Posts Tagged ‘Australia’

A Traveler’s Night Out

Monday, May 16th, 2011

When you’re traveling, do you see more during the day or at night? Check out these night time photos of places from around the world taken by your fellow wanderlusters.

Connie Hum

Connie quit her job and left New York City in 2009. Since then, she’s lived in Istanbul, sailed the Mediterranean, slept in a cave inside Petra, belly-danced in Cairo, practiced meditation in India, trekked the Himalayas and volunteered in Thailand. Connie is now calling Hong Kong home, if only she would stop getting lost! Follow Connie’s (mis)adventures on www.connvoyage.com or Twitter at @connvoyage.

Kelsey Freeman

Kelsey is something of a nomadic jack-of-all-trades. After having moved 28 times in 8 years, she’s currently living near Washington DC. She works odd jobs as well as being a graphic designer, web designer, photographer, and writer.

She is also a former professional tall ship sailor, she’s working on her private pilot’s license, and she rides a vintage Russian sidecar motorcycle. She is an avid historical reenactor and travels frequently within the east coast to attend events. Photography is her true calling though and she is passionate about exposing people to cultures, places, and people they might otherwise never know about.

She loves to travel and used to live on a small, rural island in South Korea. Her favourite country is Switzerland, she’s currently planning a journalism expedition to Mongolia, and she once spent a year living out of her truck, couchsurfing around the USA and Canada!

Kevin Revolinski

Kevin Revolinski is the author of The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey and the Bangkok expert for NileGuide.com. His website and blog are at The Mad Traveler.

Michael Hodson

Michael just completed a sixteen month, round-the-world trip without taking a single plane.  His blog — One Lap, No Jetlag — is at www.mobilelawyer.blogspot.com and you can Twitter him at @mobilelawyer.

Lash

Lash is passionate about traveling the world nomadically and sharing her adventures and the cultures of countries she visits. Way back in 1991 she quit my job in the USA, packed up and moved to Japan. She lived in Kyoto for 6 years, saving money to travel the world. In 1997, mission accomplished. She left Japan and began her world travels… Fast forward to 2010: still traveling! Check out her blog Lash World Tour.

Toby

Toby and Karen are your hosts at the Gibbs Bay Inn. Toby grew up in Nepal, India and West Africa and Karen is from a small village in East Sussex, England. They have a passion the mansion, service, the Caribbean, family life and running this beautiful old Guest House. “We love how there is always some old timer on the island who has an anecdote or scandal about the property from the old days.  As we watch the sun disappear over the yard-arm with our guests we always feel we have found our Nirvana.”

Christmas Around The Globe

Monday, November 29th, 2010

Sponsored post by Claudia Lonjedo

All rights reserved by Citizen of the world1

Snow falling slowly on a white landscape, gloves, scarves, roaring fires, mulled wine and pine trees instantly come to mind when you think of Christmas. The wintry season plays a key part in our stereotypical view of the holiday – why else would Santa wear such a thick, fluffy red and white uniform, sport a beard and ride a sleigh driven by winter-friendly creatures? However, while we base our idyllic picture of Christmas on this traditional snow-filled ideal, the other half of the world has a very different image of the holiday and therefore a very different way to celebrate Christmas around the globe.

On 25 December, Australia finds itself in mid-summer with temperatures hitting the mid-thirties. Therefore, they have an extremely different Christmas to those in the northern hemisphere. Traditions such as sledging, snowball fighting and snowman building have to be abandoned. In fact, a lot of Christmas traditions have been adapted to fit in with the summer season. Here are a few things that they do differently down under…

Christmas Decorations

Preparing for Christmas is very important on both sides of the globe. Hundreds of Christmas cards need to be written and dozens of Christmas gift hampers need to be distributed. But when it comes to homely decoration, expectations are quite different. This is mainly due to the different tools available in each place. Mistletoe used to be used by Druid priests because it retained its green colour throughout the winter and was therefore adopted as a symbol of new life at Christmas. Holly wreaths used to be placed on doorways to drive away evil and have also been factored into the Christmas theme. However, Australians have managed to add to this list of themed plants. Using the bountiful season of summer to their advantage, they use bell-shaped flowers and other colourful shrubs known as ‘Christmas plants’ to decorate their homes. These include Christmas bells, Christmas bush and the Christmas Orchid.

