http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/ATTS/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from ATTS en-us Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:31:19 +0000 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:31:19 +0000 Our trip from Adelaide to Bangkok was reasonably hassel free after locking up the house we headed to the bus stop down the road catching the J1 directly to the airport. I was pretty happy with the seats we were issued there were only two on each side of the plane and we were right at the back apart from a few screaming kids in the vicinity it was a pleasant ride through to Singapore.In Singapo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Bangkok/blog-450349.html Arrived at the meeting place near the Inman Valley hall early on a sunday morning 2792009 I was feeling unwell which hadnt improved by the time the buses dropped the walkers at the trail head on Tugwell Rd. The walk was mainly through pleasant farm land with the odd hill along the way and intermitant rain. The highlight of the walk came after a steep climb through a farmers paddock we emer http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/South-Australia/Myponga/blog-440100.html I returned to the Heysen trail Sunday 23082009 for the Waitpinga to Victor Harbor leg. This section was about 19km and took four and a half hours on a beautiful 20 degree centigrade day. About eight kilometres of this walk was along the cliffs not far from Victor Harbor which were inceredibly dramatic and spectacular. Unfortunately I took my small camera and the batteries ran out so missed http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/South-Australia/Victor-Harbor/blog-431039.html Well after a few health ailments I am heading back on the trail this weekend 27 July to complete the Balquidder to Waitpinga section of the trail. After driving for more than 2 hours to reach the meeting point at Newlands Head I registered for the walk and mounted one of the 3 buses heading for the start point at the corner of Callawonga and Tunk Head Roads.I joined the fast group as is the nor http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/South-Australia/Victor-Harbor/blog-420987.html 24 May 2009In rainy weather Ruth and I drove the two hours from our home to the Trail head at Tapanappa and were greeted with stunning vistas of the Southern Ocean and Tunkalilla Beach in the distance. We registered with the walk group and climbed on the bus for the ride to the start point at Cobblers Hill where we visited the smelly camp toilet before setting off by ourselves. The first 2 kilom http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/South-Australia/Heysen/blog-401924.html After a few months of planning I am heading up to Parachina to walk the northern most section of the Heysen Trail. I am doing this walk over 4 days with Tim Mark and Marks dad Kim the plan was to leave at 5 am on Thursday 145 and drive the 5 hours up to the Prairie Hotel at Parachilna where we will be staying hopefully we will be on the trail to complete the first section to Aroona Ruins by http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/South-Australia/Wilpena/Flinders-Ranges-National-Park/blog-366574.html 5 April 2009This morning Tim and I drove our cars down to Myponga to complete another leg of the Heysen Trail two hours passed from the time I left home till the time we began the walk almost all legs closer to home have now been completed. The first hour of the walk was though the Yulte Conservation Park and involved some steep and difficult climbs through virgin native bush and was as enjoya http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/South-Australia/Heysen/blog-368164.html This morning I am being picked up and driven by mini bus through the palm oil plantations to a lodge on the Kinabatangan River. This was my first road trip in Borneo and the countryside is not what I expected the deep jungles and the bumpy little roads of my imagination are no more instead there where miles and miles of palm oil plantations or scorched land. After a long trip we arrived on the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/blog-373477.html This morning at 8am 171 after parking cars at each trail head Ruth and I began the Montacute Heights to Chain of Ponds leg of the Heysen Trail. This would ultimately be the toughest leg I have attempted by far and would take the longest amount of time to complete. We began the walk at Montacute Heights following the Narrow Range Rd here we had a close up look at the Yellow Tailed Black Cockat http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/South-Australia/Adelaide-Hills/Mount-Lofty/blog-362641.html Today 111 Tim and I completed the Dashwood Gully Rd Meadows to Kyeema Conservation Park leg of the trail. I left my car on Wick Rd and then guided Tim to the entrance to Kyeema Conservation Park on Woodgate Hill Rd getting lost only briefly along the way. The first section through the Conservation Park was probably the highlight of