• Santorini

    Sep 13–16 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    First day at Santorini and the contrast between the drive from the airport area and the cliff top views is quite stark.
    Passed some gum trees on the way up to the village which was a nice surprise and reminder of home.
    Had a lovely Greek lunch with fetta rolled in pastry with honey and sesame seeds as well as a deconstructed chicken souvlaki.
    Visited most of the shops in the township area with some beautiful fashion boutiques.
    There are so many “beautiful “ people floating around oozing extraordinary wealth and having professional photos taken. From our balcony we see what must be an iconic spot and they are there at all times of the day with a photographer .
    We are staying in a cave built into the side of the cliff and from our bed and balcony we have the most extraordinary views🤗
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  • In Transit

    September 12 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Prior to boarding, then somewhere near the West Australian border and then somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean 🌊
    Qatar are a great airline, no complaints at all, food was actually OK, lots of legroom and they even had someone meet us in Athens to make sure we made our connecting flight on time 🙌Read more

  • Last Day…

    November 9, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We got up early and had a swim and our obligatory coffee at the Anchorage.
    We returned our bikes and then sat on the grassy slope overlooking the lagoon and over to Mt Gower.

  • Old Gulch

    November 9, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Chris, Jen and I walked around to Old Gulch which is a beach full of volcanic stones.
    We were hoping to walk around to some beautiful rock pools but the weather was unfortunately inclement.
    In any case we were able to observe Black Noddy’s nesting and incubating their eggs.
    With no known predators such as snakes and rats 🐀 the chance of survival for each egg is much higher which accounts for the amazing amount of bird life on the island.
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  • Trip Back-Ball’s Pyramid

    November 9, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    On our way back from Ball’s Pyramid we were able to see the other side of the island.
    The water colours were so vibrant and enticing with the water temperature around 21 degrees Celsius.
    We came across a flock of seabirds sitting together on the surface of the ocean which was quite cool.Read more

  • Gin Distillery Tour

    November 6, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
  • Chris and Leis-Double Kayak

    November 6, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    I decided to reverse the role of trip photographer with Chris whilst he took Leis out on a kayak trip.
    We were at the lagoon which is picturesque in the morning while the wind is low and is a great swimming beach with some coral outcrops, turtles etc
    Both of the girls were great as they had arm injuries which hampered some of their choices during the holiday.
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  • Ernie & Willow

    November 4, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    We had an opportunity to understand more about how LHI protects its environment.
    It is world heritage listed and has completely eradicated rats, mice and other pests due to the work of the natural resources officers and rangers.
    It has been a massive investment of around 33 million dollars and after about 24 months it has been completed.
    To watch the dogs at work and to understand just how seriously they take the work they do is very reassuring.
    The dog of choice was a Cocker Spaniel because of their high work ethic and extra keen sense of smell.
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  • Ball’ Pyramid

    November 3, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    This landmark is claimed to be the highest rock face in the world as it juts out of the water just around 150m.
    It is a spectacular sight and we were fortunate enough to catch in on a glorious day with relatively calm seas.
    We saw dolphins, colorful reef fish, turtles, bluebottles, sting rays etc and quite remarkably a beaked whale…quite rare.
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  • Island Trader

    November 2, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Everything that is used on the island consumables, fuel etc has to be shipped in.
    The ship makes a trip every fortnight and the island springs into action unloading and ferrying the supplies all over the place.
    Most people who live on the island have multiple jobs as most of the island is tourism based and quite seasonal.
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  • Kim’s Lookout

    November 2, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    The was our first hike and it was a beautiful day for it.
    We first walked along the ridge line to the first lookout and took in some of the sights of the alternate side of the island.
    I also managed to take a shot of the local Currawong that is found only on LHI.Read more

  • North Bay…

    November 1, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Checking out the local environs…North Bay and some Black Noddy’s nesting as well as walking through some of the Kentia Palm plantations.
    Apparently, Kentia Palms are endemic to the island.

  • Arrival on LHI…

    October 31, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Arrived…and had a quick look around and made our first acquaintance with the endemic native LHI woodhen which has recovered since the eradication of the introduced species…rats, mice and foxes. 🦊

  • It begins…

    October 31, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    If we go to LHI and before we arrived some strict baggage weight requirements as well as spraying shoes with methylated spirits to ensure that we do not bring any noxious weed species to the island. 🏝️
    Flight from Melb-Sydney-then prop jet to LHI.
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  • Automated Waiters

    August 1, 2022 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    So in one of the eating restaurants in the airport at Singapore I came across this robot collecting trays and stuff which was quite novel and a sign of things to come.
    I tried standing in front of it to see what it would do and it seemed to just stop…to be continued.Read more

