I grew up in Warrandyte, Victoria, when it was still rural; farms and bushland. We didn’t have fences and the bush came right up to the back of our block. My mother loved all things connected with flowers and nature. From an early age, she'd take me for bush walks, pointing out this flower, that tree and a grassy ring where fairies might frolic. And her knowledge and her imagination became part of me too.

Europe has beautiful wildflowers. I’ve enjoyed sensory overload hiking through the glorious alpine flower meadows of France and Slovenia in summer. But there’s a special feeling of wonder and surprise in discovering our own gorgeous, native orchids pushing up from the bushland floor to flower.

From my Adelaide home, I hike most weekends. The Mount Lofty Ranges surround the metropolitan area and we are fortunate that South Australian politicians created a ‘hills face zone’ in the 1960’s to protect it from development. Much of the area is now state and national parkland.

It is a haven for native flowers and animals and with the changing seasons there is always something new to see. Spider and Donkey Orchids bring back happy childhood memories of wandering bush tracks with Mum. And then there might be a new find like the Purple Cockatoo Orchid, the blue amongst the varieties of Donkeys in the images below. These are all terrestrial orchids which flower in cooler periods and disappear to an underground tuber during the dry summer.

As well as an attractive backdrop to the city, the zone has sustained the eco system of the area and nature abounds on our doorstep. Kangaroos, koalas, even shy echidnas can often be spotted on walks along woodland trails through the hills.

Surrounding ourselves with all this natural beauty is good for health and wellbeing. A Japanese study showed it can lower cortisol (our main stress hormone) levels, lower pulse rates and blood pressure. There’s something calming and peaceful about being at one with our natural environment. So take to the hills - just keep an eye out for the Spiders and the Donkeys!

I love to travel, but my husband doesn’t.  So, faced with the alternative of staying forever grounded, I chose to venture off alone for the first time when I was 55.

I jumped in at the deep end, signing up to walk the 96km Kokoda Track! My friends were horrified, my family hesitant, all concerned about my safety.

There’s no doubt that as the date approached, I was a little nervous too. Even though I’d trained hard, my concern was more about finishing the trek than travelling alone.  I’d done my homework, booked with a very reputable adventure company and, once I arrived in Papua New Guinea, everything was catered so I didn’t have to worry about any of that.

That first solo journey was a tough physical and mental challenge. It was also amazing, memorable and emotional.  My unexpected reward was a huge sense of achievement and renewed levels of confidence.

My travels since have included other treks but I also love more leisurely opportunities to discover different ways of life and landscape.  Experiencing other cultures, trying new foods and cooking styles, and learning the history of people and places is enlightening, liberating and fulfilling. 

Returning home, there is a renewed appreciation for other lands and for the goodness of people met along the way.  A much-needed foil to the fear and angst peddled to us on a daily basis through news services.

 “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness”. 
Mark Twain

Tips to help your solo motivation:

Ease into going it alone by joining up with a small tour group.  You get to be independent but don’t have to do all the organising yourself. You’ll return more confident to take on more of that responsibility next time – or just continue to work in with destination tour operators who cater for single travellers.  

Planning is essential, particularly if you're like me, a mature traveller who likes flexibility but some creature comforts as well.  It might be great for young people to ‘wing’ it and bunk down wherever they find themselves.  When I’m on my own in foreign lands, I prefer to know where I’ll be spending the night and how I’m getting from A to B. 

The research to prepare is interesting and enjoyable, building a sense of excited anticipation to experience all you’ve been reading about. Your confidence will grow too as the chosen destination becomes more familiar and plans start to take shape.

Common sense, the most valuable item you can pack.  The same sensible approach you take at home will stand you in good stead. Would you go at night into an unknown, dark, isolated part of town by yourself?  Of course not!  Neither would you head off alone with a perfect stranger, hitch a ride or carelessly put yourself in harm’s way. Travelling is no different.

Make the commitment.  Don’t let a dream go unfulfilled because at first, it seems daunting. For my first solo to Kokoda I paid a very early deposit so that I couldn't change my mind. I was committed. And once you’ve travelled solo you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about.

Researching for a new colour range, I browsed an interior design book full of evocative imagery and words celebrating colours of the Australian landscape. A snippet of poetry on a page of green caught my eye – and my imagination….

Here where I walk was the green world of a child;
The infinity of day that closed in day,
The widening spiral turning and returning,
The same, and not the same,
That had no end.
      (From The Moving Image, by Judith Wright)

Keen to read more, I Googled, as you do, and found the poem - and the poet.  

Judith Wright; famous Australian poet, literary critic, university lecturer, passionate activist for Aboriginal rights and for the environment. The Centre of Contemporary Arts in Brisbane bears her name. She was an amazing woman.

Source: www.wikipedia.org; Photograph by Heide Smith

I also stumbled upon a beautifully written essay on the very secret 25-year love affair between Judith and ‘Nugget’ Coombs, an economist, governor of the Reserve Bank, and an influential advisor to seven prime ministers. I started reading, and I couldn’t put it down.

Get a cup of tea, settle in somewhere comfortable, and read Fiona Capp’s tale of two soles who, because of position and circumstance, couldn’t always be together but whose love affair endured until Nugget’s death in 1997. It is a beautiful Australian story that belongs in a movie.