Mission Beach is located midway between Townsville and Cairns. For many it’s the gateway to visiting Dunk island which lies 4 km off the Australian east coast opposite the town of Mission Beach itself. Continue Reading…
Fresh from our trek to the magnificent Angel Falls the world’s highest waterfall we boarded a small plane to Ciudad Bolívar the capital of Venezuela’s South-eastern Bolívar State, which lies at the spot where the Orinoco River narrows to about a mile.
Ankles lashed together I shuffle to the edge. The sun shines bright and warm, a soft breeze caresses my cheek. Below me 340ft and 102m are the blue-grey waters of the Shotover river.
Huilo-Huilo is a biological reserve located in the heart of the Chilean Patagonia Rainforest under the Andes Mountain range. Covering over two hundred square miles of Valdivian forest, there are natural hot springs, untouched beaches and lagoons to explore as well as the Mocho volcano which is equipped for skiing. Located along the shores of Pirihueico Lake, near Panguipulli, the Huilo-Huilo Foundation is dedicated to the preservation of the park with one of its conservation projects protecting the Huemul deer which are in danger of extinction.
Raglan is located on State Highway 23, two hours south of Auckland, on the west coast of the Waikato region. Watched over by Mount Karioi, this surfing mecca offers breathtaking views, black sandy beaches and a superb choice of cafés. It’s said Manu Bay (The Point) has the longest, most accessible and consistent left-hand break in the world. If you have the skills, it’s possible to catch a wave and cruise for up to two kilometres! Alternatively, you can head over to Ngarunui Beach (Ocean Beach) for a swim where body boarding and surf lessons are also on offer. We were only in Raglan a couple of days so we opted to stay on foot but there was much to explore.
We had a busy start to our stay in New Zealand having landed two days late following an un-scheduled stop in LA. Our friends had texted to welcome us to the North Island only to discover we were enjoying wine and cheese with locals at Santa Monica beach! We made it to Hamilton in time for an important cricket match before dragging ourselves to Rotorua to see geysers and thermal mud pools. Next on the list as we made our way southward was Waitomo.
Our time in the jungle with the Pemon indians and our visit to the World’s highest waterfall, Angel Falls, were certainly the highlights of our trip round Venezuela. Access to Canaima National Park is only by air so when we left, the only way to reach Ciudad Bolívar was via a 4 seater Cessna.
The Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort is renowned for being one of the best places to watch the Northern Lights. From August right through to the end of April, you can admire the delights of the skies from your own glass igloo. Not only that, the new Kelo–Glass igloos combine the comfort and warmth of Kakslauttanen’s log cabins with the views of their world-famous glass igloos. Continue Reading…
One of the most exciting experiences I had whilst travelling around New Zealand was exploring the majestic Franz Josef glacier. Named by the eminent German Geologist Julius von Haast in honour of the Emperor of Austria Franz Josef I of Austria.
The Franz Josef glacier (Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere) is on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand. The glacier descends deep into the lush rainforest of Westland’s National Park, from a height of 2,700m above sea level to only 240m in less than 7 miles, making it the worlds steepest and fastest flowing commercially guided glacier.
Angel Falls is the World’s highest waterfall, dropping a total of 978m from the summit of the Auyan Tepuy, and with an 807m uninterrupted drop. There are no overland routes to Canaima National Park, the gateway to Angel Falls, and access is only by air. The area is filled with grassland and dense jungle along the course of the rivers and at the base of the tepuis – plateaus that are millions of years old with vertical walls and flat tops.
We flew from London to Caracas where we stayed in a hotel for the night. The following day, we took a plane from Caracas to Puerto Ordaz followed by a Cessna to Canaima. The best way to see Angel Falls is through an organised tour of 2-3 days which is what we’d opted for.
