Bushwalking books

[norts]

Blatant Plug for SES & Tasfire.

Why not join the SES and/or Tasfire. That way you can get your hands on it.

I am a volunteer with both. SES is always looking for more volunteers. Lots of different roles too. I am mainly road crash rescue but there are SAR(Search and Rescue) teams, general rescue, comms.

Roger

[tasadam]

Off topic - a nice idea but time doesn't allow for the walking I'd like to be doing, let alone other things.
I have contemplated joining S&R, still in the back of my mind.

Ultimately what I menat was it sounds like a great book and one I would like to see - a pity they don't sell them.
Perhaps the content of it would reveal why (sensitive / off track areas?)
Cheers!

[tasadam]

The new John Chapman Southwest book has been released!
To quote John,

The new edition of South West Tasmania is now out and available.

http://www.john.chapman.name/pub-sw.html

[Son of a Beach]

I received the following information about a book that may be of interest...

"Jack Thwaites, Pioneer Tasmanian bushwalker and conservationist" is now available.

Jack was an early pioneer walker and this book on his life includes stories of early overland trips, Federation Peak, the Arthurs, early Lake St Clair, Melaleuca, Lake Pedder and more. Great photos of the early days as well.

It’s available in limited release from the publisher, 40° South.

[johnw]

For those who haven't read it, I've just finished "Hells Gates: The Terrible Journey of Alexander Pearce, Van Diemen's Land Cannibal" by Paul Collins.

Being about convicts escaping from Sarah Island, it's not a bushwalking book in the purest sense. However it pretty much centres around a (primitive) early 19th century bushwalk through difficult (and at that time unexplored) terrain. Although the book is gruesome in parts, I found the descriptions of traversing the wilderness regions fascinating. Much of the input for those descriptions appears to have come from experienced bushwalkers.

Having visited some of the locations documented, I found it easy to read and think it would appeal to anyone with an interest in both Tasmanian history and bushwalking.

[Son of a Beach]

A movie about this convict cannibal escapee was being made recently... not sure when it's due to be released.

[johnw]

A movie about this convict cannibal escapee was being made recently... not sure when it's due to be released.

A bit of googling suggests that there are actually two films recently made. One a documentary about Pearce, the other a horror/thriller combining Pearce and Thylacine legends.

http://www.screen.tas.gov.au/news/in-production.php
"THE LAST CONFESSION OF ALEXANDER PEARCE
Essential Viewing
Producers: Niall Fulton
Director: Michael Roland
Sales and Distribution: ABC, RTE (Ireland), BBC Northern Ireland, History Channel UK
Synopsis: Irish convict Alexander Pearce was the first white man to walk through the unchartered wilderness of south west Tasmania and live to tell the tale. It was a remarkable achievement, but given the circumstances of his survival, far from heroic. In 1822, Pearce and seven other convicts escaped from the penal colony of Sarah Island and set out on foot through this alien landscape in a bid for freedom. When Pearce finally emerged from the wilderness 49 days later, behind him lay a trail of mutilated corpses. The tale Pearce lived to tell was one of treachery, murder and cannibalism.

Start: 7 April, 2008
Wrap: 22 April, 2008"

Indicative release date appears to be 13 October 2008
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.if.com.au/PR/View.aspx?newsid=843
"Australian film 'Dying Breed' to premiere at Tribeca Film Festival
Mar 25, 2008
New Australian movie Dying Breed is on the verge of a major international breakthrough – securing its world premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

Produced by Ambience Entertainment, the horror/thriller Dying Breed will play in the popular Midnight Section of the festival which is seen as a 'chance to catch new talent working in a variety of genres' said David Kwok, Tribeca’s Director of Programming.

Dying Breed stars Australians Leigh Whannell (co-creator/writer and actor Saw 1, producer, co-writer Saw 2 & 3) Nathan Phillips (Snakes on a Plane, Wolf Creek) and was filmed on location in the isolated and rugged bushland of northern Tasmania, Australia, in August and September 2007.

Dying Breed - directed by Jody Dwyer - interweaves two icons of Tasmania’s history: cannibal Alexander Pearce and the Tasmanian Tiger into a modern day horror/thriller. The film is inspired by the legend of Irish convict Alexander Pearce – (aka 'The Pieman') who broke out of prison, ventured out into the Tasmanian wilderness and ate his fellow escapees. When he was caught, he had both human and pork flesh in his pockets and was subsequently hung for cannibalism in 1824. The story starts when a group of four sets out on a quest to prove the Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) still lives in the Tasmanian forests. The group becomes prey when they wander into the domain of the living decedents of the ‘Pieman’, who retain their ancestors taste for human flesh.

