What did we know about Guatemala before hitting the border? Well, actually, not that much. Northern Guatemala hosts the world-renowned Mayan ruin of Tikal, which was our first port of call, but otherwise the country has a fairly grim reputation and for many years was a complete no-go zone. We knew the situation had improved from those bad days but despite the excitement of hitting a new country there was … Continue reading →
Belize is famous for its barrier reef, tropical weather, beautiful long beaches and layback Caribbean lifestyle. The tropical weather – that is, almost constant rain, was stopping us from visiting the reef but we still wanted to see what life was like at a Belizean beachside community. So our goal for the day was the southern beaches around the sandy town of Placencia but to get there we had to … Continue reading →
The Customs official reached into a large box she had on the counter and with a big smile handed Julie a rainbow-coloured frosted cupcake. How often does that happen when you are passing into a new country? Well, Belize is very unique in this part of the world, English speaking, layback, more Caribbean than Central American, more black than Latino, much less stress. Never mind they confiscated some fruit and … Continue reading →
We got off our plane in Cancun from Havana and passed through Customs and Immigration, a little anxious about what we would find out in the carpark. We had left Tramp in as safe a position as possible and hoped he would not be the victim of any foul play while we were living it up in Cuba. But there he was, safe and sound, wagging his tail when he … Continue reading →
Raynol was a handsome young guy with his cool top knot hair style and easy-going manner who didn’t speak a single word of English but drove a bright yellow modern car which doubled as a taxi. We met him on the streets of Havana and negotiated a price for him to chauffeur us down to Trinidad on the south coast of the island and back to the airport over a … Continue reading →
The buildings all around us seemed to be crumbling before our very eyes as we explored these narrow streets, no street lights, only the occasional ancient car rumbling by. But many people were walking about, sitting on their front door step, kids playing in the street, sounds of TVs and music in Spanish playing in back rooms. There was certainly the sense of hardship and poverty but also one of … Continue reading →
When most people think of the Yucatan Peninsula their first thought is probably of the famous resort town of Cancun, hot winter sun, beautiful beaches, cold cervezas and an escape from the snowy North American winters. As an afterthought some people might also say something like, “I think the Yucatan also has some amazing old Mayan ruins in the jungle”. Well, indeed they do and our priority was to hit … Continue reading →
The term Mesoamerica is packed with history, culture, architecture, religion and language in a region stretching from central Mexico through most of Central America. It is one of six areas of the world where ancient civilisation arose independently and its two most famous societies were the Aztecs of central Mexico and the Mayans of the Yucatan Peninsula. On a cold frosty morning we walked from our campsite to visit one … Continue reading →
Mazatlan felt very familiar and comfortable for us as we drove off our ferry from Baja and started our trek across central Mexico. We were in the Mexican travel groove and parked Tramp so we could explore the old historical centre of this large seaport city. The large ornate cathedral sparkled in the warm sunshine, the nearby market was abuzz with locals buying and selling their wares and the old … Continue reading →
Our plan was to catch the overnight ferry from La Paz to Mazatlan to start our journey on the Mexican ‘mainland’. We had survived Christmas, Julie’s birthday and New Year’s Eve all in Baja and had enjoyed every moment but we had one more important place to visit before catching the ferry. A good friend of ours had spent many seasons in one of the world’s most recognisable kite boarding … Continue reading →
Travel takes you to amazing places but it also runs over special days, such as Christmas which we recently enjoyed in Mulege, and now Julie’s birthday. We woke up on Ligui Beach in Loreto Bay National Park on Julie’s special day and I promised her a gorgeous sunrise over the ocean, a long beautiful drive across the desert, a hotel in the large town of La Paz and margaritas before … Continue reading →
Julie and I have always treated Christmas in a very traditional manner – family and friends, the tree, decorations, presents, too much food, bad music. Christmas is always a lot of work but its also a lot of fun, especially when the kids are young and the festivities span from the school to the office to the backyard barbie. So what’s happened this year? We’re in central Baja Mexico in … Continue reading →
The US and Canada were easy to travel through, relaxed, safe, familiar, convenient. But that was now all behind us as we crossed the Mexican border at Tijuana, the most crossed border in the world, and passed over into another world full of adventure, new places to explore, new experiences, new rewards. We were immediately tested with our entire truck X-rayed and we had to negotiate the border complex to … Continue reading →
One of my favourite travelling songs is the old Willie Nelson tune with the singalong chorus ‘On the road again, just can’t wait to get on the road again’. Julie and I could finally sing that song again after about an eight week hiatus from Tramp and our Follow the Sun adventure. During that time we had a beautiful little grand daughter (Abby rules!), we reunited with friends and family … Continue reading →
We spent nine glorious months exploring the vast continent of North America and every day discovered many beautiful places while enjoying an endless stream of adventures. But our growing family drew us home, back to our base camp in Sydney where we reveled in the joy and love of our new granddaughter – beautiful little Abby.
