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| January 2011 - Sacsayhuaman, Peru |
I guess I should start with the obvious! I'm a 22 year old university student studying Civil Engineering at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. I've been active in the Scouting Movement since 1995, when I joined up as a Cub Scout in the old khaki uniform with shorts, long socks and the old hat! I'm still very active in the movement as the Scout Leader at 1st Mount Waverley, a Rover with Mahogany Rover Crew and I'm also the current Chair of the Scouts Australia National Youth Council. So by the time that I balance out my studies, my extra-curricular activities and spend some time with my girlfriend and family, I don't have a whole lot of "down-time" for me!!
I've been living in Melbourne since I commenced my studies at Monash in 2008. The first two years of my degree I lived on campus at Mannix College and then moved to a nearby suburb with three good mates from College. Prior to Melbourne, I lived on the family dairy farm in south western Victoria just outside of Warrnambool on the Great Ocean Road - it's been a massive shock moving into the suburban block without the hundreds of acres as a playground and all of the sheds out the back to muck in.
Purpose:
That's what this blog is going to be all about - getting some more time for me and getting back outside!! I've always been keen to get right into bushwalking, hiking and am even keen to go as far as trying out some bike touring - anything to get outdoors and get a little more fresh air. So it's time to find some spare moments amongst all of the sitting in meetings that I seem to get caught up in, and jump back into the great outdoors that we are lucky to have in Australia and start treating the cabin fever that I've been getting cooped up in Melbourne!
Previous experience:
I managed to get a few hikes and a four day bike tour in as a Venturer Scout (youth section for members aged between 15 and 18 years of age) and a couple of walks while working towards the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (otherwise referred to as the International Award, but that's about it. In January, after attending the World Scout Youth Forum and the World Scout Conference in Brazil, I managed to fit in some backpacking around South America (Brazil, Argentina and Peru) with a few of the other Aussie Rovers who attended.
Gear:
I've always been a bit of a gadget person; at even the slightest opportunity, I'll jump at the chance to purchase new and better gear to build my collection!
Might leave the gear until a later post.
Wish list:
So there's a few basic (some not so basic!) trips that I want to tick off. I've listed some of the walks that immediately spring to mind - no doubt this list will grow the more I get out there!
Australia
- Walk into History (Upper Yarra Walking Track); VIC
- Surf Coast Walk; VIC
- Great Ocean Walk; VIC
- South Coast Track & Port Davey Track; TAS
- Overland Track; TAS
- Australian Alps Walking Track; VIC, NSW & ACT
Overseas:
- Kokoda, PNG
- Inca Trail, Peru
Aim of this blog:
So I guess the aim of this blog is to document the path that I take to getting back outdoors, and everything else on the way!
Hopefully my notes will be of use to others hoping to get back outside and make the most of our great country. I'll jot down some notes and include some photos of each walk that I head out on, and keep record of the gear that I use, both good and bad points and maybe even a bit of good ol' hindsight to help others in their choice of gear!
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