Christmas Day

While up in the north we tend to spend Christmas inside by our fires or perhaps braving the cold and enjoying any snow that might have fallen, most Australians spend the day outside topping up their tans. In fact, many bring their Christmas dinner picnics to the beach and eat them there. Every Christmas, 40,000 people are said to visit Bondi Beach in Sydney. If they stay at home, families tend to take part in outdoor activities such as cricket and swim in their pools. This is a high contrast to the mainly inactive day we spend in the north, wrapped up inside with a large amount of food.

Christmas Dinner

And even the food is different. While we have our three bird roast with brussels sprouts, bread sauce and piles of roast vegetables, the climate in Australia means they have abandoned this traditional hot food. Instead, they eat cold turkey, ham, salads and seafood – much more fitting for warm weather. Puddings are also different, as Christmas pudding is served with cold custard or ice-cream, and the meringue-based pavlova is also considered an acceptable dessert for the day.

Whether it’s a sunny or a snowy Christmas for you this year, spare a thought for the people thousands of miles away who are enjoying the same occasion in a very different season and in a very different way.

Tales from the Dunny

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Written by Paige Green for Quickbeds.com

All rights reserved by jocuteca

No matter where you go on holidays, how you get there or where you stay – there are probably two things that are certain: at some point during your trip you’ll be hankering for a nice cup of coffee and probably at a different point in time, you’ll be looking for a public toilet.

Dunnies worth the trip

Meanwhile, when it comes to the loo, some facilities are worth the trip in themselves. Here are some of the most unique toilets worth travelling for:

  • Loo with a view, Mooloolaba – for travellers to the Sunshine Coast, there’s nothing like the real five star treatment at the “loo with a view”. This picturesque viewing point will transform the way you enjoy some of the more “private” moments in life.
  • Charmin in Times Square, NY – as creative marketing campaigns goes, this one takes home a definite honourable mention. The toilet paper giant sponsors these exclusive facilities in the heart of Manhattan during the Christmas holiday season. Over 250,000 visitors stopped by to check out the facilities and the soft cushiness of Charmin brand toilet paper in its opening year and Christmas shoppers this year will find it offers at least some degree of “relief”.
  • Toilet art, Kawakawa New Zealand - Friedensreich Hundertwasser is the artist behind some of the most unique public toilets in the Southern Hemisphere. These facilities, designed in conjunction with students from Bay of Islands College, feature inset glass and tiles, sculptures, a living tree and a grass roof. It will certainly change your view of drab and dreary public loos.

Australians – where to go when you need to go

Planning a road trip? There are plenty of planners to help you pick your destination and find cheap hotels – and now, you can even plan your pit stops along the way. The Federal Government has put together the National Public Toilet Map so you’ll always know where to go. You can plan your breaks for a long trip. Staying in an unfamiliar city? Download the iPhone app so you can feel confident about finding the nearest public loo.

Did you know that there are 338 public toilets in the Brisbane City Council area while Melbourne South has 481 noted spots? Meanwhile, there are 82 dunnies in Sydney’s CBD area alone and if you find yourself wandering through the 220 hectares of Randwick’s Centennial Park, there are 10 places to make a pit stop. However, if your find your bladder filling up in Darlinghurst you’ll might have to hold on until you reach the lone public toilet of Ward Park in neighbouring Surry Hills.

