Kruger National Park didn’t disappoint…More photos…

Wildebeest in the bush.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A mom and her calf.

Today is US income tax filing day, although it’s tomorrow when it fell on a Sunday. Fortunately, our trusty accountant in Nevada completed our taxes, and they’re filed with the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). That’s one less thing to think about. 

A vast expanse of the Crocodile River.

Over the past month or so, I’ve been gathering the data to submit after having forwarded all of our tax documents to him that had been arriving at our mailing service in Nevada since the first of the year. 

Giraffe crossing the paved road in Kruger.

We’re glad that’s behind us now as we begin to review and contemplate our upcoming itinerary. At this point, we’re considering some changes for 2019, which, once completed, we’ll post here. 

Tom says this looks like a “magistrate.”  I say it looks like a type of eagle.  Louise explained it was a Fish Eagle.

The certainty in our itinerary are the times we’ll spend in 2019 visiting family in Minnesota (our kids and grandkids), Nevada (son Richard and sister Susan), Arizona (Tom’s three sisters who spend their winters there), and California (my sister Julie and other relatives). However, the specific dates of our arrival may change slightly. 

Louise explained this is a saddled bulled stork. Thanks, Louise!

However, we’re considering swapping out a cruise for an adventure in Africa. We’ll soon share, providing it all works out. We’ve inquired with several questions and look forward to a response soon. 

Oxpecker eating insects off a giraffe’s neck.

As for the past 24 hours, we spent a glorious day and evening on the veranda. The wildlife visited us all day and evening while we reveled in taking more photos while observing their behavior.

We were excited to see this hippo and her baby. Waiting patiently, we hoped for more.

Each species has its personality traits and behaviors we find fascinating, including distinct characteristics of each animal. The longer we’re here, the more apparent this becomes and the more interested we become in discovering more and more about them.

A short time later, we were able to capture this shot.

At the moment, as we’re situated on the veranda, there’s a troop of baboons racing across the roof of our house. The noise is earsplitting. Tom is carrying an extension pole, used for cleaning the high spaces, and by holding this pole over his head and making some grunting noises, he can usually scare them off.

And then, this shot of her calf.

As much as we love all the wildlife in Marloth Park, the baboons are destructive as they can be. If somehow they manage to get inside a house, they’ll tear it to pieces in no time at all, leaving a poopy fiasco behind. 

This wildebeest was rolling around in the dirt.

We can’t leave anything outside when we leave since they won’t hesitate to destroy anything they find. This has happened once since we arrived, and although we left nothing for them to destroy, they left piles of poop and pools of pee on the veranda we promptly cleaned. Yuck. 

A southern ground hornbill.

The smaller Vervet monkeys aren’t as destructive, but they too can leave a mess behind. We often find them playing with Marta’s brooms and wet mops she leaves outdoors to dry in the side yard.

She was nibbling on vegetation.

Today, we’ll take a drive to see what wonders are awaiting us right here in Marloth Park. It rained for about 10 minutes this morning, but now it appears the sun will be coming out again soon. 

Have a bright sunny day!

Photo from one year ago today, April 15, 2017:

There’s a glitch in our system which doesn’t show a post for this date, one year ago, perhaps due to the International Dateline difference of one day.  We’re not going to try to resolve this issue.  As a result, today’s photo is from April 14, 2017:

A day at Manly Beach for school kids. For more details, please click here.

Capes, crocs and cattle egrets…Kruger National Park didn’t disappoint…Safari luck prevails…

Seeing a crocodile in the wild is quite exciting. This croc sat there for a very long time with its mouth open. 

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Often a warthog is seen lurking in our bush photos. They’re smart. If they hang around long enough after they’ve had their fair share of pellets, we’ll throw pellets for other animals, and they can get in on the action. Tom says, “Pigs, what do you expect?” I love them anyway!

It’s 10:30 am, and I just finished loading the photos and writing the captions for the photos we’re posting today. Yesterday, during our foray to Kruger National Park, we managed to take many satisfying shots of a variety of wildlife.

Once we spotted this Cape Buffalo, we were determined to find more to take better photos. Safari luck prevailed, and a few hours later, we got the shots shown here.

Today, once again, it’s a gorgeous sunny day, not too hot, not too humid, with a slight breeze wafting through the bush every so often. As more and more visitors stop by our yard, adding to our enthusiasm, we revel in sharing the photos from Kruger we’re posting today and others we’ll include over the next few days.

Avid grazers, the Cape Buffalo can have its head in the grass for hours. It takes a lot of vegetation to satisfy the appetite of these monstrous beasts.

Here’s a list of what we found during the three pleasant hours we spent in the park: (not in any particular order)

1.  Giraffe
2.  Elephant
3.  Wildebeest
4.  Impala
5.  Kudu
6.  Duiker
7.  Crocodile
8.  Cape Buffalo
9.  Hippo and baby
10. Southern Ground Hornbill
11. Eagle
12. Vultures
13. Zebra
14. Variety of small birds

When we spotted this croc with an open mouth, we wondered what was inside. We zoomed in for the better shot, as shown in today’s main photo.

We managed to take photos of all of these species, and over the next few days, we’ll share those we found to be most interesting. Today, we decided to focus on the Cape Buffalo and crocodiles we’d yet to see since our arrival in South Africa on February 11th, after several trips into Kruger.

Another croc we saw on the opposite side of the bridge.

