nicolaoutdoors

It seemed like forever since our last dive. A winter of snowplay and a spring of climbing had somehow almost erased the memory how wonderfully relaxing floating underwater looking at fish can be. We had a nice, leisurely dive at Flinders on Saturday. We only had half a tank of air left from last season, [...]

This weekend is turning into tradition: For the fourth year running (and fifth in the last seven) the weekend of Ross’s birthday as been a kayaking trip. It feels like spring has arrived. The snow is over for another year and we move on to play on the water and the rocks … This year [...]

Way back in February 2006 I visited Loch Ard Gorge for the first time. The water was calm and clear. Ridiculously calm and clear. I departed from the Great Ocean Road with two plans forming in my mind. First, to get a kayak that would be easy to carry down the steep coastal paths and [...]

In 2007,  Andrew McAuley set out on a 1,600 kilometre solo adventure to cross the Tasman Sea by kayak. His journey across infamously treacherous seas was outside of the range of helicopter rescue for all but the first and last 200km. After a month at sea, in which he survived incredible storms, 60 knot winds [...]

Last week we took a short trip to western Victoria. Our departure was a little delayed because of the fire and wind warnings for Tuesday, but we still managed a few days climbing at the Arapiles, a visit to Naracoorte Caves, a short paddle on the Lower Glenelg and a visit to Nelson. Naracoorte Caves [...]

For the past two years we have taken kayaking trips for Ross’s birthday – partly as it is the first time that weather is good for it and partly as a kind of commemoration of the first of his birthdays that we spent together paddling around Vancouver back in 2003. This year we took an [...]

This long weekend (Anzac weekend) we had planned a three day, two night kayaking trip with our friends, Rod and Vanessa. The original plan was to leave Melbourne Thursday night, after fixing two (hired) double sea kayaks on the roof of Rod’s car, drive to Port Welshpool and make an early morning crossing (catching the [...]

Last weekend Ross & I headed down to Port Campbell with the aim of paddling around some of the gorgeous sea cliffs and caves of the Port Campbell National Park. We have been down this way a few times before, touring and for the Great Ocean Walk. Somehow, though I didn’t take many pictures of [...]

photographs: Cradle Mountain Mount Anne Tasman Peninsula (underwater) Tasman Peninsula (land) Freycinet National Park Flowers & Plants movie: Blow Hole and Cave We left Melbourne on the Spirit of Tasmania and sailed overnight to Devonport, Tasmania. Arriving, tired but not (too) sick we picked up the groceries that customs disallows and headed to Cradle Mountain. [...]

On Friday night we left Melbourne and drove about 2.5 hours south-east to Port Albert, one of two tiny towns that are the gateways to the Nooramunga Marine and Coastal Park. The park is a series of low, sandy islands separated by tidal channels. Except for one, they are uninhabited and are a havan for [...]