Travel

September 16, 2014.Reading time 3 minutes.

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”
Omar Khayyam, Poet

Me with my sister-in-law at Fisherman's Cove

In August, I packed my bags and headed back to Vancouver, Canada. It was three weeks of catching up with my family in Horseshoe Bay, going to the Supernatural convention at the Sheraton Wall Centre, discovering more beautiful sights in and around the city, and hanging out with lots of friends.

It was also a break from practically everything – my work, my editing, my writing, my blog – because I needed to take time out from a difficult and emotional year. The only thing I continued to pursue was my photography, which goes hand-in-hand with travel and is, I guess, my first love. I really can’t stop taking photographs; it’s how I see the world, even when I don’t have my camera.

The great thing about travel – at least for me anyway – is that it never fails to rejuvenate me; to get me loving life again. This happens even when I find the journey challenging – such as my trip to South America three years ago when I experienced culture shock, home-sickness, and suffered from the altitude while hiking the Inca Trail.

I feel so much more alive when I travel.

I live more in the moment when I travel.

Three weeks travelling feels like three months.

The Grampians: Venus Baths and Pinnacle walks

August 12, 2014.Reading time 3 minutes.

“Grampians National Park is a place of spectacular natural beauty in western Victoria. Aboriginal people have lived in the area for thousands of years and it is one of the richest Indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern Australia. The park is renowned for its rugged beauty and spring wildflowers, and attracts more than 800,000 visitors each year.” Department of Environment (National Heritage Places)

The Grampians National Park is another of my favourite places in my home state of Victoria, Australia. I have been camping and hiking there on numerous occasions, and I also participated on a Great Victorian Bike Ride through this area in November 2008. The latter experience actually led to many writing opportunities, so it’s just another reason for why I love this place.

The park, located 235 kilometres west of Melbourne, was listed on the Australian National Heritage List in 2006 for its outstanding natural beauty and for being one of the richest Indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern Australia. Aboriginal occupation of the Grampians dates back well over 20,000 years and the park is also known as Gariwerd, which comes from one of the local Indigenous languages.

The thing I love most about this park is the variety of walks and the stunning landscapes – views of sandstone mountain ranges, rocky plateaus, forest, fern gullies and many waterfalls. On my most recent trip – with my sister, nephews and nieces – we did two short hikes to Venus Baths and the Pinnacle lookout.

Snapshot: Miyajima

August 5, 2014.Reading time 3 minutes.

“The Itsukushima Shrine, which gives the island its real name, dates from the 6th century and in its present form from 1168. Its pier-like construction is a result of the island’s holy status. Commoners were not allowed to set foot on the island and had to approach the shrine by boat, entering though the floating torii out in the bay.” Lonely Planet

Miyajima is a small island about an hour from Hiroshima in Japan, famous for its floating torii gate and the World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine. The island is officially named Itsukushima, but is commonly known as Miyajima (Japanese for ‘shrine island’).

We spent a full day here – admiring the torii gate, exploring Itsukushima Shrine, strolling through the quiet streets, catching the cable-car up Mt Misen and hiking to the summit. Here are some photographs from our visit.

Snapshot: Takayama

July 8, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

“The journey itself is my home.” Matsuo Bashō

Takayama in Japan is another one of those places that has stuck in my memory; I fell in love with this gorgeous rural town the minute I arrived. It’s located in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture and is also known as Hida-Takayama.

I spent three weeks in Japan, travelling with my cousin Jenni, who’d been living and teaching English there. We spent most of our time in Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima, and by the time we arrived in Takayama we were both fairly exhausted. So this was the perfect place to slow down and chill out for a couple of nights, before heading back to the fast-paced Tokyo.

China: Tour for a Cure

July 1, 2014.Reading time 9 minutes.

“The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” Molière

Several years ago, I participated on a charity challenge – trekking on the Great Wall of China – which was organised by the Cancer Council Victoria and Intrepid Travel. It’s been on my mind lately, not only because some good friends of mine are travelling in China, but also because my niece is currently battling with breast cancer.

Many of the participants on the charity challenge were taking part because of family or friends who’d battled cancer or lost their fight with it. My motivation was a little different as, at the time, I didn’t really know anyone with cancer. But I did want to do something worthwhile; to use my love of travelling, writing and photography to give something back to those in need. The article I wrote, and that I’m sharing here this week, was first published in Brisbane’s Sunday Mail.

