Romania is unquestionably off the usual European tourist map. There is no steady stream of mini RV’s from France or Germany, no educational tour groups from the US, no young people in vans or hitchhikers and only a few motorbikes. Romania is a little too far away from central Europe and doesn’t have any big bang attractions to draw people in. And that’s good for us. We’ve been spending most … Continue reading →
Everybody knows about Transylvania. It’s the scary, spooky and mysterious place where Dracula lived. And if you’re my vintage you probably saw Dracula movies in the cinema which scared the living daylights out of you. Dracula was not to be messed with, especially if you had a nice neck. But Julie and I are brave travellers and we drove into the deepest and darkest corners of Transylvania trying to learn … Continue reading →
Our failed attempt at getting third party insurance for Tramp in Serbia, either before we entered or after we entered, meant we only spent two nights in this complex country with it’s chequered recent history before returning to Bulgaria and plotting a new course. Overlanding travel is all about flexibility because you never know what’s going to happen next but luckily it’s one of our strengths and we had a … Continue reading →
The poet William Wordsworth once wrote, “There’s joy in the mountains’’ and Julie and I felt that joy as we stood at 2,100 metres (6,900 feet) with the Pirin Mountains towering over us. We had reluctantly reached the turnaround point of our walk from Vihren Hut to Okato Lake and beyond in the heart of Pirin National Park. From this point we were above the ski resort that covers some … Continue reading →
After about two months in Türkiye, Armenia and Georgia we felt a little spoiled for travel experiences. Those three countries, and especially Türkiye, are fabulous places to explore at your own pace and we felt a little hungover when we entered Bulgaria. But after four days in this former communist country, which is now in the EU and part of NATO but still finding it’s feet in other ways, we … Continue reading →
Driving out of Istanbul was definitely sweet sorrow because it meant we had left behind one of our best experiences on our entire trip – and that’s saying something! – and it also meant our time in Türkiye was near it’s end. But there were a few more surprises left for us before we crossed any borders and in Türkiye that can only be good. Our plan was to head … Continue reading →
When you think of great cities in the world places such as London, New York, Paris and Rome immediately come to mind. But if you dig a little deeper there are a few other great cities in the world that don’t get enough attention and absolutely one of them has to be Istanbul. Istanbul is the heart throb of Turkey, bridging east and west, sharing land in both Europe and … Continue reading →
I’ve said it before but it’s worth repeating – Turkey is a very large country, diverse in it’s geographical features, it’s history, even it’s culture. This big and beautiful place has many faces and to see them you have to do some driving, which isn’t too bad since the countryside is absolutely gorgeous and we love to drive! We headed a bit southward from Safranbolu on what was essentially a … Continue reading →
Türkiye had so far delivered many wonderful surprises as we travelled around it’s distant corners but as we were about to learn, not all surprises are wonderful. However, even bad things can end well and to put a unique Türkish twist on it all, during the whole horrible process we can even make some fabulous new friends. We left our beach camp near Sinop and headed further westward along the … Continue reading →
Okay, the Black Sea is huge, like really big. Türkiye’s coastline (yes, I’m using the new correct spelling of the country) of the Black Sea runs approximately 1,350 kilometres and since we’re averaging only 150 kilometres per day and if you take in our usual stops and detours and U turns that means it’s going to take us quite a while to cover the whole distance. But that’s okay, we’ve … Continue reading →
The Black Sea and the Caspian Sea are these two huge bodies of water, giant lakes really, which dominate this huge western and central Asia region. The vertically-standing Caspian Sea to the east has proved our nemesis because it sits between us and the central Asian countries collectively known as the Stans which we couldn’t get to. And the horizontally-lying Black Sea to the west is in the news every … Continue reading →
Every day in Georgia has been great fun, seeing fascinating new places, interacting with the locals, having great travel experiences. It’s not all about 11th century monasteries, although sometimes it feels that way, and whether it is the mountains, rivers, vast rural scenes or quaint forgotten villages you can always find something amazing. Take for instance, the 11th century church in the tongue-twisting town of Mtskheta – which is pronounced … Continue reading →
