"All rise, couch potatoes!"

That could well be the cry echoing across the Island after Father's Day if children (and even optimistic partners) f?ting the `King of the Castle' have purchased copies of the latest Bermuda book to arrive on local bookshelves.

Stephen and Cecile Davidson's `Hiking Bermuda' is a gift for all seasons which goes on giving year after year. It is designed not only to rejuvenate family interaction but also to motivate anyone who enjoys exploring our great outdoors.

Written and produced in standard hiking book format, the 160-page publication features 20 well-researched and detailed nature walks and hikes ranging in length from 1.5 to approximately 17 miles, which the author has mapped out around the Island. No skill beyond being able to put one foot in front of the other is required to enjoy the walks, which are rated from easy to strenuous. Some walks have two "loops", one shorter than the other, and it is also possible to combine two different walks in the same area. Directions are laid out step by step, like recipes, and are so clearly written that even a child can follow them. Individual segments and the total length of each walk are shown in both kilometers and miles. Other information includes details of relevant bus route numbers and stops as well as the names of ferry stops.

The idea of publishing `Hiking Bermuda' arose from Mr. and Mrs. Davidson's love of walking and exploring the Island, particularly the nooks and crannies commonly overlooked. When they returned home from living abroad, it became one of their favourite forms of recreation, and when Mrs. Davidson realised that there was no book like theirs on the market, she felt Bermuda was selling itself short, and decided to fill the niche.

"Usually, wherever you go in the world there is a book to guide you through the area and show you the various landmarks and explain the plants and history while walking, so I said `I am going to try and do that for Bermuda,' and that is how I got started," she says.

What has emerged is what the Introduction describes as "a guide to the backroads of Bermuda to explore parts of the Island where life carries on undisturbed".

The project, which took several years to complete, began with Mrs. Davidson taking notes on every excursion the couple made, while her husband lined up highlights to photograph. Walks that had a dead end, or were otherwise deemed unsuitable, were ruled out, and Mrs. Davidson wore a pedometer to measure distances in miles and kilometers. Indeed, no detail was too small to record for future reference.

"Some walks were more interesting than others, and we tried to organise them around bus stops and ferries," the author says. "Some have both a short and long circuit, and the latter include a particular point of interest."

In addition to her extensive notes, Mrs. Davidson also did a great deal of research at the National Library and elsewhere to add to her husband's extensive knowledge of Bermuda, following which she began to write the text. In addition, she mastered the computer software which enabled her to create the accompanying maps.

When it came to designing the book itself, the couple worked closely with the printers to make its visual impact appealing. The front cover features an attractive water and land scene, while the inside photographs, in black and white, feature highlights on the various trails.

The contents include a locator map of the walk/hike sites. The chapters divided the Island in half: West End and East End, while the Introduction covers such topics as trail difficulty and safety tips.

"It is the standard format of a hiking guide, although in terms of layout it is our design," Mrs. Davidson says. "The standard in Bermuda is high so we wanted it to be a nice looking book, and also have visitors keep it as a memento of their visit. It is handy-sized so it can be put into a backpack or handbag quite easily."

The author is confident that the book will have broad appeal for all ages because people's lifestyles are changing.

"These days they are focused on activities which they can do with their families - knowing more about where they live and the places they visit - or they are on a fitness programme or are health conscious. Whether you are a family, a group of friends, a couple, or teenagers, or have house guests who want to explore, the book will have a broad spectrum of appeal. Almost everyone enjoys walking and discovering, either at the end of a week's work or during a vacation. The character of visitors is changing, and locals can really have a fresh perspective on places they might not have walked through for a while, or else include them in their fitness programme."

It is also being enthusiastically received by hoteliers and event organisers on the Island, as well as Bermudians hosting house guests from abroad.

Mrs. Davidson is a strategy and financial consultant, while her husband Stephen is a co-founder of QuoVadis internet securities firm, so naturally their approach to marketing their book was equally professional. It is currently being sold for $17.95 at the Bermuda Bookstore, The Bookmart, the Bermuda Arts Centre at Dockyard and Miles Market, and is also listed at BermudaEscapes.com on the internet. Arrangements for wider distribution are currently being made.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Davidson is "thrilled" that the long project is now reality.

"I have been looking at it on the computer for so long," she says.