Aglet: The small plastic or metal sheath attached to the end of a shoelace, cord or drawstring.
Welcome to Aglets, where small is good. Not everything from our adventures is a story. Sometimes it is a line someone says by a campfire, something lost in translation, a roadhouse with a hand-painted sign, or an odd fact learned about a tree. Anything, really.
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Prime location near the Big Bogan
Steve Martin, Victoria, Australia
September 2026
Welcome to the town of Nyngan, in central west NSW. The town is in Bogan Shire, on the shores of the Bogan River. And as a site on the Australian pilgrimage of ‘Big Things’, there is a Big Bogan – six metres tall with mullet, singlet, esky and dog. You can look it up yourself.
Just down the road I happened upon this place. Top spot, plenty of passing traffic if you count 18-wheelers hitting their air brakes. Comes with a valuable inventory of rotting planks and polystyrene boxes. I wonder if he sold it.
A feast for the brave
Neale Hughes, NSW, Australia
August 2026
I didn’t dine at the Restaurante Uh Terus in Suai, Timor Leste, so I could only ponder what delights the menu may have held. As it was mid-afternoon, having only one bicycle parked outside was probably not a good indicator of its popularity.
Homing pigeons in Java
Steve Martin, Victoria, Australia
August 2026
I took this picture in a village near Borobadur. Pigeon fancying is not just an English thing. This chap had a dozen birds in four or five cages.
Homing pigeons are pretty amazing when you think about it. They can do things we can’t – sense variances in the Earth’s magnetic field, adjust direction using the sun, sense super-low frequency soundwaves and faint smells to build a mental map and calculate the way home. All so they can hop back in their cage, have a handful of corn and seed, and stay safe from predators.
A fine specimen
Allan A. Murray, NSW, Australia
August 2026
This is an ‘Irish Hunter’.
Known to be fine looking, with a refined head, athletic frame, deep chest, good bones, strong hindquarters and clean legs. Originating in Ireland, as a deliberate blend of Irish worker and thoroughbred bloodlines, it is a fusion of power, agility, and temperament. Typically stands 165 to 185 centimetres with a chestnut mane being the classic colouring. Its temperament, a real hallmark, is willing, intelligent and steadfast.
The same can be said about the ‘Irish Sport Horse’ that I am riding.
Motorcycle chic Malaysian style
Neale Hughes, NSW, Australia
August 2026
This motorcyclist cruising the freeway into Kuala Lumpur got me Googling “wearing jackets backwards”. Apparently it’s a thing among some riders in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and China. Supposedly it’s to block cold wind, rain and road dust from hitting their chests while allowing body heat to vent out the back. That it comes with significant safety concerns – wheel and chain entanglement, snagging hazards, poor impact protection, and restricted movement – may indicate why it’s not more widely adopted, even though it’s a compelling fashion statement.
Powered by the hat
Allan A. Murray, NSW, Australia
August 2026
The Sydney ‘City 2 Surf’ run is the largest community run in the world. It covers one of the great ‘trails’. Starting with the city skyline as a backdrop it runs east past the magnificent Sydney Harbour and ends with an ocean vista, the iconic Bondi Beach. Today, I ran my 7th City 2 Surf, this time powered by my generously donated hat from the Dusty Boots Journal!
Adolf’s Rock
Neale Hughes, NSW, Australia
August 2026
In 2006, I found myself in Obersalzberg, Germany – home of the famed Eagle’s Nest and Hitler’s house. As part of Allied and German post-war efforts to obliterate the house, all that was left was a concrete retaining wall in the back yard. The concrete was very coarse, containing many small rocks. With the aid of a multi-tool, I levered out one such rock for a souvenir. As, for many good reasons, men like to urinate in their back yard, I pondered the chances of Adolf splashing on that very rock after a big night on the apple juice, and thought they were pretty high. So, after some very professional mounting, it went straight to the pool room.
Cigar making in Myanmar
Steve Martin, Victoria, Australia
August 2026
I took this picture in one of the floating villages on Inle Lake a few years ago. These cigars, known as cheroots, are mostly for domestic consumption but there is a small export trade.
The cigar fillings are a mixture of tobacco and fragrant wood shavings, and the wrapper is made from leaves of the thanaphet tree. Flavour may be further enhanced by adding tamarind, honey, dried banana, or whatever else is at hand.
The ladies are ethnic Shan, and they spend their lives on the lake. Their kids get to school by small boat. The lady in purple told me she can roll between 600 and 700 cheroots in a day.
May contain traces of nuts
Allan A. Murray, NSW, Australia
August 2026
The authorities of the English Midlands were clearly having a problem with red squirrels – darting here, tearing there – such that in 2019 I noticed signage directing them to slow down.
I’m just not sure of the effectiveness of these signs. Can they read? Do they even know that we call them red squirrels?