'There were over 2,300 feature film submissions put forward this year and only 122 feature films being presented so being accepted into Tribeca, is a great coup for Dying Breed and it’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase an Australian film in an internationally- renown festival,' said Dying Breed producer Michael Boughen.

Dying Breed will be distributed by Hoyts locally in the second half of 2008.

The Tribeca Film Festival – which was co-founded by Robert De Niro - will run from April 23 until May 4, 2008 in Lower Manhattan.

[release from Ambience Entertainment]"

Dying Breed Release date appears to be 14 August 2008 through Hoyts.

[Steve]

The new John Chapman Southwest book has been released!
To quote John,

The new edition of South West Tasmania is now out and available.

http://www.john.chapman.name/pub-sw.html

Good stuff, I've been waiting on that book for almost a year now.

[frank_in_oz]

This is not only about saving the Franklin, but also some great yarns about bushwalking (and rafting) trips in Tasmania.

From the blurb:
Geoff Law first rafted the dangerously beautiful Franklin River on a whim. He was inexperienced and in a leaky raft, the weather was treacherous, and his travelling companion was someone he didn't know and who hated the place. But that eventful trip drew him into the historic battle to save the Franklin from being dammed. It was a struggle that brought down a federal government, and one whose ecological reverberations, twenty-five years on, are more commanding than ever.

In The River Runs Free Geoff Law gives a lively and witty account of that flagship campaign, weaving it around stories of his wilderness travels. Drawn since childhood to wild places, he is an experienced solo bushwalker, one who can never resist a challenge. He writes powerfully about the connection between humans and landscape, the source of inspiration for his life's work. Travel with him and you never know what's coming next - but you'll arrive exhilarated.

'Law is one of Australia's great oudoor adventurers, authors and advocates.' - Bob Brown

I am half way through it and am really enjoying it. My wife could not put it down and read it in 24 hours. We blogged about it here. http://frankinoz.blogspot.com/2008/07/r ... aving.html

Available from Penguin (and as they say ...all good book sellers...) Link here: http://www.penguin.com.au/lookinside/sp ... 0670072453

[dee_legg]

Dying Breed looks hilarious!! can't wait to see that one... The synopsis states- "Tasmania, Australia- the worlds most isolated island" should be good quality viewing!

[flyfisher]

I have also been reading THE RIVER RUNS FREE by Geoff Law and it is a very interesting account of his early years and some of his early exploits in Tassie.
This gives a background to his motivation for saving the Franklin, and an insight to the frustrations he had trying to organise the logistics of the Blockade many kms upriver from Strahan and keep the troops happy and the media onside,while dealing with the vagaries of weather and transport etc.
Recommended reading for many on this forum I expect. Well done Geoff.

Flyfisher

[johnw]

Author: Melissa Harper

I only finished reading this book yesterday. To some extent, I’m not sure if my post belongs here or in Controversy Corner.

Although this book is not specifically about Tasmania; it covers the evolution of bushwalking throughout Australia since European occupation. Most states are dealt with to some degree but the main focus is NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. Tassie bushwalking is one of the key components, and eventually comes to the fore in the latter parts of the book. There are many examples and references that I think BWT members would identify with. It more or less follows a chronology since the earliest walkers of 1788 and jumps around a lot geographically, aiming to examine how various locations dealt with the same issues. It romanticises walking quite a bit during the earlier chapters but eventually gets down to practicalities.

Individual places, people, organisations and issues are not always analysed in great depth, but a wide range of them and various opinions and actions are discussed. For Tasmania, historically, people like Lady Jane Franklin, Gustav and Kate Weindorfer, Ronald Smith, Fred Smithies, Jack Thwaites, and so on. More recent bushwalking-related identities include Geoff Law, Nick Mooney from PWS, among others. Many past and present contentious issues are considered such as the battle for Lake Pedder, the Franklin River, access to the southwest, the Overland Track and its past and present management. It also examines the first known attempts to scale Federation Peak. It studies the club movement and its influence in some detail, both mainland and Tasmania, including references to the Hobart Walking Club.

Reading this book was a thought provoking experience. It’s written in a somewhat academic/research style, a bit slow to start but ultimately very readable and entertaining. It will probably appeal to many bushwalkers, as it attempts to understand numerous issues that are often discussed by bushwalkers themselves. This parallels many of the threads found on BWT forums, such as walking solo, carrying EPIRBs (PLBs), GPS units, and Volleys vs boots for Tassie conditions. There is much discussion about the evolution of gear, clothing (and fashion!), pack weight, environmental consciousness and responsible behaviour (controversy surrounding S&R costs, campfires, impacts of large numbers of walkers, MIB etc). Comparing the abilities of women vs men walkers is a potentially controversial topic. I note that the book is positive towards women and their often hard-won involvement, citing very strong 20th century pioneering characters such as Dot Butler and Marie Byles.