So next time you’re driving from Sydney to Brisbane, plan your trip before you go. There are 71 rest stops along the 900 km trip before you reach your cheap Brisbane accommodation, and some curious ones to boot – why not drop into the facilities at Chinaman Beach or Oliver’s on the F3 that boasts delicious organic soups and 5-star toilets with all-natural lavender hand wash near Warnervale.

What are some of the most unique toilets you’ve visited?

Jaw-Dropping Sunrises Around The World

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Today’s Photo Friday Special is inspired by my previous blog post, Sunsets From Around The World. It was such a big hit that I decided to feature sunrises in this edition. I thought I’d be receiving a lot less sunrise submissions than sunset editions. I mean, unless you’re jet-lagged or an insomniac, who gets up at the crack of down to catch the sun rise?

Apparently these dedicated travel bloggers and photographers…

Pamplona, Spain

After a long night in a park chatting with pilgrims, we were rewarded with a beautiful dramatic sunrise.

Camino de Santiago walk in Spain

This photo was also taken in Spain, during the Camino de Santiago walk. I started walking before dawn, and suddenly remembered a photographer should always check behind his back, so I turned around and saw this!

Musandam, Oman

Taken in Musandam, Oman after camping with some friends on the beach. It was a beautiful sunrise before a storm.

Dan Nahabedian

Dan is wandering soul and a traveler, eager to learn from the entire World, and excited to share all the Knowledge and the Beauty captured through his lens. That’s what he’s am all about! Check out his blog Canvas of Light for more jaw dropping photos and follow him on Twitter @Eloren.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

This is a shot from my sailing trip around the Great Barrier Reef. As the sun rose, it gave off the most beautiful golden glow from behind the clouds. It was so surreal watching the sun rise with absolutely nothing else- not even land- in sight.

Over the Pacific Ocean

This was taken somewhere over the Pacific Ocean just before reaching Sydney, Australia. After 20 long hours on a cramped plane, I was greeted by this sunrise and it made all of those hours of discomfort worth it. Soon after, the clouds cleared and my first glimpse of Sydney came into view.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

One of the highlights of my time in Australia was a four day sailing trip around the Great Barrier Reef. One morning, we all woke up early, raised the sails, and sat- feet dangling over the side of the boat- and watched the sunrise as we sailed further out to sea.

Each of the following HDRIs are made out of 5 different photos all taken at different exposures. Then I combine them and I’m able to get a really really wide range of color (hence the name- high dynamic range imaging) that’s impossible to capture in just one photo. It’s actually really simple…the hardest part is keeping the camera still enough to take 5 pictures that are exactly the same (which was next to impossible on a shaky bridge).

East River, New York

This is an HDRI of the sun rising over the East River (which divides Manhattan from Brooklyn). As someone who lives in Manhattan, I find that one of my favorite things to do is take a walk over the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn. If you do this early enough, you'll be one of the lucky few to see a dreamlike sunrise over two beautiful skylines.

Williamsburg Bridge, New York

This is another HDRI taken on my morning walk across the Williamsburg Bridge. Living in the 'concrete jungle', I often find myself pining for the serenity and beauty of nature so much so that I tend to overlook the beauty of the man made structures that surround me.

Williamsburg Bridge, New York

Just over the bridge into Williamsburg and a few... umm... depreciated blocks north, there's a small park that, in my opinion, offers some of the most stunning views of New York City. I like to climb out onto the rocks that jut into the East River and take in the Manhattan skyline and this view of the Williamsburg Bridge.

Brianne Hoyt-Stern

Brianne Hoyt-Stern was born and raised in New Jersey and currently lives and works in New York City. She specializes in 2D animation and design and has earned her BFA in Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts. She enjoys spending her free time taking photographs, especially HDR images. Although she loves art, her greatest passion is traveling. She tries to combine her two loves by taking much of her inspiration from the traveling she has done and her time spent overseas. Her artwork is a strong reflection of her experiences. Follow Brianne on Twitter @brieee.

