On the one hand, its hard to find anything good to say about 2020. The pandemic has disrupted the lives of practically everyone on the planet, and for most people that includes the loss of personal freedoms, jobs and even loved ones. In relative terms Julie and I have been touched very lightly by this fiasco, the worst thing happening to us being the loss of overseas travel and the … Continue reading →
Over the last few days we’ve been exploring parts of Australia we know little about, particularly the Riverina district along the Murray River. The greater Riverina area has some of the richest soil in Australia, perfect for growing endless crops of wheat, canola and other grains. The small rural communities that line the Murray support the farmers of these vast fields and have found their niche drawing visitors with golf … Continue reading →
What is it about muddy slow-moving rivers? Six months ago Julie and I only knew the basics about the amazing river system of western NSW but since that time we’ve been exploring rivers such as the Barwon, Lachlan, Wabego, Culgoa, Mcintyre, Severn and of course the mighty Darling (which, by the way, all those other rivers eventually flow into). And we’ve been completely taken by the geology, history, economics and … Continue reading →
New South Wales is a huge state and when you weave your way through some of it’s hidden pockets it can take some time to reach the furthest boundaries. But that was our mission as we left the modest regional centre of Bourke and pointed Wanda in a westerly direction towards Sturt National Park and the far northwest corner of the state. And that means long stretches of straight rough … Continue reading →
New South Wales is speckled with hundreds of national parks – in fact, an astonishing 237 at last count – many of them offering no services to the passing traveller or are otherwise completely inaccessible. These obscure green splodges on the map may lack outstanding features that would otherwise attract a crowd and instead are intended to preserve valuable geological places or areas, sometimes for its flora and fauna, for … Continue reading →
Sydney is truly one of the great cities of the world – a world class harbour, stunning coastline, iconic buildings, rich history and sparkling weather. There’s no doubt Sydney has it all. But that being said, after months of self-isolation, social distancing and tedious boredom it was fantastic to pack up our new truck/camper, the recently arrived Wanda, and head out north or west or south or wherever we wanted … Continue reading →
This Covid thing is a never-ending nightmare and driving Julie and I crazy, as it is for millions (or billions!) of other people around the world. Our Follow the Sun journey is on indefinite hold. We can’t travel, we can’t work, we don’t know when it will end, we have public health concerns and constraints, we have frustrations. But we acknowledge we’re better off than most people. Fortunately Julie and … Continue reading →
Julie and I have often said that our special happy place is our block of land tucked away in the Wolgan Valley where we have been going for 20 years to escape the city and enjoy the magnificent bush of Australia. We usually camped there but our long term plan had always been to eventually build a home on the property which would allow us to spend up to half … Continue reading →
I’ve always liked the idea of time travel. Not for the purpose of going forward to find out what will happen but more so to go back in time and get a better understanding of what it must have been like ‘back then’. I would have liked to sail with Magellan as he circumnavigated the world, explore the American west with Lewis and Clark, and hang out in the mining … Continue reading →
Mutawintji National Park is the setting of one of our family’s most dramatic travel stories. Way back in 1999 Julie and I and our three young kids were camping in the park and took a day walk up spectacular Homestead Creek gorge with a peaceful dry creek bed and high rocky walls. Unexpectedly a torrential storm of biblical proportions came in, flooding the gorge and forcing us to work as … Continue reading →
And so it came to pass that after all of us Australians did what we were told and self-isolated, kept our distance, washed our hands, stayed at home, lost our jobs and missed our payments, such obedience exactly opposite to the usual irreverent and independent nature of such people, that the whole thing miraculously worked and the evil virus more or less slipped away into the nasty dustbin of history. … Continue reading →
Julie and I are sitting patiently at home in Sydney, waiting for this dreadful corona virus to finish doing its evil on the world before we and millions (billions!) of others can resume normal life as we knew it – or whatever the new ‘normal’ will be when that time comes. In the meantime, we are reminiscing about our fabulous Follow the Sun trip which was interrupted after completing four of … Continue reading →
