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Room with a view no1

Looking out the window from my sisters guest room made me think about different places I have visited and the view from where I have been staying. It was not difficult to come to think of a few favourites, like the YHA in Threadbo, the Grand Hyatt in Seoul, the cruise boat in Galapagos and so on. I will try and find pictures of the best bedroom views I have had during my trips and I am starting with this one:

The lovely view from my sisters guest room in Luleå. Always when I visit here I end up spending a lot of time looking out the window and I know I have several pictures of exactly this view. This picture is taken close to midnight on Midsummer Eve 2009.

Midsummer and the light

It is Midsummer weekend and I am visiting my sister Viktoria and her husband Janne in Luleå in the northern part of Sweden. The 21st June is the longest day of the year and even though we are south of the Arctic Circle it does not really get dark because the sun only goes down for a short while. The picture is taken around 11 pm when we were finishing dinner. The light up here during summer is simply spectacular. I love watching the sun go down while having tea after dinner and see it rise before finishing the next drink. I am having a great midsummer much thanks to my hosts, you guys are priceless! Thank you!

Citybanan

In 2017 it will not necessarily be as nice to arrive by train to Stockholm from the south as it is today. Just before you arrive at the Central Station the train exits a tunnel and all of sudden you can see the central part of Stockholm. The view is really spectacular, to your left is Riddarfjärden and the City Hall and to the right the old town. Especially if arriving in the late afternoon when the light makes the facades glow in the sun light it is magical. However the two available tracks are limiting the traffic and the work to build a tunnel under Riddarfjärden to extend the capacity has just started. So it will then be important to get on the right train that will give you the view, but how are you supposed to know? I wonder if they will mark the trains with a view in the timetable...

Working at Riddarfjärden

Taiwan go go go!

When I went home from my long holiday in Australia and Fiji I flew through Taipei where I had been for about 5 months before the trip. It was a little weird to come back and I was only going to spend a few hours in the airport. But as I was walking between the terminals I saw this poster on the wall and got very happy. I had almost forgotten but Taiwan is still the same and somehow I will miss it.

Taiwan really good!

Better to have it and loose it...

The best thing about travelling is that you continuously meet a lot of very nice people. Even though you might not spend much time with all of them they often mean a lot to your experience of a place. It is sometimes difficult to say goodbye to the new friends you have made. I often wish I could just stop time for a while, I do not feel ready to go on yet. Sometimes I even wonder if it is worth the effort to get to know new friends if you just have to say goodbye and probably never see them again. But at the end of the day what you gain is so much more and it is better to have it and loose it that not to have it at all. And you never know, you might meet up again somewhere, sometime.

To all the new friends I have made in Australia: I will miss you loads!

Spirit of Freedom

The Spirit of Freedom. Photo: Andy Durrer

Last week I had the good fortune to be diving the Great Barrier Reef on the Spirit of Freedom. It was an intense week with a total of 27 dives including 3 night dives. When we were not diving we were eating or sleeping. The chef fed us great food constantly.

Unfortunately we did not make it out to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea due to the weather. We were hoping for good visibility and possibly some hammerheads and other sharks. Instead we continued to dive the Ribbon Reefs. The diving was easy, mostly fairly shallow and none or weak current. The corals are amazing and it was mainly small stuff we were looking for. There was the occasional white tip reef shark and turtle but otherwise we focused on nudibranchs, flatworms etc. My favourite dive sites were Cod hole, which is known for it spectacular coral formations and the potato cod (huge, ugly fish) and Steve's Bommie, a pinnacle that has lots to look at on depths from 5 to 30 m. Unfortunately on the pinnacles it becomes very crowded when 25 divers gets in the water at the same time...

Deep talk with a Potato Cod. Photo: Andy Durrer.

Beautiful nudibranch. Photo: Andy Durrer.

We found this sleeping pufferfish on a night dive. Is he not adorable? Photo: Andy Durrer.