I found some of the comments and questions that the author raises rather unsettling. While I enjoyed and identified with many aspects of the book, I often found it vaguely disturbing and uncomfortable. In the end I suspect that many of us are not really “bushwalkers” at all according to the very strict definition that results from the author’s findings (which raises the question, then what are we?). And it sometimes paints “real” bushwalkers, particularly those of the more recent past, as quite elitist, arrogant and hypocritical.

I’d be interested to hear the opinion of anyone else who has read it.

[walkinTas]

Thanks for that John. Its great to read these good book reviews on BWT.

[johnw]

Thanks for that John. Its great to read these good book reviews on BWT.

Thanks walkinTas. It was good to get that one written down while still (mostly) fresh in my mind. It's a quite comprehensive book.

[tasadam]

OK I have had a chat with Bill Wilkinson, the author / editor of The Abels.
Good news! Here's a world scoop, you heard it here first!
Volume 2 is "progressing very very well", about 90% complete. Waiting on a few more track notes from some authors. Also waiting on some "experts" who are going to submit some essays as well.
Bill has set up an email address for expressions of interest in the Abels Volume 1 and 2. He can be contacted at
theabels2[at]gmail.com

He still has stock of The Abels Vol. 1
So there you have it, it's no longer hard to get, just contact Bill and take it from there

I emailed Bill again in September and got a response, but have only just got around to digging that info out and adding it here -

I still have some volume 1 copies available for $46.00 each including postage etc.
With regard to Volume 2, we have decide to incorporate some additional material which has rather complicated things but will be well worth the extra effort in the long run. Some field checks need to be undertaken later this year (or when the wind eases off!). Because of the nature of the book it is quite a complicated affair but progress is definitely being made. We are hoping to set a very high standard across all aspects of the book which is proving very time consuming.
Kindest Regards, Bill Wilkinson.

I'll keep this post updated as information comes to hand.

[johnw]

Dying Breed looks hilarious!! can't wait to see that one... The synopsis states- "Tasmania, Australia- the worlds most isolated island" should be good quality viewing!

My family informed me that they had seen a trailer of "Dying Breed" on TV yesterday. On further investigation it appears to have been released. For those who can't wait looks like it's currently showing at Village Glenorchy and Eastlands in Hobart, and Metro 4 in Burnie. And numerous locations on the mainland.

[Whos_asking99]

Dying Breed....yea, that really should help us get rid of our 2 headed-inbred image

[tastrax]

Anyone with an interest in walking track construction (probably all of us!) might like to download some information from the NZ Department of Conservation.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/MultiP ... x?id=71602

They have just released a new walking track manual, field manual and an excel spreadsheet with some useful calculators

Cheers - Phil

[red tag]

This may not be the correct sub-forum for this ..but anyway .

You come across interesting books at op shops .

I found one years ago : 'Three against the Wilderness' by Eric Collier. As a young man Eric fled his conservative father in the UK and thereafter spent his life in British Columbia ,Canada. He made a living fur trapping, and eventually, he became a noted conservationist - re-introducing Beavers into his local region - this was back in the 1920's to 50's ... He survived the isolation through his own sheer resource - building a log cabin he gained the sole trapping rights over a huge expanse of uninhabited wilderness. The 'three' included his Indian wife and son . He died at a relatively young age, in the mid 1960's..
Mike

[EDIT by Mod - Moved from Controversy Corner to here]

[walkinTas]

A movie about this convict cannibal escapee was being made recently... not sure when it's due to be released.

A bit of googling suggests that there are actually two films recently made. One a documentary about Pearce, the other a horror/thriller combining Pearce and Thylacine legends.

http://www.screen.tas.gov.au/news/in-production.php
"THE LAST CONFESSION OF ALEXANDER PEARCE

Sunday 25th January 2009, ABC 1, 8:30 - 9:30, The Last Confessions of Alexander Pearce. "In 1822, eight men escaped from the most isolated and brutal prison on earth - Sarah Island in Van Diemen's Land. Only one man survived and his tale of betrayal, murder and cannibalism shocked the British establishment to the core. This program follows the final days of Irish convict Alexander Pearce's life as he awaits execution. The year is 1824 and the British penal colony of Van Diemen's Land is little more than a living hell. During his six months incarcerated in the Hobart gaol, chained to a wall in the darkness of a cell, Pearce is visited by Father Philip Conolly, the parish priest of the fledgling colony and a fellow Irishman. Conolly's faith in his God is tested by what he hears. Told as a factual drama, The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce draws a visceral and compelling picture of hell on earth and tells how one man endured the unimaginable by doing the unthinkable."