Wild uncontrolled fire on private property never ends well, especially when it is in a remote or hard to reach area. Such was the case for Julie and I last December when our beloved property in the Wolgan Valley was engulfed in flames during Australia’s horrid bushfire season. Amongst our sadness arose an offer of help from mates I’ve been running with for many years, guys who are more comfortable … Continue reading →
Everyone likes a road trip, right? The fun of seeing new places, getting out of the general day by day rut, spending quality time with others, collecting new memories. Road trips are cool. The idea of hitting the road on a camping trip with the plans to visit many old friends along the way absolutely hit every button for us. As it happens, we have a number of friends we … Continue reading →
For all its beauty and benefits Australia can present some serious challenges for those who live here. This big brown land is vulnerable to years-long drought followed by devastating floods, throw in the odd cyclone, then go back to interminable drought. And then lay over the top of this the worst four letter F word of all time – fire. Australia does fires better – or worse – than anywhere … Continue reading →
While we slept warm and dry in Windermere Hut on the second night of our adventure there was rain and snow falling outside all night. We had been told that today would be the worst weather day of the week but we were battle-hardened and ready to take on all the elements no matter what is thrown at us. And we had adopted a catchcry that summed up our approach … Continue reading →
We trudged up the steep track, using our walking poles to balance ourselves as we planted each foot in the deepening snow. As we reached the ridge line the howling wind hit us full force and we bent over to shield our face from the stinging snow and counter the force of the wind trying to sweep us away. Step by step through the snow, some drifts more than two … Continue reading →
I loved waking up that first morning back in good ole’ Tramp. It felt very comfortable and familiar and cosy but despite the good vibes some things just weren’t right. The temperature outside was below freezing and there was a thick layer of frost on the windows. The heater wasn’t working, I was seriously cold and jet-lagged and it was still dark outside. And worst of all, Julie was almost … Continue reading →
Tasmania is a giant playground for outdoor enthusiasts, people who like to walk through native rainforests, stride sheer ocean cliffs, trudge up and down dramatic mountains and mix with unique flora and fauna. All of this while not really caring about the weather, which in Tasmania can change hourly. Julie and I have been flat out busy during the last couple of months in Sydney but we took a break … Continue reading →
The last two and a half years Julie and I have been unintentionally redefining what ‘normal’ means to us. Is our new normal living in Tramp and travelling the world? Is it couch surfing with family and friends when we’re temporarily back in Australia? Is it being permanently retired? Is it being grandparents? Or perhaps in this mixed-up phase of our lives it’s just a little bit of everything. Whatever … Continue reading →
Julie and I are heavily into maps. I’ve got boxes and boxes full of maps gathering dust up in our attic. City maps, country maps, continent maps, walking maps, driving maps, topographical maps, national park maps, the list goes on. And these are just the paper maps – when you include all our map apps, GPS tracking and mapping tools the whole thing is kinda crazy. One of my favourite … Continue reading →
Africa has so many different faces that it’s impossible to take it all in. But perhaps the one aspect of Africa we loved the most was the wild animals that roam this continent. So with that in mind, and knowing our time in Africa was winding down, we decided to spend a night at Jeffery’s Bay, one of the most famous surfing beaches in the world, and then head inland … Continue reading →
All good things must come to an end and we knew our time in Africa would soon be over as we left Cape Town and headed up to Durban. From there we planned to ship Tramp back to the UK and fly back to Sydney. We had put our family and friends on layby while we galumphed around southern Africa for three months but home was calling and we had … Continue reading →
Over the last 400 years its been called a few different names such as Mother City for its foundation role in the country and the Tavern of the Seas for its role as a shipping and sailing stopover. But the original Dutch settlers called it Kaapstad and it has retained that name for the majority of its current Afrikaner inhabitants. We know it as Cape Town, one of the true … Continue reading →
Crossing the border back into South Africa after our fabulous desert experience in Namibia felt like we were stepping back into civilisation. The towns were bigger, everything looked cleaner and worked better and there were more people milling about or walking along the roads. We instantly yearned for those desert days of Namibia and Botswana but we were excited about what South Africa’s northern region had in store for us.
