fbpx
Skip to content Skip to footer
When in China, Take the Slow Train
I had only the frigid  Beijing air and my large suitcase for company as I waited for the 7.30 train to Chongqing. 30 hours and over 1,800 kilometres separate Beijing from Chongqing via the slow train. Of course, I was well aware of the direct flights available as well as the high-speed rail, both of…
A Black Denim Canvas
I hover clumsily over the toilet seat, trying to steady myself as the bus turns a sharp corner. There is no toilet paper, but I make do with the coarse McDonald’s serviette I tore in half to share with my friend. I stand to secure my belt, its grip around my waist gradually tightening: full…
A Tornado in Wisconsin
The universe is constantly giving you signs, and if you pay attention, you just might see them. Sometimes, you might see them even if you’re not paying attention. On the second day of my American motorcycle criss-crossing, I saw the latter kind. I was cruising along thinking about why I’d staked so much – my…
Georgetown, Gentrification and Us
It was a Thursday and it was late. What’s worse is that it was cold, and we were hungry. At this point, we had spent the better half of a month meandering across the United States: stopping in one locale for three nights, and another for four. But on this cold Thursday night, we were…

Astray is run by a team of writers who mostly live, work and play in nipaluna / Hobart. With reverence, we acknowledge the Tasmanian Aboriginal people as the traditional and ongoing custodians of trouwunna / lutruwita / Tasmania: land that was stolen and never ceded. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.