zlacker

>>cosmoj+(OP)
I’m a foreigner - what does “a diversion of the filed” mean?

>>notime+D8
A diversion - something that is separate from the main activity, something done for amusement's sake.

The field - outdoors, countryside, perhaps an actual field, though not necessarily.

>>taylor+Ng
I think in this context "the field" means in the sense similar to "the field of study", i.e. the encompassing boundaries of an endeavour. So in this case long distance canoeing is an off the beaten track distraction from the sport of canoeing (or in the contrapositive, an off the beaten track distraction from long distance travel). The phrase is enticing because it could be interpreted either way; and still have largely the same meaning.