Well-being (2022)

Total:  7.14 

Spiritual connection (2022)

 Total: 7.16

Event highlights (2022)

Away

• Dunn Swamp
• Weekend in Alpine
• Carcoar in Jan
• Carcoar for Xmas 

The Arctic

• Getting ready for Arctic (research, purchasing)
• Singapore & Oslo on the way
• The Arctic (Svalbard)

Bird photography

• The Arctic (especially Puffin)
• Sydney birding: Barton Park
• Cape Town (Rondevlei, Kirstenbosch, Strandfontein, Intaka Island)

Cape Town

• Cedarberg hike (Wolfberg Cracks)
• Hikes in Houtbay & Silvermine
• Ndlovu Choir

Progress (2022)

Being & Spiritual Connectedness

• 30 mins per day average of Being (Sit & Be, Lie & Be) for Nov & Dec
• Time tracking of Being
• Presence, Spaciousness, Surrender wisdom deeply reviewed & understood

Compass: Evernote, Chrome

• Evernote shortcuts with divider headings
• Chrome bookmarks folders with favicons & spaces
• Old Account Evernote notebooks culled: History & Links work when move
• Icon links on my desktop and Dock to Evernote
• Chrome new tab photo & reminder of "Presence, Spaciousness, Surrender. On desktop too.

Compass: Task management

• Day Checklist: Daily review
• Todoist for out and about tasks, shopping

Compass: Tracking

• Habits (including Being)
• Dex usage
• Work time allocation
• Walking distance

Compass: Guiding Wisdom & Practices

• Daily Wisdom Reminder
• Assurance reviews & in order
• Thinking & Problem solving: Curated wisdom & put into order
• Task management: Principles & practices
• Being, Spaciousness, Surrender extensively reviewed & the relationship between them deeply understood.
• Guiding quotes moved into relevant wisdom & practices pages

Computer

• Macbook Pro arrives and set up
• Files in order and backed up
• Very fast: Allows huge Lightroom catalogue
• Battery check: Long life
• Added "Show desktop" to the dock

Finances & Accounts in order

• New bank account (Macquarie) with good interest.
• Update payment details for all suppliers
• CMC Trading Account for investments
• Apple Pay on phone
• Finances in order: Spreadsheet:  Annual review, Regular commitments
• Annual review: Group large purchases by category
• Analyse large purchases. Which unnecessary?
• New wallet with Apple tracker
• Key documents scanned and uploaded to Evernote
• Start sales project.  Camera stuff sorted for selling.

Purchases

• Glasses
• Mirrorless R5 and lenses
• iPhone 14
• Clothes for Arctic
• 4 Air tags
• Air Fryer 

Dex in order (?)

• Calculated how 8 much more productive than 12

Photography

• Canon R5 with RF 100 - 500 (eye detection)
• Fotojet Premium desktop app (large canvas size)
• Photography in The Arctic: Massive mojo back, confidence from feedback
• Back into photography (birding)
• All photos in one Lightroom database (except current)

Bird photography

• The Arctic
• Barton Park
• Rondevlei, Kirstenbosch, Strandfontein
• Life Trove birding in order & life list

Life Trove

• Take underlines away
• Surprise me 
• Add search field
• Change "surprise" me to "random memory"
• Video content
• Add Clicky
• Hone labels
• Up to top improved visually
• Going through spiritual journal by year and honing and adding.
• Add school photos.
• Add Jenny, Cannon, Mr Suttle
• Add "Ode to things I love": Mountains, beaches, icecream, river swimming
• Birding & Hiking in order
• Add more priceless moments
• Arctic photos, South Africa bird photos

Health

• Neck massage at physio (Jessie). My mind at rest. After massage, so much better.
• Lie on back and be

Movies

• The Flixster & other Youtube like sites to stream movie
• Movie spreadsheet: Movies to watch
• Life Trove: Movie diary in order (with dates, grouped by cinema & at home)
• Find more movies with a twist and watch
• Add twist summary to movies with a twist and create movie twists sheet

Food

• Filter coffee coffee plunger
• Air Fryer

Wisdom Trove

General

• Replace Excel and Word with Google docs and sheets (with ability to split screen)
• Topic: "Life is God's experience": Traffic and high duration.
• Daily traffic reached 200 per day with over 10% repeat visitors.
• Edit replace:  Testing 

Life is a Movie (book)

• Scrivener
• Structure and flow
• Fantasy experiments
• Quotes in Scrivener
• Source quotes on dreaming
• Working on Daily Wisdom Reminder, Presence, Spaciousness, Surrender. Increased my understanding a lot.

