Reset search
Round the World 2015Round the World 2015
SatelliteEdit route

Round the World 2015

March - October 2015
A 222-day adventure by Trav and Read more
+15
  • 160footprints
  • 23countries
  • 222days
  • 677photos
  • 0videos
  • 147kkilometers
  • 128kkilometers
Follow Calendar Share Bucket list
Date ascending
  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015
    Day 13

    Stanley Park

    April 3, 2015 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    With a small break from the constant drizzle in 'Raincouver' we hired a tandem bike for a leisurely ride around Stanley Park (aledgedly bigger than Central Park). Being a popular place for tourist and locals, the standout highlight was watching a family of racoons fighting over food next to the lake. To satisy our hunger we finished off the ride with dumplings at Dynesty before celebrating our new friend Emilys birthday at a yummy french restuarant in Gastown. Early night to get ready for our easter weekend at the Sunshine Coast.Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015
    Day 15

    Sunshine Coast (the BC version!)

    April 5, 2015 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Happy Easter everyone!!
    This weekend we set off for a weekend away to the Sunshine coast with Dhileep ("im not indian") and Emily ("im scared of being scared"). A late booking meant we were lucky to find accomodation and ended up all in one bedroom.. it was going to be cosy!
    Super lucky with the weather with torrential rain when we first arrived but clearing 2 hours later and ended up sunny all weekend. Hurray!
    First adventure for the day was driving down to skookumchuck rapids.. the man on the ferry told us stories of giant rapids and whirlpools sucking in boats as the tide comes in and out... We were pretty keen to check this out! We arrived an hour before peak tide and set off on our 4km trek through some beautiful forest.. the rapids were good but I think the man may have exaggerated a tad! No whirlpools the size of boats however it was pretty cool watching the kayakers attempt the rapids. Apparently the water runs up to 30mph.
    Back to Sechelt for a delicious pub dinner by the water (best ribs ever!).. good food and company made for a great day :-)
    Day 2- more hikes through some giant trees and a visit to Smugglers Cove, where the "man on the ferry" claimed there would be beavers there building dams... No beavers. We did see some beaver dams though so not all lies!
    All in all a great weekend with friends, some leisurely hikes and stunning scenery. Thanks for a great weekend guys!    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015
    1
    1
    Day 16

    Stawamus Chief, Squamish

    April 6, 2015 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    We conquered the Chief!
    With a 600m elevation gain and towering over the surrounding mountains, the Stawamus Chief is one of the most popular hikes in BC.. and it was pretty tough! Definitely made us realise how unfit we are (too much poutine?). The steep narrow section including rope climbs and ladder at the top of the second peak made for a fun hike (approx 2.5 hours)... Plus the view at the top was totally worth it!
    Wildlife sighting of the day was some super cute little squirrels :-) Oh and we got a few comments on the gigantic sandwich we were eating.. check out the photo, that was only the half size option!    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015
    1
    Day 16

    Go Canucks Go!!!

    April 6, 2015 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    With scoring good priced tickets (scalping is legal over here!) we attended the Vancouver Canucks Vs Los Angeles Kings Ice Hockey Game at Rogers Arena. The atmosphere was amazing and flooded with Canucks fans from all ages. The competition was fierce with the usual brief scuffles and epic shoulder barges between players with both teams earning their fair share of time in the penalty bin. The Kings scored a sneaky early goal in the first 90 seconds which kept the Canucks on their heels until they scored a leveling goal in the last period. This led the game into overtime (with no points scored) then into penalty shootouts with the Canucks scoring in the final shot and their keeper Eddie Luck protecting all attempts from the Kings. The crowd went wild for which was an awesome game!

    Just as entertaining was the half time entertainment by little league teams who were stacking it all over the place ?    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015
    Day 19

    We're in Hawaii!!

    April 9, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Aloha!
    We arrive in Oahu in the evening and Germaine has come to pick us up from the airport (thankyou soo much G!). Trav is a bit peckish so Germaine takes us to Leonard's for masaladas.. what's that u ask.. well, its a donut. But not just any donut.. a huge donut. Made fresh to order with all sorts of fillings.. it is the fattest ooziest softest donut I have ever had. Flavor of the month is mango... Yum! (trav had 2)

    The next day was an action packed first day in Oahu starting with an early morning hike and swim in the tidal rock pools on the east side of the island. What an awesome way to start the day! The pools were crystal clear with the occasional wave crashing over us as the tide came in. We hiked over rocks formed by solified lava flow and there was even a big blow hole erupting water (which I kept missing)

    Back to Waikiki for lunch and a nap, then a surf in the afternoon. Delicious home cooked meal for dinner and we were definitely ready for bed. Day 1- Perfect :-)

    Thanks so much to John and Germaine for spending the day with us and taking us into their home, we are feeling so blessed to have such amazing people in our lives :-)    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015
    1
    1
    Day 20

    Aloha Oahu (Day 2)

    April 10, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Lathered in 3 layers of SPF100 sunscreen, we jump aboard our old school bikes (looking like locals) and return to Waikiki beach for a full day of riding waves. We arrive at 8am and meet our quirky contact Ricky (who runs a sketchy board lease syndicate) to pick up our long boards.