Continue reading →One of the proudest moments of my life was walking our daughter Anna down the aisle on her big day with her beau Carl. That was more than four years ago and a lot has happened since then, all for the good. Julie and I were in North Carolina back in May when Anna told us the big news that she and Carl were expecting a baby, the best news … Continue reading →
Julie and I have been caught between our old-fashioned love for large fold-out paper maps and the newfangled way of navigating via GPS and talking devices. Both methods of moving from A to B have merit and each has their strengths and weaknesses. We’ve adopted a blended strategy of using legacy maps to plot our bigger, broader and longer-term journey while sometimes using our GPS, which we call Karen, to … Continue reading →
Don’t you love spreadsheets? A good spreadsheet reveals all sorts of interesting information, some of it even useful, and a wealth of new knowledge that is almost always ignored or forgotten. And when a spreadsheet can produce meaningful statistics, even better. Well, I’m into spreadsheets, big time, and have kept a detailed spreadsheet of the first leg of our Follow the Sun journey. Here’s a few facts and figures that … Continue reading →
I used to say that the last three days of any holiday are the toughest because your mind starts thinking about getting home, what has to be done next, getting back to school or work, whatever the next chapter has in store. We’re certainly suffering a bit of that because we are looking forward to returning to Sydney before the grand arrival of our first grandchild (yeah!) but all the … Continue reading →
There’s an old cowboy saying for when a horse knows he’s heading home he’ll single-mindedly do anything to get there as quickly as possible – he is barn shy. Well, leaving Canada meant we were now taking a fairly direct route back to our North American home base in California and we were getting a little barn shy to get there ourselves.
Continue reading →The Rocky Mountains are probably the geographic centrepiece of the entire North American continent. Running north-south from the far reaches of British Colombia and Alberta almost to the Mexican border, the Rockies define the western stretches of this landmass, create their own weather, influence where and how people live and provide a magnificent magnet for any traveller. And perhaps the best of the Rockies, with apologies to Colorado, are found … Continue reading →
The leafy trees are turning yellow, the temperature is dropping, the skies are always grey, businesses are closing, this must be northern Canada in late September. Our adventure in Alaska is sadly behind us and our aim is to start heading seriously south over the next couple of weeks but we still have many things we want to see along the way and to enjoy more Canadian hospitality, if not … Continue reading →
We have spent more than seven weeks in Alaska and driven over 5,500 miles, full of adventure, exploration, discovery, wonder, joy and yes, some frustration with extended car troubles. But all good things must come to an end, preferably before winter sets in, and we reluctantly made our way south towards Canada. But Canada and Alaska are intricately linked geographically and with such few roads in the region we planned … Continue reading →
Locals are a great source of information for what to see and where to go. We try to talk to as many as we can, asking questions about things to do, places to visit, local weather conditions, how long have they been there, etc. On a few occasions we were told by Alaskans the best drive in Alaska was the drive down to the deep water port of Valdez. And … Continue reading →
After ten agonising days in Fairbanks we were finally handed the keys to Tramp and with almost childhood zeal we climbed onboard and hit the road again. Tramp’s extensive surgery to his rear end was more painful for us than for him but the Chevy dealer did the right thing and covered all our costs during Tramp’s convalescence. The whole experience taught us how totally reliant we were on our … Continue reading →
We headed south and east toward the Wrangell St. Elias National Park and the remote town of McCarthy. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon, very little traffic, we were looking for bears and moose, as usual. Then a loud clunk, grind, scrape and clang came from the back end of Tramp. We slammed to a stop, jumped out and peered underneath – the rear axle and differential were smoking and … Continue reading →
We’ve been feeling lately like we’re part of Game of Thrones. It is late August and summer is over in Alaska, winter is coming, and everyone is making final preparations before the long dark cold winter sets in. In our case it isn’t so much life and death as just lousy weather, low grey clouds every day, drizzle or rain most of the time, winds blowing, temperatures dropping to chilly … Continue reading →