The Greater Caucasus Mountains form a natural border between big brother Russia and former satellite republic Georgia. These two countries have had a love-hate relationship for the last couple hundred years, and currently they have some serious differences, so perhaps it’s good they have such a formidable barrier to separate them. As we further explore Georgia we couldn’t pass up a chance to climb into these high and mighty mountains … Continue reading →
Indeed, Georgia has been on our mind lately. We crossed the border into Georgia after a great week in Armenia and headed up to the country’s bopping capital, Tbilisi. Originally we were going turn east from here and head for Azerbaijan but since that plan has been shot through the heart we are now intent on spending some quality time here and exploring this fascinating crossroads country. Like the other … Continue reading →
Follow the Sun – our crazy ambitious plan to drive around the world across five continents – had been a dream of ours for more than 30 years. We had invested a lot of personal capital into this plan, our savings, our careers, our family, just to make this happen. It’s one thing to say we’re going to do it, it’s a completely different thing to say we did it. … Continue reading →
Armenia hits you hard when you first arrive, it’s roads, it’s economy, the standard of living, the serious-looking people, the recent history and the immediate prospects. But after a little while you see Armenia from a different light – hard working people, proud of their culture, their two largest cities punch above their weight, the little acts of kindness, a smile and a wave, a helpful hand when we need … Continue reading →
There was a lot of confusion and questions about Tramp’s US registration which required four Customs officials to discuss it in detail and a call to head office to approve it but eventually they grunted and waved us through the final barrier. We were officially in our first Caucasus country – Georgia. After a couple of weeks traversing Turkey we were sad to go but excited to explore a new … Continue reading →
Turkey was becoming very addictive and it wouldn’t have been hard to fall deeper into it’s welcoming arms. But we needed to resist temptation and move eastward so we spent the next three days driving across the vast emptiness of eastern Anatolia to the Georgia border. Or at least that was the plan. The roads in Turkey are generally very good and out in the rural areas there are less … Continue reading →
You would need the best of Disney to dream up a place where an entire civilisation digs their homes into soft sandstone mountains which come in all sorts of fantastical cone-shaped designs, the dwellings sometimes up to eight levels deep, all of which are perfect for hot summers, cold winters and to hide from their enemies. Or just come to Cappadocia in the central regions of Turkey and see it … Continue reading →
We pulled out the map of Turkey and did some rough sums and realised, wow, Turkey is one big country! Our plan, such as it is, is to drive across the southern stretches of Turkey and then head north until we hit the Caucasus countries of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. But when you look at the map those mysterious countries look a long way away. Well, we’re up for the … Continue reading →
Tramp drove confidently onto the little ferry in the Turkish town of Kilitbahir and sat patiently as we motored our way across the Dardanelles to the other side and docked at the town of Canakkale. Tramp had probably done more than 50 ferries during our Follow the Sun trip but none was more symbolically important than this one. When he drove off the ferry and entered the usual chaos of … Continue reading →
Inevitably when you travel, especially in Europe, you are looking at the past. It is usually old – and amazing – timeless churches for sure, but it could also be palaces, museums, fortresses, roads, bridges, ruins…just about everything is old compared to Australia or the US. We’ve already seen a few wonders of the past on this trip but we’re about to be treated to a couple of real standouts … Continue reading →
If you are like me, when you hear the word Kosovo you glaze over a bit, vaguely remembering they were heavily involved in the horrific Balkan wars of the 1990’s, and you’d probably say they came out second best. All true, and in the super-complex geo-political, religious, cultural and historic setting that these countries find themselves so tangled up in, Kosovo had few shining moments. Their biggest moment came when … Continue reading →
In the Balkans some of the countries are fairly small and their borders tend to twist and turn around each other. But Julie and I are very greedy travellers and we want to see it all. We have a saying that we need to treat a new place as if we’re never coming back. So that means we sometimes have to zig-zag a little bit to see everything we possibly … Continue reading →
Ah, the Balkans. We’ve always wanted to go there and explore their different cultures, histories and languages, the magnificent eastern coastline of the Adriatic Sea and the rugged inland mountains. Yes, the Balkans promise so much to the traveller. But wait, hold on, we have been to this region a long time ago when most of what is referred to today as the Balkans made up the former country of … Continue reading →