Kruger’s paved road runs through the massive 19,485 km² (7,523 square miles). We decided it was best to stay on this road with concern over a slow leak in one of the little blue rental car’s tires.

From this site: The African buffalo is one of the most successful grazers in Africa. It lives in swamps and floodplains and mopane grasslands and forests of the major mountains of Africa. This buffalo prefers a habitat with dense cover, such as reeds and thickets, but can also be found in open woodland. While not particularly demanding about habitat, they require water daily, so they depend on perennial water sources. Like the plains zebra, the buffalo can live on tall, coarse grasses. Herds of buffalo mow down grasses and make way for more selective grazers. When feeding, the buffalo uses its tongue and wide incisor row to eat grass more quickly than most other African herbivores. Buffaloes do not stay on trampled or depleted areas for long.”

Some assume the only way to see the most wildlife is to get off the main road and onto the dirt roads. But we’ve found no consistency in where wildlife will be. They can be located on or near remote dirt roads, and they can just as well be found on or near the paved road. It’s the same thing here in Marloth Park.

Nor does a sunny or cloudy day seem to be determining factor as to what we’ll see.  Although, we have experienced fewer sightings during rain storms, especially with thunder and lightning. Even wildlife like to stay undercover during inclement weather.

From this site:  “The African buffalo or Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a large African bovineIt is not closely related to Asia’s slightly larger wild water buffalo, and its ancestry remains unclear. Syncerus caffer caffer, the Cape buffalo, is the typical subspecies and the largest one found in South and East Africa. S. c. nanus (African forest buffalo) is the smallest subspecies, common in Central and West Africa forest areas, while S. c. brachyceros is in West Africa and S. c. aequinoctialis is in the savannas of East Africa. The adult buffalo’s horns are its characteristic feature; they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head referred to as a “boss.” They are widely regarded as hazardous animals, as they gore and kill over 200 people every year.”

Yesterday’s beautiful sunny day enabled us to take many good photos, which we’re thrilled to share. We realize that our daily animal stories can be redundant, and some of our readers who may not be animal lovers may become bored with our site.

We attempt to divert from the magic of the wonders surrounding us, and from time to time, we do. In 28 days, we’ll be heading to Zambia and Botswana for more adventures. Although some of that trip will be about wildlife, more of it will include scenery and magnificent places to see in the wild; Victoria Falls, the Zambezi River, and the Okavango Delta.

These Cape Buffalos looked content lounging in the water at the Verhami dam on a sunny day with a few oxpeckers on their hides.

Undoubtedly, one week in that environment will result in weeks of photos and stories we’ll excitedly be sharing with all of you. Please bear with us in the interim as we continue to embrace our immediate surroundings, so rich and filled with the mystery of nature so abundantly provided.

We waited, hoping to be able to get a good photo of the Cape Buffalo’s faces.

For us, it’s a learning process along with the almost constant surge of feel-good hormones surging through our brains while we witness one heart-pounding experience after another. 

Finally, a full face shot of a Cape Buffalo, a “face only a mother could love.”

When we returned in the afternoon, we busied ourselves with a few household tasks (Marta on vacation for a week), including sweeping the veranda, which, once again was covered with soot from the burning in the sugar cane field that seems to cover everything.

On our return drive to the Crocodile Gate exit, we finally were able to get close enough while on a bridge to get some decent views of these majestic animals, one of the “Big Five.”

We invited our new next-door neighbors, Rene and Case (our ages), visiting renters like us (they’re from the Netherlands), for happy hour at 5:00 pm. It was delightful to chat with them to hear of their passion for Marloth Park, which they’ve visited regularly for many years. The commonality that we all share for this place is refreshing and heartwarming. 

We made a plan that the four of us will go to lunch on Tuesday at the Border Country Inn, where we’d gone with Louise and Danie on Easter Sunday. (They are in Cape Town now, returning next Friday. We already miss them!)

Cattle egret in a marshy area at the Crocodile Bridge exit.

That’s it for today, folks! We’ll be back at you tomorrow with more!   

Have a happy and fulfilling day!

Photo from one year ago today, April 14, 2017:

Surfers took advantage of the excellent surf in Manly, Australia. For more, please click here.

Antarctic – Sunday, January 28, 2018…Elsehul, South Georgia…Morning cruise on Zodiac boats…

This elephant seal on Steeple Jason Island didn’t care for our photo-taking antics.

It was an early start to the day when we had to be dressed in our heavy gear to embark upon a 75 minute Zodiac boat cruise of Elsehul Island located on South Georgia Island. Initially, the plan had been to leave a little later in the morning, but the captain decided it was best to go out earlier rather than later with bad weather on the horizon.

About one in 1000 seal births results in this light color resulting from low melanin production. Although not albino, the offspring of these seals may also be the light color or not.

Awakening at 5:15 am, we showered and dressed in our multiple layers to keep us warm in the potentially high winds and colder temperatures than we’d experienced in over five years. We had no trouble getting up and ready, heading to deck three lounge to wait for our designated color “blue” t0 be called to board the boats.

A male fur seal keeping watch.  We were warned not to get too close to the males. They can readily become agitated and can attack.  Their bite can be dangerous.

One of our readers wrote asking how hard it is to board the somewhat wobbly Zodiac boats, especially in rough weather. As part of our safety procedures during an expedition cruise, one section consisted of getting on and off the ships and ensuring we don’t tip overboard on the fast bouncy rides if we’re in rough seas. 

