There’s something about the immense power of lightning that has fascinated cultures and people throughout the centuries. How it behaves, how it moves through the sky and the force and damage that it can bring. If news reports are anything to go by, it would be easy to think that being struck by lightning only happens to golfers or beach anglers. My guest today is neither of those and shares her story of being struck by lightning while leading an outdoor activity on a school camp. Listen Here Key episode takeaways Current advice based on Australian Standard Lightning protection AS 1768:20 ..read more

19 km grade 3 walk linking Wentworth Falls to Katoomba Heralded as a ‘new’ walk, the Grand Cliff Top Walk is an easy-to-follow grade 3 track along the Jamison Valley escarpment, on Gundungurra Country, that has been formed by linking old tracks known to us locals (and those who can read maps) for years. Many of the sections are part of my daily walks, so when Great Walks Magazine asked me to write an article about the rebranded route, I knew I had to experience it through fresh eyes and in a new (to me) way: over the NPWS recommended two days. In this version of the article, I’ve included more ..read more

Aussie made ultralight hiking pack At the top end of Katoomba Street, there’s a serious-looking post-war building anchored to the Blue Mountains retail landscape. It’s home to local outdoor retailer, Summit Gear, staffed by trail runners, climbers, and canyoners, it stocks the usual suspects of Icebreaker, Patagonia, La Sportiva, Mont, Outdoor Research, Salomon, etc. At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking Summit Gear is like every other gear shop. But look around and you might start to notice something different. Listen harder and all will become clear… Local Design and manufactu ..read more

Why do we pick up a book, bend open the cover and the first few pages and begin to read? To escape? To move us? To transport us to another place? To switch off? To challenge? To learn? Finding the right book (or, maybe like a partner) at least the ‘right for now’ book, is like finding the right recipe: you don’t know until you taste it, that it was exactly what you needed.  Over Christmas, after the death of my mother from dementia and a fairly tumultuous November, I picked up Dan(forth) Slater’s 3rd novel, Black Dog, Blue Sea.  I’ve known Dan for a few years and admire his writing ..read more

4 Day Navigation Retreat Learn to navigate Escape the day-to-day and find yourself in takayna/Tarkine, on lutruwita/Tasmania’s stunning west coast for 4 days learning navigation and connecting with this remote and wild place. Based at Corinna Wilderness Village, we will come together and learn to navigate by traditional map and compass, read and interpret topographic maps with confidence and importantly, learn to read the landscape and how to walk with it, not against it. 24 – 27 April 2024 Reserve your space here! Booking form launching soon! Come and join me here in wonderful takayna/The T ..read more

A 2-3 day hike on Airlie Beach’s doorstep The Whitsundays, a destination usually associated with the aquamarine waters that ebb and flow around its 74 islands, is popular with tourists who line up for boat tours and reef days spent sailing, paddling, snorkelling and connected to all things blue. The Conway feels like a hidden secret behind Airlie & Shute Harbour (Photo: Caro Ryan) It’s July and I’ve come to Airlie Beach not to sink beneath the blue, but to dive amongst the green.  Leaving behind the frosty winter mornings of my home in NSW, the idea of wandering through Conway Nation ..read more

How a 5 day backcountry ski trip went bad In what must be the most basic of human fears, James woke up to find himself buried alive. Outside, the wind buffeted the Main Range, out past Mt Kosciusko, but all was quiet inside his cosy, white snow cave. In this episode of Rescued, we hear from James and his mate Dylan, as they talk about their two very different experiences of this epic backcountry adventure and how escape was just the beginning. Listen here View on Zencastr Key story takeaways The importance of understanding and managing group dynamics and communication in a crisis Underst ..read more

An expert in satellite communication devices We venture into wild places to get away from it all. But when it comes to calling for help, letting someone know that we’re delayed or even just giving our loved ones peace of mind, we have to rely on satellite communication methods – because mobile phone coverage often doesn’t reach to where we want to go. In this episode, I speak with Linda Berryman from AMSA (that’s the Australian Maritime Safety Authority) in Canberra.  We do a deep dive into Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), along with 2-way communication devices (such as Zoleo, InReach or ..read more

When first aid can’t help you We all know the importance of having solid first aid skills when we head off into the bush. A good remote area first aid course not only gives us the technical know-how of what to do in an emergency, but confidence to step in and act when someone suffers an injury. However, there’s something that first aid courses can’t really prepare us for that can leave us feeling vulnerable especially when travelling solo. In this episode, I hear from experienced bushwalker, cross-country skier, runner and all round adventure traveller, Owen, on what happened during day 21 of ..read more

The Anatomy of a Search This story is a work of fiction, based on my 19 years of actual search jobs with NSW SES Bush Search and Rescue (BSAR), formerly Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Squad. It first appeared in Wild Magazine #187 Autumn 2023. Saturday 8.38 am The headlights of the Forester worked hard to cut through the mountain mist as Dave turned off the bitumen towards a lightening sky.  Dropping his speed to avoid kangaroos and potholes, the moment brought back memories of long-past adventures, before the claustrophobia of pandemic restrictions and bushfires had forced him insid ..read more