
Its 2025 and I’m back. It may appear that I've been inactive since October, but in reality, a lot has been happening. During this time, I officially retired from full-time work and I completed a 1,000km bushwalk from my home in Perth, Western Australia to Albany in the south of the state. Rather than saying I have retired, I like to think I have renaissanced. Retired has too many negative, irrelevant and ageist connotations.
My long walk, averaging 20 kilometres each day for an exhilarating 50 days, was not just a journey through stunning landscapes; it was a golden opportunity to indulge in my other great passion: reading. At a comfortable pace of 4.5 km/h, I discovered the joy of immersing myself in literature for several hours each afternoon. Over the course of my trek, I devoured eighteen books, including a few about walking! Now that I’m back, I’m eager to harness my time in a similar way to pursue my passions for reading, writing, and, of course, walking.

There’s something truly magical about solo walking. The simplicity of covering long distances becomes a meditative experience: walk, eat, sleep, repeat. It’s as straightforward as it sounds! While I cherish my solitary walks, I’ve also encountered a vibrant array of people along the way—fellow solo walkers and spirited groups alike. One memorable night, I shared my campsite with around 20 enthusiastic school students! The walking community is an eclectic mix, each person bringing their own unique story to the trail.

As I walked, I found myself reflecting deeply on my current works in progress, submissions, and various short and longer-term projects. One of my shorter inspirations came from Bonnie Garmus’s novel Lessons in Chemistry. While Garmus’s narrative tackles themes like overcoming misogyny and social stigmas rather than focusing on chemistry, it resonated with me. Having recently concluded a chemistry-based career—thankfully free of many of the challenges she described—I felt a personal connection. Garmus’s journey to publication was equally inspiring; her bestseller faced 98 rejections before finding a home. I can only hope that those publishers who turned her down have since reconsidered the way they assess submissions.

During my walk, an intriguing idea struck me: why not create a recipe book framed as synthetic chemistry? I’ve often joked with my organic chemistry colleagues that following a recipe is closer to synthetic chemistry than they might admit. While I’m not certain a chemical approach to food preparation would attract anyone outside of us science enthusiasts, I think it could be fun! The first recipe from this collection, featuring a trio of ancient Aztec ingredients, will debut on this blog in early February. Stay tuned, and I’d love to hear your thoughts!

My time on the trail also unveiled unexpected connections to my writing world. While I was walking, I received delightful news that my debut novel, ‘Darwin’s Wake,’ had been on a world-wide holiday of its own! In fact, it even sent me envy-inducing photos of its travels. [Many thanks to Luke McG for sharing the photos]

‘Darwin’s Wake’ sparked several fireside chats in the bush and even garnered a written review from the desk of ‘Self-Pub Man’ (selfpubman.com). He described my debut novel as “captivating storytelling combining suspense and heart, offering a gripping tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat…this inspirational debut novel… asks the ultimate question: How far would you go to protect the ones you love?” These kind words reignited my motivation to get my second novel back on track.

Upon arriving in Albany, I was thrilled to meet Kylie Abecca, Western Australia’s biggest supporter of independent authors through her business, ‘Read the Write Book’ (readthewritebook.com.au). Not only is Kylie a champion of emerging authors, but she is also one of the most passionate book lovers you could ever meet. Her dedication to literature is so profound that she even relocated house to create more shelf space for her beloved books! Be sure to check out Kylie’s online presence for your next literary adventure.

Who knows? Perhaps my journey of 1.3 Million steps along the breathtaking Bibbulmun Track will inspire a new captivating narrative that brings its wonders to life!

Love this Pete. Great walk! Looking forward to reading many more … supposedly you will have lots of time now (maybe).