The Kenai Peninsula in southern Alaska is a paradise for those seeking soft adventure and anyone who wants to get close to northern nature. We had already aced the whole bear thing down in remote Katmai National Park and were now headed for Kenai Fjords National Park and the port town of Seward to explore everything it had to offer. And we started with a perfect 10 campsite on the … Continue reading →
We spent 19 fabulous days in northern Alaska, highlighted by world renowned Denali National Park, a day of scenic flights and exploration in Gates of the Arctic National Park, the epic drive up the Dalton Highway to the Arctic Ocean and a week in Fairbanks waiting for repairs for the third member of our team, Tramp. Now we were heading south to the waterways, islands, glaciers and hidden secrets of … Continue reading →
In 1968 oil was discovered off the shores of northern Alaska. It was cold and inhospitable land, the oil was prohibitively expensive to pump out and transport to civilisation. Then the oil crisis emerged in the early 1970’s and America was thirsty for its own oil rather than depend on countries in the Middle East. Suddenly the untapped oil up in Prudhoe Bay was a bargain and they built an … Continue reading →
Way up in northern Alaska, far above the Arctic Circle, away from any roads, away from any other towns, away from any navigable rivers, smack dab in the middle of one of the most remote national parks in the American parks system is a small native Alaskan village surviving primarily on subsistence living and generations of tradition. The community’s name is Anaktuvuk Pass and on a recent sunny day Julie … Continue reading →
When I was a young man and exploring the world vicariously via National Geographic, intriguing maps and endless travel books I always thought that Fairbanks was the type of place I would like to live. The northern most major town of the continent, near the tallest mountains, starting point for explorers heading into the cold Arctic, big enough to provide all the essentials, it seemed like my perfect town. Unfortunately … Continue reading →
The world renowned Denali National Park is the centrepiece for outdoors Alaska. It contains the continent’s highest mountain, braided rivers, uncountable glaciers and magnificent remote country touched only by its bears, moose, caribou, wolves, Dall sheep and many other northern animals. It is by any standard an American treasure. In planning this trip over the years our visit to Denali was one of the most anticipated sites. And we finally … Continue reading →
Ever since Julie was a teenager she has wanted to go to Alaska. It was wild and remote and adventurous, had amazing wild animals and was romanticised through movies and documentaries. She read Michener, London and other authors who painted a tantalising picture. I think on the first day I met her she said, “I want to go to Alaska”. It was a challenge I was prepared to accept but … Continue reading →
The old cry for adventure was ‘North to Alaska!’ but when you are in Inuvik, Northwest Territories near the Arctic Ocean you have to go south to Alaska. In fact, from Inuvik you have to go south to go anywhere. Inuvik, population 3,500, is on the banks of the Mackenzie Delta and only about 100 kms (60 miles) from the Arctic Ocean. It has a large First Nation population and … Continue reading →
There are two lines drawn on the map which they say delineates where during a specific period in the summer the sun never sets on the horizon and in a specific period in the winter the sun never rises above the horizon. There are two such lines – one in the south marking the Antarctic Circle and one in the north marking the Arctic Circle. Such is the remoteness of … Continue reading →
The Yukon Territory is often defined by one key historical event – the discovery of gold near the Klondike River in 1898. This gold rush, and the thousands of ill-prepared prospectors who were part of the boom and bust of this region, helped develop the Yukon in terms of towns, transport links and (brief) prosperity. It later became a key player in the US building the Alaska Highway which lies … Continue reading →
Playschool taught all children to love bears. They are cute and cuddly, don’t say much, just nod their head and wave their big flannel paws. But if you are bush camping in northern Canada bears take on a whole new meaning, especially when you see them so regularly on the side of the road you stop taking photos…and then you pull into an open area off the road and set … Continue reading →