Continue reading →They say the Namib Desert, which stretches over the vast plains and mountains of central Namibia, is the oldest desert in the world. It certainly dominates the geography of the country and anyone moving from north to south or visa versa has to pass through it in one way or another. We didn’t so much pass through it as dive into it, starting in Swakopmund, down into Walvis Bay and … Continue reading →
You couldn’t imagine a more apt name for a rugged coastline famous for the ships that wrecked upon it or the bones of whales that washed up on it. The Skeleton Coast. Throw in stark rocky mountains, towering sand dunes, howling wind and almost no drinkable water and you get the coastline running the full length of northern Namibia. The Skeleton Coast. To get there was an adventure and to … Continue reading →
The sun was getting warmer but Julie and I were loving this rare chance to stretch our legs and walk through these dramatic rocky hills on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. The Tsodilo Hills, dubbed The Mountain of the Gods, are not just an aberration to the flat bushy nothingness of the desert – they are the ancestral home to some of the oldest inhabitants on this continent, the … Continue reading →
The Kalahari Desert is a harsh dry environment stretching across many countries in southern Africa but its heart and soul, and its most extreme conditions, are in central Botswana. Here the sand is deep and the low thorny scrub, long golden grasses and dry salt pans dominate. The last river in these parts stopped flowing about 16,000 years ago. Animals out here have to be able to survive these conditions … Continue reading →
Here’s some fun facts about Botswana. They have about 150,000 elephants, the largest amount for any country in the world, they have the second highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world (22% of all adults are infected), a third of their government revenue is based on their huge diamond industry, of which they are heavily dependent, they have had the fastest economic growth rate of any country in the world … Continue reading →
The border process to enter Botswana was going very well, everyone was friendly and we were getting all the necessary stamps. Then…a very officious Customs lady bursting out of her large uniform came out and asked if we had any fresh meat while Julie was being asked by another official to wash her shoes. Botswana is trying to stop a spread of hoof and mouth disease, which is principally passed … Continue reading →
Zimbabwe is always in the news for the wrong reasons. One of the poorest countries in the world, Zimbabwe was once known as the breadbasket of Africa, now it is a complete basket case. And yet Zimbabwe shares one of the greatest natural wonders of the world – Victoria Falls – and a world class game park – Hwange National Park. Despite the country having no fuel, money or drinking … Continue reading →
When you think of the must-do places to visit in Africa the list for most people is fairly short. The game parks of East Africa comes to mind, as do the sphinx and pyramids of Egypt. But also on this short list has to be magnificent Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall of the world, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, an awe-inspiring phenomenon that leaves visitors soaking … Continue reading →
How many countries in the world start with Z? As it happens, only two – Zambia and Zimbabwe – and they coincidentally border each other in southern Africa (if you’re also thinking Zaire you’re out of date, they changed their name years ago). Our entry into Zambia was a little painful, expensive visas, expensive vehicle registration, insurance, road tax and council tax, all payable at the border to different indifferent … Continue reading →
“The fine for your violation will be 25,000”, said the smirking policeman as his head filled my driver’s side window. This is not how we expected our time in Malawi to begin but since he was holding my driver’s licence and truck papers I knew we had a bit of a problem. It appears our crime was to unknowingly drive in Malawi without local insurance but the penalty was completely … Continue reading →
When you look at a map of Mozambique, and who hasn’t, you realise that it is a very large country but has only one road connecting its capital Maputo in the far south with the entire northern region. That road, as we had come to love it, was the National Road 1, or N1. We had enjoyed our time in southern Mozambique with its national parks, beaches and good roads … Continue reading →
Mozambique has to be one of the most unlikely travel destinations. Until recently racked by civil unrest and political turmoil, significantly underdeveloped, no tourism infrastructure, rampant corruption and inflation, a colonial power – Portugal – which abandoned them. It sounds like a good place to come to later. But Julie and I were keen to check out their redeveloping national parks, their long gorgeous beaches and some of their unique … Continue reading →
