Recently, I hiked the Jatbula Trail in Nitmiluk NP in the Northern Territory. As I walked, the spinifex slashed my legs; beneath my feet, I felt the rocks and uneven surface. My eyes searched for buffalo, and I constantly was on the lookout for snakes.
Towards the walk’s end section, closer to human contact, I was in a swampy area when I came across a ten-metre-long boardwalk. It was fine, easy, bland almost. However, the section after was muddy and sloshy, and my boots were sucked under the brown sludge. I laughed, squealed, and pried my way out, navigating the compacted spots on the trail. But the experience stayed in my mind: Physically connected to the land, I was hyper aware of its texture and moisture content.
It had me pondering: Are boardwalks disconnecting us from wild places?
As a decade-long