Yellowknife is a very cool name for a town but in this case it is also the thriving capital of the Northwest Territories. With 20,000 people, half of the territory’s population, this really was the big smoke. To get there we travelled along the northwest arm of the Great Slave Lake and passed through a few First Nation communities that had seen better days. The road was under constant repair … Continue reading →
The Northwest Territories is big, I mean bigger than can be imagined. We thought Texas was big, we thought Ontario was big but this was all before we crossed the 60th parallel and entered Mr. Big himself, the Northwest Territories. Reaching all the way to the Arctic Ocean and beyond, the NWT features the longest rivers, deepest lakes, largest national parks and biggest horse flies of Canada and seems to … Continue reading →
Alberta is a province blessed with the magnificence of the Rocky Mountains, endless fertile land and almost unlimited oil underground. Visitors flock to the province like no other and for good reason – Banff and Jaspar National Parks are among the best in the world. We had used their capital, Edmonton, as a fly-in, fly-out point to attend our nephew’s wedding in California but now we were back in the … Continue reading →
Julie and I love weddings. We love the celebration of a wedding but we also love the reunion of family and friends that every wedding represents. We have no problem travelling fair distances to attend a wedding – different state, different country, short haul, long haul, whatever it takes. And we usually try to tie in some sort of holiday or break with the wedding, whether it is in Bali, … Continue reading →
Well, yes, as it turns out I got it right first time. Bit of a fluke I think. For the annual school spelling bee it is the Canadian equivalent of Mississippi but without the repetition or the famous river. We entered Saskatchewan via its northern-most boundary road with Manitoba and then headed a bit further north, almost hitting the 55th parallel, before camping on the banks of one of the … Continue reading →
We found the herd of bison grazing in a large open meadow some distance from where we were standing. We watched them for a while and noticed they were slowly drifting towards a nearby dirt track. We positioned Tramp to intercept them and then quietly watched as they slowly moved across in front of us, one of them interested enough to come over and almost sniff Tramp. They were losing … Continue reading →
It is said Ontario contains all the fabulous features of Canada in one province. It has the national capital of Ottawa and Toronto – a cosmopolitan city to match any in the world, almost 40% of the country’s population, sharing borders with some of the Great Lakes, vast tracts of agriculture, boundless natural resources, a strong bi-lingual society and all of this in an endless space larger than Spain and … Continue reading →
Parlez-vous français? Well, if you’re asking us – je parle un peu. And we’re right in the middle of Quebec where a little French comes in very handy. The good people of Quebec (Quebecois pronounce it without mentioning the ‘u’) seem to be caught in two worlds. For the most part they are seriously passionate about their French heritage and their French language, which is fair enough. Most support the … Continue reading →
We were camping wild in the bush but we were not alone. Julie spotted him first, a large grey wolf appearing on the hillside near our camp, the bloody results of his hunting skills hanging from his mouth, staring at the strangers who had entered his domain. He disappeared for a moment but reappeared soon after, staring at us, sniffing the wind, trying to assess the situation and plot his … Continue reading →
The day was cold and drizzly, as we’ve come to expect, with low clouds blocking the mountain tops but the beautiful lakes and bubbling mountain streams still in full view. We were on a mission to visit Gros Morne National Park, internationally recognised for its unique geologic features and stunning scenery. The highlight of drive to the park was a young moose stepping out on the road just in front … Continue reading →
Our first view of The Rock, as Newfoundlanders affectionately call their island, was glorious. We were standing on the deck of our huge ferry as it pulled into the little harbour of Port aux Basques in the southwestern corner of this huge province. The early morning sun was shining brightly on the freshly painted little homes on the nearby hillside and the distant hills still featured larges patches of snow … Continue reading →
With Tramp’s new boots we headed north again, up the coast and across the causeway onto Cape Breton Island which covers the northern shores of the mainland and includes world renowned Cape Breton Highlands National Park. And an oddity for us, a city of the same name as our hometown -Sydney.