This Elephant Seal didn’t look so happy.

Thick ropes are surrounding the perimeter of the Zodiac we can hang onto in rough seas. But, as shown in our photos, sitting on the outside edge of the boats doesn’t feel exceptionally stable. It would be awful to plunge into the ice-cold seas in this part of the world. Getting off and on has now become second nature, even with my injured knee.

Lounging fur seals, adults, and pups.

In addition, we’ve continued to go through a series of decontamination procedures each time we board and disembark the 10-person boats. Keeping Antarctica free of germs and contamination from outside areas is vital to the preservation of wildlife and vegetation in this protected area.

Basking in the warmth of the sun.

Prior to boarding the boats, while wearing our boots (provided by Ponant) we are required to walk through a disinfectant liquid that clears any bacteria or organisms we may have picked aboard the ship. 

A watchful eye for the family…

After our expedition, we not only walk through the liquid again, but we stop at a station where there are large pans of disinfectant and long-handled scrub brushes in order to clean the boots from any residual guano or vegetation. 

King Penguins were standing by the shore at Steeple Jason Island.

In addition to the above, yesterday afternoon, each deck was scheduled at a specific time to bring their parkas, boots, gloves, scarves, and hat to the third deck lounge to vacuum each item to remove any residual items that may have become attached to our outerwear.  

An affectionate family interaction.

We appreciate and respect the diligence with which the cruise line honors these actual eco and conservation laws as a part of the honor of being a visitor to this majestic place.

Four King Penguins were contemplating their next move.

Over these past five days, since we’ve boarded the ship, we’ve become a part of a 10-person group of passengers with whom we hang out, meet for happy hour and dine each evening.  

We observed a total of three of these rare light-colored fur seals.

The instigators of these great group of people have been perpetrated by new friends and US citizens Marg and Steve with homes in Montana and Arizona. Marg’s bubbly and charming personality certainly designate her as the most competent of social directors.

Penguins were lining the shore.

Our group consists of five couples; two from Australia and three from the US. It’s a perfect mix of varying ages (from 30’s to 70’s) and lifestyles, making the conversations and laughter flow with ease.  On most cruises, we tend to single out English speaking people (duh, makes sense, right?) and as always, we’re having a great time with our new friends.

It was a pretty scene in Steeple Jason Island.
I asked guest services to print a copy of the countries from which the 194 passengers hail, and it reads as follows:
Australia               37

Canada                 29

China                    2France                  55
Germany               3Hong Kong            12
Luxembourg          3New Zealand          1
Spain                    2Switzerland            23
United Kingdom     11USA                      16
Total                    194
King Penguins were hanging out on a hill.

Most of the passengers from Canada, Luxembourg, and Switzerland speak French. Adding those citizens to the French group accounts for 110 passengers who speak French. This French ship starts all announcements in French but is accommodating in providing information shortly after that in English.  It’s working out fine for those of us English-speaking passengers.

Tom noticed a “face” formation in these rocks.  Do you see this too?

I have to rush and wrap this up.  In less than 40 minutes, we have to be dressed in the warm weather gear and ready to go for our next excursion in Stromness in South Georgia. Due to bad weather conditions, the actual “port of call” has been changed to a small historical town with plenty of wildlife. We’ll be back with more soon. Stay warm. Stay well.

Closeup of King Penguins.

Photo from one year ago today, January 28, 2017:

Many carved statues were overlooking the Huon River in Tasmania. We stopped to read about each of them. For more photos, please click here.

Update on stranded pilot whales in New Zealand…A bit of “this and that”…Balance of Home Hill Winery photos…

The work and effort to create these perfect rows of grapes are astounding.

The mass stranding of over 600 whales is the largest in New Zealand’s history, as shown from this source:

“More than 600 pilot whales have washed ashore New Zealand’s South Island over the past two days. Officials and volunteers are working to return the ones still alive back to sea, but many have already died or were euthanized because of their injuries.

On the morning of February 10th, more than 400 pilot whales were discovered on a crescent of land on New Zealand’s South Island called Farewell Spit, according to a Department of Conservation news release. Unfortunately, close to 300 of them had already died.

Volunteers with whale rescue organization Project Jonah and DoC officials managed to send 100 or so whales back to sea on February 11th, only to have 20 wash ashore again. The remaining 80 joined another nearby pod and appeared to be safe. However, that second pod then stranded itself on Farewell Spit that evening. The New Zealand Department of Conservation sent out a call for more volunteers, warning that it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to rescue all of the beached whales.”
The beauty of the neat rows of grapes in the vineyard is a breathtaking sight.

Hopefully, over the next few days, more whales will be saved as volunteers continue to work around the clock to assist in helping more back out to sea. 

Over the past almost month since we arrived in the Huon Valley, the weather hasn’t been ideal. In total, there have been about five sunny and warm days, all of which got us out to explore. Unfortunately, the remainder has been rainy, cool, windy, and cloudy, none of which is ideal for photo taking.

Here’s today’s forecast, similar to over these past several days:

“Forecast issued at 5:40 am EDT on Monday 13 February 2017.

Forecast for the rest of Monday
Summary

Max 16C

Shower or two. Wind easing.

Chance of any rain: 50%
South East area

Cloudy. High (80%) chance of showers in the far south, medium (60%) chance elsewhere. Winds west to southwesterly 35 to 55 km/h decreasing to 20 to 30 km/h in the late evening. Daytime maximum temperatures between 11 and 17.

