Polar Bear Watching – Churchill, Canada
Churchill is dubbed the ‘Polar Bear Capital of the World’ and offers an extraordinary wildlife adventure holiday. As the annual polar bear migration occurs along the Cape Churchill coast, it brings with it one of the world’s most fascinating wildlife watching experiences. Travel by special tundra vehicle to view the polar bears at close range (excellent sightings are virtually guaranteed!), and explore the arctic tundra along the Hudson Bay coast before retiring to the comfort of your hotel or lodge. If you prefer you can sleep in the polar bears’ realm, waking in the morning to see polar bears right outside your window, sipping your morning coffee only metres from a polar bear and cozily enjoying endless nights in the solitude and isolation on the frozen tundra, at the Tundra Buggy Lodge. From this mobile lodge, spend your days on a Tundra Buggy touring the area in search of might nanuk and other wildlife like arctic hare, arctic fox, timber wolf, snowy owl and caribou. Guests on the Tundra Buggy Lodge get to experience polar bears on the tundra in unique lighting conditions available only at dawn and dusk. As well, guests have a great opportunity to experience the northern lights without the interfering light pollution of town.
www.tundrabuggy.com/polar-bear-tours/tundra-buggy-lodge/
For more information visit www.churchillwild.com(Natalie Peterson)

 

The Serengeti National Park – Africa
With endless savannas promising one of the greatest wild animal shows on earth - including vast herds of wildebeest, zebra, lions, gazelle and buffalo - Africa’s Serengeti is the epitome of the African safari dream. Enjoy the outdoor recreation possibilities, or hole up at one of the Park’s many tented safari camps or luxury wildlife lodges; many offer resident game viewing without leaving the confines of your accommodation. And for the ultimate high - imagine floating silently over the vast Serengeti plains, as the sun rises and reveals a bird’s-eye view of the wildlife below. Wildlife Safaris offer the opportunity to hot air balloon over the Serengeti as part of their “The Serengeti Safari” package. For more information visit www.tanzaniatouristboard.com or www.wildlifesafari.com.au (Natalie Peterson)

 

Hollyford Track, South Island, New Zealand
Imagine snow-capped mountains with glaciers that melt into a river that leads into a lake complete with cliff face waterfalls. Imagine that river and that lake lined by prehistoric rainforest that stops at coastline surf guarded by Fiordland crested penguins and New Zealand fur seals.
Add the madcap tales of explorer Davey Gunn, who haunts this valley, served up over three-course gourmet meals in private lodges at the end of a trekking day and you have the Hollyford Track. An intimate three-day guided trekking experience deep in New Zealand’s South Island and one of only two places worldwide where rainforest meets glacial waters.
Step into the chopper on the last day for a spectacular helicopter flight over the alpine ranges straight into Milford Sound.
Three-day wilderness journey with transfers from Queenstown, all meals, jet boat and chopper costs NZ$1655 per adult, NZ$1235 per child
Bookings: www.hollyfordtrack.co.nz or +64-3-442 7789 (Rachael Oakes-Ash)

 

Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand
If it exists jump off it, that’s the motto in Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island. AJ Hackett started it by building his bungy bridge and pushing backpackers off the edge with nothing but a rope tied to their ankles. The gentleman behind Shotover Jet saw the rapids in the gorge of the Shotover River and thought “let’s skim on the surface in jet boats carrying passengers and frighten them by narrowly missing the rocky walls with millimetres to spare.” Now there’s the Canyon Swing, a giant swinging contraption that makes those who steer it think they can fly, and tandem paraponting strapped to a bloke who’s strapped to a parachute and stepped off a cliff. Add white water rafting, heli skiing, sky diving, remote trekking, it’s enough to make you crave a good lie down. The Mole, The Amazing Race, even The Footy Show, they’ve all taken the Queenstown adventure test and survived. Check out Adventure Queenstown www.queenstownadventure.com to find the right extreme activity for you or take part in them all for serious boasting rights. (Rachael Oakes-Ash)

 

Kayaking off Greenland – and beyond
They come out of Scoresby Sound along the east Greenland coast - the big ‘bergs that boggle the senses, carved by nature into imposing, dramatic shapes. Greenland (and the High Arctic realm of Svalbard) is home to some of the largest fjords in the world and few adventure experiences can compare or compete with paddling a sleek ocean kayak through narrow ice-choked fjords, under towering walls of patterned ice in near endless daylight, eyes ever alert for musk oxen, reindeer, arctic fox, walrus and polar bear.
Al Bakker, the father of ocean kayaking, conceived the personal water-level access of remote wilderness areas back in 1988. What began as operations in Fiji and Australia by Southern Sea Ventures has become a global undertaking, with trips based out of Tonga, Vanuatu, Panama, Turkey as well as the globe’s extremities.
A mothership, The Polar Pioneer, now supports the Greenland, Arctic, Antarctic and Scottish Island kayak expeditions, allowing even deeper penetrations into largely untouched areas. There is just no way to get closer to the most astonishing parts of the planet. More exhilarating than exhausting. Visit: http://www.southernseaventures.com (Glenn A Baker)

 