Continue reading →How many cities can claim to have a citadel? In particular one that protected its people for two centuries without ever firing a shot? Well, Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia can make that claim and we had a chance to explore this fortress on a hill overlooking the centre of town during our brief visit to the city. But Nova Scotia is really more about its famous coastline and … Continue reading →
I never dreamed of coming to Prince Edward Island. In my schoolboy lessons it was always the Canadian province that I forgot and on the spinning global map it was so small it hardly showed up. Prince Edward Island, or PEI, is modest by most standards but here we were, waking up to perfect clear blue skies, a calm sea and curious anticipation of what we might find on this … Continue reading →
How much different can Canada be to the US? Sure, there’s different currency, different national sports, two languages, an odd flag, a Queen, provinces instead of states, kilometres and litres instead of miles and quarts, and perhaps a defensive posture that they are not Americans. I get that, for sure, and national pride is uber important but will Canada stand out as being unique in our experiences while travelling through … Continue reading →
When does an observation become a generalisation? If you’ve been in one taxi in Paris can you say that all Parisian taxi drivers are rude? If you’ve spoken to one Texan about his big RV can you say that all Texans are proud of their big RV’s? If it rains every day you’re in New Hampshire can you say it always rains there? Of course you can! Travel is all … Continue reading →
Maine is officially The Pine Tree State and its motto is ‘Life the way it should be’. Maine doesn’t have a high profile outside of the New England area and hasn’t played a major role in US history or politics. As a distant outsider I would have said Maine is known for its rugged shoreline, quaint fishing villages and its lobsters. Within the first day we could attest to all … Continue reading →
Everything is green in Vermont. Impressively, 80% of the state is covered in lush forest. The licence plate is green, the signs are green, the frequent huge solar panel farms tell us the state is green, the national forest is called….wait for it…Green Mountain National Forest. Most people live in small rural towns which feature huge green lawns and expansive green trees above. It’s a definite theme.
Continue reading →There is something a bit odd about travelling through Pennsylvania, New York and the states of New England without stopping at the great cities of New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Boston. But this trip is not about the cities, it’s about the mountains, the coastlines, the natural wonders of the places we visit. We can hit the cities on another trip, in another time, with a bigger budget. For … Continue reading →
We were enjoying the fresh green canopy of trees above us and the slow winding road when we rounded a corner and suddenly a large black bear lumbered across the road in front of us, paused for a moment, then galloped up the slope and stopped to quizzically look back at us. Perhaps he was admiring Tramp or just wanted to say hello – we’ll never know as traffic coming … Continue reading →
America is a case study in ultimate superlatives. Everything is the biggest, oldest, tallest or best. So when we heard that the Blue Ridge Parkway was ‘America’s Best Drive’ we were hoping the claim was true. We climbed on the Parkway, known also as ‘The All American Road’ and began to follow it northward. The Parkway was dedicated in 1935 after largely being built through government programs employing unemployed men … Continue reading →
The Appalachian Mountains are the dominant range of eastern United States, running from Canada all the way to Alabama near the Gulf of Mexico. They are not high in mountain terms, nor do they have deep glacier-carved valleys or high jagged peaks. But the Appalachians have some of the most rugged land anywhere and the mountains dominate the history, culture and economy of the towns and states that host it. … Continue reading →
The sun was shining bright on North Carolina. We had risen above the swampy wetlands on the secondary roads, passing through more beautiful rural countryside, well-kept homes of all sizes, expansive mowed lawns with no fences between neighbours, churches of all (and no) denominations on virtually every corner and fields of healthy grain and corn all around us. We had enjoyed South Carolina but could their northern neighbour jump over … Continue reading →
In April 1861 one of the most significant moments in the history of the United States occurred when local Carolina troops based in Fort Jackson near the city of Charleston fired their first cannon shot on Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter was built on an island guarding the mouth of the port of Charleston and it was occupied by Federal troops. This was an act of Americans firing on Americans and … Continue reading →
