once we upload photos! Here are a few teasers in advance!

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-50164463234529506982010-03-19T05:25:00.004+11:002010-03-19T06:04:08.299+11:00

inspired by our last walk last year from cockfosters station, we headed out that way again on tuesday. j spent an equally long time sniggering about going to cockfosters, and we both burst into laughter when one of the announcements was truncated, informing us that, "this is cock-"this time we turned east from the station instead of west to follow the LOOP (london outer orbital path) through

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-40357858488338428012010-03-18T20:32:00.003+11:002010-03-18T22:50:49.772+11:00

Thanks again to D for writing this up!I opened my eyes to see sunshine outside and was so surprised that I shouted out “It’s daylight!” and was henceforth wide awake. A full 7 hours sleep! That was the first time in 5 nights that we’d slept in the same bed for two nights in a row. Went down to breakfast with M after baths, and took advantage of the buffet. Other revellers from the wedding turned

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-20835385167272717362010-03-18T17:21:00.006+11:002010-03-18T20:23:14.410+11:00

Thanks to D for writing this up!Saturday 13th MarchOur first morning back in London, and we woke disgustingly early – 3.30am, with no more sleep. But we didn’t feel too bad, which was the main thing. After waiting until a decent hour, we walked with M&A from their house to the Bull and Bush pub (it has a song!). It was about an hour and a half stroll, with the very beginnings of spring in

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-10357333759655090582010-03-17T16:40:00.002+11:002010-03-17T16:44:14.640+11:00

as usual, we'll be putting photos up on flickr - this time under the uk10 tag, so you can check them out there. the wedding was lovely, and hopefully we'll have a blog post and more pictures up soon. for now, here's a taste of early spring in london.

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-20978030330316150122010-03-16T06:15:00.004+11:002010-03-16T06:41:20.459+11:00

We've just got back from our weekend of wedding shenanigans, hotel living and city exploration. We'll blog about that soon! For now, our trip from Melbourne - Incheon - London.Thursday 11th MarchD drove us to the airport in the dark (thanks D!), and we got there with plenty of time to spare. Once through check in and security, we watched the sun rise and had a typically overpriced bite to eat,

danjonathantravelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00390069746947757886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-80264114067015177962010-03-12T11:13:00.003+11:002010-03-12T11:17:53.137+11:00

Well, here we are in Incheon (which is apparantly not Seoul at all!) in a 5 star hotel. We've had a nice stop over, with plenty of fresh food and a bracing walk through China town to the top of the hill park behind the hotel. We even stomped in some snow! The bus is coming to pick us up at 10am to take us back to the airport via the ENORMOUS bridge! We're looking forward to seeing the area in

danjonathantravelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00390069746947757886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-62133576708803295982010-03-10T13:59:00.006+11:002010-03-10T14:47:28.359+11:00

well, tomorrow we are off to the uk! we've had a busy and slightly stressful preparation period: d has been writing a wedding speech with his brother via email and skype, j has been finding a wedding outfit (buying a suit and shirt, having them altered, finding shoes and a belt, a cravat and pocket square, cufflinks and socks). so, it was nice on sunday to go for a day-long walk with g from the

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-89491976360730957852010-03-04T11:20:00.005+11:002010-03-04T11:41:29.321+11:00

This time with our friend M, who was visiting from the UK. We'd walked all of this 12km loop from Belgrave station before, but not as one route - it combined the first part of our last walk (the longer route from the station to Grant's Picnic Ground) and the second part of our usual walk (from Grant's to O'Donohue Picnic Ground then back via Sherbrooke Falls).We started the walk just in time to

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-65916655458233599732010-02-08T18:19:00.003+11:002010-02-08T18:31:42.439+11:00

hello! it's been uncomfortably warm in melbourne over the last month or so, which is not surprising considering it's summer. however, it does mean that our walks have been fewer and shorter. on the 24th of jan we went up to belgrave for a walk in sherbrooke forest (map here). d, j and g had all walked here before, and we took d out on the train - he's just moved from the uk. r and a met us at

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-48900788292388437152010-01-19T21:53:00.005+11:002011-02-20T15:15:23.013+11:00

A random photo update for those playing at home:Yes, it is!So tiny! On the footpath in Brunswick.Fab!A garden in Thornbury.The park behind Northcote Plaza.Pigeons in Heidelberg."This store really annoys me..."Heidelberg School mural, Heidelberg.Stick figure being abducted by aliens!