Kruger National Park is one of the premier game parks of the world. Rivalling East Africa’s legendary Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater national parks, Kruger sets a very high bar for game viewing and boasts probably the best chance in southern Africa of seeing the Big 5. We planned to spend at least three days in Kruger, camping at different official campsites and exploring the park as we continue … Continue reading →
In terms of wild game viewing in Africa the ultimate prize for any keen traveller is to see the Big 5. I don’t know the criteria for the selection of the Big 5 or who decided which animals made this elite club but all you need to do is check any T shirt, game park sign or advertising slogan and you know what the Big 5 are. They are elephant, … Continue reading →
Lesotho is unique and special in many ways. Virtually unknown to the rest of the world, it is perhaps the only country in the world completely surrounded by another and it has the highest low point of any country in the world. Despite being an island in the sea of South Africa it never suffered from Apartheid, it’s high mountains, remote villages and terrible roads are legendary and it gets … Continue reading →
We were enjoying our first coffee of the day in Drakensberg National Park, taking in the wonderous views of the mountains all around us, when I spotted some movement on the slope rising from the little river below us. Sure enough, it was a small herd of elands, the largest of the antelope species, graceful straight horns, handsome tan hides. We watched them slowly traverse the hillside as they graze … Continue reading →
To be honest, Julie and I didn’t speak much Zulu before flying into Durban to start the African leg of our Follow the Sun journey. I mean, realistically, how often do you get to use Zulu in every day life? But in Durban, the largest city of the Kwa-Zulu Natal province of South Africa, most of the locals are Zulu and English comes a distant second. Never mind, we jumped … Continue reading →
Our summer months in Australia have been great – enjoying family and friends over the Christmas holidays, spending time up at our Blue Mountains property, afternoons at the beach, lazy days with more time and less rush. But we’ve only done three continents of our Follow the Sun journey and the next one promises to be the best yet – Africa! So I left Julie in Sydney and flew … Continue reading →
When we welcomed in the new year of 2018 from our secluded beach-side camp in Baja Mexico we never could have imagined what a spectacular year was ahead of us. We had a rough plan, more or less, of what we wanted to achieve during the year but turning that plan into a reality was one of the greatest experiences of our lives.
Continue reading →Our Follow the Sun journey has taken us to 42 countries across three continents and spanned 463 days of exploration, adventure and discovery. We’ve learned about the history, culture, people and language of all these amazing new places and loved every moment of it. But sitting patiently in the background to all these experiences are our family and friends – very dear to us and an important part of our … Continue reading →
Julie and I finished the third continent of our Follow the Sun journey with almost four months exploring the northern and southern corners of Europe – plus a few points in between – and finished the journey with some great times in the UK. So where did we go and what were the kilometres, countries, costs, facts and figures of this great experience? Well, glad you asked because here’s the … Continue reading →
England, and particularly London, is where Julie and I originally set up shop together all those years ago. The city has many great memories for the two of us, living the dream in our 20’s, exploring the world, new adventures and experiences every day. And 40 years later we’re older and wiser but it’s still the same, another chance to see London, catch up with old friends and of course … Continue reading →
We could read the signs as we walked down the street and eavesdrop into other people’s conversations. People spoke to us and we could instantly return fire. It was a weird sensation, not having to strain in another language or just accept that some things would have to pass through unknown. Everything was almost back to normal, although the accent took some getting used to. We were back in England … Continue reading →
Our last stop on the European continent of our Follow the Sun journey was Brittany, the proud region of western France that struts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Brittany, or Bretagne as the French call it, has its own language, culture and some of the oldest history on the continent spanning back more than 6,000 years. With fabulous coastlines, ancient cities and some late summer sunshine we had to go … Continue reading →
Julie and I have fallen into a comfortable travel routine where we rarely know what we’re doing for the day until we check out the maps and books over our second cup of coffee. For the most part it has suited us but there have been occasions where the lack of forward planning has meant we’ve arrived somewhere just after the last ferry for the day or the famous museum/palace/cathedral … Continue reading →