The first thing we liked about driving off the ferry into France is we get to drive on the right-hand side of the road again. For me it doesn’t matter, left or right, whatever, except Tramp is a left hand drive car so that means that for the last 12 countries we’ve been in (all of southern Africa plus all of the UK) I’m sitting on the gutter side of … Continue reading →
Our Follow the Sun journey, which we had dreamed about, planned and anticipated for over 30 years, finally began in early 2017 when we left my parents’ house in California for our five continent around-the-world journey. With our faithful Tramp as our home on wheels we toured North America, Central and South America, then Europe and southern Africa. You can read more about those journeys here. By the end of … Continue reading →
Australia is home to some of the best multi-day walks in the world, covering a variety of environments such as forests, deserts, coastal stretches and alpine mountains. In short, we’re spoiled for choice, both on quality and quantity. But one walk has always stood out on any list, and particularly the one between my ears, and that is the Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory. And when all the stars … Continue reading →
No holiday is complete without dropping in to see friends who live in some beautiful place you rarely get to. And when those friends are joined by other mutual friends to turn it into an eight-some weekend – well, it doesn’t get any better than that. And so it was that we left beautiful Congo Beach and headed north to rendezvous with three other couples in Bendalong, a beautiful and … Continue reading →
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Australian Alps on the Victoria side are absolutely stunning. We wanted to maximise our time in this inter-connected string of national parks and state forests that cover all of north-eastern Victoria while still leaving time to take in some sunshine on their wonderful beaches. Our target for the day was remote Errinundra National Park which has basically no paved roads … Continue reading →
One of the great things about living in Sydney is that it is better than Melbourne. In fact, ask anyone living in the state and they’ll tell you New South Wales is better than Victoria. Better weather, better beaches, better footy codes, better ski resorts, better history and culture, better beer, better everything. And Sydney, one of the great cities in the world, casts a long shadow over an admittedly … Continue reading →
Some places are very special to visit but they’re a long way away and you have to be committed to make it there. But other places are equally spectacular and only a short distance away, almost in your back yard, so to speak. We tend to overlook such places because they’re not part of a longer or more elaborate journey. This is the case of the Victorian Alps, locally known … Continue reading →
As the chapter for 2022 closes we’ve taken a moment to reflect on our reinstated freedoms to travel. For most of the travelling world the last two and a half years has been a period of Covid-induced inaction and frustration. But with borders starting to open and after taking all the necessary precautions Julie and I finally hit the trail again in mid 2022. With a box of masks, a … Continue reading →
One thing we’ve learned from this three week lap around the Pacific Northwest is that there are endless little hidden gems – as well as some more famous spots – to visit in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. But as we closed the loop, including a fabulous week travelling with Kathy and John, we knew that all our roads lead back to California. But the US is a big place full … Continue reading →
I think it’s half safe to say that many people went on some sort of family camping trip when they were growing up or have taken their own family on a camping trip. We went on many camping trips as a family and I still have fond memories of those great times. Julie and I also took our kids camping most weekends in the summer and they usually involved bush … Continue reading →
No other region of the United States has a stronger reputation for beautiful mountain and coastal scenery, outstanding recreation activities and a general celebration of the great outdoors than the Pacific Northwest, or the PNW. And by the PNW we mean the progressive states of Oregon and Washington which cover everything between California and Canada. Julie and I wanted to do more exploring of the nooks and crannies in this … Continue reading →
Mt. Shasta rises from the flatlands of northern California like a protective mother looking after her brood far below. It is a perfect conically-shaped volcanic mountain, at 14,100 feet (4300 metres) one of the highest in continental United States, formed over hundreds of thousands of years and still considered active. Mt. Shasta is visible for 100 miles on a clear day, one of the most awesome stand-alone mountains imaginable. Mt. … Continue reading →
