Monday, February 27, 2012

A Short Update on Tassie

We have been bouncing all over Tasmania, thats an island just south of Australia, for the past two weeks.  We started in the Northeast and have made a full circuit going clockwise around the island.  We have seen a lot and had an amazing time but two weeks just isn't enough for a place so packed to the brim with wild sights and adventure.  I've got heaps of photos to post in the near future but here is just a little taste for now.

While traveling about Tazzie we met up with Jason Hosler our Canadian friend who has been in Australia for over a year now.  He is a fantastic photographer, river rat raft guide, mountain bike guide and all around Tasmawesome guy.  He has a blog of his own full of fantastic photos and adventure.  I highly recommend checking it out and following it.  Who knows, maybe one day you will find yourself needing an adventure photographer (photographist?) of your own?  Jason is one of the bearded fellows bellow.


Real explorers have beards. (Adriana Weil)

Playing the Didgeridoo (Adriana Weil) 

Tasmanian Devil (Adriana Weil)

Tassie Devil (Tyler Roberts)

A sleepy Echidna (Adriana Weil)

I am the small spot to the top right of Ralph Falls (Adriana Weil)

A backpackers shower.  (Jason Hosler)

Jumping over Cradle Mountain (Jason Hosler)

Wineglass Bay and Hazard's Beach (Tyler Roberts)

A comfy spot on the top of Cradle Mountain. (Jason Hosler)



Thats it for now but stay tuned to see more soon...




Margaret River

These are all from the Southwest area of Australia.  It is a beautiful place and my favorite spot on the west coast.  I could write pages and pages on each photo here but as time is short I will summarize heavily in caption form.




Life springs back.



This is the Gloucester Tree, a 60 meter tall tree with rebar spiraling around it that you can climb to the top.
They stand at the top of this tree to keep a lookout for forest fires.


Lake Cave
Lake Cave
Lake Cave sinkhole
Margaret River surf







Adriana's photos


Top of the Gloucester Tree

I am a scared of heights and this was a serious accomplishment for me


Wine tasting

The Vineyard

I like the smell of rosemary.





Dave O'Reilly our surf instructor


The aftermath of some serious fires in Margaret River


Penguin Island

Because I have too many pictures and not nearly enough time or internet connectivity I will just throw up a few backlogged photos.

These are from the West coast of Australia just south of Perth on a small Island called Penguin Island.  These Penguins are in captivity but wild ones do regularly visit the area as well.









Saturday, February 11, 2012

Wander Wonder


Not all those who wander are lost.
~J.R.R. Tolkien~


Australian Coat of Arms featuring the Kangaroo and Emu. (Tyler Roberts)

Mandurah (Tyler Roberts)
I love traveling.  There are so many wonderful things to see and places to experience.  We have been from Perth to Pemberton in Australia's Southwest and have been having the time of our lives.  The city of Perth is a bustling hub of activity where you can find all the amenities you might crave, at a price of course.  Usually that price goes beyond our budget so Adriana and I have been exploring south of the city.  We spent a few days in Mandurah and Margaret River while the place we call home at the moment is the aptly named Safety Bay.

My friend Mick Miller from Tasmania has taken it upon himself to be our Australian tour guide and is doing a hell of a job already, introducing us to friends of his from all over so that we can travel cheap and be in good company the whole time.  His sister in Safety Bay has become our adoptive parent for the moment and outdoes herself everyday seeing to it that we are having a good time.  I love the people here with all my heart.

The other day as we were resting in Mandurah after a long walk to town we met some people who were out on their boat touring the canals of the city.  We had offered a hand in securing the boat and then got chatting with them about our travels, as you do.  They were very friendly and offered us a short tour of the canals with them.  We were only too happy to accept the ride from Captain Jeff and his crew Brian, Nola and Margaret.  We trolled lazily about the area as they gave us an impromptu narration of the sights and history of the city.  It was the highlight to our day and a kindness that I hope to repay to the world one day.  We had such a great time and could not thank them enough.  

Margaret, Nola, Brian, Adriana and Captain Jeff.  I apologize if I spelled any names wrong. (Tyler Roberts)

The places we are traveling are beautiful and the sights and sounds are intoxicating but it is the people that make me love this country and it is thanks to them that we are able to experience all of this.  I am sure that this will not be the last time I wonder over the hospitality and good will of the strangers we meet while we wander.

Laughing Kookaburra (Tyler Roberts)

A very large spider. (Tyler Roberts)


Long-billed Corellas.  A species of Cockatoo. (Tyler Roberts)

Mandurah with Adriana and Emily (Tyler Roberts)

Pacific Black Duck (Tyler Roberts)

We have become fairly obsessed with jumping pictures. (Adriana Weil)

(Tyler Roberts)


Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Goodbye Shark Bay



I have now officially left Shark Bay and began to travel around the rest of Australia.  My time has been unforgettable and unrepeatable.  If you have read any of the earlier posts than you surely know that I have strong feelings for the place and the people that call it home.  It is sad to go, to move away from everyone that I have only just become friends with but I am ready to see what else Australia has in store for me.





First stop is Perth in the southwest.  Adriana and I were lucky enough to have a couple friends, Katie and Emily, from Monkey Mia heading down south about the same time so we all made the trek together.  It might sound boring to drive for 10 hours across the wide bushland of WA but with great people time always moves too quickly.







HMAS Sydney II Memorial








The Pinnacles

Mysterious spires of limestone rock rising eerily out of the sand. What are these tombstones that seem as if they were the remnant of some ancient graveyard?





We are now staying in Safety Bay just south of Perth with two of the sweetest people, Kathy and Dave.  From here we are moving all about the southwest taking in whatever we can before we are off to Tasmania.  You could not ask for better hosts than Kathy, Dave and their dogs.

Teddy, Adriana and Charlie at Kathy and Dave's House