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-88492770030861715982010-01-14T09:47:00.003+11:002010-01-14T09:56:06.143+11:00

We are going to spend a weekend in Yorkshire with M&A when we're in England in March. It sounds utterly delightful! The cottages we are deciding between are:* Refectory Cottage, set on the grounds of the ruinous Rievaulx Abbey.* Old Hall in Hawkswick, set literally on the edge of open access moorland.* Clematis Cottage in Burnsall, set beside the River Wharfe.What stunning locations! Any of

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-23018496371057225692010-01-05T20:18:00.003+11:002010-01-05T20:34:36.942+11:00

happy new year to those who celebrate it at this time! we wish you a happy and fulfilling year.it's funny to think that this time last year we were in the (literally) freezing cold ameland/uk winter, and now we are sweating through our t-shirts on some days!this year j will be focussing on finishing his phd. the idea is to complete a full draft of his dissertation before his scholarship runs out

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-43151210810059400892009-12-14T19:42:00.001+11:002009-12-14T19:43:25.464+11:00

Hi all. Due to the high number of spam comments, we've decided to turn on the word verification option for commenting. Anonymous comments are still fine, you just need to type in the letters/numbers displayed before you can post.

danjonathantravelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02153605161872419993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-78034459845571234162009-12-08T10:10:00.002+11:002009-12-08T10:12:35.889+11:00

It's raining that beautiful slow rain that seeps into the earth or rests in little puddles and pools, that gently bends the grass and falls in droplets from the balcony upstairs. I think I will walk into the city in this rain.

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-80677945972025139362009-12-07T09:54:00.002+11:002009-12-07T10:07:06.338+11:00

Since our return to Australia, following the epic walk of epicness across the entirety of Cornwall, we have not really got back into the swing of going for regular walks. There have been a number of reasons for this. The weather, for a start. We had that period of intense heat, where stepping outside meant an instant sweat drenching. We've had epic thunderstorms and flash flooding. And we haven't

katzettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10134503683439760550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-12772255369610848832009-12-02T07:20:00.003+11:002009-12-02T07:30:26.363+11:00

After we got back from the UK, we went to visit J's parents in East Gippsland. It was lovely, and here are some photos to prove it!From the train windowStony Creek Trestle Bridge / East Gippsland Rail TrailUnder the bridgeD and some big nuts. And bolts.A chunk of glass. Car accident?They are down to three chooks at the moment.One of the many reasons to visit your parents!Pigface near Bemm

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-90670883176177802162009-11-28T19:55:00.000+11:002009-11-28T19:56:18.732+11:00

. . . i want to be in wales. possibly to live. for a long time.

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-46609934875047177482009-11-21T09:46:00.002+11:002009-11-21T09:49:16.452+11:00

For those interested in low-quality video-lets of our walk, you can find 14 on my flickr. I have a cold and I have to go to work. Boo hoo! At least I start work at 11 today instead of 8:15.

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-63450391139865688722009-11-19T09:50:00.004+11:002009-11-19T14:46:31.616+11:00

HA! So this blog comes over a month after the fact, but I’m sure the three people who read this blog will still be interested. Maybe! Some of this was written or drafted at the time, other bits I’ve just tried to remember. You can see all the pictures from this jaunt here.Tuesday 6th October 2009On holiday again!!! We got a lift from M to the station, then rode the packed tube to Kings Cross

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-44582797009130100792009-11-18T08:08:00.003+11:002009-11-18T08:10:22.826+11:00

Here is a fascinating little look at London in the 1920s, as recorded on silent colour film. There is something disconcerting and faintly anachronistic about the excellent quality of the film!

