“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Chinese proverb attributed to Lao Tzu
Sign out the front of the workshop on Sandy Bay Rd. Hasselblad 500CM, 2019.
In terms of outdoor adventure, I would say that the first step isn’t a physical step, but a conceptual one.
The first step is the conception of the idea to undertake a journey. A worthy adventure is bound to be fraught with difficulties, unknown risks; yet it will lure the undertaker towards the chosen destination with the promise of a reward.
Once the idea has taken hold of the adventurer’s imagination, the plotting and scheming begins.
Easel and Level. Hasselblad 500CM, May 2020.
A lot of my friends ask me when they see me;
“Slozzy, have you got any adventures coming up?”
The answer to this is always:
“Yes.”
Every time. I am always planning multiple adventures simultaneously. If I’m at work, I’ll be planning what I’m going to do when I knock off. Which route will I ride home? Will the giant zucchini fit into my bike pannier? These are my every day adventures. They are generally not very exciting, but these mini adventures get me through the week.
Once we move past the everyday adventures, there are the multi-day adventures, these are usually my days free from work. Multiple days open up the possibility of visiting some places that are truly out of one’s way. Tops of cliffs, the white water of rivers, scrub wriggling deep and tangled in the Tasmanian wilderness.
And then there are the ‘big’ trips. These are the long term projects. Often they span years rather than weeks or months in preparation. Eventually they do result in a trip and it is usually rather memorable. These are the adventures I live for.
Planning an adventure is a bit like aging a good whiskey. The process can’t be rushed. It takes as long as it takes.
Sketch Map, SW Tasmania. Hasselblad 500CM, Oct 2020.
‘So what’s your next ‘big’ adventure Slozzy?’
Well, my dear readers, rest assured. I am planning something. This one has been aging in the barrel for seven years. I have been struggling to find a willing companion to undertake this trip with me. But over the last year, the mystery companion has solidified into a real person and now the idea is beginning to take shape.
Some of you already know what this project is. Some of you don’t. But if you keep following these posts, you will all eventually find out.
For now, let me give you a hint.
I have recently started reading a riveting book by the Tasmanian historian, Hamish Maxwell-Stewart, titled ‘Closing Hell’s Gates’.
Some might say I am doing my research. Some might say I am plotting and scheming. Some might say I am stark raving mad.
And all of them would probably be right.
-A.S. 1/2/25, Lenah Valley