This liveaboard was different from others I have done. The biggest difference was that there were about 25 divers (a lot!) and that the dives were not lead by a dive master. The navigation was not very complicated so it was no problem to dive on your own. I was lucky though and got my own personal dive master and instructor. My buddies, Birgit (dive master) and Andy (instructor) were simply the best. We had lots of fun both in the water and on the boat. I will miss you guys!

Having a well deserved glass of wine with my buddies, Andy and Birgit.

Apart from excellent diving the crew and the other guests made the trip unforgetable. I had a spectacular time and will never forget this lovely week.

Me! Photo: Andy Durrer.

Trust me

I won't.

Part two

When I arrived in Cairns yesterday it felt like a whole new trip had started. It was 10 or more degrees warmer than Sydney and the humidity a lot higher. This kind of weather is for me strongly connected to holidays while the Sydney weather is more familiar. The pace is also significantly slower, people walk slowly and are just hanging around.

This is the kind of environment I will spend my last month of travelling in. Actually today I am a little worried that I will find it boring after being fairly active down south with hiking and other activities. But I have two weeks of diving and 3 days of sailing planned so I think I will be fine. :-) I am very good at adapting to the surroundings...

In just a few hours I will board the dive boat, the Spirit of Freedom, which will take me and about 20 other divers around the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea for 7 days. So in a week and after 25 or so dives I will be back to civilisation in Cairns with more stories.

Until then...

Oh, did I tell you I bought a boat....

Dear Debbie and Graeme

One good thing about joining a group is all the nice people you meet. Hiking the Overland Track was not only a fantastic experience when it comes to scenery but I also got to know you. I enjoyed our conversations about travels and Australian football. I didn't realize before I came here that australian rules football even existed.

Thank you so much for you hospitality, for inviting me to your lovely home in Ballarat and to the footy game in Melbourne! You made me feel very welcome and it was a real treat to spend a few nights with you and your family.

I hope we will meet again soon, maybe in Sweden or hiking somewhere in the world. Maybe the European Alps next time?

Take care and send the family my love.

Angela

Canberra - hmm

I passed by Canberra on my way from Thredbo to Sydney without any expectations really and ended up mostly fascinated. There is a weird feeling about the place. Although there are people around, it is quiet and somehow unpersonal. I got a strange Metropolis (you know, Fritz Lang silent movie) feeling... I do not know if it was how the city is custombuilt for workers (it was designed by an American architect not even 100 years ago), the people who all seemed to be programmed to be going somewhere special or the cool Art Deco architecture of the Hyatt Hotel. I guess it was the combination.

It is like a big factory where it is decided how people should move and behave. Like everyone is here for a purpose, not just living here.

It is also odd how the city is small enough to walk around but not made for walking. Many streets does not have sidewalks, footpaths sometimes just stop and when you reach a crossroads it is not always possible to cross it. Again I get the feeling that somebody is trying to make you move in a certain pattern. I guess usually cities are build around people while here it was the other way around, the people was put in a city.

When I arrived I went for a walk to find lunch and have a look at the Parliament and other sights. The guy at the hostel had suggested Kingston or Manuka for lunch where there are many cafees and restaurants. Sure enough I found a nice place called "All things chocolate". No, it is not what you think, it was actually the soup of the day posted outside that caught my attention. But after reading their menu and the raving articles on the wall I could not leave without a hot chocolate with chai flavour. Yummy!

The new Parliament.

After coming back to the hostel which was cituated in the centre of Canberra, I decide to go and check it out. I arrived 5.35 pm just to find that everything was closed! This is the capital city, is it not? The only thing I could see was people in suits walking focused down the street.

I decided to go to the movies to kill time. When I came out after 9 pm I could actually feel a different atmosphere. Finally, I thought, this is when things are happening. It turned out that the cafees all closed at 10 pm... But thankfully this is a big city and it was possible to find food later at night. I am sure you need some time to find where to go and figure the place out and that is what I do not have right now.

I was only staying one night but I could not leave until I had seen the city during business hours. This was just too interesting. So the next morning I went out to see the difference. The shopping centres were now busy so it seems that also here shopping is an important activity. Still though the streets were quite empty and it was fairly quiet.