Fire Danger – High

Sun protection recommended from 9:50 am to 5:20 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 9 [Very High].”

Alpacas grazing at the Home Hill Winery in the Huon Valley, Tasmania.

For those only familiar with Fahrenheit, this 16C translates to 60F, which at the highest for the day made for a considerably cool morning with the winds and overcast sky. 

This may sound warm to our family and friends in ultracold Minnesota and other parts of the country, but for us, having experienced mostly above 80F, 27C for the past four years, it’s very cool to us.

Those chubby cheeks must be filled with grazed grass.

Yesterday, staying in on a rainy day, we couldn’t seem to warm up. So both of us bundled up in socks, long pants, and flannel shirts layered over tee shirts. Unfortunately, my feet never warmed up, and I ended up wrapping them in a blanket.

There is a space heater kept in the bedroom, but we try to acclimate to the temperatures and possible without the use of heat or air-con. Also, we both make every effort to save on power when possible. 

This adorable alpaca approached the fence to check us out.

In most cases, landlords have provided us with discounted rental prices for our long-term stays and the added promotion of their listing through our site. As a result, we pay special attention to keeping the costs of owner-paid utilities under control. 

We’ve yet agreed to pay for utilities for any vacation homes. We feel these costs should be included in the rental. On the few occasions we were asked to pay the costs for utilities at the time of booking, we’ve always “negotiated” the cost of electricity/water/cable TV/Wi-Fi be included in the rent. 

Beautiful rows of grapes.

Last night, when we began watching season four of Game of Thrones, we wrapped ourselves in extra blankets to stay warm. We’d signed up for a one-month free trial of HBO (through Amazon), during which we’ll have watched the entire six seasons of Game of Thrones and season one of The Young Pope. 

By the time the trial ends, we’ll have seen all the episodes, and we’ll cancel the subscription, rejoining sometime in the future after we visit the US during which we won’t have time to watch shows while visiting with family and friends during the combined nine-week stay in both Minnesota and Nevada.

Bottles of wine ready for customers to take home.

Tomorrow, regardless of the weather, we’re heading out for more photos and grocery shopping. With over two weeks remaining until we fly to Sydney for the upcoming cruise, we’re beginning to wind down using the foods we have on hand.

Have a lovely day, stay warm, stay happy.

Photo from one year ago today, February 13, 2016:

On a drive in the New Zealand countryside, we stumbled upon this Billy Goat tied to a tree. He seems interested when we stopped for the photo. For more photos, please click here.

Road trip to more exquisite scenery…Tasmania never disappoints…Brain chemistry…

Guess this little farm grows peas and makes teddy bears. This is so Tasmanian, a bit of humor in everything they do!

If we were to rewrite our goals of long term world travel it may go like this: “Ambitious home-free and stuff-free retired couple traveling the world to explore the simple life in the countryside, nature, wildlife, traditions, culture and people.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean that we haven’t reveled in visiting some of the most beautiful big cities in the world. On the contrary, we’ve loved the diversity of our experiences thus far across the globe.

Here is a dam near the town of Geeveston.

Even a few less favorite locations have taught us to embrace alternate lifestyles, varying religious beliefs and cultural traditions far removed from the original reality from whence we came.

Isn’t traveling all about putting ourselves in locations that illicit an emotional or spiritual response whether its the profound experience of walking along the beach on the Indian Ocean or traversing through the souks in the Medina in Marrakech? 

Once we arrived in Dover, we were able to see the Tasman Sea once again.

After all this time its easy for us to clearly determine what really “trips our trigger,” (no pun intended). I often tell Tom how it feels as if I’ve been injected with  a drug providing profound sensation of “peacefulness and happiness” when we see wildlife, beautiful scenery or cultural events.

“They” say (whoever “they” are) that endorphins are released effecting our brain chemistry when we visualize something that appeals to us. That’s not to say that a sugar-coated jelly doughnut won’t also illicit a similar response from me, or a plain cake doughnut for Tom (his favorite). It’s all relative. We love what we love.

I was driving through the tiny town of Dover with a population of approximately 1000.

That’s not intended to diminish the value of any visual stimuli.  It’s simply how we humans are wired. If seeing wildlife and scenery triggered the release of saliva and gastric juices, we’d be slobbering messes. 

Although Tom is less inclined to express his responses to such triggers (its a guy thing) I practically fall out of the car trying to get out of the low slung passenger seat in the little rental car to stand to take a photo or two.

What a perfect day it was for a road trip!

Yesterday, although we didn’t have an opportunity to see much wildlife except for a few choice sightings as shown in photos over these next several days, we were catapulted into another realm when we embarked on yet another road trip in exquisite Tasmania.

A few readers have written to us privately saying they’re considering a visit to Tasmania after our many posts since December 3, 2016 when we arrived in this veritable paradise (by our standards).

However, we must caution travelers that if big city life, significant nightlife, and the hum of activity are most appealing, Tasmania may not be the place for you. 

View of the Huon River while driving south.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, Hobart is loaded with tourist attractions, lively entertainment and shopping. But, it may be less vibrant than some big cities when citizens enjoy evenings at their homes cooking outdoors with family and friends. 

There is a plethora of water sport activities, tours to islands and hiking to please the most serious of adventurers;  helicopter rides, zip-lining, bungee jumping and white water rafting. But, we find these types of activities are available in most countries in one form or another. 

River running through the town.