Some places are just greedy. They’re not happy to just get by on a few fabulous beaches or a couple of famous palaces, maybe some interesting history or a world heritage location. They want all of this and much more – much more – and for good measure, pack them into a relatively small place, say somewhere the size of Portugal, so that visitors’ heads start to spin when they … Continue reading →
Portugal is such a likeable country. They’re kind of like Canada, beautiful scenery, a reputation for being popular, friendly, noncontroversial and a great place to visit. Portugal punches above its weight in soccer (or football), global explorers, the production of cork, rose wine and stunning coastlines. Plus they are the home of port which is so good it is sometimes too likeable. From the outside looking in Portugal is on … Continue reading →
Ah, the Costa del Sol. Home to long sandy beaches, hot sun and cold beers, the Costa del Sol on the south coast of Spain conjures up images of lazy days avoiding cold winters, idyllic beaches and a cheap and easy Spanish lifestyle. Well, that may have been true back in the 1960’s and 70’s before millions of European and British tourists discovered this beautiful coastline and Spanish developers turned … Continue reading →
Here’s some fun facts about Spain. This country is the overwhelmingly largest producer of olives in the world with over 300 million olive trees, most of them producing their valuable crop in the southern province of Andalusia. Each olive tree can produce hundreds of kilos of olives each year and have a lifespan that can outlast 20 generations of growers. Roughly 92% of the harvested olives are used to produce … Continue reading →
The Iberian Peninsula is the southern-most landmass of Europe, made up mainly of Spain and Portugal. Julie and I had plans to spend the last portion of our Schengen visas in these two countries and we forged our way across southern France with good intentions. We were slowed down by two distractions – the first planned, the second definitely not planned. And in all of that Julie spent a night … Continue reading →
The Dolomites are the dramatic mountain range that runs across northern Italy and form part of the broader Alps. They are famous for their tall grey cliffs, jagged skylines and dramatic walking trails. Julie and I had had a big dose of the familiar mountains in the Austrian Tirol but the Dolomites were new territory for us and since we were in the neighbourhood, more or less, we had to … Continue reading →
Julie and I have some history with Austria. In our first years together we lived and worked and travelled in Europe, spending substantial time in a small village in the Austrian Tirol called Ellmau. Julie spent a winter there, improving her German, waiting on tables, skiing with me when I came to town on business. We named our daughter Anna, partly because it was a popular Austrian name. We loved … Continue reading →
So here’s a question for you. Julie and I visited the Eastern European country of Czechoslovakia many years ago, including its two largest cities, Prague and Bratislava. In 1993 Czechoslovakia broke into two different countries, The Czech Republic with its capital Prague and Slovakia with its capital Bratislava. As Julie and I crossed the border from Poland into Slovakia were we going to a new country or a country we … Continue reading →
How much dark and depressing eastern European history can a person take? Seriously, over the last hundred years or so the people of countries like Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, just to mention a few, have been invaded, subjugated, divided, raped and pillaged, cities flattened, minorities rounded up and killed, entire economies absolutely decimated. It might be the Bolsheviks, the Nazis or the Communists, depending on the moment … Continue reading →
Hang on, what’s going on here? We’ve left Tramp in the Vilnius airport car park and we’re checking into flights to another country? Not an island like Cuba or the Galapagos, just another neighbouring country? What’s happened? Well, it’s all about visas. Visas can be a pain for travellers but these days most countries don’t require visas, especially for good old honest Aussies. We had dramas with getting the Russian … Continue reading →
The Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – do not immediately come to mind when most people think of countries in Europe. And the Baltic states only became independent from Russia in 1991 so they are relatively new to the family of nations. Full disclosure, for the longest time I had trouble keeping the Baltics and the Balkans separated. But after crossing over from Russia and exploring Lahemaa National … Continue reading →
I’ve said it before – Julie and I love maps. We use every sort of possible map to help us along our way – large map books, some fold-up maps, local maps from Tourist Information Centres, Karen – our ever-reliable GPS, Google Maps, a great app called maps.me and anything else we can get our hands on. I also use an online tool called Tripline to help record and share … Continue reading →