How much did we really know about Georgia? Well…not very much. Sure, Atlanta is a very high profile and internationally recognised city, major businesses, sporting teams, an airline hub. And there’s Augusta Georgia, home to the world’s most prestigious golf tournament, the Masters. Savannah Georgia is one of those beautiful old preserved cities from the 18th centuries, I think. But after that it’s a bit thin. Julie and I were … Continue reading →
Florida has a lot to offer, that’s for sure, and now we were at one of their major draw cards, the last town at the end of the Florida Keys, Key West. We loved the atmosphere and explored the busy streets lined with cool bars, outdoor restaurants, cheap T-shirt shops and upscale stores. We hit the famous Sunset Pier for drinks as the sun set on the water, a rarity … Continue reading →
Most states in the US have given themselves some sort of descriptive marketing name to help individualise themselves. These names are frequently found in their marketing slogans and on their licence plates. For instance, Texas is The Lone Star State, Minnesota is The Land of 10,000 Lakes and Georgia is the Peach State. But no state has adopted a more appropriate and appealing name than Florida – The Sunshine State. … Continue reading →
Sometimes you come across a road that just seems to go exactly where you want to go. You’re interested in exploring a town up ahead, that road goes there. You want to camp in a state park over there, that road goes there. You want to hug the coastline, that road does the job. We religiously avoid the huge Interstate freeways whenever possible and that allows us to explore places … Continue reading →
Louisiana is not a first choice destination for many people. Probably most famous for the fabulous city of New Orleans and more recently infamous for the damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana has a fairly low profile in the minds of most Americans. We entered the state along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and our first target was to explore the Louisiana bayou which runs virtually the length … Continue reading →
It’s been about a month since we left my family home in Salinas California and embarked on our big journey which we’ve dubbed Follow the Sun. With our trusty stead Tramp we’ve already had a lifetime of fabulous memories and visited some amazing places but we’ve also had to adjust to a unique lifestyle of life on the road. We’ve learned a few things along the way but so far … Continue reading →
Texas is not like any other state, we get that, but even this old California boy has to admit it has some pretty special parts. One of them is their rich history, first as the free land of many Native American tribes, then as a Spanish colony, a Mexican state, an independent state and eventually part of the United States. And no place in Texas symbolises this colourful journey more … Continue reading →
The Rio Grande is one of the most famous and iconic rivers in all of America. Yes, there is the Mississippi and the Missouri and the Colorado, they are all household names. But anyone who has watched an old western or followed the fortunes of the state of Texas or the issues between the US and Mexico know the Rio Grande as much more than a blue line on a … Continue reading →
Texas is a big state. It is big geographically, second only to distant Alaska. It is big in population and the economy, big in political influence, played a big role in American history, it features big trucks, big speed limits, big cowboy hats and big sports teams, especially football. Texas is big and if you have any doubt, just ask a Texan. And we were going to explore the biggest … Continue reading →
Roswell is a remote town in the middle of the vast southern New Mexico desert. It would have been completely forgotten by mankind, and probably much smaller than it is today, if not for the fateful events of 5 July 1947. On this day a rancher found strange metallic objects in a paddock, made of a material he had never seen before. He brought it into town and eventually the … Continue reading →
The Land of Enchantment, as it’s called, does not have a high profile in American life. Home to little more than 2 million people, New Mexico is mostly known for having the tail end of the Rockies, some great skiing, Southwest art from the various Indian tribes and local artists, and perhaps more obliquely – Los Alamos where the first Atomic bomb was detonated and Roswell, the epicentre for UFO … Continue reading →
Colorado is a paradise for those who want to enjoy the great outdoors. We plan to revisit the northern reaches of this state later in the year as part of our loop through North America. But there was one more place we wanted to visit in this region before heading south, the Great Sandy Desert National Park.