Mt. Fuji, Japan

Sunrise from the height of Mount Fuji, Japan, overlooking the clouds over Kawaguchi Lake. Summer 2002.

Dina from Vagabond Quest

Ryan and Dina are a couple of permanent travelers vagabonding around the world. Ryan is a software guy from Canada, and Dina is a chemist from Java, Indonesia. They met in Japan and then lived in Ontario, Canada. In April 2009, they closed their home and since then have been living on the road with their 2 backpacks. They focus on cheap travel and ways to get more travel enjoyment for less cash. In their blog “Vagabond Quest“, they share their stories and recommendations. Follow them on Twitter @VagabondQuest.

Big Bend, Texas

Took this photo Monday morning in Marathon Texas. I got up just as light was coming into the sky to head down to Big Bend. Thought it was great with the Texas silhouettes.

Brian Setzer

Brian left his job in April 2010 and is traveling the Americas on a motorcycle.  A trip he first envisioned in 2007 while on a scooter in Laos.  Ride along with him to find a out more about these countries and motorcycle travel at BikeandBoots.com or on Twitter @bikeandboots.

Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa

The 5.00am start was made entirely worthwhile when waking up to this picture postcard sunrise in Phinda game reserve, South Africa.

Dave Dean

Dave was born and raised in small town New Zealand providing  him with the perfect beginnings for a lifelong travel addiction. After graduating from university with a degree in History and Political Science he packed his meager belongings into a backpack and headed for London. The subsequent years have seen him traveling through thirty-something countries and watching my ‘must see’ list grow larger almost as quickly as I’ve watched my bank balance grow smaller. Check out Dave’s blog, What’s Dave Doing, and follow him on Twitter @driftingkiwi.

Palawan, Philippines

This photo was taken on Coco Loco Island, a private island in Palawan, Philippines. When the tide is in, the island takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to circumnavigate. When the tide is out, however, you can walk out almost a mile from the island. It's certainly one of the most unique ways I've greeted the sun in the early morning.

Carrie Kellenberger

Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Carrie Kellenberger has kept a home base with her husband in Asia since 2003. A nomad at heart, Carrie’s deep love for travel, photography, and culture have led her on frequent travels over the past seven years. Carrie works for a publishing company in Taipei, but she also finds work as a freelance writer, editor, and photographer. www.myseveralworlds.com

Hocking Hill, Ohio

Sunrise kayak trip; colors start to appear as the sun begins its ascent into the sky. A peace descends.

Hocking Hill, Ohio

The sun appears, and is barely visible as it burns away the mists and causes the world to glow. Alone in my kayak, the world has never looked so beautiful.

Kirsten Alana

Kirsten Alana is a photographer and travel writer currently in the Midwest who is planning a late 2010 move to the East or West coast. She always has a quote ready and waiting to share. She’s an avid Jane Austen fan, adventure & experience junkie, Francophile, passionate fan of Mexico, Apple and Canon geek, New Englander by birth and the daughter of an artist. Kirsten also loves to support charities and her current favorite is “Charity:Water”. You can find her on Twitter @kirsten_al.

Kinabatanga River, Malaysia Borneo

The jungle was slowly waking up. The birds were chirping excitedly while the monkeys had begun their daily forage for fruits and leaves. As we sat in the boat, we witnessed a simply magical moment as the sun lazily lifted its head above the tree-tops, blanketing the jungle with its warm rays and casting a mesmerizing glow across the horizon. Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.

Keith Jenkins

Keith Jenkins is a thirty-something who lives in Amsterdam and writes about his travels on his Velvet Escape travel blog. In addition to being a travel blogger, Keith offers travel writing services as well as social media consultancy and online marketing services. He is also the co-founder of the Global Bloggers Network, a community that helps individual and corporate bloggers grow and monetize their blogs.

Angor Wat, Cambodia

I woke up at 4am to take this shot of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The sky was spectacular that morning and there's no post processing on this image.