As we left one of Moscow’s numerous ring roads and headed out of town Karen, the voice of our GPS and constant travel companion, said “Head straight for 608 kilometres”. Yes, exactly. Russia is a huge country and we were visiting only a small corner of it but still the dimensions of this place were immense. We followed a road westward out of the country’s capital with a plan to … Continue reading →
As a traveller there can be few greater thrills than standing in the middle of Red Square in central Moscow, the glittering domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral at one end, Lenin’s Mausoleum nearby and the massive walls of the Kremlin as a backdrop. It is an awe-inspiring, if not slightly chilling experience, the reward greater for having arrived here as part of a long overland journey. Julie and I shook … Continue reading →
The stern-looking lady in the ill-fitting uniform at the Passport Control window took one look at Tramp’s registration papers, then a look at my Australian passport, scowled her face, shook her head and said ‘Nyet’. Hmm, not a good start to our Russian adventure, you might say. But after a little translation from the Russian guy behind me in the line who spoke some English she softened up a bit, … Continue reading →
The Sami people are amazing. These indigenous people from northern Scandinavia and north-western Russia, probably numbering about 140,000 or so, have lived for thousands of years in some of the harshest conditions on earth. Known as being semi-nomadic and famous for herding reindeer across these northern spaces in search of seasonal food, the Sami today have their own language, flag, national anthem and land. And it is this land in … Continue reading →
One of the great joys of travel is to observe, learn, experience and enjoy new places, new people and new cultures. From these experiences we make observations, generalisations, even conclusions about the people and places we visit. We compare what we see with other travel experiences and with what we’re familiar with back home. Its human nature, its part of the fun. So apart from the drop-dead beauty of this … Continue reading →
Julie and I were sitting in the sunshine having a sandwich at a café in the main square of Tromso. The fjord’s blue waters lapped against the docks nearby, snow-patched mountains surrounded us as background, short-sleeved Norwegians and rugged-up tourists were going about their business on this beautiful blue-sky day. The disconnect in this scene is that we were at 69.39 degrees north latitude, about 350 kilometres (220 miles) above … Continue reading →
To be honest, Julie and I didn’t know too much about the cod liver oil industry. I mean, unless you are a cod fisherman, who does? But we were smack dab in the middle of Europe’s largest cod fishing area and surrounded by cod drying in the warm Norwegian sunshine. The Lofoten Islands are a string of interconnected islands shooting off the coast of northern Norway north of the Arctic … Continue reading →
By some reckoning the Arctic Highway in Norway, also known as the E6, runs from Trondheim in the central region of the country for about 2,000 kilometres to the Russian border at Kirkenes. Spending most of its time high above the Arctic Circle across remote and sometimes inhospitable land it is an engineering feat, an economic necessity and a traveller’s dream. After exploring the magnificent Norwegian Fjords in the south … Continue reading →
Monty Python has a lot to answer for. Their offbeat British humour from the 1970’s brought many new phrases into the English lexicon, including the poor Norwegian Blue parrot that was ‘pining for the fjords’. We’re in much finer health than that bird and our attention in Norway had now turned towards the magnificent fjords that crease its shoreline and create one of the most spectacular geographic and geologic settings … Continue reading →
Julie and I have been fascinated by the Vikings for a long time and especially since we visited their original North American settlement in Newfoundland Canada and learned more about their amazing exploits across the north Atlantic over 1,000 years ago. As part of our travels around Scandinavia we wanted to dive into the whole Viking thing in more detail and the perfect place to start was the cool Swedish … Continue reading →
Once upon a time, a long long time ago, I was a young lad working in Europe and Julie was a blond Aussie chick travelling on holidays. Our paths crossed, our hearts fluttered and the rest, as they say, is history. We’ve been back many times since and years ago even took our kids on a big drive-along European tour. Europe holds a special place in our family history but … Continue reading →
It’s a great life on the road, that’s for sure, but it’s also wonderful to go home to our family and friends after being away for many months, catch up on what everyone’s doing, hear their stories and share some of our own. There’s many hugs to share, excited voices, laughs all around, all great fun we had been looking forward to and really loved. And of course, there’s the … Continue reading →
If you haven’t figured it out yet, I love spreadsheets. Spreadsheets hold all sorts of fascinating information, data, statistics, trends, averages, records, really cool stuff. I keep a very detailed spreadsheet on our travels, recording our movements in long columns and rows which add to our photos, blogs and memories that we’ve collected along the way. Here’s a snapshot of some of the data from the second leg of our … Continue reading →
