Fifteen flashlights shone downward as we gingerly picked our way through the bush. At the appropriate signal, we extinguished our lights, and 15 expectant adults gathered noiselessly behind our boot-and-camouflage-attired leader. As his sole light hopped and skipped across the …
Category: Australia & Oceania
Fish and Taro in Palau by Sandra and John Scott
“The taro plant is important to the Palauan people,” explained Ann Singeo, our guide, and owner of Sense of Wonder eco tours. ” The legend of Palau is based on food. A simple version of the legend has it that …
Riding The Rails in Australia by Jim Loomis
As early as the mid-1800s, Australian railroads hauled grain and ore to seaports and carried passengers between state capitals. But it wasn’t until 1969 that tracks spanning the continent all conformed to one standard gauge. A year later, the Indian …
THE EYE OF A WHALE IN TONGA by Jeff Raisley
One summer 2000, after kayaking for a week in the outer islands of Tonga, I touched a whale. Tonga is an island nation in the South Pacific, the only island group in Oceania that wasn’t conquered or colonized by a …
Mystical Moloka’i
Moloka’i is a sleepy island 38 miles long and 10 miles wide with the dramatic allure of Kauai’s sheer sea cliffs, hidden valleys, and waterfalls but without the crowds. The blue Pacific laps the edge of the coastal road that …
New Zealand Via Holland America Cruise by May Georgina DeLory
The Holland America Line voyage on the MS Volendam with Captain Peter Bos at the helm would take us—my adult daughter and me, to the other side of the world, land of Maori culture and legend, from rugged sea coast …
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Healing Hawaiian Holiday by Linda Ballou
Floating face up in the Watsu pool at the Kalani Ocean Retreat that is tucked into a remote corner of the Big Island in Hawaii, I drifted in a state of embryonic innocence. Sylvie, my provider, massaged my spine gently …
Land Before the Hand of Man by Sandra and John Scott
Few places on earth can match the astonishing natural beauty of Palau. With a population of 20,000, it is a paradise with over 500 densely tree-covered islands of which only nine are inhabited. Once the scene of horrific battles during …
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New Zealand’s Dazzling Islands by Sandra and John Scott
Christchurch, on New Zealand’s South Island, a three-hour flight from Sydney, Australia, is the most English city outside of England. And, like England, people go punting on the tree-lined Avon River. The city is renowned for its gardens, and a …
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Shooting For The Stars by Dawna L. Robertson
Sure, I can spot the Big Dipper. And while I love a full moon, nothing beats the promise of wishing on a shooting star. But those iconic nighttime wonders aside, my knowledge of the darkened sky is basic at best. …
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