Walking along the Walls of Jerusalem in Tasmania

My younger son Tarun loves to go on treks. Each time he returned from a trek, I used to ask him to share his experiences.  I am fascinated by the idea of trekking but am unable, being physically unfit to take on such a challenge. This time he obliged and I am sharing below the account of Tarun. He has chosen to focus on the people he interacted with during the hike rather than on the natural beauty and terrain on the way. Maybe next time we can get him to do that. Walls of Jerusalem is located in the heart of world heritage listed wilderness. The hike takes around two to five days to complete. Now over to Tarun. 

I have gone on quite a few interesting and exciting treks in India but had not recorded the experience in writing.  This trek was different in many ways. After moving to Australia around a year back, this was my first trek in this country. Unlike my treks in India I did not have friends accompanying me.  A friend who was to join could not do so due to last minute hitches.

I'm thankful to have met a lot of Australian citizens who gave me a glimpse into the lifestyle & culture of the land. In this article I am sharing my perception about each of the members in our trekking expedition. Knowing them, and about their lives was an enriching experience.

Scott, although in his 50s seemed young in terms of his sense of humour . He appeared to be open minded and having a sensible perspective of life.  He spoke proudly of his two children - a boy and a girl. They love their dad and have a friend-like relationship with him. Scott is separated from his wife and it appeared to me that he had a bit of regret about the decision. He also mentioned his girlfriend and happily revealed to me, an Indian that she loves biriyani!  Scot has made peace with his life experiences and has moved on.

 Then there was  Su, short for Susan, a lady perhaps in her 60s but as young in heart as a 16-year-old. With a navy background, she has travelled the world, volunteered for many causes and has a rich repertoire of stories.  Sue assumed the role of a responsible, caring leader during the trek, who is not shy to express her emotions and bold enough to take charge when the situation demanded it. She is happily unmarried and is proud of the course of her life thus far and has few regrets.

Sue said that she came to the Australian shore via boat with family when she was a 7 year old. She has very few memories of the place she used to call home in the United Kingdom. However, she does remember the time when her English teacher embarrassed her by asking her to read in front of the class as she had impeccable English pronunciation.

 Oliver or Oli as he is lovingly called was the trek trailer (person supervising and guiding from behind)  who is a genuinely happy person. He appeared to have a lot of love for the Aussy land, especially the beauty of the nature. He laughs his heart out like a child, without inhibitions. We shared some genuine conversations and laughs. I got the feeling that he cared for me. If I had spent more time with him, he would perhaps have made a good friend.

 Then there was the trek leader - the young, beautiful and elegant Nikky or Nichola who is in her twenties. She was committed to the role of a leader and was doing a balancing act between being a pleasant person and an assertive trek leader.  During interactions, she meant business, but at the same time wanted to be as friendly and acknowledging of people's opinions.

Nikki has a lot of experience working with kids and she could give the Disney arts and craft girl a run for her money. She deals with people like how adults deal with a restless child. Nikki could  be heard repeating the lines “Yes, very interesting” and “wow" tirelessly! She also has an adorable habit of fidgeting her feet, perhaps indicative of the restlessness in her soul.

Nikki’s sound knowledge of the mountains and the self-confidence to take charge makes her an excellent leader. My assessment about her was that Nikki was a responsible young woman, any parent would be proud of.  However, she does not like to be pushed or cornered to make decisions.  She likes and values her space.

 Rony is the first person I spoke with on joining the trek. She was a self-assured woman with a strong opinion about the world around her. She has a wealth of experience.  A mother of three sons, Rony  is proud of each of them and believes that she has raised them to take care of themselves. Rony appeared to trust and confide only in a few people. However, she and Jill or Jillian had a unique chemistry – engaging  with each other like best friends sharing similar ideas about the world. Jill works in the medical industry. Her high-pitched laugh does attract attention. However I believe that she enjoys it, and sees it as a part of being who she is. She also has three children but I couldn’t get to know more about them. 

Simone is the third friend that completes their trio of good friends. She has a very friendly aura and is invested in her friendship with Rony and Jill . Her background is that of a nurse associated with the army.  A strong woman, Simone has seen some challenging times in her life. I understand that the three of them got to know each other well on a marathon trek called  "Lara Pinto",  a 260+ Km trek covered over a period of 14 days in the difficult terrains of the Northern Territory.Simone is 45, unmarried and in love with her dog Rosie. In times of crisis, we saw her set things aside and jump in to help like a seasoned caretaker. It was clear that she enjoyed the company of Rony and Jill.

 Tom (not his real name) was the youngster in our trekking group. Although close to my age, I could see right from the beginning that Tom’s personality was diametrically opposite to mine and that it would be hard to have a meaningful relationship with him. He was uptight in manner with strong ideas of what is right or wrong in an interaction. Tom has some leadership qualities and is physically fit. Yet, to my mind he is strongly opinionated, non inclusive and biased for a young person his age. No wonder then, he seemed to have very few friends. However, Tom had a good relationship with Rony and Jill – who seemed to enjoy involving him in their conversations.

 Finally, we had Lynda in the group - a retired school principal who used to teach History and English. She was a calm and composed lady, dignified in appearance. She maintained a clear, articulate and dignified behaviour at all times, perhaps a hangover from her former role as a principal. As for instance, Lynda had an accidental fall and broke her wrist. Although she must have been in excruciating pain, she handled it with grace and accepted the situation in a matter of fact manner.

It was here that we saw the brilliant leadership qualities of  Su, Simmone, and Nikky - all of whom jumped into action to provide support and relief without overreaction. . Simone climbed up to fetch  first aid. Sue then took charge noting down vital signs and information such as allergies. She also checked and ensured  that there was no loss in cognition. Nikky gave clear, precise instructions and established control of the situation.

I would like to conclude with the thought that trekking is not just about physical exertion, climbing hills or mountains. It provides a opportunity to understand the lives of fellow trekkers, develop bond and sometimes make lifelong friends. My first Australian trek was memorable and will always be cherished for the people whose lives intermingled with mine albeit briefly for a few days….

Tarun Moothedath