Pine trees have always held a special place in my mind. They remind me of some of my best memories growing up – hiking in the forests, camping in the mountains, skiing in the Sierra Nevada mountains, holidays at Lake Tahoe. Huge majestic pine trees everywhere. And Julie immediately saw the magic in them when she started to spend time in California with their tall handsome trunks, defining barks and … Continue reading →
The Westfjords, which looks something like a hand with a hundred fingers sticking out of the north western corner of Iceland, is Norway on steroids. Whereas Norway is unquestionably the champion of huge dramatic steep mountain fjords, the Westfjords seem to focus more on quantity with a strong dose of quality thrown in. So after a long and rainy day crossing the northern Arctic coastline of Iceland with the highlight … Continue reading →
It’s a T-shirt cliché but Iceland really is a land of fire and ice – volcanos made the island and glaciers then shaped it. And the crazy thing is both forces are still very active today with volcanos still spouting off occasionally and glaciers still slipping and sliding about. Iceland feels like a geologic action movie played in extremely slow motion. Julie and I are seriously into volcanos and … Continue reading →
The sky was grey and the rain was steady as we drove across the broken lava fields on the drive from the airport to the country’s largest city. Julie and I were excited to be here after first talking about making this journey 40 years ago. A bit of patience and determination spread over four decades and here we are, pulling up to our hotel in Reykjavik, the capital of … Continue reading →
When you stand at John O’Groats, the northernmost point on mainland UK, there’s only one way to go. South. Having said fare thee well to our friends Gavin and Emma we headed south along the eastern coast of the Scottish Highlands, stopping to check out a few of the sites along the way as we followed this dramatic coastline. Scotland just never gives up. In particular, we visited the remains … Continue reading →
Fort William is a small town in central Scotland nestled into the base of Ben Nevis – the UK’s tallest mountain – on the shores of Loch Linnhe. The town is surrounded by mountains, feeling a little like Norway or Switzerland if you use your imagination, even visited by the occasional cruise ship. The town has a definite adventure feel to it. Fort William was our rendezvous point for meeting … Continue reading →
Our time in Ireland was wrapping up but we still had a couple of must-see items on our list before catching our ferry back to Wales. The first was the impressive Kilkenny Castle which for 800 years in its various iterations has been the centre of power and wealth in this part of Ireland. In addition to the magnificent rooms with their high ceilings, period furniture and fab wall hangings … Continue reading →
Up until a few years ago I would have been hard pressed to name any other counties in Ireland after Kerry, famous for some of the most spectacular scenery in the country, and Cork, alleged home to some of my ancestors. But after travelling north and west and south around Ireland, enjoying some of the most beautiful places on earth, we’ve finally arrived in Kerry…with Cork soon to follow. Kerry … Continue reading →
Any visitor to Ireland will tell you that one of the highlights of coming here is the wild and rugged coastline along the west coast with its high cliffs, long beaches, deep inlets and bays, protruding peninsulas, picturesque communities and raging surf. And the marketing people have put a name to the roads that follow this jagged coastline to help people like us see it all – The Wild Atlantic … Continue reading →
The one thing we’ve decided about Ireland is that everything is so Irish. All the documentaries, all the stories, all the stereotypes, all the generalisations and jokes, all the stuff in the news, all the myths and legends, all the books and songs and poems about Ireland are all true. Ireland has spectacular coastlines, Ireland has lush green rolling fields speckled with cattle and sheep, Ireland has a messed up … Continue reading →
Yes, we felt very welcome to Ireland as we drove off the ferry in Dublin and entered our 52nd country on Follow the Sun. We were also excited to explore the Emerald Isle because both of us have Irish blood but especially Julie as both of her parents were of sturdy Irish stock. The sun was trying, the smiles were welcoming and the Guinness was waiting for us. How did … Continue reading →
And there he was, waiting patiently, a smile across his front grill, perhaps a little dusty but otherwise looking in top form. We had a quick hug, exchanged a few quiet words of relief and I climbed up into the driver’s seat. Tramp had finally been reunited with Julie and I after almost three years separated by that dreaded Covid thing. We couldn’t stop grinning as we pulled away from … Continue reading →
There is something special about reaching your summit, regardless of the context or definition of what that summit might be. Will and I always knew that the biggest challenge of the South Coast Track was crossing the Ironbound Range with its highest point 910 metres (3,000 feet) above our coastal campground. That was our summit, in more ways than one, and would mark the both the figurative and literal highlight … Continue reading →