    The beach is quiet at this hour as the sun is still rising so we paddle out ready for action. After catching our 'career' best waves, we lie on the beach to strengthen our tans (or sunburn) and stroll along the esplande stopping at 'Me BBQ' for a delicious korean lunch. By picking up some spare parts for the GoPro we return to the water for the next session. With the additional pressure of the GoPro recording our moves, we fail to produce redbull xtreme sports worthy footage and fill the memory card with countless stacks and failed attempts.

    Back home, we scrub up and ride the bus downtown to catch up with John and Germaine for drinks followed by a traditional hawaiian dinner at 'Highway Inn' and an outdoor art performance. Exhausted we crash early and await our trip to the big island tomorrow.    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015
    Day 21

    The Big Island (Manta Ray 'Hide n Seek')

    April 11, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    A short 50 min flight from O'ahu and we landed on the Big Island ready for adventure. One of the main attractions was the opportuntity to swim with Manta Rays (apparently 1 of 3 locations in the world).

    The boat departed the harbour on sunset and we sailed north to 1 of 2 hotspots named 'Manta Heaven'. After the divers setup the 'campfire' (bright verticals lights positioned on the seabed) we floated out as a group on a custom designed surfboard with a PVC frame and lights shining down to maximise the amount of plankton attacted to the light. Plankton is the main source of food for these massive animals.

    After 1 hour of suffeing hypothermia the Manta Rays didnt show and we returned to the boat disheartened but warmed up with hot cocoa. The tour group offer a 100% guarntee that you will see the Manta Rays and given us the opporunity to rebook.

    We head back to our airbnb accomodation overlooking the ocean for some much needed rest.    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015
    1
    Day 22

    Big Island Day 2 (Kona and South Point)

    April 12, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Big day on the island! After sorting out our plans for the day, brekky and a stopover at Subway (the staple food item of choice since cost cutting measures were implemented), we headed South in our little red car.

    First stop the "coffee shack", a modest looking establishment with a stunning view from the back terrace. 2 locally grown kona coffee lattes please!

    Next stop Miloli for a nice little hike through some lava rock and interesting vegetation. Then, onwards to South Point!

    South Point, aka "Ka Lae" ("the point in Hawaiian) is the southern most tip of all of the united states. Stunning views of the Pacific ocean from the impressive cliff face stretch along the entire coast. But, that's not the main reason we are here... We were told it is a well known place for locals to cliff jump.. Eek!

    And we did it! 3 times! (for suki.. not by choice, someone may have missed the Kodak moment the first 2 times). Pretty scary! But exciting! Plus the view from the bottom was awesome.. crystal clear water and there was even a big blow hole which the tide rushed in and out of.

    Homeward bound after an exciting day and lucky us got a free feed and booze from our air bnb hosts who were hosting a party at the house! Fun night getting boozy with the locals.    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015
    Day 23

    Big Island Day 3

    April 13, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Its a slow start after the boozy party last night and we check out of our accommodation and into our next airbnb place. We're met by 'Grizzly' the lab cross ridgeback (possibly more chill than any local we've met). He doesnt take orders from anyone and growls at me when i suggest he returns inside.

    After lunch its a short drive to Kua Bay for snorkeling. We arrive just in time to see a turtle struggling to navigate the rocks getting thrown around. The beach is packed with families and we suddenly realise that its spring break.

    Taking advantage of the '100% Manta Ray guarantee' we rebook our Manta Ray experience and upgrade to the scuba dive (after telling some white lies about our dive experience - and it shows ?)

    Tonight we travel to a different spot 'Manta Ray Village' opposite the Sheraton which is where the Rays were first spotted 37 years ago after lights were installed shining into the water to display the shallow reef adjacent to the hotel. This location is now advestised as the main Manta Ray hotspot in the world, voted number 1 night dive across the world and regularly filmed by National Geographic.

    Feeling a little apprehensive and watching 2 youtube dive refresher videos - we jump into the water and decend 12m to the ocean floor to sit around the camp fire (vertical dive lights designed to attract plankton). After 35 mins of looking aimlessly at tiny fish gobble up all the plankton we had produced we started to leave. As we head back to the boat we see our first Ray!!! Attracted to the plankton genrated by the snorkelers on the surface - we see a total of 3 rays performing continous barrel rolls and zooming over our heads. In the excitement, Suki takes on a spiky Sea Urchin and lost with multiple barbs embedded in her left hand.

    Back on the boat we share our stories, warm up with hot cocoa and sail back to shore. Goodbye Manta Rays - thanks for stopping by.    Read more

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English