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 →
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 →