Julie and I are pretty keen on maps. We’ve collected a large range of foldable paper maps, we’ve had map books, downloaded maps to our phones and used online services like Google Maps and Maps.me. Maps are fun, both for planning our journey and tracking our journey. Now that we’ve finished South America our map of this continent has a nice line across it showing where we’ve been but also … Continue reading →
Yes, we’ve been to Uruguay. One of the least visited countries in South America, wedged between its two big brash neighbours Argentina and Brazil, small in size and low in profile, Uruguay is often confused with Paraguay and missed on most geography tests. Its capital, Montevideo, lies literally in the shadow of Buenos Aires on the opposite bank of the huge Rio de la Plata and has a modest historical, … Continue reading →
Our guidebook called Peninsula Valdes on Argentina’s mid-Atlantic coast “…one of the world’s great nature preserves.” We’ve learned guide books are sometimes prone to hyperbole but we couldn’t pass up this gem on our drive up National Route 3 towards Buenos Aires. And the promise of seeing animals we had rarely or never seen before made the opportunity a must do. That is how we found ourselves camped in the … Continue reading →
Julie and I had spent nine months travelling south since we left Prudhoe Bay on Alaska’s shores of the Arctic Ocean. Since that time we had passed through Alaska, Canada and the continental United States, through Mexico and Central America, shipped Tramp to South America and driven the entire length of the continent to arrive at the end of the road, the southernmost point you can drive on the continent. … Continue reading →
A casual look at a map of southern Chile tells you the obvious – there aren’t many roads down here. The severe mountains, glaciers, fjords, inland waterways, rivers and extreme weather make roads a luxury. After more than a week in northern Chile we had jumped over into Argentina to take the memorable Ruta National 40 bypass of the roadless section of Chile. Now we were crossing back into the … Continue reading →
Ruta National 40 is said to be loneliest road in Argentina. On a broader scale it would rival some of those in outback Australia or perhaps Alaska as the loneliest road in the world. Stretching the entire length of Argentina, itself the 8th largest country in the world, Ruta National 40 runs through endless tracks of desert scrub and loneliness, much of it gravel with very few turns and even … Continue reading →
Chile is one of the oddest shaped countries in the world. It dominates the western shore of South America, never more than a few hundred miles in width. The Andes mountains run down its eastern border with Argentina and its southern section features so many fjords, lakes and mountains it is largely roadless. The primary feature of northern Chile is the Atacama Desert, said to be the driest in the … Continue reading →
After 16 great days in Peru we finally made our way to the border near Lake Titicaca and passed into Bolivia. The full border crossing took only about 40 minutes, very fast, and there were only two lame attempts by Bolivian officials to extract a bribe from me. We climbed up and over a 4,200 metre pass and then took a ferry, which was really more like a barge, across … Continue reading →
One of the joys of travel are the surprises, big and small, that occur every day when you are visiting new places. And Peru, probably more than any other country we’ve been to, has been full of surprises. For instance, who knew that the principal tree in Peru, even up to 4,000 metres, is the good ol’ Aussie gum tree. We also didn’t know that the Peruvian coast is one … Continue reading →
Our little four-seater Cessna 172, probably as old as us, banked low and steeply to the right above the Peruvian desert, our stomachs following close behind. Javier, our co-pilot, pointed out the window and said, ‘Can you see the monkey?’ And sure enough, 200 metres below us, scrawled out in the sun-baked desert rocks was a cute little monkey with an exaggerated curled tail. The monkey had followed aerial sightings … Continue reading →
Peru is unquestionably most famous for the ancient Inca capital of Machu Picchu, and with good reason, but beyond that Peru is associated with the dramatic Andes mountains that run down its spine and provide some of the most spectacular mountains in the world. People come from all over to trek, climb, raft, backpack, drive, photograph and admire the Peruvian Andes. We had spent a few days exploring northern Peru … Continue reading →
Ecuador had shown itself as a fascinating and easy place to visit based on our first ten days in the country. We had enjoyed the wide four lane divided highways of the north after the horror roads of Colombia, the traditional markets of Otavalu, the novelty of crossing the equator by road and then the magnificence of the Galapagos Islands. But now we were heading south again, heading towards Peru, … Continue reading →