Life is a Movie (topics)

• What makes a character in a movie or book interesting?
• Imagination contains unlimited possibility and potentiality
• Imagination contains immense creative power
• See your ego as the hero of your life story
• The purpose of life is to become a lover of life
• Is life predestined or predetermined?
• Conflict and its resolution adds interest and profundity to both movies and real life
• Amor fati: Love of fate
• The purpose of life is character development
• Fiction, fantasy and myth can point to deep truths
• Identify not as an ego but as awareness
• Depersonalisation
• The world as "maya" or illusion
• Be the witness, the watcher, the observer
• We are not the mind or its thoughts. We are consciousness.
• We are not the body or brain. We are consciousness.
• Sit back in the seat of awareness and enjoy the passing show
• Stay open by never closing
• Purchasing experiences tends to bring greater happiness than buying things
• Experience brings greater happiness than possessions
• Consciousness is the ultimate scientific mystery
• Gnosis: An indisputable knowing knowing experienced beyond the mind
• The observer effect: The observed cannot exist independently of the observer

More topics

• Everything in the universe is vibration
• String Theory
• God and imagination are one
• Emptiness (Sunyata)
• The purpose of life is to create
• Entropy and the tendency towards disorder
• Our purpose in life is to lower entropy
• The universe and life is governed by randomness and chance - or is it?
• Determinism
• Scientific and nondual arguments for causality being an illusion
• Knowing and being are one
• The experiencer and experience are one
• The power of metaphors
• How are happiness and meaning related?
• The purpose of life is to minimise pain - or is it?
• Hedonic verse eudaimonic happiness
• The purpose of life is to maximise pleasure - or is it?

Gratitude (2022)

Macbook Pro with M1 Max chip

• Incredibly fast (e.g. Lightroom,  Excel)
• Touch authentication
• Battery is amazing: 1 hour used 3% !!

Canyoning trip

• Managed to do scary bit - not stop the trip

Health

• Avoid COVID after weekend away, in the Arctic, with mum and Mike
• Neck after physio: Muscular only
• Blood test and tool test negative
• My hand is ok

Movies

• The Flixster etc: Movies, movies for free
• An abundance of movies with twists
• My movie list, so many movies seen. Get to share it.
• Francisca recommendations

Floors

• In my room, faded - can hardly see them
• My room better without mat

Finances

• Mum's $8000 + $5000 gift Arctic.
• Issues with house.  Mum ok to contribute
• $11,000 + $6000 dividend payment
• Give up dex: Save $960 per year
• $5000 interest income (Maquarrie Bank)
• Extra $1200  per year for small room
• Found a housemate before going to South Africa for a month (save $1470)
• Martin not have cancer
• Didn't crash my car when changing lane (so close)
• Finances in order
• Car overheated but not a problem.
• Realisation mum gets all income, feel fine re her donations.

 

Arctic photography

• Got R5, not R6 - allowed cropping. 
• R5 and animal eye detection
• 100 - 500 lens.
• I had the funds for camera.  If had invested, would I have bought camera ?  Was sinking very fast.
• Richard asked for gear list. I got to mention Canon R5!
• Back button focusing.
• 16 mm lens cheap - decider
• iPhone takes amazing wide shots and people photos.
• Back into wildlife and birding photography with a vengeance. I’m good at it. 
• Mount works with other canon lenses
• Success of Taronga gave me confidence
• Tanya helped me select photos.
• Nailed first polar bear with R5.  Mum and cubs. Great for confidence. 
• Polar bear & cub,  Boat on shore,  Puffin,  Guillemots in 
• Slideshow on ship. Amazing feedback.

The Arctic

• Gavin making it happen
• Wonderful team: Gavin, Tania, Richard
• Time to prepare and research
• Expedition not effected by strike.
• My MacBook Pro - Lightroom lightning fast with big files
• Got flight out of Longyearbyen by refresh
• Got flight back landing only 1 day later (ok for Liza) flying partly with Quatar (gold so put bags through, lounge, use credits so Gavin not need to pay)
• Chris look after Mack.
• Only one in group not to get sick.
• A triumph photographically and socially
• A time I wondered if I could. Dark night of soul. 
• Pulled the lessons off using experts.
• Not delayed in Arctic for extra weeks: Liza not off side. 
• Richard not snore much.
• Richard not scary at all.
• Come home: finances 170 k, expecting 150 k
• None of us had COVID before

The Arctic:  Strike and meds 

• Not think about possibility of strike at end effecting meds. Or at beginning (would have ruined the start.)
• Got meds in The Arctic. Had in stock. Friendly Dr. 
• Only 1 day of low dex and a day of stress in Longyearbyen. 
• Gavin find out about meds - mind easier, allow to go to dose of 7. 
• Gavin researched and assured.
• Got 100 Dex in Longyearbyen

Affirmation (2022)

 

Wisdom Trove 

Gavin

• An hour on freedom (freedom of the mind). Know to get rid of haters.
• Really uses sections. He used "choice" as an example.
• Shared with Justin who loved it
• You don't talk about it much but its really great.
• Person I showed it to very impressed with right side-bar
• Used Wisdom Trove for list of values.