The slower pace and lack of hustle and bustle in Tasmania may be ideal for the traveler seeking a respite from the stresses of daily life in a big metropolitan area. But, if quiet repose is not on your radar for at least part of each day, this may not be the best vacation/holiday spot for everyone. Then again, each potential location appeals to travelers for a variety of reasons.

W cannot partake in sport-like activities with my delicate spinal condition and have naturally gravitated toward the things I can do, as we’ve shared in our posts, day after day. We certainly haven’t been lacking in exceptional experiences, have we?

White sand beach in Dover, Tasmania.

Tom, my devoted and loyal companion and love, who’d easily partake in more adventurous activities has found an appreciation for nature and wildlife that parallels my own. He, too, can spot a creature or scene from afar that may easily inspire a stop on the road to capture his discovery.

Today and over the next several days, we’ll be posting photos of the road trip to the most southerly settlement in Australia, closest to Antarctica. Wow! We certainly appreciate the scenery and countryside in Tasmania.

May your day present you with the pure sense of joy from your surroundings whatever they may be!

Photo from one year ago today, February 8, 2017:

This alpaca, Amber Rose, who’d recently given birth, often looked at me through the kitchen window while I was preparing meals, at times pressing her nose on the glass. So funny!  For more photos of life on an alpaca farm, please click here.

Pretty, funny, yummy and cute…Do we always have exceptional views?

Cute. Last evening I took this photo through the glass of the window in our living room when we happened to see this rabbit on the shore of the Huon River.

Our reading for today’s post certainly connotes the theme of most of our desired photos; pretty, funny, yummy, and cute. But, on occasion, we get lucky and acquire a shot of a scene or situation even we consider acceptable.

Both of us are always on the lookout for photo ops not only when we’re out exploring but also on days when we’re staying in, frequently looking out the window for possibilities. 

Cute, boys and their cars!  Tom and a 1962 Ford Galaxy 500.

Unfortunately, the setup of this otherwise ideal vacation home isn’t perfect for photo taking when indoors. Views of the Huon River in front of us are somewhat impeded by the glass of the windows, which don’t open adequately for photo taking.

The main floor of this upper-level unit (in a two-unit house) has a door to a small veranda, but most of the river views are blocked by trees and vegetation.  However, we can capture a stunning scene through the glass of the windows, which don’t open adequately for a glass-free shot.

Funny. Extra-large calf nursing from almost same-sized mom.

As a result, the above photo of the rabbit was taken last evening around 7:00 pm through the glass of the windows. I didn’t expect it to be as clear as it was due to the distance and the watermarks on the glass after many rainy days.  

Tom always calls it “safari luck” when I get a good shot, while I tend to fluff my feathers a bit over, finally learning to get it right after all these years. But, with a less-than-professional camera and my amateurish skills, I suppose that on occasion, I’m lucky under the right circumstances.

Yummy apples.

While researching vacation homes, we don’t necessarily list an easily accessible, view-rich veranda criterion. However, when we discover it’s available, it’s a definite bonus.

As most of our long-term readers have observed, in most cases, we have some view in itself, an important criterion which we’ve learned from experience. Only in a few cases over these past 51 months have we lived in properties without a view.

Pretty scene.

In only four of our past vacation homes were we dealing with a lack of an astounding view, including Kenya (a basic backyard view), Morocco (living in the souk with no exterior view except the difficult-to-access rooftop), the second house in Fiji (a backyard pool view only) and Phuket, Thailand (a backyard pool view only).

As we continue, we find ourselves fine-tuning our criteria, but cost and availability are often factors determining the prospect of achieving such a finite expectation.

Yummy-looking baked goods.

When booking hotels for only one or two nights, we’re seldom willing to pay extra for a view. Although in many hotels, we’ve been fortunate to have stunning city views, bodies of water, or mountain views. Without a doubt, views have the potential to make or break the quality of the experience.

In Morocco, living in a riad (a two-story house with an open-air center courtyard), we didn’t have a single-window looking outdoors. So instead, we’d look up to the sky, as shown in this photo below:

Looking up at the sky, day and night, is a rare treat, from inside the riad, defined as a traditional Moroccan house with an interior garden or courtyard. (This huge house was for the two of us only). For more photos of this property, please click here.

Don’t get me wrong, the house in Morocco was amazing. However, the lack of a view had a definite impact on the quality of our experience. After a while, one can feel a little trapped especially, as was the case in that particular location, it was impossible to rent a car with no parking available in the souks. 

In any case, it was a good experience from which we gleaned a lot of knowledge, adding to our repertoire of interesting (to us) times in our world travels. We’ve accepted that location is not always perfect for the nuances that work best for our needs.

Pretty scene of the Huon River near our vacation homes in Castle Forbes Bay.

As for this location, the property, the views, the landlords, and the people in the area, we couldn’t ask for more. Comparable to Penguin, some of the most friendly people on the planet live here.

Already, after only a little over two weeks since we arrived in the Huon Valley, we’ve been sending emails back and forth to people we’ve met along the way. Of course, meeting locals requires a diligent effort to get out to locations that attract locals to ensure face-to-face encounters. We’re always seeking such opportunities, as evidenced by our photos.

Pretty roses growing in the yard.

Today, rain or shine, we’re heading out to another of those events where locals may be found mulling around, photos of which we hope to share over the next several days.

Rain or shine, snow, sleet, or hail, have a safe day!