Life on board the Archipell 1 was pretty relaxed. Our cabins were very comfortably furnished, if a bit small, and the common area where we ate and socialised was quite roomy for our small group. But the most popular spot on the ship was the open observation deck, partly covered to provide protection from the equatorial sun, a place to take in the views, look for wildlife, watch the sunset … Continue reading →
We boarded an old rickety public bus, windows slid open for ventilation on a mega-humid day, and left the remote airport of Baltra for the main town of Puerto Ayora. The road crossed the rough desert scrub, nothing special, when suddenly the driver slammed on his brakes and the old bus reluctantly skidded to a stop. What on earth could have caused the driver to take such drastic action in … Continue reading →
Julie and I booked and paid for a special splurge – five days in the remote Ecuadorian islands of the Galapagos, made famous by Charles Darwin and the island’s huge tortoises. Our challenge, and it was a big one, was to drive through the spectacular but painfully slow mountains of Colombia to the capital of Ecuador, Quito, where our flights were leaving from, whether we’re on them or not. Could … Continue reading →
The Vega Zeta is a 10,000 ton container ship built in 2006 and registered in Liberia. It has probably carried a lot of valuable cargo in the past but none more so than it’s recent voyage from Panama with the mighty Tramp onboard. But nothing is as it seems and in Colombia everything is much slower and more complicated than it needs to be. And so it was for us … Continue reading →
Cartagena is a fabulous city, its old town within the city walls with narrow streets, gorgeous churches, shaded plazas, lively atmosphere and colourful history is absolutely world class. But after eight days of waiting for Tramp to arrive from Panama and the prospect of another five days before we could rescue him from the ship Julie and I decided to pull the plug on Cartagena and explore further afield. We … Continue reading →
We stayed in a very good $40 hotel on our last night in Panama which was also our last night in Central America. The hotel offered a bit of luxury we didn’t have in Tramp but we worried about him sitting on a wharf down in the port of Colon waiting to be moved onto a tray and lifted by crane onto our ship the Vega Zeta. From there he … Continue reading →
Julie and I just finished 65 days, more than nine weeks, travelling around Mexico and Central America. We went into this leg of our Follow the Sun journey with a little apprehension – after all, Mexico is said to be a dangerous place to visit and some of those small Central American countries have a very sordid past. Dirty toilets, undrinkable water, corrupt policemen, con artists everywhere, who needs it? … Continue reading →
For most people when they hear the word Panama the first thing they think of is canal. And the second thing they think of is…well…good question. Panama hats, perhaps? Julie and I had come to Panama for much more than just the canal, although we were looking forward to that. For us Panama marked the end of our Central American adventure and also one of the most expensive, risky and … Continue reading →
It was in the jungle-clad mountains of Costa Rica we were first introduced to the saying of Pura Vida, or pure life. Pura Vida seems to sum up how Costa Ricans view their country and themselves. The saying is on every T-shirt and coffee mug you see and is spoken by people as part of any conversation. We heard locals say it to each other as a form of casual … Continue reading →
The last couple of weeks have been stinking hot, most days staying in the high 90’sF/high 30’sC all day, and sometimes higher. When its that hot, and when that jungle humidity is up to boot, its hard to do too much during the day. Thank goodness for our very good little fans in Tramp to help us sleep at night. So we had no problems when it started to rain … Continue reading →
Camping in a huge truck stop squeezed between monster transport trucks with a pet pig and toilets featuring an old plastic curtain across the front was not the best start to our Nicaraguan experience. Like most Central American countries, Nicaragua has had some serious problems in the past and many played out in bold font through the international press. But these days Nic, as its sometimes referred to, has a … Continue reading →
Every Central American country has had its challenges in the last 50 years and some are doing better at overcoming them than others. Unfortunately one country – Honduras – has been in the international press these last couple of months due to a recent disputed presidential election which has led to widespread protests and rioting, sometimes ending in violence. Julie and I had already decided for expediency sake we were … Continue reading →
Julie and I have camped in some amazing places over the years, stark deserts, sandy beaches, high mountain tops and much more but lately we’ve been hanging out in secure car parks of hotels and restaurants, a marina and a hostel. Whatever works is what we say. But our first night in El Salvador was a new experience. After a painful two-hour border-crossing process to get our import permit for … Continue reading →