Continue reading →The American Southwest has a rich and fascinating history based on the original inhabitants of this vast arid land. Today’s Native Americans are known by their tribal names of Apache, Navajo, Hopi, Zuni and Ute, to mention a few, but some of their predecessors lived simple lives on the high plains, in the caves and in the canyons of this unforgiving land. There are many magnificent places to celebrate their … Continue reading →
Our family has a long association with Arizona. My father was based in the capital Phoenix when he was in the Navy and I was born there during that time. My grandparents and other family members lived there and my brother Bruce and his wife Trish still live in a mountain town in north-eastern Arizona after doing their university in the state’s southern city of Tucson. And through many family … Continue reading →
Most people don’t associate California with desert. Well, California is a huge place with many diverse features and in fact does deserts like few other places in the world, including one of the most famous, Death Valley. Our next destination, Joshua Tree National Park, sits conveniently near the famous desert oasis of Palm Springs and the start of our journey into the vast California desert.
Continue reading →I did my university in Los Angeles (fight on Trojans!), a great city to be in when you are young and without worry or responsibility. But that was a long time ago and this time around Julie and I were more interested in a completely different side of southern California. No long beaches, hot summer days and tall palms for us, we wanted to explore the preserved forests, national parks, … Continue reading →
After 25 years of dreaming, a full year of hard core planning and 35 days of final preparation while staying at my parents’ house in Salinas, the morning had finally arrived when we pulled out of the driveway and began our big journey. It seemed almost too good to be true after all the recent frustrations and minor setbacks but our mighty Tramp pointed his way down the road and … Continue reading →
Americans and Australians speak the same language, right? I mean, it’s usually easy to communicate as long as accents are understood and the occasional strange word is allowed. But when a few people started telling Julie and I that what we really needed with Tramp, our truck and camper combination that we had been building and fixing up, was a shake down it confused us. A shake down is someone … Continue reading →
A few years ago when Julie and I started planning this trip around the world one issue that focused our minds like no other is what vehicle we would travel in and where would we sleep. We knew from experience that our selected vehicle/hotel would be the third member of our team and we would be totally dependent on it for transport, accommodation, security, storage, comfort and…well, friendship. After a … Continue reading →
One of my favourite places in the world is Tahoe. Tahoe is part of my childhood, a place of family gatherings, year round activities, sport, games, fun and total relaxation. Tahoe is in my photos, on my T shirts, in my fond memories. Tahoe, or Lake Tahoe to be exact, straddles the California-Nevada border and is the largest alpine lake in North America. At 6,200 feet (1,900 metres) it is … Continue reading →
In 1932 a young American author by the name of John Steinbeck wrote a book featuring a series of inter-related short stories about a valley near his home town of Salinas in central California. In these stories he described the beautiful green fields, stately old oaks, towering hills on all sides and a creek that ran down the middle of this hidden valley. Steinbeck called the book The Pastures of Heaven and … Continue reading →
Almost 25 years ago Julie and I came up with a crazy idea of climbing into some sort of four wheel drive camper and driving around the world, spending a summer in each of the six reachable continents in the world. The idea didn’t have much form or focus at the time but it was nice to have such a grand – and somewhat whacky – idea to have as … Continue reading →
Favourite moment for 2016? Really, is it possible to pick just one amongst so many? Where do I start? Well, the highlights reel for our family in 2016 is long and spectacular but there’s been a few standouts. We had multiple family weddings, a couple of graduations, milestone birthdays, fantastic holidays, stunning weekends under the stars and much more. But its pretty hard to beat watching one of your children marry his long … Continue reading →
Our small brightly coloured twin prop airplane banked low over the gently rolling green pastures below us and slowly descended to the single runway with a small terminal at its side. Big healthy cattle didn’t bother to look up from their tall grass as we passed low over their heads, still within sight of the surf crashing on nearby beaches. It was the idyllic scene of some old school TV … Continue reading →
Weddings are a time of family and friends, reunion, ceremony, teary eyes, funny speeches, beautiful gowns, duplicate gifts and most importantly – joyful celebration. And recently it was all this and much more for Julie and I as we saw our oldest son Will marry his beautiful sweetheart Gemma on a bright sunny day in the gorgeous gardens of a historic homestead in the Southern Highlands south of Sydney. What … Continue reading →
