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This weekend I went to Bunbury and then out to the Wellington Dam.

I picked up Michael at about 7:00am from his house in Perth and we got to Bunbury just about 9:00am stopping once for coffee about half-way.

When we got to Bunbury I dropped Michael off so he could have a pleasant morning catching up on email while I helped one of my customers pack up their shop as they were moving. Thousands of tools, all sorts, shapes and sizes had to be packed and sorted and transported to another store… it made me grateful that I am not in retail! Hard work …… and those guys really earn their money. They have my respect.

At noon, after quickly dropping in to see another customer and make a small delivery ……… finally…. Michael and I were off to the Wellington Dam area to go hiking and enjoy the weekend.

First we went to the Honeymoon Pool campsite…. There are probably hundreds of campsites there…..each in organized bays and all in a sprawling forest retreat around the river ……. but from what we could see they were pretty much all full. In the end we did find a couple of spots but we would have had to carry our gear for a few hundred yards to set up camp … not ideal after a long hike.To be honest I had forgotten that this coming Monday was Labour Day and a public holiday .....so of course all the campsites were pretty full…. it being a hot, long weekend.

We quickly decided to drive over to another campsite at Potters Gorge where we had camped before. This campsite is quite small but sits right on the Wellington Dam. Again it was pretty full but there was one spot that was open and just perfect for us. Two large trees and the space for a small pup tent!

We took it immediately.

There are lots of trails around the area and we did a slightly modified 'sika' trail that took us from our Potters Gorge campsite through the bush and back to the campsite again.

There are clean facilities and ablutions. Each person is supposed to pay $7.00 per night but actually there is no-one there to pay the money to and no-one comes to collect.

So after Michael had set up his tent to ‘mark the spot’ we simply walked from our campsite around the dam to the head of the trail. Part of the trail we had walked before… but the other half was quite new. Instead of going down to the river and then up again, it took us back up over the ridge line and back to our camp. For me it was perfect! After working all morning it was just a nice hike that was at times a little challenging but was overall just a good walk in the bush.

Of course there no really steep bits but there were long slopes and in the 37 (in the shade and 40++ heat)...... needless to say there was a total fire ban.

Australia generally has had one of the hottest summers ever… and Perth has been hotter still. In most parts of Australia there have been adequate rains for the time of year but this year the South West of Australia has missed out and it has been very dry.

We found this old burnt-out Ducati on part of the trail.

The Wellington Dam itself must have dropped about 3 meters from its level when I was there about three months ago and because water levels were so low people had driven their 4WD’s down and onto the “beach” and set up their temporary homes all around the dam.

When we are hiking here we usually average about 5K to 5.5K per hour…. So I think we covered about 10 to 12K … that means a lot of hydration is required especially considering the heat - 37c (in the shade) and 40++c in direct sunlight. Before we started the hike I had a 500ml can of water flavored with hops and barley and during the walk I consumed three 600ml bottles of pure water and then after the hike I had a few 500ml cans of flavored water again.

Her I am in the water back at the campsite enjoying one of those cans of flavored water!

Later we were able to walk along the edge of the dam almost like walking along the coast of an inland sea …….and enjoy the full moon as it rose above us…….such a beautiful place……..

More pictures here: http://www.nowfindme.com/pictures/bunburyfeb10/

Winter Hiking on Mount Chiak (Winter Hiking)

Now this is winter hiking!

Mount Chiak is famous for its rocky trails and impressive drop-offs and winter hiking can be quite treacherous.

Luckily the trails are well maintained and marked. but look out for the rocks under that snow!

Crampons are pretty much essential!

Watch out for the drops!

Is the hiking in Korea any good?

People are often surprised when I tell them i went hiking in Korea and most don't realise how mountainous Korea is. Actually a large proportion of the country is mountains and hills and as a result the hiking is excellent! Of course Korea is also a heavily industrialised country and very densely populated but once you get out into the mountains it is beautiful!

Some of the trails especially the easier ones, the more accessible ones and those closer to the larger cities can be well.... quite crowded ... especially during spring and autumn. But out of peak season, or if you pick harder or less accessible trails you can really find yourself pretty much alone.

There is a huge variety of trails in Korea. Some are viciously steep meaning you need to use all fours and do some real climbing at times. Others are slow and gentle. If you want some information about some of the trails ask in the socnet. Jae Hyun is an expert and seems to know every trail there is!

Best Travel Investment - noise cancelling headphones

Whether you are a frequent flyer or not, you will undoubtedly have seen people using their own headphones on international flights. I had read al lot about noise cancelling headphones and had wanted to try some for a long time but the price had deterred me - - anything up to and over $600.00 for some models. So it was with some degree of scepticism that I picked up a pair of Philips noise cancelling headphones from a clearance bin in Perth. Surely not? $40.00!

I am a great believer in the old adage that ‘if is too good to be true, then it probably is too good to be true’. But what the heck?! I had a quick trip to the USA coming up and I would probably be back before Harvey Normans 30 day money back warranty was.

Well I am telling you! You could not drag these things away from me now! The increased comfort when flying due to (greatly) reduced noise; the comfortable padded earphones; the joy of being able to listen to things at a fraction of the volume. Wow! What a product!

I don’t know what peace and increased comfort are worth to you but given the number of long flights I take I am more than happy with my investment and they have become an essential part of my travel kit.

The Philips ones I have SBC HN110 are obviously budget versions and only claim to cancel about 85% of the noise. But as far as I am concerned they have dramatically improved my quality of life when travelling.

One day I will splash out and buy one of the ‘top of the range’ version like the Bose Quiet Comfort or similar that claim as closer to 100% noise reduction and much greater fidelity. But in the meantime I am happy with my Philips SBC HN110 and for the price would heartily recommend them.

A great product at a great price!

Marron Season Opens Soon

The marron season opens soon in Western Australia. What could be better.... a decent hike.... catch some marron and grill them for dinner! That's really being out there!

For those of you who don't know, marron are basically small fresh water lobster and can be found throughout Western Australia. They are fun to catch and delicious to eat.

Learn more here.

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