Canberra is really a nice city, beautifully set at the foot of the mountains with a nice lake and lots of parks. The roads are very wide, it is very easy to get around and even in rush hour there is no traffic. The people are very friendly and helpful. I did like Canberra, maybe because it was interesting and made me curious. During my stay in Australia I have met a few people from the capital and after visiting the place it somehow makes sence.

Dear Chris

Dear Chris,

When I finished the Overland Track I was full of energy but when arriving in Hobart I relaxed and took the time to do nothing. It was wonderful after 4 weeks of travelling without any real stops. I loved having long breakfasts at the cafe around the corner from your house. It was great just wandering around town during the day, visit you at work and helping you with your (yes, it was boring...) paper work. I have never seen a jeweller work before. You make the most beautiful things and I can see how it can be very rewarding. Your customers are always happy! I do understand that you really love what you do. (http://www.metalurges.com.au/)

Thank you for meeting me in Lake St Clair and taking me in for a few days. I enjoyed every moment of it, the view from Mt Wellington, the pancakes, your delicious soup and your Skyline. Do thank your Dad for lunch and showing me around his winery. I have some hope for Chardonnay now. And thank your friends for extending their invitation to include me. I loved the lobster pizza. Jaaa....

I hope we will meet again soon.

Love

Angela

Late afternoon at St Clair.

More hiking

This trip was from the beginning going to be a diving trip but has so far been mostly focused on hiking. (I am planning to do about 50 dives so that is still to come.) Honestly I was not really aware of the hiking available in Australia. I did buy a Lonely Planet called Walking in Australia before I left Sweden but I did not read it until I arrived here. The result has been that I have gotten stuck in places like Bright and Thredbo, ski resorts which offer lots of brilliant hiking.

Because I did not bring any camping gear I can only see a small part of the National Parks and makes me realise that I have to come back to do more camping.

I had some bad luck with the weather in Bright. One day a storm prevented me from hiking and when the forecast promised me good weather on Mt Bogong, they were just joking... Mt Bogong is the highest peak in the Victorian Alps (1962 m, I think) and a challenge with its 1400 m elevation change in 8.5 km. In a few hours I was at the top and it was freezing... It was still frosty on the ground and a very cold wind was blowing. I managed to stay at the ridge for about an hour before it got too cold. It was partly cloudy and I had some good views but not the 360 degrees I was hoping for. The hike was beautiful though, especially when you reached the ridge above the tree line. On a nice summer day it would have been lovely to spend a day up there.

Mt Bogong.

On Mt Feathertop I was more lucky. I hiked the Razorback, a 10 km long ridge walk, to the top. When I started it was overcast but I could see blue skies at the horizon and I did have good views. About 1 hour before I reached the top clouds came rolling in and kept coming. It was not too cold on the top so I stayed there, had my lunch and hoped that the weather would get better. Just as I decided to leave the sun came out and when I turned around it was clear. I had the most fantastic view towards the Mt Buffalo Plateau.

The Razorback and Mt Feathertop.

On Mt Buffalo plateau I found my own little spot on Mt Dunn. This is one of the granite peaks on the plateau but obviously not the most visited. I got about one hour of solitude on the peak, one of those moments you feel like you are the only person in the world. Lovely! The highest peak on the plateau, the Horn, was full of people but a really good sunset spot. It had the most amazing colours.

Enjoying Mt Dunn.

On the way to Mt Dunn.

Sunset on the Horn.

In Thredbo, the main target was to climb Mt Kosciuszko, the highest mountain in Australia. Since Thredbo is a ski resort you can take the ski lift to almost 2000 m and then stroll up to the top at 2228 m. It is basically a highway to the top and it is very crowded because it is so accessable. The hike itself is not as rewarding as Mt Bogong but the views are spectacular from the top. Tomorrow I am heading up to the same area to climb a few more peaks.

On Mt Kosciuszko.