It was challenging trekking on the Great Wall of China but, for me, the hardest part of the program was coming up with ideas to raise the funds. I can quite safely say that the six months prior to this trip was the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life. But then again, it pales into insignificance compared to the journey undertaken by so many cancer sufferers on a day-to-day basis. My thoughts and prayers are with all of them, but especially my niece.

Snapshot: Flåm

June 24, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

“Perhaps the most impressive and surprising of the whole journey by the Oslo-Bergen railway is encountered in the tunnel near Myrdal, when through openings in the tunnel wall you can look many hundred feet down into the Flåm valley, a gigantic rift between grey-green-white mountains massifs. Through this narrow and wild valley runs the 13-mile Flåm line, from Myrdal down to Flåm…”

Flåm in Norway is one of those wonderful places that remains forever etched in my memory – even though it’s almost 30 years since I travelled there. It’s an idyllic village situated on the spectacular Aurlandsfjord – a tributary of Norway’s longest fjord, the Sognefjord (204 km).

My trip to Flåm was part of a three-day round-trip from Oslo to Bergen return; and was only a small moment in a three-month adventure in Europe. I was only 19-years-old and had never experienced such incredible scenery as I did on this journey.

One hundred travel experiences

April 14, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

“Our moments of inspiration are not lost though we have no particular poem to show for them; for those experiences have left an indelible impression, and we are ever and anon reminded of them.”
Henry David Thoreau

Seeing carpet wildflowers in Western Australia

Cycling across Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Crouching next to a mountain gorilla in Uganda

Trekking to Machu Picchu, Peru

Seeing the sunrise at Wilsons Prom, Australia

Hiking on Great Wall of China

This is my 100th blog so I’ve decided to celebrate by sharing 100 travel experiences through my photographs. When I think about my travels I think of all the wonderful people I’ve met, the amazing places I’ve seen, and all the fun things I’ve done – many outside my comfort zone.

Travel has broadened my horizons, opened my eyes to other cultures and beliefs, and has taught me tolerance, acceptance and adaptability. In the words of Mark Twain: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”

I feel so lucky to have all these memories … as well as many, many more!

Photo story: Bryce Canyon

March 31, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

“Descending into the canyon, I sink into another world. I notice not only incredible geologic gargoyles but also the eclectic plants of Bryce’s innards.” Trail guide, Bryce Canyon Natural History Association

Queen’s Garden walk

Of all the national parks in the US that I visited last year, Bryce Canyon would have to be the strangest. We arrived late afternoon, drove to the highest point of the park, and gazed across a buckled and fractured landscape that was momentarily bathed in a golden light. It was an incredible sight.

There are 14 viewpoints along Bryce Canyon’s 18-mile (29km) scenic drive and we stopped at three of them – Rainbow Point (9115ft/2778m), Black Birch Canyon (8750ft/2667m) and Inspiration Point (8100ft/2469m). It was the perfect time to gaze at the sweeping vistas, with the colours changing subtlety as the sun sank lower in the sky.

Black Birch Canyon

Natural Bridge

Black Birch Canyon

Inspiration Point

Canadian Rockies

March 17, 2014.Reading time 9 minutes.

“I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teaching my blood whispers to me.”
Hermann Hesse

Jasper National Park

This week marks the two year anniversary of my little travel blog and almost 12 years since I had my first travel article published. Because I’m feeling a bit sentimental – and because I’ve been reminiscing a lot about Canada lately – I thought I’d share my first writing success here.

It’s so weird reading my old words. In hindsight, the article below reads a bit like a travel brochure and is not written in the style that I feel most comfortable in … which is sharing my adventures through first-person narrative.

But I can’t help it. I LOVE this article. Firstly, it’s about one of my favourite places in the world – the Canadian Rockies. And secondly, an editor liked it enough to publish it!!

Whistler: hiking

March 11, 2014.Reading time 11 minutes.

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Whistler Mountain summit

After spending the previous day in Whistler Valley – see last week’s blog – my brother Ross and I decided it was time to go hiking on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. We caught the Whistler Village Gondola up to the Roundhouse Lodge – a long ride – and enjoyed the incredible views en route.

The first thing we did on the mountain was take a ride on the PEAK to PEAK gondola, which opened in late 2008 and is something of an engineering marvel. This gondola journeys from Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb Mountain and has the world’s longest unsupported span of 3.024km (1.88 miles) between towers two and three. At the midway point, if you’re afraid of heights, don’t look down! This is the highest lift of its kind at 436 metres (1430 feet) above the valley floor. The PEAK to PEAK gondola also completes the longest continuous lift system on the globe.