The Basin Walking Track. Secrets of Sydney’s South West.

Beyond the sea of terracotta tiled roofs, the glistening yellow ‘M’s’ that adorn many a corner, Sydney’s South West has many a secret. In my town, if you raise your glaze just above the clusters of suburban dwellings, you will notice a smooth silhouette of rolling hills, just a remnant of what once was. The thick Australian bush stands guard around the city like a fortress protecting stories of the dreaming, while you will find colonial gems hidden among the urban sprawl .

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Queenstown, New Zealand. God’s Country.

I felt God’s undeniable existence from the moment our plane began its descent into Queenstown. I felt Him expressed through the grandeur of her rugged mountain ranges topped with June’s coating of snow, I saw Him in the unrehearsed rusticity of the landscape, His creativity sprawling through every millimeter.

Quialigo. A small little place in rural NSW

Sometimes the quietest places in nature speak the loudest if we allow it to. The saying goes, if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If it crashes through our urban jungles in the city, I doubt we would hear it anyway. 

CRUISING THE SOUTH PACIFIC. NEW CALEDONIA PART 5. Final Destination- MARE

Mare’s crystal seas and stretches of white sand speak for itself. It was an uncomplicated, relaxing day. Children singing and dancing welcomed us before we boarded the bus to Yejele Beach (bus transfers need to be purchased through the ship). Snorkeling is a must and so is simply forgetting all your cares in the world.

CRUISING THE SOUTH PACIFIC. NEW CALEDONIA PART 4. LIFOU

Fine fog lingered over the Island as our ship approached land, not exactly the image your mind projects when you covet an Island escape. Again, a tender boat transported all onto Lifou; every time I am in a tender boat, my mind drifts to the unlikely event of an evacuation and having to find refuge in this tiny vessel with a substantial amount of people, what do we eat? Is food hidden somewhere?As our feet touched down on Lifou, a mist still draped it’self over us and then cleared, although the clouds still remained in view, the ocean did not surrender to the grayness overhead, continuing to project staggering hues of blue.

CRUISING THE SOUTH PACIFIC. NEW CALEDONIA PART 3. Noumea

A city on an Island. It’s palm trees, picturesque beaches and a bit little french, maybe a little more. We received a bonjour from every local, waves from carefree children, consumed a baguette and stopped at Maccas for a quick stop on our walk.