Murphy’s Law – a great new guidebook always comes out right after you finished your trip there. If you’ve been inspired my my birding in South India, then this would be a great guidebook to bring with you!
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This is an older feature I have resurrected. Each week, I will highlight a gallery of superb bird photography by a professional photographer. I am hoping to provide inspiration both for eco-travel and for us to improve our photography skills.
This week I am highlighting the dramatic bird photography of Gary Jones. His photos are so crisp and bright you feel the birds could fly off the screen! His work is copyrighted so please visit his blog to enjoy his stunning photos.
With devaluations and miles becoming harder to earn, it’s getting more difficult to snag a coveted business class award. Some airlines simply won’t release them to partners at all anymore! (Air New Zealand, I’m looking at YOU!) Others like Singapore Airlines are starting to hold back business class until a couple weeks before travel which is bad news for eco-tourists since we usually have to plan ahead. The lady in this video describes a few tricks I use, especially about researching the plane and seating maps and trying with the check-in agent.
Another trick for couples is to book the window and aisle, leaving the middle seat vacant. If people have a choice, no one will choose a middle seat between two strangers. I’d say at least 80% of the time, Ina & I have gotten lucky and not had anyone choose our middle seat. If the flight is full, then I will offer the stranger my window seat and scoot over as we prefer to have easy aisle access.
The Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus), also known as the superb blue-wren or colloquially as the blue wren, is a passerine bird of the family Maluridae, common and familiar across southeastern Australia. They were recently voted as Australia’s favourite bird. Two subspecies groups are recognized: the larger and darker Tasmanian form cyaneus and the smaller and paler mainland form cyanochlamys.
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Superb Fairy-wrens have a large range in eastern Australia and Tasmania. I’ve personally seen them in the Captain Cook Caravan Park in Bruny Island, Strahan, around Hobart and near Girraween National Park in Queensland.
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Beautiful close up footage from Chris Rishworth on YouTube.
When researching accommodation options in Strahan, all I had to see was this sentence on the Strahan Wilderness Lodge website and I knew I had the right choice!
In the Lodge, you may join old or new friends in the lounge and enjoy breakfast overlooking the gardens and the fishing fleet anchored in Mill Bay; take a stroll to Smugglers Cove or the Harbour View terrace en route maybe catching a glimpse of some of Tasmania’s rarest birds which frequent the grounds.
I emailed them to make sure they were referring to Eastern Ground Parrots and was assured they were indeed!
The location was good, in the bush but near enough the town to drive in for meals.
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AAlthough Trip Advisor reviews are mixed, I think the people who weren’t happy here kind of missed the point of staying in a wilderness lodge. The focus is on Tassie charm and the natural environment. I loved it!
Rooms are very reasonably priced, include breakfast and have access to a shared bathroom.
In the end, it’s all about the birds!
Strahan, Tasmania is going to be on most serious birder’s itineraries as it is one of the few places in Australia to see Eastern Ground Parrots reliably. It’s actually a cute seaside town with lots of local charm.
We did a car swap in Hobart after leaving Bruny Island since I got a better rate with Thrifty Car Hire via RACQ.
It’s a beautiful drive through the mountains from Hobart to Strahan.
We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge which I reviewed here.
Traditional pub accomodation, also good meals can be found here.
Misty sunrise
Flushing a Ground Parrot
A short walk away from the Wilderness Lodge, we saw Emu-wrens and Superb Fairy-wrens.
While most birders would try to avoid hurricanes because many bird species will be hunkered down, other birders actually chase hurricanes!
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Find out more details from Audubon’s report!
This is a feature I am resurrecting. Each week, I will highlight a gallery of superb bird photography by a professional photographer. I am hoping to provide inspiration both for eco-travel and for us to improve our photography skills.
This week, I am showcasing the blog of British photographer Steve Oakes. He has some amazing photos from the UK and various other places in Europe. His work is copyrighted so please view his work on his blog directly.
Nobody wants their flight to be delayed but it does happen. Here are some hints on how to handle possible delays.
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This is a proactive approach. If the airline you are flying on has a record of delays and cancellations (info can be obtained from Flight Stats). If you are going somewhere remote such as an outer island, don’t book your international connection home the same day.
Again, Flight Stats is your friend. If you are traveling from Istanbul to Bangkok, check that the plane left its home airport on time. FlightAware is also good for this. If the flight hasn’t left Bangkok on time it probably won’t leave Istanbul for the return on time.
A few months ago several airlines cancelled flights to Tel Aviv due to the war, then resumed flights a few days later when they decided it was safe. A volcano in Iceland has been erupting. Check on anything that could delay or cancel your flight and make contingency plans.
Many people who are traveling overseas won’t have global roaming as it is expensive. You can use Skype to call any airline’s customer service number for free using wifi.
If you will be arriving late, let your hotel know so they don’t give your room away.
This may be as simple as the same airline having a flight a few hours later or having to rebook you onto another airline’s flight. Also know if you are due compensation, this usually only happens if it’s the airline’s fault-mechanical, labour, overbooking, etc.
If there are two of you, have one person wait in line while one of you calls or Skypes the airline. Have a list of alternatives available such as a list of flights going to the destination. If you use Flight Stats and Flightaware to monitor your flight, you will be aware of potential delays before the majority of other passnegers.
