Author: Craig

Continue reading Gonzales Videla Base, Antarctic Peninsula

Milford Sound is a fiord in the south west of New Zealand’s South Island within Fiordland National Park. It is a World Heritage site. This area receives over 250 inches of rain annually. Waterfalls abound this entire area and there is much wildlife.

These are three of the four largest cities in Australia, with Sydney at 4.5 million being the largest and Brisbane being the smallest with a population of 2.4 million.  All three are practically litter free and modern.  They are also very walk friendly.

Headed to New Zealand now.  That will be my last destination on the epic journey.

I had to take a day to visit this place because it is rare that swimming in the Australian ocean is not fraught with potential danger or death. I wasn’t disappointed one bit. The island is located off the coast of south-east Queensland and is relatively tiny.  It is only 20 miles long and 5 miles wide.  Nearly all of this island is sand so there are no roads.  Consequently, 4wd is the only way of getting around.   People visit for all of the recreational activities which are available here.

Next stop for me will be the big cities on the eastern coast of this so far incredible continent.

Hamilton Island is one of the Whitsunday Islands just off the east coast in Queensland and is close to the Great Barrier Reef.  It is a mostly car-free island, predominantly  covered with bush, and by-in-large a resort island.  I have seen beautiful images of this area on a clear day, however the time I spent here was filled with clouds and rain.  Thus, kayaking was the perfect thing for me to do on Hamilton Island this day because of the weather.

Onto Billabong Sanctuary in Townsville, Australia.  The animals here seemed to be enjoying the warm hard rain that persisted all day.

Darwin is located on Australia’s north coast and has a population of approximately 146,000.  It is a mere 860 miles south of the equator and was one of the hottest places I’ve ever experienced. With temperatures above 106 degrees fahrenheit or 41 degrees celsius, relative humidity of 98 percent, and near cloudless skies, it was a roaster in my Zodiac. It is important to remember that in Australia everything can kill you. From the aquatic life in the sea (including sharks, stinger jellyfish, salt-water crocodiles, and some of the beautiful mollusks), to the creatures on land, like scorpions, spiders and snakes, just to mention a few.  This is in contrast to the United States, where the largest threat to humans is posed by other humans.  After a few days in Darwin I travelled to Cairns, Queensland which is on the northeast coast of Australia.  With a population of approximately 148,000, it’s about the same size as Darwin.  There are plenty of things to do here.  The Great Barrier Reef with its 133,000 square miles is just off the coast.  It is our planet’s largest single structure made by living organisms. Unfortunately, due to environmental factors the reef has lost half of its coral cover in the past 30 years.

I was able to Zodiac to a couple of the smaller islands in the Gilis. While not one of the main islands, these were beautiful and more desolate. Not much to do here but dive or snorkel, and admire the beauty of what is above the ocean and below.

Home to the famous Komodo Dragon, these lizards are also known as the Komodo Monitor. They can grow up to 10-12 feet in length and can weight some 150-250 pounds. Fossils very similar to the Komodoensis have been found in Australia dating back greater than 3.8 million years ago and its body has remained pretty much unchanged. These creatures can live for between 30-40 years.  They were thought to be deaf, however they do hear, albeit poorly.  However, their sense of smell is particularly acute. They are able to detect carrion from as far away as 2.5-6.0 miles.  This is their mainstay as far as diet.

Kopi Luwak is coffee that includes part-digested coffee cherries eaten and then defecated by the Asian palm civet (also known as a mongoose).  Fermentation occurs as the cherries pass through the animal’s intestines, and after being defecated with other fecal matter, they are collected.  Producers argue coffee beans are improved by this process.  Part of their reasoning is based upon the belief that the animals are selecting only the best cherries (almost like Juan Valdez).  Because of the high cost of production, it is one of the world’s most expensive coffees and can sell for as much as 350 USD per pound.  It is produced mainly on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Sulawesi.  I did have the coffee here and I wish I could say it’s worth the price.  However, the whole experience is quite interesting and if you are ever in this area it’s worth the time for a quick visit.

Moving on I travelled to the locally famous rice terraces.  Tegallalang is one of the more scenic rice paddies that I was able to visit.  There are two varieties of rice grown on Bali.  One is non-GMO (genetically modified organism) which yields three harvests a year.  The other is GMO and produces four harvests annually.  It’s impossible to tell the difference, except that the GMO rice has two heads.

I will be traveling to the Gili Islands and Komodo Island.  So look for some action from there.

Out for now,

Craig

While here in Bali I was extremely lucky as one of my sponsors pay for a stay at this “Five Star” small boutique resort in Ubud. With only 46 rooms and villas it has a very intimate feel. The Balinese staff are so attentive and friendly.  They really made me feel as though I was a part of their family during my stay here.  The views around and from the property are amazing as the property borders and is perched atop of a 100 meter high gorge.  Koi ponds abound the property and many of the villas.  The Como Uma resort is only a 10 minute drive from the center of Ubud, which has lots of bars, restaurants, shopping and of course, temples.

There is a “sister” property about a 20 minute drive from Como Uma by the name of Como Shambala Estate.  It is much more quiet and a bit more exclusive with only 30 suites and villas.  This property is much more a retreat from everything.  I visited that resort for a day and had an incredible experience hiking 525 steps down to a series of fresh water ponds for swimming and soaking.  The ponds are in the jungle and about 15 meters from a raging river.   See some of the images below.  Because I was visiting at the end of the rainy season, the waterfalls were both frequent and flowing.