The Grampians

After reading about and seeing pictures from the Grampians I included Halls Gap to my travel itinerary. The mountains in the Grampians are not very high, below 1000 m, but they are spectacular. There is a lot of exposed rock (my favourite) and rock hoping or easy climbing is often required to reach the peaks. The highest mountain , Mt William, was actually the least spectacular in the area because there was a paved road all the way to the top which was littered by masts and a humming transformer. But the views and the sunrise from the top still made it worth while to go there. Sunrise on Mt William.

Mt Difficult, in the centre of the park, was very good. It took about 2 hours to reach the top and that was obviously enough to loose the crowds. Scott, an english guy who I met at the hostel, and I were the only ones there except for the wallaby which escaped as soon as we arrived.

View from Mt Difficult.

Made it!

My favourite though is Mt Stapylton, a not very famous peak in the northern part of the park. It was not very high in comparison but the rocky peak and the climbing required to get there was just the best.

Taking it easy on Mt Stapylton.

During my stay in the Grampians the weather was just perfect for hiking. It was around 22 degrees and sunshine. Can it be better?

Heavenly hiking

One of the highlights on this trip was the Overland Track, a 6 day hike on Tasmania. I have dreamt about hiking here for a long time and when I realised it was still hiking season I did not hesitate. The Overland Track is supposed to be one of the best in the world. Of course I had to see if this was true...
23 March I started the track with a tour company called Wilderness Expeditions. We were 6 tourists and 2 guides. Since I am travelling alone and not carrying any hiking gear I had to join a tour that would provide everything I needed. We carried all gear ourselves except food which the guides, poor guys, did. The gear was exceptional, Hilleberg tents and Marmot and North Face clothing.
Before we started I thought it was going to be harder. I am not used to carrying a lot, I usually go for one day or two day hikes were it is possible to buy a meal by the end of the day. My backpack weighed about 12 kg and honestly it was no problem at all. We hiked 3-5 hours a day and it felt like a luxury hike especially since the guides insisted on doing all the cooking... The first few days it was difficult to just hang around watching someone cook your food but it was surprisingly easy to get used to. :-)
Tasmania is not known for its good weather and I believe we were very lucky. We only had rain one day and some showers for two days but the rest of the time was fine. Temperatures were ranging from 5 degrees at night to about 20 when the sun came out. In the evening my hands and feet got a little cold but otherwise the gear kept me warm and cozy.
The scenery varied from great views of the vast country to lakes and rain forest. It was absolutely beautiful at all times and I was walking with a smile on my face for 6 days.
Of course can not any picture make the place justice and it is terribly difficult to choose a few pictures that would describe the whole track.

At Marions lookout. Cradle Mountain in the background.

One of the many lakes we passed.

Sunset at New Pelion Hut.

Never stop travel

The view was painfully beautiful at Cape Borda lookout on Kangaroo Island. The dramatic cliffs and the waves against the rocks in contrast with the soft afternoon sunlight. We saw dolphins playing in the waters further out to sea and the sea lions swimming closer to the rocks just below us.

I was talking to Marilyn, a lady double my age, who happened to take a left turn when she was supposed to take a right. She ended up at Kangaroo Island and did not know when she was going back home. She usually slept in her car but today she had treated herself to one of the cottages just by the light house. This was not the first time she was travelling like this and certainly not the last.

You just never know where life will take you. If you let it.


Marilyn. My hero.

To die for

This little baby koala was found under a tree without its mother. Is she not adorable?

Guess what I found on Kangaroo Island?

Kangaroos! And wallabies, lizards, scorpions, possums, koalas, sea lions and more. So far Kangaroo Island is the place in Australia I have seen most animals and that's without even looking very hard. Unfortunately they always turn their back to me when I want to take a photo... Kangaroos, wallabies and lizards were often seen from the car, unfortunately more often flat on the road than alive on the side of it (and no, Stu, I did not take any pictures).

One day I walked to Grassdale Lagoon on my way to Hanson Bay on the south coast. I found that it was packed with kangaroos early in the morning. I had no problems getting close to them. They did look a bit sceptically at me while chewing the grass and eventually lazily bounced off to a different location when I came too close.

