Tag Archives: book

The last post?

6 Replies

Whoopee! My walk from the mouth to the source of the Derwent River is complete, and the complete record of that walk has now been posted to this blog.

Undoubtedly information, ideas and events that relate to the Derwent River may attract my attention and leave me compelled to blog them. I expect to add very few new posts  but please, do not stop ‘following’ the blog just in case I find new aspects of the river from new angles and can show you more wonderful vistas which complement those previously posted.

STOP PRESS – I have been offered a ride along some TasNetworks tracks beside the Derwent upstream, and this trip will take place before Easter – more stories guaranteed.

Less exciting news: this blog will cease to exist in December 2017 despite the fact that I know it contains a wealth of useful information. The reason is simple. I cannot afford to continue it. When I started the blog I was happy to pay the tiny amount for an address that didn’t contain ‘wordpress’ within it but, after adding many hundreds if not thousands of photographs, I exceeded the 3GB limit and for the past two years have paid a larger amount to keep the blog in existence. The fee is due for renewal this December and I will not be paying it. On this basis I am assuming WordPress will prevent visibility and stop access.

Now what?

My next project is to create a small book using the material from the blog; online and in hard copy.  My goal is probably unrealistic. I aim to publish the book by the end of November this year.

But before I get involved on that serious business, I would like your feedback about the nature of the book.

  • Who do you think will be the most frequent type of reader; would it be a bushwalker, a tourist, a local, a historian or some other type of person?
  • What should be the style? A descriptive book, a how-to-do-it explanation for getting around the Greater Hobart Area,  a personalised story,  a humorous account, or should I take some other approach?  If so, what do you suggest?
  • What should be the content? For example, should it be about the mechanics of such a walk,  or about the personal development associated with such a walk, or about the history and use of the River, or about the land use either side of the River, or what?  Are there particular stories or parts of the River that you loved which you believe must be included?
  • Should the book contain photos? If so, should there be lots or a few?  What sort of photos do you think should be included?  Are you able to remember favourite photos that I simply ‘must’ use?
  • Should the book contain maps and diagrams?
  • What size do you prefer books to be?

Your ideas will help me as I compress and select from the 250,000 plus words and thousands of photographs.  With the sheer volume of information (and I have files of unwritten material as well) this book could take form in so many different ways.  At the moment I am torn between a few options so your thoughts will be useful to help me refine mine.

There are different ways you can offer your ideas.  You can add a comment directly onto this blog.  Alternatively you can email me at walkingthederwent@gmail.com.  If you view my blog on Twitter (named as walkingthederwent), Facebook  (named as Walking TheDerwent) or LinkedIn (named as Tasmanian Traveller) then comments or messages can be added on those sites.  I look forward to hearing your ideas.

Walking Home-the Pennine Way

Leave a reply

During Tasmania’s current winter days I am using my time to read books with a travel theme, and mostly those involving a significant walk.  These books both inform and inspire me so that I eagerly look forward to the warmer spring weather when I will be able to continue walking to the source of the Derwent River.

I am thankful some local followers of my blog have alerted me to titles and, in some cases, loaned me their books. Thanks to Ma, my current read is Simon Armitage’s book Walking Home (Faber & Faber 2012).

Walking Home Simon Armitage

In this easy-to-read record, Armitage offers anecdotes and describes his reaction to the walk, the dramatic terrain, the endlessly misty, ferociously windy and inclement weather, the people who walked with him on occasion, the animals, and much more. Through his very entertaining writing style I have come to understand the 256 mile long Pennine Way in England via each step he took as he tramped from the northern to the southern end during 19 days of continuous walking.

The logistics of this walk were well-researched and involved pre-arranged poetry readings each night when he reached each day’s destination in villages, farm cottages, churches, people’s houses, hotels and all manner of other buildings. One of his dry unused walking socks was handed around at the end of each reading and the audience was asked to contribute funds. Simon set out to survive only on the income he could generate in this way. He was so well received that around the journey’s half way point, his wife and daughter came and relieved him of a heavy weight of coins: at the same time they took away a load of very wet and muddy clothes.

I live in a part of the world where rain is not so common, and impenetrable mist is rarely a feature. By contrast, when in summer Simon Armitage walked the higher hills and ridges of the Pennine Way, they were often shrouded in mist and, when the tracks sometimes petered out Simon, would lose his way for a while, become thoroughly drenched and, while trying not to become demoralised, persist in finding his way even if unnecessary miles were covered.  This was an arduous adventure taken one step at a time and I felt a real sense of joy coming from the author as he met each challenge, and as the miles passed. He became both physically and mentally stronger.

Whether or not, you enjoy walking, if you like to be carried along by a book and feel an immense sense of pleasure from reading something which is well written, then add Walking Home to your wish list for reading material. This book made me laugh and certainly lifted my spirits.

‘The Art of Travel’ by Alain de Botton

Leave a reply

Follower Ch sent me a pdf of Chapter IX ‘On Habit’ from Alain de Botton’s book, The Art of Travel (2002, Hamish Hamilton an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd).

The art-of-travel Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton describes very well so many thoughts I have had while walking on ‘home’ territory along the Derwent River.  How I wish I could write so eloquently. But thank goodness Alain can and has on the topic which keeps me alive most of my waking hours.

The reading will take 15 or so minutes if you want to digest all the thoughts. But it is easy reading and I encourage you to read it.

If you Google there are options for free downloading of the book.  Alternatively, let me know if you want me to printscreen each of the 11 pages of the chapter and insert into a blog posting – obviously this will only be undertaken for educational reasons Mr Copyright controller.