How to make life more interesting: Being a ‘deliberate visitor’

‘Wherever you go, there’s always interesting things to see and interesting people to talk to’, says Bill Richmond, one of our contributors. Under the umbrella of a not-for-profit organisation (MindVentures) Bill organises short programs of visits and meetings in a wide variety of places, mostly in Australia, for small groups of mature age people who have enquiring minds and like to travel. Here’s what motivates him…

Have you ever left a place thinking to yourself; ‘I wish I had found out a bit more about this or that… heard a local telling me about it… done more than just look at the statues and memorials, and see the sights’?

One of the pleasures of going to a new place – or perhaps somewhere we’ve visited, or even lived, before – is to see things with fresh eyes and meet some of the people who are connected with the place.

Of course some places – whether they’re cities, towns or regions – are inherently more interesting than others, whether because of their natural environment, their buildings, things that have happened there, current events, or people who have been, or are, associated with them.

But even if a place isn’t a recognised tourist destination we shouldn’t be put off by the question: ‘Why on earth would you want to go there?’

Indeed this question was probably asked of the American journalist (Hartley Grattan) who was a frequent ‘deliberate visitor’ to Australia in the 1930s and developed a remarkable understanding of the place and its people. He was, so a book about him claimed, ‘no casual traveller’.

The starting point in spending time anywhere is of course the ‘icons’ with which the place is identified. And there are plenty of them within Australia. You can’t go to Longreach, for example, without visiting the Stockman’s Hall of Fame or the Qantas Founders’ Museum; or to Canberra without going to Parliament House. If you’re in Launceston you have to walk the Cataract Gorge or if visiting Heron Island you’ve got to get a close-up view of the Great Barrier Reef.

But a ‘feel’ for a place can also be gained by delving into other things. Here’s a few we have on our ‘checklist’:

• history – how did the place evolve? what were its reasons for existence? what legacy (both in physical and ‘spiritual’ terms) has its development left?

• gardens – many places feature impressive public celebrations of the area’s plant life while others have a number of private gardens where the inhabitants have used the soil and climate to enrich their lives and are eager to share their pleasure;

• local government – there’s nothing like talking to those who have taken on responsibility for the tasks of administering a town or region to gain an insight into a place and its people;

• commerce – why does a place exist? what keeps (or attracts) people? what are the economic foundations?

• youth – the very continuation of a cluster of people (a town or a city) requires regeneration of the people, and young people to stay and make their lives there; do the conditions exist here?

• flora and fauna – is there native plant and animal life that is characteristic of the region? (and how can it be seen)?

• art – what artistic and cultural activities are identified with the region? is this on display?

• food and wine – some regions are known for the food and wine they produce. these should be experienced to their fullest.

And it really enhances a visit or a meeting if you can have someone to talk about the area and discuss what makes it tick – not necessarily a ‘guide’ who is obviously doing it for the fiftieth time and wishes they were somewhere else, but someone who has a genuine knowledge and interest.

Are there other things you like to look for? Tell us about your experiences.