Photo from one year ago today, February 1, 2016:

Cloudy, rainy view of Mount Taranaki in New Plymouth, New Zealand. For more details, please click here.

Final photos from Mount Gnomon Farm…Four days and counting…

A pond located on Mount Gnomon Farm.

Yesterday, we had a most interesting tour of a Penguin resident’s home which we’re excited to share in tomorrow’s post. You won’t believe our photos of one of the most unusual collections we’ve ever seen. Please check back!

A variety of flowers are grown throughout the farm.

Today will be a laid-back day to include a walk down Main Road to the local market for roasted chicken, washing and hanging a few loads of laundry, and preparing the final expenses for our six weeks in Penguin, sadly ending in a mere four days.

Mount Gnomon Farm is surrounded by lush green hills.

There’s no doubt in our minds that our stay in Penguin has been abundant in experience and fulfilling in so many ways some of which is shown in today’s photos from our recent visit to Mount Gnomon Farm. Tom has said that of all the places we’ve lived, Penguin would be the first he’d consider if we ever decided to settle for an extended period.

A spot to relax and enjoy the views.

That’s not to say we’re considering “settling down.” We’re not.  Early on in our travels, we promised ourselves and each other to keep an open mind for possibilities when we either can’t continue to travel due to health concerns or, in the unthinkable prospect of us tiring of living this life.

The entrance to the restaurant where seasonal dining is open to the public. Click here for dates and details.

Tiring of living this life? How could we when we’re “living a dream,” a dream neither of us ever knew we had until it actually began and it became a reality? Now, as we look back we realize why neither of us had ever imagined such a life in our retirement years.

 A pond on the farm.

Prior to commencing on my way of eating five and a half years ago, the chronic pain I suffered from a horrible spinal condition prevented us from traveling much at all. As a result, when we considered retirement options, it never included world travel. 

One had to look carefully to find this pig in the mud.

During those many years, it was a challenge for me to fly on a plane for a few hours, let alone for the day-long (or longer) flights, layovers, and excessive periods of time we’ve spent in airports over these past four-plus years.

A duck tucked away in her nest.

For us, my recovery was nothing short of a miracle.  Only three months after drastically changing my diet in 2011, I was pain-free, albeit shocked that what I’d previously considered a healthy diet was leaving me in a constant state of pain. 

Note the recently birthed piglets white bands like their mom. There are several breeds of pigs at the farm.

Don’t get me wrong…eliminating most of the foods I loved along with my then passion for cooking, wasn’t an easy undertaking. The concept of never again having a breakfast including a toasted whole wheat bagel with jelly, a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal with raisins along a small plate of fresh fruit was beyond my realm of reality. 

We arrived at Mount Gnomon Farm on a perfect day as piglets were born such as these, only in the past hour.

Five and a half years later, I haven’t as much as taking a spoonful of any of the above while I continue to reap the benefits of a sugar-free, grain-free, starch-free, and chemical-free way of eating. 

Various breeds of grass-fed cattle lounged comfortably on a sunny day.

Now, it’s easy when I consider what we have (and I mean “we”) in place of those types of food, in place of my former passion for cooking… a life rich in experience, adventure, and mobility. Sure, from time to time, we fall prey to setbacks, such as the injury to my spine in June in the pool in Bali which took five months to heal. No diet will make one exempt from the pain of an injury.

Cattle and sheep are rotated to other paddocks as the grass regenerates.

However, it did heal and I’ve returned to my former state of zero back pain. And, on occasion, like most of the over 60-year-old population, we have illnesses, aches and pains, toothaches, and other medical maladies that may or may not require medical care. 

Regardless of how hard one may try to maintain a degree of good health with appropriate food, plenty of movement and exercise, restful sleep, and a positive and enriching state of mind with as little stress as possible, we still may have periods of time when we aren’t at our best. 

The sheep were so friendly they approached the fence to be petted.

In a few days, we continue on to the next leg in our journey. Our goal is to never feel a sense of urgency to see more of the world.  Instead, we choose to travel at a pace that provides us with the optimum of joy, purpose, and pleasure while sharing it with special people we meet along the way, in special places along our path.

Thanks to all of our friends/readers who “travel” this journey with us. You mean the world to us!

Photo from one year ago today, January 12, 2016:

It was cold one year ago when our shop sailed through Milford Sound in New Zealand, prompting us to wear long-sleeve safari shirts with jeans, the warmest we’d dressed since  Vancouver in September 2014. It was a cloudy, hazy day but the scenery was beautiful. For more photos, please click here.

Six days and counting…Photos galore!…

Regardless of the roads we take to explore the area; we’ve never been disappointed. This scene reminded us of what one may find in a painting.

Leaving Penguin in six days will be relatively easy in many ways.  We won’t have to be concerned about leftover nonperishable foods.  We can take what remains with us.

Beautiful farmland.

We won’t have to weigh our luggage or pack as neatly as usual when flying or boarding a cruise. We’ll save those concerns for March 1st (50 days from today) when we’ll fly to Sydney to board yet another cruise.

A pond nestles among the rolling hills.

The five-hour drive to the Huon Valley will hopefully be as pleasurable as driving through the countryside when we arrived in Hobart on December 3rd, taking two leisurely days to make our way to Penguin. But, this time, we’ll do it in one day.

Organized and neat plantings on a farm.

Hobart is actually a less than four-hour drive from Penguin, as Terry explained yesterday. However, the new vacation home is another 45 minutes beyond the capital city. We’ll certainly take plenty of photos along the way, sharing them for many days to come.

