A Place In The Sky

Ngorongora Crater, Tanzania 

Last night I camped in a sanctuary amongst the clouds. The  sun formed a beautiful mosaic in the horizon. It shone down on the crater wall across from me. Masai men walked past occasionally calling out 'Jumbo' . The lake at the bottom of the crater shined like precious jewels. I felt like I was in heaven. I fell asleep to the sound of buffalo's snorting and hyena's cackling. This morning I awoke before the sun had risen The full moon shone down illuminating the night. Then the sun began to rise setting the sky on fire. I looked down from my place in the clouds and smiled. What a beautiful morning in Africa. 

Our Goat Called Christmas

 Mto Wa Mbu, Tanzani

He cried out, but he seemed resigned to the fact that he would not be around much longer. We called our goat Christmas. I tried not to look him in the eye. After the sun has set we gathered around. Our camp cook and some men from the local village tied up the goat. With one sharp movement of the knife the goat was dead. I watched with horror and intrigue. Today we celebrated Christmas the African way 

Let the Adventure Begin

Nairobi, Kenya

After battling the chaos of Johannesburg airport, the Visa difficulties in Kenya and pre-election demonstrations I have arrived safely at my hotel in Kenya. Let the adventures begin

Back Home in Africa

Soweto, South Africa

I am back home in Africa. I feel like I have found the piece of my heart that got left behind the last time I departed. There has been so much I missed while I was away. My heart longed for Africa, and the person that this amazing continent makes me. I missed the dirt covered children that wave and sing hello  I missed the resilience of the people. I missed big open smiles. I missed Africa and I want to savour every moment I am back in my home away from home.

South Australia

Adelaide, South Australia- Lower Flinders Rangers, South Australia

Van Diemans Land

Tasmania, Australia

From the Rainforest to the Reef

Cairns, Australia - Daintree, Australia  

Aotearoa

Roturua, New Zealand

As the orange bus pulls into the township of Rotarua the smell of sulpha fills the air. The best way to describe the smell of sulpha is like rotten eggs. I took a walk through the thermal wonderland.  Thermal pools bubble up making the sound of an old kettle and the frying of bacon. Smoke and steam rise up from under the ground through storm water drains and thermal baths and escapes through every crevasse. It seems as if the entire city could erupt any second

 

The People You Meet

Rangitata, New Zealand

I am in a dorm of ten tonight. The ten beds are squeezed into a small bedroom and the triple bunks tower close to the ceiling. Baggage covers the floors. But being crammed into a room with ten people I don't know can be a blessing. When you travel you don't just discover the country you are travelling through. You discover the worlds of your fellow travellers.

The Deep South

Queenstown- Stuart Island- Milford Sound- Queenstown, New Zealand

An Unremarkable Adventure

Queenstown, New Zealand

This is me flying through the sky's of Queenstown . 

Actually it's not really me. The truth is I spent an hour crying on top of the mountain that I was meant to fly off. My heart was beating too fast and I felt like the adrenalin was poisoning my body. In the end I could not bring myself to jump off.  Which is fair enough I guess. Who in their right mind wants to run off the edge of a cliff. Emotionally exhausted I could not even gather the courage to get the gondola back down the mountain. So I took the walk of shame all the way back down the mountain.

But I will be back and next time I will take the leap of faith.

Off Again

Sydney, Australia

I am off on another adventure.  I say goodbye to my little friends. They look up at me with their puppy dog eyes. "Can I come too", Ruby pleads. I give her a kiss and tell her she will go on her own adventures overseas when she is bigger. But for now she can go on an adventure in her imagination. She does not buy my response for a second. "I would prefer  to come with you" she smiles. 

The Long Journey Home

Changi International Airport, Singapore

The long journey home gives a traveler time to reflect, to conceptualise their experiences and what it may mean. My journey home will take over 24 hours which is a blessing in a way. Because it gives me time to reflect not only on my recent travels, but 2011 as a whole.

2011 was a year of discovery and growth for me. 2011 transformed my way of seeing the world and my place in it. I remember back twelve months ago. Checking in my bags at Sydney International Airport. I was about to embark on a journey that was so foreign to me. I was possessed by fear and questioned whether I would even make it on the plane. But I did make it onto that aeroplane, then another, and another.  

During 2011 I dived from the sky and under the sea. I travelled from the heart of Africa to the soul of Indochina. From the slums of India to the Himalayas of Nepal. From fields of gold in Indonesia to the villages of the South Pacific. I have laughed and I have wept. I have embraced both beauty and tragedy. I am learning that everybody has a story and a way of viewing the world. I have been inspired, and made many friends. I have supported children to walk and talk and had lots of fun along the way. But I know deep inside that my jourey has just begun