Crossword Genius

Incremental journey is with learner driver and hard work (6,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

island hop

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'incremental journey' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both to do with motion as well as being verbs in their base form.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I can't see?

'is with learner driver and hard work' is the wordplay.
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'learner driver' becomes 'l' (learner drivers have L-plates on their cars).
'hard' becomes 'h' (abbreviation used in pencil classifications).
'work' becomes 'op' (abbreviation for opus).
'is'+'l'+'and'+'h'+'op'='ISLAND-HOP'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for island hop that I've seen before include "what tourists do in Aegean?" , "Do keys quickly" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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