Wandering and Wondering  

Humanity has always been on the move - our ancestors walked out of Africa to populate the rest of the world.

Walking is fundamental to our experience as a human being. It is our original mode of transport.  Bipedalism freed our hands for other uses, most notably for gestural communication which, according to some theorists, led to the development of language. Modern research is increasingly finding that walking is the best exercise for our bodies and minds. Many studies have found that a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of developing cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. A recent international study claims that walking briskly for 22 minutes a day, plus a diet of unprocessed foods, provides more protection from developing heart disease, the world's number one killer (according to the World Health Organisation), than excluding saturated fats from the diet.

Another study found that walking amongst nature alleviates a mental state cognitive scientists call 'morbid rumination', chewing over things that have gone wrong in our lives, which is associated with anxiety and depression. Urban dwellers are more likely to ruminate, and as more and more people move from rural into urban areas - 75% of the world's population is predicted to live in cities by 2050 - it is vitally important that urban planners design cities with pedestrianised paths, plazas, parks, trees and green spaces, where people can walk and restore their mental well being. Dunedin is very fortunate with its Town Belt, a scenic reserve of exotic trees, native bush and parks which wends its way from the Northern Cemetery around the city to the Southern Cemetery. A recent Town Belt Traverse introduced walkers to its many beautiful trails.

Since the time of Ancient Greece, walking and philosophising have gone hand in hand. Aristotle founded the Peripatetic school of philosophy, where he conducted his lectures while walking about the Lyceum. While staying in Èze Bord de Mer on the Côte d'Azur, the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche walked an old mule trail every day to the medieval perched village of Èze. During this walk there and back, now named after him, he composed some of Thus Spake Zarathustra. Genevan philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote “I can only meditate when I am walking. When I stop, I cease to think; my mind works only with my legs.” Many writers have been inspired by Rousseau, including the English Romantic poets. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge composed their poetry while walking; Wordsworth around the Lakes District, and Coleridge over the Somerset hills.

The activity of walking allows us to explore our world but it also allows our minds to wander, and to reflect, contemplate, meditate, and generate creative ideas. The following books are about the pleasures of walking, wandering, and wondering while wandering:

The Mindful Art of Walking: Meditations on the Path. Adam Ford

The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot. Robert MacFarlane

Slow Journeys: The Pleasures of Travelling By Foot. Gillian Souter

Walking with Plato: A Philosophical Hike Through the British Isles. Gary Hayden

Wanderlust: A History of Walking. Rebecca Solnit

While Wandering: Words on Walking. Duncan Minshull

For walks around Dunedin:

Dunedin Tracks and Trails. Antony Hamel

Intriguing Dunedin Street Walks series. Paul Hayward