At Seal Bay I saw a pup with its protective mother. The little sea lion took a few very hard looking "steps" before it fell back flat on its stomach like it suddenly decided to play dead. Otherwise there was not much action on the beach at Seal Bay, they were just lying around in the sun relaxing. I can understand that they need a few days of rest after being out to sea feeding for three days, which is what they apparently do.

Kangaroo Island is a very beautiful place. The scenery is spectacular and it is a very relaxed place. Definately worth a visit.

On the ferry to Kangaroo Island.

The southern coast of the island.
At Remarkable Rock, which really is remarkable!
The colour of the sea was amazing at Remarkable Rock. It had a deep blue intense tone which was fantastic.

Great road that leads down to Remarkable Rock and the light house.

It's a tough job but someone has to do it...

Wine tasting at Peter Lehmann in Barossa Valley.

Dear Adam

Dear Adam,

Too easy. That is probably my favourite of your favourite expressions. It sort of describes the West MacDonnells, the pub at Glen Helen and you.

Thank you for showing me more of the area and a couple of the best breakfast spots ever. Climbing Mt Sonder in the dark and having breakfast on the top is definately on the top 5 list of things to do. Ok, we missed the sunrise by a few minutes but the beauty of the place is unreal.

It was a treat to spend a couple of hours on the top before heading down for a swim in the gorge below.

I am very glad to have had the fortune to see some of the West MacDonnells with some who knows and truly loves the area.

The pub at Glen Helen is really the best water hole. The people and the atmosphere made me want to stay. I really hated to leave the beautiful sites and your good company.

Don't ever change!

Angela

Having breakfast on Mt Sonder at sunrise.

Like magic

I booked a 5 day tour in the Red Centre mostly because that is something you should do when in Australia. Then only thing I knew about the area was that this is where you find Uluru (Ayers Rock). I was not very keen on doing a tour either but decided it was the easiest way to see the place. I had chosen the bit more expensive tour and was happy to avoid the partying 21 year olds.

The first day we visited Uluru and did the base walk around the rock. The colors are wonderful and it is a quite cool rock. I did enjoy it, especially the sparkling wine in the sunset and sleeping under the stars.

Uluru at sunset.

Next stop was Kata Tjuta and a walk in the Valley of the Winds. Now I got a little more excited because I liked the hike and the views better.

The Valley of the Winds.

When we arrived in Kings Canyon the next day I was convinced that this is an area that one really has to experience. The colors are spectacular and the views fantastic.

My favourite spot in Kings Canyon.
Kings Canyon.

Day 4 we spent a few hours with Craig, who is an aboriginal. He told us about their culture and showed us some rock art. The stories he tells makes perfect sence when you are in this area.

Craig.

The last day in West MacDonnell National Park I probably fell in love with the place. I can not really say what it is, it just made me happy to be there. Maybe it is the emptiness (in comparison with the always busy Taiwan) and the space or the atmosphere and the people. Probably the combination. Our tour guide, Adam, obviously really loved the area and I think it rubbed off.

Ormiston Gorge.

When looking out on the desert you feel like you are the only person on earth. You see nothing at all in any direction except a beautiful landscape. No cities, roads, lights, nothing.

On Mt Sonder.

The Red Centre definately worked its magic on me and I hated to leave.

Darwin-Alice Springs

After a brief stop in Brisbane, I went to Darwin. In the end I only got one day there and the city itself might not need much more attention than that. I did however find some very nice places and had a good time. The reason why I went to Darwin at all was to catch the train to Alice Springs. I arrived yesterday and enjoyed the city and the company of some new friends. The sunset from Anzac hill was fantastic.The train ride itself seemed faster than I thought, the main reason being that I ended up in the restaurant car drinking beer with two Aussie truck drivers, one war veteran and some other travellers. We had a great time and the beer helped us fall asleep in the uncomfortable chairs. It is however very fascinating that you can go for 20 hours without actually seeing anything except desert. The reason why it takes so long is because the train's average speed is not more than 85 km/hour. Partly because there are a lot of animals in the area that might cause the train to derail if it is going to fast.