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-75501002117518906122009-11-06T08:57:00.002+11:002009-11-06T09:01:43.468+11:00

We’ve been back in Australia for over three weeks, now – a longer time than we were walking the Southwest Coast Path, although it doesn’t feel like it! There’s so much to do here, it’s so familiar, and the time seems at once to fly by and not to move at all. On the trail the rhythm was so steady, so regular that after a week we felt like we’d been walking forever. Before we forget, we have

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-26590331661516800622009-10-15T22:20:00.001+11:002009-10-15T22:21:59.434+11:00

We're home safe and sound after a loooong flight. Home! Our space, with our things, and our tea making accessories. Brilliant! Will write more later.

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-3549848086274000862009-10-03T20:36:00.004+10:002009-10-31T07:20:21.906+11:00

Monday 28th September: Fowey to PolperroAll pics of the dayD had a large kipper for breakfast (stinky and tasty!), and J had lots of fruit and no cooked breakfast – you know what they say, a change is as good as a two week walking holiday. We were glad it was going to be a short walk, especially as everyone wanted to tell us that it would be a particularly strenuous stretch of coast and the

danjonathantravelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00390069746947757886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-82388431611409465462009-10-02T17:03:00.001+10:002009-10-02T17:05:35.430+10:00

Hello! We've back in London, and we'll be updating soon. I'm also uploading photos at flickr and adding them to old posts as I get through them, so if you scroll down to the first SWCP post you will see some photos of the first day!

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-4499880839812162402009-09-28T04:39:00.003+10:002009-10-23T20:25:29.280+11:00

Thursday 24th September: Portloe – MevagisseyPics, pics, picsLet's start with the positive things about breakfast: fresh, well-cooked eggs, lemon curd, fresh pineapple. The fact that two German women were at breakfast would be neither here nor there apart from the bit where our host appeared to be from the Basil Fawlty school of talking to foreigners: “This is pineapple. Pine – apple. PIIIIINE

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-17486575450162372022009-09-27T06:22:00.008+10:002009-10-13T09:11:22.914+11:00

Hello!!! Transmission coming from Fowey (pronounced Foy), where the place we are staying tonight and tomorrow night has wi-fi. Yay! Here is a blog detailing the first half of our week - we will endeavour to bring you up-to-date tomorrow. In short: still having a good time, still very tired and glad we have a day off tomorrow! We are thinking of going on a cruise up the river - NO WALKING

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-65046860346105568752009-09-21T23:55:00.006+10:002009-10-10T20:35:24.561+11:00

We are sitting in a cute cafe in Helford – it's in an old church, next to the carpark... non-residents are not allowed to take their cars into the village. It's been an easy walk, with a few inland detours where coastal routes were not available or there had been cliff falls. The highlight of the day was the crossing of Gillan Creek, which we had to time for low tide and paddle across!

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-33586532884919153462009-09-14T19:11:00.002+10:002009-09-14T19:34:21.253+10:00

here is a map of (approximately) the route we took. we probably meandered rather more than this map suggests. the map also doesn't tell you that the ultimate aim of our walk was to reach SPANKERS HILL WOOD. because it has an hilarious name!d & i hopped on the train early, going from the second last station on the northern line to the last station on district line. i feel like i've just joined

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-24750031309665283602009-09-14T17:53:00.002+10:002009-09-14T18:00:34.098+10:00

Saturday, 12th September 2009After the fox-barking incident, we managed to get back to sleep, and didn’t wake again until after 8! Luxurious! This sleep-in was followed by an unhurried morning spent uploading photos, writing blogs, eating foods… general Saturday morning stuff.Combining the awesome powers of our OS map and Google Maps, we devised a route to walk from E&L’s place in Edgware/Mill

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11094706.post-17433134300600181942009-09-12T20:30:00.003+10:002009-09-12T20:48:33.583+10:00

No matter how many times I fly, I don't think I'll ever get sick of seeing the world from above, of seeing the sky from inside. At one point during the first flight, after we've had breakfast at lunch time in Melbourne I look out the window to see sunrise beginning to pursue us through the clouds. We're travelling west, so dawn seems to stretch out for hours, like a symphony building to a

nixwilliamsnoreply@blogger.com4