In 1978 I was a green-as-grass California kid straight out of Uni with an idea of travelling in Europe for a couple of months before going home and getting some sort of graduate degree. It seemed like a fine idea until a company that ran camping tours around Europe for the 18-35 year olds asked if I would like to become a tour leader. Without any consideration of what it might … Continue reading →
Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbour and has played a key part in Australia’s convict and maritime history since it was first put to use way back in the 1830’s. Today it holds a proud place amongst UNESCO World Heritage locations for is convict heritage and later became Australia’s first shipbuilding centre. In fact, the last ship built on Cockatoo Island was finished as recently as 1983. Julie … Continue reading →
The Cool Convoy’s epic journey across the Simpson Desert was finished with all six vehicles and 17 people successfully making the 3,600 km round trip journey from Adelaide. But for two vehicles and the four of us we still needed to drive back to Sydney, accompanied by our trusty trailer carrying all the group’s camping gear. But this second shoulder trip, as it was called, would not be a quick … Continue reading →
The Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park is a rugged and remote national park in the northern section of the magnificent Flinders Ranges, one of the true highlights of any visit to South Australia. We were camped at the southern end of the park in the Italowie Gorge and woke to a very cold and grey day, the sky threatening rain but the high red rock cliffs surrounding us seemed to act … Continue reading →
We’ve never camped with 7,000 people before but that’s what we faced when we woke up in the middle of a cow paddock on a cold winter’s morning outside of Birdsville. There was a huge range of campers, trucks, tents, shelters, trailers and every other type of camping paraphernalia spread out all around us as music lovers had come from everywhere to enjoy the festival. Someone said it looked like … Continue reading →
The fourth of July was a special day for many reasons. Yes, it is significant for Kathy, John and all the half Aussie/half Americans in the group. But it was also our sixth day since we left the relative comfort of Oodnadatta – which seemed like a year ago – and the day we finish our trip across the Simpson Desert. Tonight we will end up in the iconic Queensland town of Birdsville. … Continue reading →
These dry salt lake beds are beautiful to look at but can sometimes be very tricky to cross. They tended to be very rutted from previous vehicles and in many cases their lowest spot still contained water and a lot of very deep sticky mud. We approached each one carefully, often scouting ahead and choosing our path before crossing. When we came up to the edge of a particularly large … Continue reading →
Mornings in the desert were my favourite time of day. It would always be cold, below 5 degrees, usually a thick dew across the sand, flora and tents. You could almost sense the desert waking up around you as the sun poked its head above the closest dune. The light would play off the morning clouds, creating a beautiful sunrise, and slowly our camp of 17 intrepid travellers would wake … Continue reading →
We left the relative comfort of the Pink Roadhouse in Oodnadatta and headed off on a muddy track with the plan to take five or six days to across the Simpson Desert. After almost two years of planning for this moment it had finally arrived and our team of 17 adventurers were keen to get started. But we also knew the circumstances of our crossing were not ideal – all … Continue reading →
The big morning had finally arrived. We woke to grey skies and wet tents but everyone was pumped with excitement and anticipation. After a little extra time to allow the new teams to pack their vehicles for the first time we were off on the 2016 Simpson Desert Expedition. Each car had chosen their handle for our radio communications – there was Cruiser, Disco, the Angels, Corral, JALT and the Crambos – … Continue reading →
It is a major technical and logistical challenge to drive a vehicle across the Simpson Desert given its remote location and 1,100 parallel sand dunes. But first you have to get there and for four of us that means driving from Sydney to Adelaide where we will meet the other 13 members of our group who will fly in and pick up their hired vehicles. But of course we weren’t … Continue reading →
A mad idea started to form about two years ago when Julie and I were looking for our next big adventure, something which definitely had to involve exploring more of Australia. We had fond memories of when we led a group of family members driving to the tip of Cape York and we wanted to combine an outback adventure with a big family event. After a nano-second of consideration we knew what … Continue reading →
We’ve covered a lot of ground over the last few months without actually going too far (if you don’t count our quick trip to California for beautiful Bryn’s wedding!). There’s been baseball (of course), and bushwalking (of course) and camping (yes, of course). But the family also has a bigger drone that takes absolutely fabulous photos and videos, there was a romantic weekend thrown in there and we all had … Continue reading →
