The Outback!

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Yo hows it? long time no see, its been a year since my last blog from Thailand which feels like so long ago now.

Im now living in central Australia, based out of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory to be exact and have been for the last 2 weeks and will be until the end of september. I am working for a very cool company called World Expeditions guiding 3, 7 & 14 day treks on the Larapinta Trail throu the West MacDonnell Ranges. Its such an amazing place here, its winter time and the other day it was about 35C. We have quite a few river crossings which crack me up as unlike the Routeburn/Milford which can sometimes be impassable and raging torrents they are all sand and dirt, no water to be seen an just eucalyps scattered throu them. There is some amazing birds, insects, reptiles and critters in the outback. The coolest I think is the horny devil. Not cause of the name, thou that is a cool name,.... ill just show a pic an you'll see. We walk throu all different terrains, have some primo water holes to swim in and sleep in swags under the stars each night, and what stars they are! I can't see how anywhere in the world could possibly compete with the stars out there with no light pollution or high mountains for hundreds an hundreds of kms, every night so far has beaten the best I'd ever seen. One morning, kinda the highlight of the tour, we are up at 2am, walk 8kms to the summit of Mt Sonder by 6am and watch the sunrise over the desert from what feels like the top of the world. Alice Springs itself is quite a cool place with heaps of cafes, wicked art everywhere and alot of history and culture on the aboriginal way of life out here.

The past year since the last blog has been all over the place it feels. Came back from Thailand, did some Lord of the Rings tours and snowboard guiding out of Queenstown. Drove the length of New Zealand a couple of times, made a bit of furniture and caught some waves along the way. Spent the last New Zealand summer back guiding for Ultimate hikes and getting in quite a few missions throughout. Hit a couple of festivals down south, heaps of beach camping and chilling with the brother Forest an crew and a couple of hikes outside of work to. Hollyford Track is epic check it!

Unsure of the plans after this chapter with World Ex but thats kinda how I like it, get in touch if your around Alice Springs ways of the next 4 months. Here a few of around here and randoms over the last year. Peace love and lightening to you all. Dan

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Photos

Lake Alabaster
Early morning Hollyford solo

Ems graduates, again!
Ems post grad in Aucks ith Nana an Grandad

Porpoise Bay with the dolphins in bottom left
New years day, primo

The Speedo walk of shame
Josh an I, down town Queenstown

Comments

[shane blyth]

nice one mate
So there you are . Nice one looks like a great place especially for winter...

[paul huntress]

bro
Dude, didn't know u made it to the sunny coast!! i'm living at noosa.... fraser is sick as and the swell at tea tree is epic when she gets huge!! love the pics...if u coming back dis way hit me up and u can crash at mine!! peace...say hi to russ if ya hear from him