Thunderbox planning
Neale Hughes, NSW, Australia
July 2026
We were near Hell’s Gate Roadhouse, around the top of the Queensland-Northern Territory border. Having a bit of local knowledge from previously living in Darwin, I was the adult supervisor for a Tasmanian, a Victorian and a Canadian while they chased water buffalo. Rolling around our camping spot was a makeshift thunderbox left by previous campers – a third of a 44 gallon drum with a toilet seat screwed on. One of the party helpfully dug a hole, nestled the thunderbox into the ground and packed dirt around the edges for a good seal. Great, except for the rookie error of aligning it facing east. As I discovered the next day, there is nothing to upset the calm pleasure of an early morning contemplation, gazing around at nature’s rich tapestry and visual splendor, like the rising tropical sun blazing directly into your sleepy eyes.
You can never be too careful
Steve Martin, Victoria, Australia
July 2026
I took this picture on the beach at Lombok, Indonesia. Why was he wearing his helmet? Afraid of having it stolen? To keep his head warm? Or was he worried about hammerheads?
The magic motel mirror
Neale Hughes, NSW, Australia
July 2026
My wife and I pick small towns to spend a night or two in and have a look around. One such town was Dungog, in the Hunter Valley, NSW. It’s got a bit of history, old architecture and a convenient motel in the middle of the main street. On first entering our motel room, we couldn’t believe we’d booked one with no ensuite (as occasionally we are forced to do). But while investigating the expanse of mirrored wardrobe doors at the foot of the bed, we discovered that we could walk through the wardrobe Narnia-like via the middle door and find ourselves in the ensuite.
That, and the fridge not being very cold so our bag of party ice melted and leaked through the door seal to make a big wet patch in the carpet that we had to slosh through, cemented the motel in our memories.
Wave Rock surfing
Neale Hughes, NSW, Australia
July 2026
To reduce my chances of being a shark biscuit for men in grey suits while bodysurfing, I decided to go for a surf about 300km inland at Wave Rock, Western Australia. The wave was really firing, after moving in the back door I was amped and made some big air then bailed before close-out. Just as I finished it started raining, so I was dripping wet by the time I got to the car, just like at the beach.
Truth in advertising
Steve Martin, Victoria, Australia
July 2026
Shaniwar Wadi is a historical fortress and palace in central Pune, India. It was built in the 1730s and for a time was the seat of provincial government. By the early 1800s the British had occupied it and then there was a fire in 1828 which destroyed pretty much everything combustible.
It’s a good place to visit if you go to Pune. Plenty of stories of bloodshed, intrigue and hauntings. And like most old forts in India, you are at liberty to climb all over it and explore. I did so, and from the southern rampart I spied this place across the road. Its a boarding house, and I am sure walk-ins are welcome at a bargain price. Or you could try Trivago for an even better deal.
Where mythology and waste disposal meet
Allan A. Murray, NSW, Australia
July 2026
A Danish encounter …
A grey sky hung low over Copenhagen as my wife, Ingrid, and I set out along the foreshore. Our destination was the mythological ‘Little Mermaid’. We followed the waterfront path past cyclists, puddles, and the gentle slap of waves against stone. The Little Mermaid appeared gradually – small, still, and somehow luminous despite the weather. She sat poised on her rock. It should have been a perfect picture. But in the background, it was impossible not to capture a Danish technological marvel – across the harbour was a hulking rubbish incinerator generating the city’s electricity.
A juxtaposition so stark it was almost poetic: mythology and technology, form versus function.
Fog and footsteps
Chris Branton, Washington, USA
June 2026
May 2026 – went out hiking with my mates as all people do in the Pacific Northwest. We found a nice route up to Melakwa lake via Snoqualmie Pass. Being in the Pacific Northwest, weather is always unpredictable which is why we weren’t surprised by the torrential downpour that greeted us at the trailhead.
Regardless of the weather, we muscled through. We traversed up rock and dirt, passing streams and waterfalls alike until we reached Melakwa lake, absolutely shrouded in fog.
An important reminder that the journey should always be appreciated just as much as the destination, if not more.
Who cares about trademarks?
Steve Martin, Victoria Australia
June 2026
I saw this sign at the entrance to an alley in Bagan, Myanmar. Setting aside any scruples I may have had about copyrights and trademarks, I walked down the street to investigate, and found a delightful little Indian restaurant staffed by friendly folks.
This was a few years ago, before Myanmar self-destructed again. I just looked it up on Google Maps. It is still there, but ‘temporarily closed’.
Protecting memories, and my head
Muz, NSW Australia
June 2026
This was my helmet during a 2025 cycle from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. The style drew some unkind remarks from lyrca warriors but the peak was useful once in the heat and sun
Each day I recorded a reminder of the previous day’s location. As you would guess ‘ngày’ means ‘day’. The abbreviation ‘T.P’ for Ngày 12-13 is ‘thành phố’ which of course means ‘city’.
