Blog Comment: The Art of Exploring - Instinctive or Learned?

Thanks Baz - yes that's exactly what I'm saying. If we make the presumptions that:
1. yes we are talking about exploring in the context of an EO traveller &
2. yes we are taking about people that do have desires to explore,
then the issues to discuss are:
a. where to start
b. overcoming concerns - of one's own capacity
c. logistics & associated safety risks

One could argue that both a & c are already well covered by the plethora of resources including sites like ExplorOz, however the human of b. is indeed very different from person to person.

It is also true that some people have a more positive attitude toward risk than others. Traveling is highly personal and what one person does, enjoys, or finds interesting another won’t—and the same goes with risk.

For the people that are highly stimulated by adventure they are prepared to consider more personal and actual risk than those that are not so stimulated as a means to reach their goal. Provided that risk is well calculated and common sense prevails the experience is usually positive and the person learns that with risk comes joy and so the experiences reinforces confidence that "you can do it". Most of us start learning this from a very young age as a child and as we reach adulthood our opinion of our self and our capabilities is well entrenched based on those experiences. So really - it is a very hard thing to contemplate "changing" a person's viewpoint of themselves.

Perhaps we all just find the travel experience that fits us personally and that makes us excited to travel and just go do that! Travel should excite you and push just at the edge of your comfort. That’s how we grow and change, not by doing outright risky things, but by confronting the small fears that are boxing us in and not allowing us to live the life we want.

So if anything, I feel our discussion is about personal confidence. Having it, gaining it, and feeding it. And the more we observe point c, the more likely that is to be.

"Where to start" For anyone that asks this question a very good start is to join a four wheel drive club. IMHO. You can read as much as you like but nothing beats having an experienced traveller look at your setup and give you face to face advice. You would need to look at clubs that suit your demographic and has trips to the sort of places you want to go. Increasingly popular are what maybe called "off-peak" clubs, usually made up of retirees and travel outside public and school holidays.
You can travel with others and learn the ropes so to speak. I am in two clubs and do about half my travelling with others on club trips and the other half as a single vehicle - best of both worlds. There are some parts of Oz that are very remote and are best done with a group which is where a club is very handy.The essential kit is a satphone, credit card with big limit, and a PLB. If travelling solo Maxtraxs as well.