Recent adventures
In the past 12 months, I’ve…
- Gazed into the eye of a whale in waters off Fraser Island
- Trekked from Fraser Island’s Pile Valley back to Kingfisher Bay
- Checked out pet-friendly campsites …with my dog, of course
- Developed a hankering for fried pickles while exploring downtown Nashville’s honky tonks
- Listened to the Grand Ole Opry from a back row seat in Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium
- Decided that Dollywood is, by far, the least tacky part of Pigeon Forge
- Spent an afternoon being a Goonie in Astoria, Oregon
- Run my first marathon around Timothy Lake, Oregon
- Explored bike-friendly Portland using pedal power
- Walked the waterfall-rich Warrie circuit in Springbrook National Park
- Hiked in the Grampians (Gariwerd) and been captivated by the stories told in Brambuk, the National Park and Cultural Centre
- Lost count of koalas gracing the trees in Great Otway National Park
- Explored sections of the Great Ocean Walk and captured coastal views most motorists miss
- Hiked and kayaked in Royal National Park, the second oldest national park in the world
- Gained a lofty perspective of the Hawkesbury Valley, NSW
- Explored the country town of Yarraman and nearby Bunya Mountains National Park
- Followed in Dan Brown’s footsteps on a Lost Symbol tour of Washington, DC
- Kayaked to Teerk Roo Ra (Peel Island) National Park and Green Island
- Tried to emulate Dancing Matt on a sand dune in Lancelin
- Surfed, hiked, canoed and dragged myself through a cave in the Margaret River region
- Slightly cheated while hiking from Tangalooma to Mt Tempest on Moreton Island
- Hunted for Brisbane’s best veggie burger
- Cheated on roughing it while camping in Lamington National Park
- Spotted my first Southern Right Whale from Basham Beach
- Observed little penguins waddle to their burrows on Granite Island
- Enjoyed vinotherapy in the Barossa without turning purple
- Learned to make inside-out sushi at a cooking school in the Adelaide Hills
- Cracked clues on a scavenger hunt wine tour in South Australia’s McLaren Vale region
- Discovered a foodie heaven in the Adelaide Hills
- Represented Australia as a member of the age-group sprint team during the Gold Coast ITU World Championships
- Looked for black bears at the Peaks of Otter