[Josef]

South West Tasmania by Ken Collins

I love all the natural history info in this book. Have learnt a lot from it.

Joe.

[johnw]

Sunday 25th January 2009, ABC 1, 8:30 - 9:30, The Last Confessions of Alexander Pearce.

Thanks wT . I've programmed it in. Hopefully should get to watch it Sunday night.

[johnw]

Sunday 25th January 2009, ABC 1, 8:30 - 9:30, The Last Confessions of Alexander Pearce.

Thanks wT . I've programmed it in. Hopefully should get to watch it Sunday night.

I watched this as planned. It was presented as a docu-drama. I thought it was historically accurate, according to the accounts I've read. The story was quite abbreviated though, for example Pearce's final escape was dealt with very briefly. Then I guess it's difficult to fit every detail in a one hour timeslot. What really impressed me though were the stunning locations in many of the scenes shown during the first escape. I've been trying unsuccessfully to pinpoint exactly where they were shot. I know they used around Lake St Clair and parts of the Southwest NP among other places. Much of the photography was breathtaking. Recommended viewing for this reason alone, even if the often gruesome story doesn't appeal.

Looks like it can be downloaded currently from the ABC website in MP4 or WMV formats (approx. 225mb...free I think):
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/documentaries/downloads/

[Lisa11]

It is really an interesting book.

Lisa11

Camping

[walkinTas]

I watched this as planned. ...What really impressed me though were the stunning locations in many of the scenes shown during the first escape. ...Recommended viewing for this reason alone, even if the often gruesome story doesn't appeal.

Loved it! What a pity it only lasted an hour.

Looks like it can be downloaded currently from the ABC website in MP4 or WMV formats (approx. 225mb...free I think):
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/documentaries/downloads/

Or simply viewed on ABC IView (http://www.abc.net.au/iview/) - under documentaries - if you have broadband.

[Clownfish]

Walk into history in southern Tasmania by David Leaman is a fantastic book. I absolutely love this book. It's heavily focussed on geology and history with a little bit of botany thrown in. You can get it at Fullers bookshop in Hobart.

I love this book too. I've borrowed it from the Launny library a few times. I must get around to buying my own, if I can find a copy up North. I've also seen it at the Port Arthur souvenir shop, but I was with the family at the time, and the missus gets a bit dark if she sees me buying another book ...

Oh well, I'll actually get around to turning our old outside laundry into a library one day ... and then I can get more books!!

[frenchy_84]

does anyone know current information regarding The Abels, whether it is still possible to buy volume 1 and any release date for volume 2. i emailed the address given in an earlier post and am still waiting on a reply.

Cheers

[Selig97]

Frenchy,

Yes, purchased Vol 1 today from the author, Bill Wilkinson $40.00 ($46 with postage). Purchased mainly for info on one track but overall, what I have read so far is very good.

Bill advised he is making good progress on Vol 2 but didn't give me a release date.

PM me if you want Bill's e-mail.

[Cocksy_86]

Swiming with Crocodiles ISBN: 978 14050 6842 3
Two blokes 20 years ago went looking for some rare python and hiked down the Price Regent River. However, they discover more than they bargan for and their lift home never arrives. Really well written and great story.

Green Mountains Author: Bernard O'Reilly
First few chapters of the book is the story of discovering Stinson's Wreck. Inspiration to all bushwalkers.

The Never Ending Bushwalk ISBN 0 9587049 0 2
My heros and idols. Totally awesome. Thirty years ago these two blokes decide to hike from the bottom to the top of the Great Dividing Range. It takes them 375 days and they hit a few bumps along the way. Great inspirational book. Some rekon it's repetitive but I think the book is awesome.

[stu]

OK I have had a chat with Bill Wilkinson, the author / editor of The Abels.
Good news! Here's a world scoop, you heard it here first!
Volume 2 is "progressing very very well", about 90% complete. Waiting on a few more track notes from some authors. Also waiting on some "experts" who are going to submit some essays as well.
Bill has set up an email address for expressions of interest in the Abels Volume 1 and 2. He can be contacted at
theabels2@gmail.com

He still has stock of The Abels Vol. 1
So there you have it, it's no longer hard to get, just contact Bill and take it from there

Soooooooo, still waiting for Volume 2
Anyone heard any more word on this???