Ecological writer Satish Kumar once wrote that ‘unless you know Nature, you cannot love her’. Likewise, if we wish to protect England’s green and pleasant land, it’s important to get to know why. People who drop fast food litter, pollute our seas with oil and hunt our precious wildlife, obviously were never taught all about why our land is so beautiful and precious.
Isle of Wight is England’s smallest county, depending on whether the tide is in or out (then it’s Rutland). Home to a stunning coastline, you can reach it by hovercraft from Portsmouth. The Needles is a series of three rocks protruding from the sea (there were four, but one crashed into the sea in a storm). They are one of England’s official natural wonders! Isle of Wight is also known for its annual Cowes boating festival. Situated on the Solent, it faces Hampshire on the south coast. Home to popular seaside resorts like Ryde, this is true bucket-and-spade holiday heaven!
Isle of Wight Hovercraft is the last remaining commercial service of its kind in the world. Hovercrafts ‘fly’ on a cushion above the waves, so are not affected by tides and unlike boat rudders, are safer for marine wildlife (and swimmers) as they don’t drag the ocean surface. A short ferry trip away is Gosport, home to the world’s Hovercraft Museum!
Local food and flowers flourish here, thanks to the temperate climate. You’ll find plenty of farm shops and one farm even uses waste tomatoes to make its own local-brand tomato juice and passata. You can also buy locally-grown wonky organic garlic bulbs. Or visit the lovely donkey sanctuary!