Ayngelina

Ayngelina left her job, apartment, boyfriend and friends to travel solo throughout Central and South America. You can read about her adventures at Bacon is Magic, as she eats her way through Central and South America. You can follow her on Twitter @Ayngelina.

Omaru, New Zealand

I'm not a morning person, but I made a special attempt for the fascinating and photogenic Moeraki Boulders near Omaru, New Zealand.

Slope Point, New Zealand

A cool night got me up and about early near Slope Point, the southernmost point of New Zealand's South Island. Timing is everything in photography and the grass glowed as I caught the light at the right place and right time this morning.

Perhentian Islands, Malaysia

The Perhentian Islands along the east coast of Malaysia were my first taste of a so-called tropical paradise, and this sunrise was a stunner.

Dustin Main

Dustin Main is the author behind the Skinny Backpacker, a blog that offers the inside source on traveling around the world as a scrawny guy. His current itinerary starts in New Zealand, then Australia, North to SE Asia, west to Nepal, Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, Western Europe, then South America, Antarctica, and hopefully some time in Latin America before limping his way home. Have somewhere to suggest?  Someone I have to meet?  Let him know! You can find him on Twitter @skinnybackpackr.

Homer Tunnel, New Zealand

I was approaching Homer Tunnel, to get to Milford Sound, New Zealand, to go kayaking one morning. Just took it out the window with my point and shoot camera.

Ushuaia, Argentina

Overlooking the Beagle Channel in Ushuaia, Argentina, I woke up too late to catch the bus that morning but was rewarded with this view. It was worth being a day late.

Zanzibar

On the beach on the east side of Zanzibar. The tides were dramatic at this beach, as you can tell from the boat aground. It was so incredibly peaceful. Sunrises are definitely better than sunsets.

Michael Hodson

Michael just completed a sixteen month, round-the-world trip without taking a single plane.  His blog — One Lap, No Jetlag — is at www.mobilelawyer.blogspot.com and you can Twitter him at @mobilelawyer.

Monument Valley, Navajo Tribal Park (Utah, USA)

Sunrise in Monument Valley. One of the most peaceful places to wake up during our trip was in a tent at a primitive campsite in the middle of Monument Valley, Navajo Tribal Park in Utah. June 2009.

Monument Valley, Navajo Tribal Park (Utah, USA)

Another sunrise in Monument Valley.

Campo, Colorado (USA)

The beautiful thing about a road trip is that we can stop whenever we feel like it! So we did stop on the side of 287 near Campo, Colorado (population ~150) as the three of us watched the mighty sun rise in all its glory. August 2009.

Aye, Jack & Emma

Follow this fabulous family of three on their inspiring blog Got Passport: Will Travel. Will Serve and follow them on Twitter @gotpassport as they prepare to move to Chiang Mai, Thailand this summer.

Mexico City, Mexico

This is the sunrise from my upper floor Sheraton Centro Historico hotel suite. After a long night out of Tequila and Salsa, I arrived back late and before I closed the curtains and also my eyes, I snapped this photo. So as the day began for the city, my yesterday had just finished. Que Bueno!

Pueblo Bonito Pacifica

At the PB Pacifica my balcony provided a view of the sunrise. To me, that seemed odd, as the resort complex in the back right was part of the PB Sunset. On this stretch of Baja in Los Cabos, Mexico Pueblo Bontino covers both sunrise and sunset.

Bali

In Bali, I actually used the jet lag to wake up early and watch the sunrise. Heck I even took in a few early morning yoga stretches. No I didn't spend my time in Kuta Beach when I watched the sunrise...not sure I'd ever be up that early.

Craig Zabransky

Craig traveled across 40 states and 30 countries both as a global management consultant and with a backpack on a RTW (round the world) adventure. Still traveling, he now shares his my stories on how to enjoy the journey by writing tales of travel and adventure to inspire you to take and make adventure in your life.

