A walk on the wild side
I lace up my walking boots most days and strike out on bush trails around my home. I wear long trousers to guard against snakebite, a hat against the sun. In the cooler months I wear a red jacket. It's lightweight yet warm, hooded. I know I don't slip through unseen when I wear it, that I clash with the blended palette of nature, but I bought it cheap in the sales and in the cooler months it's a necessity.
I know some people view nature as separate to them. It's something they seek to best or overcome, to stake a claim upon; something they must possess. For me, the opposite is true. When I'm bushwalking I am nature and it possesses me.
Sally Piper at Wilsons Promontory, where her novel is loosely based. Piper did a five-day solo hike in the area as research for the book.
Photo: Supplied
- To read the full article go to The Sydney Morning Herald, published 23-24 June 2018