A view down a ravine.

We still have hundreds of photos we’ve yet to post, with hundreds more on the horizon over these next 50 days, including a few outings we have planned for the remainder of this week.

River flowing along the rocky riverbank.

As mentioned above, leaving Penguin will be easy based on organizing and packing requirements. However, there another aspect that’s causing us a degree of apprehension. We’ve loved it here. It will be hard to leave.

The bright blue sea of Tasmania never fails to impress.

There’s no doubt that our new friend and landlord Terry has tremendously added to our experience in Penguin. This house (click here for the listing) has been ideal for us with its well-equipped kitchen, comfortable dining room, living room, three bedrooms, and neatly trimmed grounds.

Three Sisters Reserve on the road to Ulverstone.

We prefer a three-bedroom house when possible, although if necessary we’re fine with one bedroom. But, having a bedroom for sleeping and two additional bedrooms allowing us to keep our luggage lying open on the bed(s) with everything available is quite a nice perk. This prevents us from having to unpack entirely and also to repack with great ease.

There are 8222 islands within the maritime border of Australia.

Then, of course, the views have been breathtaking. So as I sit here now in the living room on the comfy leather sofa, I need only look out the front windows for an exquisite view of the sea.

Frequently used train tracks run along the beach for many miles/kilometers.

Each day over the past week, as the temperatures have warmed, sitting on the front veranda for a healthy dose of Vitamin D has been a thoroughly delightful experience in itself. 

With the narrow road and sidewalk in front of the property, between us and the beach, a fairly steady stream of walkers and runners pass by, never failing to wave, say hello, or belt out a hearty “gaday!”

A park bench donated by the Ulysses Club with their motto, “Grow Old Disgracefully!”

Then, there’s been Terry, our personal tour guide, social director, and public relations rep, who’s gone over-the-top to ensure we’ve had an exceptional experience.

Low tide at a rocky beach.

Although not required by us, Terry stops by every few days to either work around the yard or stop to see how we’re doing. He’s very respectful of our privacy and is so with all his tenants. But, early on, he picked up on the fact that we’ve loved his visits. He’s quite an amazing guy! 

A peek through the trees to low tide.

It’s through his kind and conscientious efforts that we’ve seen as much as we have, met as many people as he directed our way, and learned as much about Penguin and its surrounding areas in these short six weeks, soon coming to an end.

Today, we’re off on an interesting tour of a countryside facility we’ll be excited to share in tomorrow’s post with more to come over the next several days.

Be well. Be happy. Please check back tomorrow.

Photo from one year ago today, January 10, 2016:

View from the ship of a monument in Hobart where we’ll be heading in six days. For more photos from the ship one year ago, please click here.

Finally, we saw the notorious Tasmanian Devils..A video!….Fabulous day out!

In fact, the devils of Tasmania are not as ugly as expected, except when they show their teeth when threatened. The photos we’d taken of the rescued animals, the intent of Wing’s Wildlife Park, left them little reason for them to feel threatened in the spacious habitat in which they comfortably live in the park among other like animals.

Our short video about the Tasmanian Devils.

We didn’t know quite where to begin sharing our photos from yesterday’s visit to Wing’s Wildlife Park in Gunns Plains, Tasmania. There was a wide range of native wildlife only to Australia inspiring us to take many photographs that we were excited to share.

Over the coming days, we will publish photos in groups of animal types based on the fact that we have too many to publish in a day. For those of our readers less interested in wildlife, please “bear” with us. 

The natural habitat included hollowed out tree trunks, stumps and isolated areas to comply with their natural instinct to burrow at certain times.

Then again, when we’ll be in Antarctica in 12 months and Africa in 13 months, neither of which will be able to resist posting wildlife to the point of being ridiculous. For us, as we’ve mentioned many times, the greatest joys in our travels are surrounding wildlife, vegetation, scenery and culture.

Yesterday’s visit to Wing’s Wildlife Park especially appealed to us based on the facility’s goal of presenting rescued animals. We have little interest in regular zoos when animals are purchased, kidnapped and taken with the intent to be trained for show’s to satisfy the public’s curiosity. 

Posing for a photo.

Over these past few years we’ve visited a few such places that were indeed rescue facilities, but the animals “performed” or were ridden by visitors. Such was the case when we visited Moholololo Elephant Rescue facility in Hedspruit, South Africa three years ago this month.

We’d heard that the elephants were rescued and care for by some the finest rescue people and support staff in Africa as outlined in the story we posted here. At that time, we passed on the elephant ride uncomfortable with the concept. Instead, we each did a short walk with an elephant holding our hands with their trunks a shown in the photos from that post.  

I tried to get a teeth baring photo when three Tasmanian Devils were playing a bit, but it happened so quickly, I missed the shot.

In a seminar we attended upon our arrival the presenters explained that the elephants were treated with loving care and were unable to be returned to the wild due to injuries and disabilities preventing them from being able to sustain life. 

As a result and due to a lack of funds, donations from the public and fees to enter the facility helped offset the cost of the elephant’s care and quality of life.

Taking a sip in the pond.

Its under these types of circumstances that we appreciate and understand the intent of wildlife rescue facilities, especially when we’ve witnessed their loving care.

On the other hand, a regular zoo, has little appeal to either of us with this one caveat… when we visit Minnesota and if, our grandchildren want  us to go with them to visit the popular Minnesota Zoo, we won’t say no. 