this walk lush stunning natural bushland for about a kilom http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/South-Australia/Adelaide-Hills/Kyeema-Conservation-Park/blog-361642.html Today we headed North of Adelaide to complete the Mt Crawford to Kaiser Stuhl leg of The Heysen Trail Ruth Tim and I arrived at the spot on Mount Rd where we ended a previous walk a few weeks ago and dropped off Ruth's car then I drove to the entrance to the trail head for the Kaiser Stuhl Track on Brownes Rd where we left my car just on 8am on the 29 December 2008. This is the first stage of http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/South-Australia/Barossa-Valley/Kaiser-Stuhl-Conservation-Park/blog-358124.html Back on the trail again 2712 this time I am walking with my mates Tim and Steve I picked Tim up just after 6.30 am before heading to Steve's place we took two cars leaving mine just of Dashwood Gully Rd and Steve's at Mylor right in front of the deli. We left my car at 7.45 am beginning the walk by following some back roads past a few farms before arriving on the edge of the Kuitpo Forest abo http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/South-Australia/Adelaide-Hills/Mylor/blog-356270.html We awoke early as we do and went for another bread and jam breakfast we had the company of an old French guy and a Polish professor who was interesting to talk too. At 8.30 Walter drove us to the wharf so we could catch our ferry to Moorea the tickets cost about 14 each the ferry was large modern and very similar to those in the Greek Isles. The crossing took only about 30 minutes but that w http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/French-Polynesia/Moorea/blog-348125.html The Heysen Trail at 1250km running from Cape Jervis in the South to Parachilna Gorge in the far North is rated as one of the worlds 7 great walks I was amazed when I read this so I started looking into how to go about doing it. I did walk part of the most southern section from Cape Jervis to Fishery Creek in 2005 about 6km and had plans at the time to go back down there and do more but never http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/South-Australia/Kersbrook/blog-356223.html I was up early which is pretty much always the case when its time to move on Veia drove us to the airport at 8.30am where we were able to grab a toasted sandwich for breakfast. Later Ruth went to throw her wrapper in the bin a moment later she came back raving about big spiders in the bin I went over to look and it turned out to be a land crab after seeing that one we began to see others scut http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/French-Polynesia/Tahiti/Papeete/blog-346495.html It is market day on Raro so although we are stiff and sore from the trek we headed to the Punanga Nui Market this morning. It's Ruth's mums birthday today so we picked them up and headed to Avarua. The market was interesting as markets tend to be anywhere in the world there were lots of different foods and arts and crafts. The weather is not the best rain has forced us to duck in and out of sh http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Aitutaki/blog-344964.html To day is a big day up early again and waiting out the front of the resort for the four wheel drive tour group to arrive 5 couples in total were on our vehicle. We then met up with to other 4wd's from Raro Tours the tour leader then introduced himself and the drivers we recieved some excellent commentary on various landmarks on the way to the first stop at Wigmore Falls. Unfortunately the wat http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-343589.html Its still blowing a gale this morning and the skies are overcast so much for tropical paradise . Had a leisurely morning before heading back to Avarua to visit the market and see if any stalls were open one of the open shops had some fantastic carvings so purchased a statue of Tangaroa God of fertility a carved outrigger canoe a carved paddle and a native carved drum. I was very happy with http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-343122.html Ruth woke me around 4.30am she was a little frightened as the wind has not ceased and she feared the roof would blow of or that we would get washed away in a tidal wave after providing comfort and reassurance we slept till 8.30am. The wedding planner Teresa is due at 10am so we showered dressed and had some breakfast getting ready to face the day Teresa arrived on time and we spent about hal http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-343104.html After a year of intolerable idleness its now time to embark on a new adventure. This time its off too the South Pacific with a stint in the Cook Islands and French Polynesia. I must admit that after spending my first winter at home in 5 years I am looking forward to balmy days under a palm tree on a nice beach with a beer in my hand. This trip is special for more than just the weather as Ruth http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-312260.html