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Downunder Again!
Auckland, New Zealand
25 March, 2002
March 26th will never really exist for me... at first glance I would claim this to be my third day lost to the ether of international dateline crossing, but really I gain it back by landing in the US before I depart when I return!
After arriving in Auckland, the plan was to rent a camper van and head to the North Cape, presumably the northern most point of this dual island nation. But we rented a car and camped along the beaches instead. Not a bad way to go.
Then, it's across the Tasman Sea to Sydney where visits with friends made from when I lived down there will commence and traveling options to Perth, Adelaide, and Melbourne will be investigated.
Island Hopping
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
7 April, 2002
The trip to New Zealand was amazing. The cape at the far NW is Cape Regina which is where a small lighthouse keeps a vigilant watch over the merging of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
I have since moved on to Australia where an overnight in Sydney lead on to the AU Easter Camp which was held in the beautiful wilderness just north of the city on an island in the middle of the huge outlet for the Hawkesburry River.
Now I'm in the lovely company of my Australian family in my "hometown" of Newcastle, just 2 hours north of Sydney. It's like San Diego to LA, both in distance and the feel of a small city so close to a major metropolitan hub.
But fear not fellow travelers, the adventure continues next week as I head back down to Sydney and continue on to Melbourne on the overnight train. There I will meet with Carl and Pete and we're off to the Wilsons Prom Wilderness for a few days walkabout!
South of the Border
Melbourne, VIC, Australia
12 April, 2002
It was a simple overnight train ride down to Melbourne from Sydney. But now it's a matter of getting the food and supplies organised for the hike this weekend in the Wilsons Prom Wilderness as soon as Carl finishes work.
The past day or so in Sydney was adventurous in its own way. I managed to get up to Australian Geographic and visit the great crew of folks running the show up there, and the night before that I had an adventure getting to the Bush Firefighters meeting of the crew I was a member of while living out here. I met a young Canadian traveler and convinced her to join me on this crazy quest of getting to the remote fire station: More on that!
After the hike this weekend, I'll be off to the far west: Perth. Of my year living in Australia, I never made it to Western Australia, which nearly covers a third of the continent! How could I miss it??
Wilsons Promontory
Melbourne, VIC, Australia
14 April, 2002
It was a beautiful mix of mountains and sea. A geographic feature known as a promontory (like a peninsula) juts out just 3 hours southeast of Melbourne to form the southern most tip of the Australian mainland.
Carl, Pete, and I finally got away from the city and pulled into a rainy carivan park, found a camping site around 9pm and set up our tent on the soggy ground. It continued to rain through the next morning as we packed up and set out on a 40 km journey over hills, along beaches, up peaks, and through valleys. The clouds moved on over the next night and the second day was clear and beautiful. It nearly transformed the land to a tropical paradise with terquoise blue water and sparkling white sand beaches.
As we arrived back at the car, the rain caught up with us again and greyed the sky over like the day we started. Full circle, with wonderful discoveries along the way.
Origin Of Life Discovered!
Perth, Western Australia
25 April, 2002
It's a pretty long photo essay, but then what did you expect after I covered over 3,000 Km heading up and down the Western Australian Coast!
I went north first, departing around 4.30am expecting the drive to Shark Bay to be around 12 hours. I wanted to be there by sunset. It turns out it was only about 9 hours and the direct overhead light proved to be much better for photographing the Stromatolites. They are the colonies of cynobacteria believed to be the first oxygen producers on Earth when they dominated the landscape for 2 billion years, starting around 3.5 billion years ago. They are the origin of the air we breathe today.
Having seen that, I poped up to Shell Beach as it was recommended to me, and was able to make it down 350 Km back south to get to the Kalbarri National Park for sunset and get my first good look at the Indian Ocean.
I continued south to the Pinnacles, an eery collection of limestone rocks prodtruding through the sandy surface.
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Treetop Walk, Walpole, |
I spent the weekend in Perth with my gratious host, Sharon, and made a leasuraly departure Monday morning for Hyden to see Wave Rock, and continue down and around the south coast through Albany (The Gap, The Natural Bridge, The Blowholes), Walpole (The Valley of the Giants - Treetop Walk), Pemberton (Gloucester Tree Climb), and Agusta - home of the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, the SW most point of the Australian continent.
From Agusta it was an unfortunate dash back to Perth missing the coastal views on the way because I had to return the rental car, get Sharon to the Airport (going to Melbourne for the wedding a day before me - she's Carl's cousin), and actually have a look around Perth and Freemantle with Stefanie. Whew!
Beach Wedding
Barwon Heads, VIC, Australia
27 April, 2002
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Carl and Tracey: SWAK |
It was an amazing 8am sunrise wedding! Tracey came down the isle with her dad in an Australian Surf Rescue boat from across the bay being rowed by her cousins. The ceremony was short, sweet, and very much in the fun loveing environment that seems to follow these two around.
The reception included breakfast was in the waterfront restaurant. Speaches were made, tears of joy shed, and photos galore.
Finally we all ended up at Tracey's parents house for some great grub, drinks, and of course presents! Afterwards, Carl and Tracey drove off in to the sunset on their way to their honeymoon on and around the Whit Sundays. A handful of islands up in the beautiful Great Barrier Reef of Queensland.
Three cheers for Carl and Tracey! Way to go!
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Cape Regina Lighthouse, NZ |
New Zealand Tour
and Ski Trip
Auckland, Ohakune, Queenstown, Wanaka
September 3-19, 1999
[Photos only]
Straight out of college, I shot down under for a year working and exploring. There are over a dozen stories and photo galleries of various adventures in OZ!
[G'Day!]
The web site of my trip to Nepal is still up on the Principia College web site. This was the first official 
webcast of a Principia College Study Abroad Program. Since then, many abroad programs have had web sites that also sent daily updates from the field for friends, family, and other interested parties to keep track of the progress of the abroad program.
[To Nepal!]