Tasmania can be a wild and beautiful place, especially if you have strong legs, a good backpack, comfortable shoes and a sense of adventure. Julie and I had previously done the Three Capes Track before I joined our three sons to do the famous Overland Track. But the South Coast Track was another step up and our oldest son Will agreed to join me in tackling this iconic track on … Continue reading →
Who wants to predict the weather these days? Drought when there should be rain, rain when it should be dry, even snow – yes, snow – when you least expect it. Julie and I left Sydney knowing the forecast was going to include some rain but we didn’t expect rain every day, nary a blue spot in the clouds, rain on and off, rain hard and light, rain day and … Continue reading →
Here’s something we learned the easy way – when you are on a camping holiday and the weather is mostly grey clouds with bursts of rain all day there’s no point in hanging around the beaches and staring forlornly at the sky. Instead, head inland, particularly towards the New England Tablelands which are famous for its raging rivers, deep gorges and stunning waterfalls. And when water levels are at flood … Continue reading →
This Covid thing has kept Julie and I – along with everyone else in New South Wales – locked up for 20 months or more and during that time the best we could have hoped for was to travel around this huge state. Crossing borders into other states was – and still is – strictly forbidden. Just as well then that NSW is blessed with an extraordinary range of places … Continue reading →
Willy Nelson, the legendary American country western singer, once sang, “On the road again, just can’t wait to get back on the road again…”. Julie and I knew exactly how he felt. The good people of New South Wales, having been double-vaxxed at 80% of the eligible population, were released from our nearly four month lockdown and allowed to explore our great state. We wasted no time packing up the … Continue reading →
Is there life after the pandemic? Well, we don’t know yet because this freakin’ thing just keeps giving – or to be more accurate, taking – and everyone just has to do their duty until we all get vaccinated. While Australia has been excellent at suppressing the virus and keeping infections relatively low we haven’t been nearly as good at rolling out the vaccine and rolling up our sleeve. Never … Continue reading →
The devastating bushfires in the summer of 2019/2020 caused significant and sometimes tragic losses to thousands of people in eastern Australia. They also hit our property in the Wolgan Valley, burning virtually every square metre of our land and in the process damaging or destroying almost all our fences. But its been a case of mates to the rescue as the group of guys from the Cronulla beaches that I … Continue reading →
Murramarang National Park deserves all it’s accolades – a beautiful stretch of coastline with gorgeous beaches flanked by uncut forests, all of it thankfully protected for future generations. Murramarang is also geared to handle the demands of people coming to enjoy this area with four national park campgrounds, a couple of communities carved out of the park which provide numerous caravan parks and a network of roads that connect it … Continue reading →
Here’s a couple of rash generalisations after exploring the south coast for the last couple of weeks. First and foremost, this is a beautiful place by any standards. The mountains, forests, bays and beaches, national parks and the twisted waterways are just world class. But curiously, the area is very thinly populated, ‘major’ towns like Eden and Bega only have 3,000 to 4,000 residents and most communities have much less. … Continue reading →
Kosciuszko National Park had entertained us for a few days, including the highlight of climbing to the top of Mt Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest peak, and we could have stayed longer but our weather apps told us the weather on the coast was finally going to be what one would expect in an Australian summer – hot and sunny. So in our ever-flexible travel mode we decided to head for the … Continue reading →
Okay, the south coast beach holiday didn’t start out ideally as bad weather forced us inland to drier locales. But that’s okay because there’s a few gems we wanted to explore or revisit after long absences, including Deua National Park. Deua is the sight of many family camping adventures with its wild and steep four wheel drive tracks, the beautiful Bendethera Valley and the extensive limestone caves which anyone hearty … Continue reading →
Summer in Australia means a hot melanoma sun, long sandy beaches and icy cold beer. Throw in some cricket on the radio, backyard barbies and sand in your tent and you’ve got it covered. Thirty years ago Julie and I would stow the tent on the sedan’s roof rack, buckle in the kids and head down the south coast where we could enjoy as many of these experiences as possible. … Continue reading →
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 →