Yes, he sat on the Fox and Friends couch and has been interviewed on Sirius Radio twice about following your passion, but he is probably most proud of his recent publishing in the Shanghai Metro (he scored a print job). You can follow him on his blog www.stayadventurous.wordpress.com and tune in every Sunday for a sunset image. For him, the sunrise usually occurs way too early and he believes in the magic of the sunset.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Sunsets From Around The World

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Sunsets are one of Mother Nature’s greatest masterpieces. Unfortunately, I don’t get to see them anymore. By the time I’m out of work, the sun has already set in the Concrete Jungle. To satisfy my desire to be mesmerized by sunsets, I asked my fellow friends and travel bloggers to submit photos of their best sunsets. Talk about a visual overload.

Without further adieu, feast your eyes on this. I hope it satisfies your wanderlust…for now.

Koh Samet, Thailand

A beautiful calm sunset after a day of riding ATVs and exploring the jungles of Koh Samet, one of the less visited islands of Thailand.

Finisterra, Spain

Photobucket

After walking about 2000km in Spain on the Camino de Santiago, my reward was one of the most beautiful sunsets over the Atlantic at the most western tip of Spain: Finisterra, the "End of the World". My journey was over in Spain.

Somewhere over the Atlantic

Photobucket

While trying to take pictures of those creeping clouds over the Atlantic, an old lady next to me told me: "When the clouds are like this, it's going to rain tomorrow". I nodded politely without really believing.. It rained the whole next day after weeks of sunny days.

Dan Nahabedian

Dan is wandering soul and a traveler, eager to learn from the entire World, and excited to share all the Knowledge and the Beauty captured through his lens. That’s what he’s am all about! Check out his blog Canvas of Light for more jaw dropping photos and follow him on Twitter @Eloren.


Redondo Beach, California

Photobucket

My first ever California sunset. This majesty of nature that is a west coast sunset was experienced at Redondo Beach, which has been a frequent host over the years to the Mavericks surf competition.

Ohio

Photobucket

While heading to my car after a long day, exhaustion the foremost thing on my mind...I didn't notice a group of people standing & just staring at the sky. Actually, I almost ran into them. They were staring at this sunset. I joined them! Exhaustion forgotten.

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

Photobucket

Candlelight. Handsome companion. Mexican tequila. Playa Del Carmen sunset. A beautiful evening.

Naples, Florida

Photobucket

While out on a long walk during a trip to Florida, following a death, this sunset appeared. It felt like a message; that the world could still be a beautiful place and healing would come in time. When I look at this image, I'm reminded no matter how bad things get - they will always, eventually, get better.

Kirsten Alana

Kirsten Alana is a photographer and travel writer currently in the Midwest who is planning a late 2010 move to the East or West coast. She always has a quote ready and waiting to share. She’s an avid Jane Austen fan, adventure & experience junkie, Francophile, passionate fan of Mexico, Apple and Canon geek, New Englander by birth and the daughter of an artist. Kirsten also loves to support charities and her current favorite is “Charity:Water”. You can find her on Twitter @kirsten_al.

Eagle Beach, Aruba

Humuhumu at the Grand Wailea, Maui

Melanie Waldman

Melanie is one half of Travels With Two, a travel blog for couples. She’s a writer and artist. Travels With Two is a guide to those places we (and many other couples) have been and loved, in the hope that you’ll be inspired to do the same. You can follow her on Twitter @TravelsWithTwo.

Mt. Arbel Israel

This was taken after a hike to the top of Mt.Arbel, which overlooks the Sea of Galilee in the north of Israel. I was traveling there with a group, and this photo was taken towards the end of our trip. This will forever remain one of the top moments of my life, and the picture is a perfect representation of that.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

I've never seen anything more beautiful than and Australian sunset. The colors and the atmosphere set the mood for an unparalleled experience. Taken from a sailboat, watching this sunset over the Great Barrier Reef was nothing short of amazing.

