Tag Archives: people

It was a trip I’d been anticipating for a long time: an ocean voyage on a small ship to visit remote West Papuan villages and to snorkel in the marine-rich waters around Raja Ampat and the Spice Islands. The chance to swim with giant whale sharks was what had sold me on this particular itinerary. […]

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We were starting out early: my Berber guide Mohammed was worried about the impact of the hot autumn sun on our steep climb from the trekking lodge (Azzaden Trekking Lodge) near Tizi Oussem in the Toubkal National Park in Morocco, to the mountain pass we needed to cross. I was worried too! I had found […]

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It is remote. And rugged. We were met with a mock war-dance: warriors sporting black body paint and carrying bamboo spears and arrows charged at us, while other villagers crowned in feathers danced and sang. Welcome to West Papua! The island of New Guinea has been populated for tens of thousands of years – mostly […]

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Back in September of 2023, Morocco was rocked by an earthquake – with devastating consequences. More than 2,900 people were killed and a further 5,500 injured (see: The Centre for Disaster Recovery). Over two million dwellings were damaged – displacing at least 500,000 people. Although the effects of the 6.8-magnitude quake were felt in the […]

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Fresh air, mountain walks, and music – it doesn’t get much better than January in Thredbo! This year marked the 30th iteration of the Thredbo Blues Festival: three days of quality music in Thredbo Village: Australia’s highest alpine resort (albeit not very high!), known for its skiing in winter and hiking and mountain biking in […]

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