  • Shanggri-La Hotel

    July 31, 2022 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    It is such a beautiful experience staying in luxury hotels 🏨 as the layout, food and services are so well done.
    We had a selection of three different restaurants and the buffet had an extraordinary selection of food as well.
    You could also hire jet ski’s, sailboats and other cool stuff.
    The beach was also relatively clean of plastic although I made another contribution to the rubbish bin 😠.
    The Shanghri-La hotel chain has a specific perfume that they use throughout their hotels around the world and it is wonderful to come into the hotel and smell the same scent…it is very welcoming.
    It is also very appealing reading on a lounge and having cocktails 🍹 and food delivered to you by immaculately dressed wait staff.
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  • Shanggri-La Resort

    July 31, 2022 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We finished our trip as it started staying at another Shanghai-La resort which was a memorable way to end this holiday.
    Cocktails by the pool and eating at the restaurants in the evening.
    Chris, Jen and I went swimming in the ocean which was very refreshing and a little cooler than I expected…the swim was cut short due a jellyfish scare.
    No big deal as I cupped one of them in my hand and did not seem to get stung.
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  • Chris’ Birthday

    July 30, 2022 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Our final day at the wetland resort enabled us to see even more river life including fireflies, more birds and other features of the area.
    The river is also home to a group of people who have lived on the river for decades and make their living from fishing in the river.Read more

  • River Tour

    July 28, 2022 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    The main purpose for staying at the resort is to travel the river and observe the wildlife in their natural habitat.
    This area in Sabah is renown as being a treasure trove for the following species all of which we saw:
    Orangutans 🦧, Crocodiles 🐊, Kingfishers, Proboscus Monkeys 🙊, Herons, Macque Monkeys, Owls 🦉, Sea Eagles 🦅 and a variety of other birds.
    Probably one of the most confronting things is the amount of plastic bottles etc found in the river. Every time the boat went out I made it my job to capture at least 6-8 bottles…such a pity.
    One of the undoubted highlights was watching a 4 metre crocodile glide into the water and swim under our boat.
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  • Night Walk

    July 28, 2022 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Around the resort was a boardwalk that wove it’s way around the back of the resort and took about 45 mins to complete.
    The guides had some powerful torches that allowed us to see lots of other wildlife including a cute owl that was nestled in the hollow of the tree.
    It disappeared at first and then after turning our lights off for a few minutes it reappeared watching us all very intently.
    We also saw the Malaysian equivalent of the flying glider that I managed to capture before it took flight.
    Frogs, sleeping birds, spiders were all visible if you knew where to look.
    The sounds of the insects in the jungle at night is quite mystical.
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  • Kinabalatu Resort

    July 28, 2022 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    This resort was beautifully laid out and the super friendly team made everyone feel very welcome.
    We were staying in individual self contained chalets that were nestled into the forest.
    Every night there was a beautiful sound of frogs and other insects calling in the night.
    Each chalet was on stilts and situated in the wetland and all the chalets and main reception area were linked by timber boardwalks.
    This resort was the home base for each river tour.
    We also had the unique experience of walking around the forest boardwalk at night to observe the many different nocturnal animals and birds that emerge under the cover of darkness.
    The food at the resort was beautiful and a credit to the chef and his team.
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  • Kinabatan Wetland Resort

    July 28, 2022 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    The next part of the trip was to spend two nights at the Kinabatan Wetland Resort.
    This resort is located off the coast and took a 20 min boat trip to get there. Part of that was winding up the Kinabatan river which is the colour of the Yarra and a rich source of aquatic wildlife fish, prawns etc.
    There are local people who live on the river and earn their livelihood from catching and selling the fish 🐠.
    The river has a strong current in the tide change and is home to crocodiles 🐊 of man eating size.
    The resort is built on the wet land using “iron wood” a local timber almost impervious to rot hence the name.
    The day we arrived to take the boat trip was particularly hot 🥵 mostly because it was around midday.
    One of the more confronting thing about the Malaysian water ways is the amount of plastic litter which is either floating on the surface or slightly submerged. I did my best to clean it up whilst I was there which earned some applause from the locals.
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  • Sandakan War Memorial

    July 27, 2022 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Sandakan was the location of an infamous Japanese POW camp in the Second World War.
    This memorial is beautifully maintained by the RSL to commemorate the lives lost on the infamous Japanese Death Marches.
    It is a credit to our country and the respect we should all have for the diggers that served.
    Lest we forget.
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  • Skywalk (cont’d)

    July 27, 2022 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    There were 3-4 of these large structures which gave you an extra dimension to viewing the wildlife.
    The jungle is always thriving and gives you the perception of perpetual growth.
    With the humidity at 90% there is moisture everywhere and it sometimes rains without clouds which happened on this trip.
    The photo of the birds nest ferns gives you an idea of how opportunist some plants are in being able to self sustain in the most unlikely of places.
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