New Jersey, USA

I grew up in New Jersey, just minutes away from here. On a recent trip back home I was driving through the area and, quite literally, saw it in a whole new light. They are HDR images, and I think they prove that sometimes, the most beautiful things are in your own backyard.

Brianne Hoyt-Stern

Brianne Hoyt-Stern was born and raised in New Jersey and currently lives and works in New York City. She specializes in 2D animation and design and has earned her BFA in Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts. She enjoys spending her free time taking photographs, especially HDR images. Although she loves art, her greatest passion is traveling. She tries to combine her two loves by taking much of her inspiration from the traveling she has done and her time spent overseas. Her artwork is a strong reflection of her experiences. Follow Brianne on Twitter @brieee.

Grand Canyon, USA

Aye, Jack & Emma

These are pictures of sunset over the grand canyon. We started a tradition of traveling as a family during every spring break since Emma is a spring break baby, both Jack and myself have birthdays in late March and early April as well our Anniversary is in early April. So our tradition is to celebrate all those special days by traveling together as a family. So in 2008 when Em was 5, we took her to Disneyland on a road trip. On our way back from California, we stopped in Vegas, The Grand Canyon, Albuquerque and Roswell. We always take tons of pictures as I’m sure many travelers do and these are two I feel capture that evening’s beauty. We waited to see the sunset from the beginning to the end armed with picnic items, warm clothing and even a blanket and we had an amazing time together.

Follow this fabulous family of three on their inspiring blog Got Passport: Will Travel. Will Serve and follow them on Twitter @gotpassport as they prepare to move to Chiang Mai, Thailand this summer.

Vounaki Marina, Greece

Just before picking up a yacht and embarking on one of the best weeks of my life.

South Africa

Taken from the back of a jeep at sunset in Phinda game reserve, South Africa, enroute to going leopard tracking with friends. Amazingly, we found one. Even more amazingly, he didn't come and join us in the jeep - although he seemed very keen for a while. Story here.

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Taken with a beer in hand on the deck of a junk in Halong Bay, Vietnam. Story here.

Queensland, Australia

Sunset from the back of a yacht in Butterfly Bay, Hook Island. This is one of the 74 islands in the Whitsundays group just off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

Dave Dean

Dave was born and raised in small town New Zealand providing  him with the perfect beginnings for a lifelong travel addiction. After graduating from university with a degree in History and Political Science he packed his meagre belongings into a backpack and headed for London. The subsequent years have seen him travelling through thirty-something countries and watching my ‘must see’ list grow larger almost as quickly as I’ve watched my bank balance grow smaller. Check out Dave’s blog, What’s Dave Doing, and follow him on Twitter @driftingkiwi.

Banks Penninsula, New Zealand

I waited on the ridge in high winds for over an hour to shoot this sunset over Robinson's Bay in the Banks Peninsula, New Zealand.

Mile Lagoon, New Zealand

It was a 2hr hike to get here to Three Mile Lagoon, New Zealand and I was totally alone save a couple of deer. The tide came up and I had to hike back through the forest in the dark using my camera's autofocus light to find the trail.

Opotiki, New Zealand

It was beautiful how the cliffs down the beach faded into the mist near Opotiki in New Zealand. The bird in the sky was a nice touch (though I considered removing it).

Dustin Main

Dustin Main is the author behind the Skinny Backpacker, a blog that offers the inside source on traveling around the world as a scrawny guy. His current itinerary starts in New Zealand, then Australia, North to SE Asia, west to Nepal, Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, Western Europe, then South America, Antarctica, and hopefully some time in Latin America before limping his way home. Have somewhere to suggest?  Someone I have to meet?  Let him know! You can find him on Twitter @dustinmain.

Dunedin, New Zealand

Darwin, Australia

Texas, USA

Adam Groffman

Adam is a graphic designer living and working in Boston who will soon embark on his own RTW trip.. He’s always loved traveling and plans to travel as much as possible. His blog, Travels of Adam, features content on his past and present travels. Follow him on Twitter @travelsofadam.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Think Twice Before Bringing A Pet Into Australia!

