Winter in the foothills of Mt Bogong, northeast Victoria. Any season, this is one of my happy places, with so many layers of connections and experiences.
I’m often asked why slow travel is so important. It’s a good question and goes to the heart of our engagements with landscapes and communities as travellers. So why should you travel slowly? For me, local slow travel is one of the great things I do. Here’s some of the reasons why I think it’s the best way to travel:
Walking, cycling and paddling allows me to travel IN a landscape, not THROUGH one.
I get to meet people.
I get to learn about their landscapes.
Contributing economically, socially and sometimes even politically to communities means I make a difference.
Knowing more about the ways people live in their landscapes, their aspirations and their concerns means I know more about myself as well.
It’s sustainable travel – for example, low emissions, contributing to local sustainability through what I contribute to local communities.
The pace is slow so things unfold rather than get ticked off lists.
It’s a good way to reflect on my own ideas, approaches to travel, actions and what I do.
You can find out more about the essence of LoST by clicking here.
Ridges, those points where high starts to become lower, are important markers for the landscapes of mountains and their communities. They provide vantage points for location, what’s coming and what’s already been.