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Quenten Walker

[Deleted User][Deleted User] 🖼️ 145 images
in Introductions

I guess many of you know me already. I am 70 this year, and have made maps, fantasy worlds and fantasy histories ever since I read Tolkien at age 12.

I am a retired Associate Professor in Oncology (in Brisbane Qld, then my last 3 years in Wagga Wagga, a large regional centre in inland NSW), and now live on Flinders Island since 2011, just NE of Tasmania in the Bass strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia.

I have a wonderful view from my computer, and naturally enough, I get distracted easily (this is my excuse for dawdling on various maps)

The pictures are of a map I did of the island in Jon Roberts Style, the view from my desk, my local beach 300 m from where I live, and two of my favourite spots on the island (65x30km). The island sits on the 40th parallel, (our house is just 100 m south of it), and we get wind from Patagonia uninterrupted till it reaches us.

I mainly love world, regional and building maps. I'm a little bit interested in cities too (sarcasm is my forte - as it is for most Aussies).

Keep safe in these trying times.

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Sailing boat from Menythmor (1).JPG

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Now I am retired, I have time to map (my favourite activity), read (SF&F, history, world religions and science), and listen to classical music. I walk my dog almost daily, and like walking on the beach, feeling the lovely wet sand between my toes (call out to you, Remy). Unfortunately, I suffer from depression, and can finish up doing nothing much for days. However, I do have a lot of support, both on the island, and from Facebook friends.

Facebook is very important to me, as indicated above. it enables me to keep in touch, have conversations on some of my favourite topics (like politics, Aussie and US), religion and history (including alternate history). It enables me to make friends all around the world, and keep in touch with family and friends in Australia additional to phone calls. Travel off the island is expensive - ~ $US 300 return to our nearest city, Launceston in Tasmania mainland, or ~ 350 to Melbourne in mainland Australia. This compares to ~$US 50 from Melbourne to Sydney, about 10 x the distance! So, not too many visits off island except for medical reasons (price covered by the govt). We make the most of those times, to be sure!

I used to play ADnD decades ago, but there are no takers here, and I am unsure how I would go with virtual, especially as I have fallen down to just above novice level.

I do like worldbuilding, which is why I write so many notes on my maps for the Community Atlas. My very first world was Al'Ayn, made when I was 12 after a school visit to Norfolk Island, and a year after I had read Lord of the Rings (for the first time). I was inspired by the map of Phillip island, a rabbit-devastated island (rabbits brought by the officers in charge of the penal colony there in 1789, 1 year after the colony in NSW was founded by Arthur Phillip). My initial map and later versions can be seen here:

https://forum.profantasy.com/discussion/7159/my-school-age-world-of-alayn

My main fantasy world now is the world of Myirandios.

https://forum.profantasy.com/discussion/7007/

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