They almost looked quite huggable.

Sometimes, we have to put aside our principals for a short period in special circumstances. A day later, we can return to our beliefs and ethics, especially knowing we’ll be back in Africa a mere six months after leaving the US for the family visit. 

Visiting Wing’s Wildlife Park left us with a good feeling. The public is allowed to feed and pet many of the animals who seemed to enjoy the attention and of course, the food. 

A warm sunny day kept this little fellow lounging in the sun for a nap.

Their areas were clean with plenty of appropriate food and vegetation befitting the nature of their species.  When the staff entered the various habitats, the keepers voices expressed loving and gentle tones that the animals seemed to respond to with enthusiasm.

The fees to visit the facility was a little high for this area at AU 23, US $16.89 per person. We hadn’t called in advance requesting they waive the fees for our story which occurs in many instances. In this particular case, we chose to keep it low key and simply enjoy ourselves at our leisure.

On the road to Gunns Plain we stopped for photos at an overlook. Sadly, this Tasmania Devil was lying dead in the grass, most likely hit by a car. We’ve seen considerable road kill in Tasmania. The roads have no shoulder and many nocturnal animals are killed at night when motorists aren’t able to stop in time to avoid hitting them.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with other wildlife photos and look forward to “seeing” you then! Thanks for being an integral part of our life of world travel!

Photo from one year ago today, January 6, 2016:

As we boarded the ship one year ago, we noticed it was still decorated for Christmas. For details of a medical emergency prior to boarding the ship and how we handled it, please click here.

A sunny day drive to the countryside…We never know what we’ll find…

Green/spring onions were being processed for wholesale distribution.

While driving often throughout the countryside, we are often surprised by what we have found along the way. Whether its an exquisite view of the ocean, horses and colts in a field or a kilometer of roadside wild flowers, we often stop for a better look and to take a few photos.

We have rarely found a region as rich in diversity and landscapes as we have seen since arriving in Tasmania a month ago today. Not only are the views of the ocean, mountain and green hills breathtaking, but the people are some of the warmest and friendliest we’ve ever met in the world.

The farm, Dendra Market Gardens, seemed to be inaccessible to the public.

With 13 days remaining until we depart Penguin to head to the Huon Valley, a 45 minute drive from the capital of Hobart, we’re taking advantage of every opportunity to explore, especially on sunny days, treasured here in the summertime.

When we stumbled upon Dendra Market Gardens a few days before Christmas, we weren’t surprised we weren’t able to arrange a tour when the owner and his workers were obviously swamped preparing produce to be transported for the busy holiday season.

This particular farm cultivated a wide range of products.

We met the owner, chatting with him for a few moments as he approved of our photography and wandering on our own. Respectful of the busy holiday processing, we only spent a short time walking around the beautifully planted and arranged farm located in the small town of Cuprona, Tasmania.

And small town, it is indeed! With a population of 308 based on a 2011 survey, we have never seen a “city center” that could hardly be the case, for a city of this size. Instead, locals travel no more than 20 minutes to gain access to Burnie the closest larger city as shown in this map below:

Later, in researching online, we discovered the following information about Dendra Market Gardens from this site:

“Tasmanian Dennis Davis used to work in the shipping industry, and grew lettuces out-of-hours.

But somehow the leafy greens drew him away from shipping altogether and now he’s a full-time market gardener employing 30 workers.
He doesn’t grow lettuces anymore, but has parsley, snow peas, tomatoes, silverbeet, Asian greens, leeks, and radishes.  (And more since publication date of this online post).  Although he no longer grows lettuce, he has parsley, snow peas, tomatoes, beets, Asian vegetables, leeks and radishes.
It’s summer in that part of the world, which makes agriculture more common during the right season.
“They’re all niche crops that we’re growing,” he said.
“Some of them have happened primarily to keep people employed through the winter time so that we can maintain a stable, experienced workforce.”
And that experience is important because all the vegetables are hand planted and weeded.”
“We do a lot of hoeing.”
“We average probably 1.6 million plants in a year and they’re all planted by hand because it’s much more accurate and efficient.” Continued below.
Produce grown under a cover for protection from sun and rain.
In the 14 years Dennis has had Dendra Gardens at Cuprona in the north-west he’s seen a significant change in consumer tastes.
Asian vegetables are growing in popularity, and he now grows five varieties. “We’ve had a gradual increase in Asian migrants coming to live in Tasmania. But the general population seems to be being educated toward new kinds of food.”
Zucchini is a popular crop in Tasmania, which is referred to as cogent in many parts of the world.

So far, we’ve found many local businesses in Tasmania such as this farm to be less sophisticated in their use of the technology and the Internet for the promotion of their products. But, owners and staff are savvy and aggressive in their efforts to grow their businesses with integrity and passion for their products and services.

By coupling years of hard work, dedication and old country values seem to be working for each of those we’ve highlighted in our posts over this past month. It’s an amazing place, this Tasmania. We look forward to more discoveries over these remaining days on this special Australian island.

Soon, we’re taking off for a visit to Ulverstone and who knows what more awaits us! Happy day to all! 

Photo from one year ago today, January 3, 2016:

One year ago today, we posted favorite photos of our time in Pacific Harbour, Fiji as we prepared to leave. This photo of Tom was on the night of his birthday last year when we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at the Pearl Resort’s gourmet restaurant, Seduce, definitely deserving of a five star review. For more details, please click here.