How to connect with nature feat. metho stove

Recently I've been feeling a bit flat. Feeling that I only connect with people when I'm the one to initiate the contact, make the time and place. I've never been a huge people person and I thought 'Why this sudden focus on what you don't have? What are you missing from your life that's always been there?' And I thought about my connection with the bush.

Over the weekend I made dad promise me to invite me on any walks he was going to be doing. It poured on Monday and I was, thankfully I remember thinking that day, on afternoon shift. He walked up and back down a hill sitting on the side of one of the town's I grew up in. Yesterday I finished work at 1, raced home to saw some leaders out of our apple tree with help then made it to our friend's house in the other town by 2.45. Dad had forgotten to tell me his shifts had changed to a 4pm finish, hence a 2 hour wait ensued.

He and this mate (+1 more) are going on a hike this weekend. It's going to take about 4 or 5 days, hard going. This mate, Jason, was all prepped with the things he needed. Ultra-light sleeping bag, mat, tent, food, camelbaks, clothes, etc. We spent the 2 hours checking out his little handmade metho stove. I've heard about them, but never seemed to find the use for or even look at them before. After checking his out, I'll be making one before my next backpacking adventure. This is a link he sent me to help me make my own.

We opened up his little netted bag of cooking devices and he gave me a demonstration that sold it. 30ml of metho=6 minutes of burn time. Easiest cup of tea when you're on the go, hands down. No moving pieces, no screwing things this way and that. Now I've just got to make my own...updates to come...

So after a good look through all his gear and some good conversations about the places we've been recently or are going to, dad turned up, we got in the car and made our way. Parking behind the Lithgow sewerage treatment plant (romantic, I know) we proceeded up the hill on foot. When reaching the top we followed the road, kept in reasonable condition by powerline grid workers. It led us to a clearing with an inconspicuous bushwalkers sign hidden in the scrub leading to an overgrown, rock-lined path to a cliff top, giving you this brilliant shot of the Zig Zag viaducts (with me in the foreground-how else to prove I've been there?).

After this we walked another little way down and up another bit of a hill and were witness to an absolutely stunning sunset at another angle. 

I only had my iphone on me, but it gives you a bit of an idea of how treated we were. It wasn't even all that cold as the rain over the last couple of days seems to have acted as insulation. I took a quick snap of the other two trying to capture the sunset but you can't even see dad in his everyday wear khaki in the background, mixed with the failing light. We were on top of the hill at this time, in the gorgeous, heathy scrubland. Just before it turns into 'private property'. As if you would restrict access to people from beautiful country like this! 

So all in all after that short approximately 3km trek, my soul has been somewhat re-energised and I feel more like myself, more grounded now that I've reconnected with my country. Now to make this more of a habit.