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

AustraliaArriving in Australia was a strange and mixed feeling. On one hand I felt excited and refreshed to explore a new city and a new country. On the other hand, the weight of a 36 hours long journey with approximately 2 hours of sleep was lying heavily on my shoulders. My travel companion, Lars, was in an even worse mood. Earlier on the trip, he had raised a strong case against buying flight socks, claiming it was just another fake product hyped by the travel industry. Now, 36.5 hours later, his feet were on the size of an elephant.

The flight had felt even longer than I had expected it to be. I had been lucky enough to be placed half a meter away from the toilet, so by the end of the flight I could probably state what every single person from the row of 20 to 46 had chosen for dinner. The only thing keeping us alive through the flight was the obsession we developed to become a millionaire in the on flight TV-game version of “Who wants to be a millionaire?”

Airplane FoodWhile we walked stuck in our own heads dragging our backpacks behind us, we nearly tumbled over the old lady in front of us when she suddenly stopped in front of what looked like a third security point. “What the hell is this then? Another queue?” said Lars with a resigned look on his face. “Please keep your passport and your yellow slip ready” I read out loud from a poster next to us. “What yellow slip? Did you get one?” sighed Lars. We kindly explained this to one of the security personnel, and he asked us to step aside of the queue so he could help us out.

“Okay boys, have you brought any medications, organic food, fruits or anything similar to Austraaalia?” he opened with a stiff grin on his face. “No, no” we quickly replied. He gave us a look like he didn’t believe a word of what we were saying before he continued. “Have you brought any hiking or training shoes that might contain dirt or mud?” On a mission to better his mood with a joke I firmly stated “Well I’ve been walking in these shoes for almost 2 days now, so I can’t guarantee that they smell fresh and new.” Clearly not getting my drowsy attempt at a joke he repeated with a deeper voice “Sir, Does your shoes contain dirt or mud from your home country?” Annoyed by his sudden rudeness I decided to take a different tone as well. “Well I didn’t really clean them with a toothbrush before I came here did I, so they might very well yes.”  “I must ask you to come with me sir.”

I didn’t really understand what had happened at the security point until I heard the story of Thomas Austin and his rabbits. You see, Australia might come off us a rough and tough country with lots of desert and mountains, but in fact it’s one of the most vulnerable countries in the world. The reason why is because they have been separated from all the other continents for such a long time, so things that are common and adapted in EurAsia and America can have a huge impact if introduced to the untouched Australian nature.

One of the best examples is the already mentioned one about Thomas Austin and his rabbits. Austin was a pioneer settler in southern Australia. He had made a good life for himself in Australia, the only thing he missed from England was his favorite hobby; rabbit hunting. Australia didn’t have a native rabbit population, therefore he asked his nephew in England to send him a shipment of 24 grey rabbits, so he could create his own little rabbit population.

The only problem was that Austin hadn’t considered the rapidity of the rabbit spreading that would come. It turned out that Australia had the perfect climate for rabbits, with a temperature that allowed them to breed all-year round. And Rabbits doesn’t need to be asked twice when it comes to breeding…. In a couple of months, the rabbit population of 24 had exploded into thousands. Within ten years of introduction, there were over 10 million rabbits in Australia.

After reaching a top point of 600 millions in the 1950s, the Australian government has been able to reduce the amount to 200-300 millions. Rabbits are still seen as a pest in Australia, and much is still blamed on the poor passionate rabbit hunter Thomas Austin.

=================================================================

This article was written by VagaBen, a freelance travel writer who wrote this article for Backpack Australia. Ben is a passionate backpacker and has made traveling and writing his living.

His past journeys have taken him through Europe, North Africa and latest Australia. His next trip will be to South America to experience the Rio Carnival!

Other articles by Ben:

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]