Fraser Island – Four Wheel Driving
What could possibly be more fun than to go four wheel driving on the biggest sand island in the world? On an island with no bitumen, just the beach for a highway and narrow, muddy bush tracks cut through hectares of pristine rainforest? Amongst some of the most startling wildlife on earth: from dingoes and tiger sharks to the more welcoming sights of a playful pod of dolphin, a school of massive tuna and a predatory eagle taking aim above them all? This World Heritage-listed island off Queensland’s southern coast really allows the adventure enthusiast, and the hopeless romantic, to get away from it all. While you may have to dig your own dunny out here, the trade-off – a night under the stars with nothing around you but wildlife – is well worth the trouble (but don’t forget you need a toilet buddy to watch out for dingoes!). Fraser Island has some stunning natural attractions accessible by 4WD. Indian Head, Fraser Island’s only rock headland, gives you an incredible view of the bay north to Waddy Point, you can actually see tiger sharks from up here, and lots of turtles and dolphins. The Champagne Pools, natural rock pools created at low tide when the ocean gets trapped, are perfect for relaxing in for hours. But it’s Lake Mackenzie most come here for, perhaps the world’s most pristine freshwater lake where you’re asked to not use sunscreen before swimming. Lake Wabby, with its massive surrounding sand dunes is also a find, while for that sheer feeling of romantic isolation there’s nothing like Fraser’s entire east coast, 123 kilometres of rugged, sandy beaches, complete with preserved shipwrecks.
For the best deals on 4WDs (unless you have your own) check out Aussie Trax on www.aussietraxfraserisland.com or Safari 4WD on www.safari4wdhire.com.au. For more info go to www.seefraserisland.com.au (Craig Tansley)

 

Mahouting – Northern Thailand
“Our elephants are regarded as government employees,” says John Roberts, ranger at Anantara Golden Triangle Resort near Chiang Rai, where the elephants under his care are on loan from Thailand’s National Elephant Institute. At the Anantara’s elephant camp, John teaches guests the basics of riding an elephant, solo.
To steer, one digs in a heel behind the elephant’s ear. A gentle left jab means “go left.” The verbal instructions for forward-reverse motion are equally simple: “pai” (go forward) and “sok” (go back). Very soon a trainee, perched high behind the elephant’s skull, might say, “Look, Ma — no hands!” The three-day course includes learning about the daily care of an elephant, feeding your jumbo correctly and all about “the mahout lifestyle” — indispensable stuff for the modern city dweller.
The Anantara Resort is 60 km north of Chiang Rai. The three-day mahout course costs 10,000 baht and includes four hours of tuition each day. Shorter courses cost 4000 baht a day.
www.slh.com/goldentriangle (John Borthwick)

 

Cattle Mustering – Northern Territory
They call it one of the last frontiers in the world. As the Wild West of the US of A turns into a smorgasbord of Wal-Marts and brand new housing developments for people seeking the American dream, it’s impossible to imagine the area around Bullo River Station will ever be anything but red earth, cattle, crocs and big barra. No one lives out here, 800 km south-west of Darwin on this 500 000 acre farmstead, just Marlee Ranacher and her family and her workers. It’s the perfect spot for the adventurous couple looking for a romantic getaway with a difference. Muster cattle with the workers, catch bulls (they call it “bull dozing”) using tough 4WDs to knock the big fellas off their feet, and at night, when the mustering’s done, there’s nothing like sitting out watching the stars shoot. But it’s not just about mustering, you can also ride horses, or if you’re feeling more sedate you can take a river cruise to the Bullo River Gorge to see the crocs or take home a barra, thread fin salmon or mangrove jack. They just don’t recommend swimming...
You can fly to Bullo River Station from Darwin, Katherine or Kununurra or travel by 4WD. For more info on staying here, go to www.bulloriver.com(Craig Tansley)

 

Volcano Touring, Tanna Island, Vanuatu
Tanna, in Vanuatu’s remote outer islands, must be one of the most primitive islands left on earth. The natives worship a God called John Frum, rumoured to be an American soldier AWOL from his WW2 duties, who, when asked who he was, replied “John, From America”. The big attraction on Tanna is its active volcano, Yasur. Here you can get closer to a live volcano than anywhere else on earth, a quite frightening proposition. Arrive at the base of the volcano on dusk and walk to the top and be prepared to have the living daylights scared out of you ... You can see all the way into a massive dark chasm as you sit above it and watch volcanic stones, some the size of VWs, spit out towards you, while the sun sets. You sit like this for hours, marvelling at the power of the earth, praying the rocks you see falling don’t spew further out (two tourists have been killed but we are told that, for the most part it is safe!). It has to be one of the most incredible spectacles on this earth. You’ll be covered in volcanic ash, but it’s well worth the mess.
Stay at White Grass Ocean Resort on Tanna and take the six-hour Yasur Volcano tour available each day at 2.30 pm, it will get you back in time for dinner, go to www.whitegrassvanuatu.com.vu (Craig Tansley)

 

The Headhunter’s Trail – Sarawak, Borneo
Trek along Sarawak’s highly acclaimed Headhunter’s Trail and you won’t find any warring headhunters armed with blowpipes! You will, however, discover one of the best trekking holidays in Borneo - your guided adventure will take you along the route of the ancient Kayan tribesmen who traversed the valleys, hills and rivers of this deep, dense jungle. Many of the tours on offer allow you to spend the night in the traditional longhouse of one of the local Iban tribes for a truly unique insight into the region’s fascinating culture. For more information visit www.sarawaktourism.com (Natalie Peterson)

 

 

from issue: Spring/Summer 07