Seeking shelter above the ancients
Muz, NSW Australia
June 2026
About 50 km south of Galway, in County Clare, if you avoid the main road, then Poulnabrone Dolmen appears on the right. It is the oldest dated megalithic monument in Ireland, dating back 5,800 years! It is a tomb with 33 bodies below.
It was a glorious summer day and we sludged (I just made up that word but its a fair description) through the peat bog to admire this structure.
True to form the Irish sky opened up. We did what I’m sure thousands have done over the millennia. We availed Poulnabrone Dolmen, the only shelter in the barren landscape. In doing so, I contemplated we had truly become a small part of Irish ancient history.
A Lille dance
Allan A Murray, NSW Australia
June 2026
Travelling through western Europe offers countless small joys, but few are as quietly enchanting as watching locals dance to classical music in places where history still lingers. In Lille I found one of those moments – the kind that has stayed with me for a decade.
It began in the heart of the old city, where Flemish facades glowed softly in the evening light. A small ensemble gathered in a courtyard of an historic building, easing into a gentle Baroque piece. The music caught my attention and drew me in; the dancing couples kept me captive.
They moved with a natural grace, as though this tradition had been passed down quietly through generations. Older dancers moved with a serene confidence, while younger pairs followed with a mix of eagerness and shy delight. It wasn’t a performance. It was life unfolding – unhurried and communal.
What made it unforgettable was the setting. Lille’s architecture – arched galleries, ornate gables, the warm brick and stone – created a backdrop that felt both romantic and timeless. In that moment, I wasn’t just a tourist. I was drawn into a European ritual: music, movement, and the simple joy of people gathering to celebrate beauty in a place that has known centuries of it.
Won hit wonder
Glen Donaldson, Queensland, Australia
June 2026
There we were, sitting on a bench at busy Seoul train station in South Korea when my wife spied a silver 100-won (10 cents in Aussie currency) coin resting unnoticed under a nearby seat. I was about to comment how it wasn’t even worth picking up when, at that precise moment, a homeless man carrying a small plastic ‘donation’ box came shuffling past.
With not a word of delay, our fifteen-year-old daughter sprang into action, bending down to scoop up the wayward coin and calmly depositing it in the man’s box. Impressed with this sweet (and swift) show of character, not to mention uncharacteristic teenage situational awareness, we dubbed her the ‘Won Hit Wonder’ – a title she enjoyed for the rest of our 10-day trip.
The cabbie’s challenge
Steve Martin, Victoria, Australia
June 2026
A few years back I was doing some work for a client in Manila – in the Ortiges district, which is a long way from the airport. On one trip, I was half way to the airport in a taxi when I realised I had forgotten to clear the safe in my hotel room, which contained my passport and other valuables.
Those who have been to Manila know what the traffic is like, and this was a rainy day, making things twice as bad. So I threw down the challenge to the cabbie. Holding up a Singapore $50 note, I told him it was his if he could get back to the hotel, retrieve my stuff, and still make the flight.
He was up to it, and the next hour was like something from The Italian Job. Charging through side streets, we got to the hotel where the manager was waiting with my things, then another rat-run all the way to the airport. I made my flight – just, and he got his $50. I bet he still tells this story.
Good advice available in New Delhi
Steve Martin, Victoria, Australia
June 2026
I took this picture from a taxi driving through New Delhi. To all those men out there who may feel overwhelmed by domestic circumstances from time to time, there is help available!
Boy meets bovine
Steve Martin, Victoria, Australia
June 2026
A number of years ago I had a memorable horse riding trip through the northern part of Mongolia. It was a magnificent 10 days or so riding across the grassy steppes, and then into the more wooded areas around Lake Hovskol. I was with my kids and some other friends. This photo is taken on the shore of Lake Hovskol. My son, who was 14 at the time, befriended this young yak, which was cooling off in the water, and probably escaping insects.
The green paste of doom
Glen Donaldson, Queensland, Australia
June 2026
Inside a Korean restaurant in busy downtown Seoul, I spied what looked like a bowl of freshly prepared guacamole. A few seconds later and I’d heaped a generous sized dollop of the green stuff onto my rice bowl, decorated with barbecued beef pieces, and…down the hatch.
The ‘guacamole’ that instantly set my mouth ablaze with the power of a thousand suns turned out to be the cleverly disguised undercover agent that is WASABI.
For those who’ve never swallowed wasabi in bulk, I would describe it as a precision-guided thermal missile aimed directly at your entire central nervous system.
A few days later my wife remarked about the ‘avocado’ fighting back and how I’d wanted more greens in my diet. By then I had cooled down enough to enjoy the joke.
Big Brother’s smallest room
Steve Martin, Victoria, Australia
June 2026
This is a picture I took inside Shanghai’s enormous Hongquiao train station. It’s a real-time map of what is going on in the restrooms, showing vacant and occupied stalls. I wonder how they do the detection – door sensors, heat-detecting seats? Or spy cameras? Notice there is no detection at the urinals or wash basins…I’m sure they are working on it.
