This is my favourite image from my trip to Greenland this year. Taken on Day 3 of the Unplugged Wilderness Trek with Greenland Adventures by Icelandic Mountain Guides, it (almost) perfectly captures everything I loved about the trek and the reasons why the experience was so special to me. Many people have asked me about […]
Why I love long-distance trekking Read More »
Day 5 Out in the kayaks early today for a paddle to explore the southern end of the Comau Fjord. Glassy water, no wind, easy paddling – now THIS is what I was expecting! THIS is what all those kayaking videos spruik – paddling lazily along taking your time and poking your nose
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Day 4 The next day saw another brilliant blue sky and an opportunity to do a little hiking – up to a lake a little further up the valley. This hike had to be timed to coincide with low tide, and we had to get there and back before the tide rose too much,
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Day 3 Day 3 of our kayaking trip to explore the fjords in the north of Pumalín Park dawned bright and sunny again. Given we were already just across from our campsite scheduled for Day 3 (thanks to the storm), after another amazing breakfast aboard the Don Miguel, we hit the kayaks and went for a
Kayaking the Comau Fjord – Cahuelmó Fjord Read More »
Day 2 Awoke not feeling too bad given the unfamiliar and extended exercise of yesterday. The clouds had rolled in, however, and the forecast of rain was looking more and more accurate. After an amazing breakfast on board the Don Miguel, we suited up in our kayaking gear and headed off towards Quintupeu Fjord.
Kayaking the Comau Fjord – Isla Llancahué to Quintupeu Fjord Read More »
For the past several years I’ve wanted to include a multi-day kayaking trip as part of my adventures. However, mostly due to the fact that I travel independently and it is tricky to find others who are up for an extended activity at the same time I am, it hasn’t happened. Until now! Trawling
Kayaking the Comau Fjord – Hornopirén to Isla Llancahué Read More »
Much closer than Cerro Vizcachas, in fact just below the road where it passes below the 3.6m telescope, are the rock engravings, or petroglyphs, of La Silla. I visited these a couple of times when I first arrived at La Silla about 15 years ago, but haven’t been back since. Given I was wandering
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If you walk around the La Silla Observatory site at all, it’s hard to miss the road that starts just below the 2.2m telescope and heads out to Cerro Vizcachas. It was constructed back in the 1990s when the European Southern Observatory was conducting site testing at various locations to determine where they would ultimately build the Very
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Between 2000 and 2004 I worked as an astronomer for the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile. ESO had 2 observatories in Chile at the time – the older La Silla Observatory that had been in operation since the 1960s, and the new Paranal Observatory where the Very Large Telescope was just starting operations with all
La Silla Observatory Read More »
One of the things I wanted to do this time around on Easter Island was head out to Tongariki for the sunrise. There are excursions offering this for US$60 per person for a 3 hour trip (ouch!), so I decided to rent a scooter instead (even cheaper) to ensure I got out there to see
Easter Island – Part 5 Read More »