Xenia

• Loved your Wisdom Trove

DIY

• Erecting Christina's bed

Photography

• Elna used my photo as Facebook pic (Panarama)
• Back button focus on R5.
• Malachite kingfisher mating.  Many comments. Dani liked.
• Cedarberg photos

Courage

• Canyon cliff climb with Srini
• Leaping at Mermaid Falls:  Facing fear,  Dani liked video

The Arctic 

My bag coolest.

Ways I was invaluable in The Arctic

• Photos (Upschool blog, slideshow (use in conference), lesson videos, media articles, my blog. )
• My photos in New York post.
• Google expenses spreadsheet.  
• Insurance claim spreadsheet. 
• Richard:  Plugs and power bank. Camera battery. Memory card. Charged GoPro.  

The Arctic blog  

• Blog great success.  Work well with Tanya.  
• The guy at the presentation night who loved it. "Show Graeme’s photos."

Mum

• So proud
• Shared video with her friends, lots of likes

Gavin:  

• Why I chose you to come to Arctic. Reason 1 is I always feel so happy and inspired after spending time with you.
• Research for Gavin:  Thank you sooooooo much for all of this work.  It's astounding.  I'm printing the research and reading it tonight. Thank you so much for doing all this stuff. You are saving my life. The research is phenomenal.  Basis for Anusha to do fact sheets.
• You look really young for age (Tanya first). You laugh all the time. 
• Know so much about cameras.
• Life long friends.
• Seen how you are driven and applied. 
• Very thankful for research. Anusha using. 

Photography & Blog feedback

• Photo slide show in the Arctic: Polar bear cubs, puffin, abandoned ship, guillemots in V,  polar bear looking. Tanya and me deciding on photos.  
• Photo slide show feedback: Ben: You were the best. Peter Eastway impressed. Most oohs and ahs.  Gavin and Richard: You got biggest reaction. 
• Thank you for sharing this Jo. It fills me with wonder and emotion. What a beautiful planet we live on and this part of the whole world seems so mysterious to me. I would love to visit one day.
• Richard: Hi Graeme Finally I got to sit down and watch this beautiful slideshow.  It's absolutely stunning. The images are incredible - you are such an talented wildlife and landscape photographer.  Reliving it a couple of months brings it all back into sharp focus but a completely different perspective - through your lens So many of the photos I haven't seen.... certainly not in this format on a big screen with music. It was very moving .. well done!
• Justin and polar bears. “You didn’t take that!”
• Jo on my Arctic posts:  You should be writer - not Tanya. You write with such passion and kept me engrossed.
• Elna:  Incredible photos from on your blog… words fail me!  Would love to hear all about it.
• Richard on my blog:  Love this graeme!!  Really enjoyed re-living such magical memories!

Richard

• I enjoyed your company so much on the trip and have told everyone how great it was to spend all that time with you and get to know you.  A new friend for life I hope!
• Intimidated by you and Gavin. Both so bright.
• You and Gavin know so much about everything.  Your intelligence is humbling.  You’re quite a catch.  You are enlightened.  Love your passion for photography.

Weekend to Southern Highlands

• Philosophical discussion with Derek. Kim: that's so beautiful. Lauren and Christian listening in.
• Lauren re Derek.  "Do not know him well but I really like him. Feel like our values align."
• Jasenka:  You do amazing hikes with Mountain and Srini. 
• Jasenka:  Wowza great quality pics. Were they all taken with your phone camera? Impressive!
• Fantastic pics and blog in general. Thanks for sharing! Have already shared it beyond our group with my mum

People

Elaine on Cedarberg photos  and Bonnum Pic hike

• NEVER seen anything like this! Wot an amazing experience, talk about living life to the full. Very few people will have seen this fascinating landscape. Your photographs should be a coffee table book. Really awesome. x
• Awe inspiring! Loved seeing it all. You are really living life to the full in a unique way.

Gavin

• I love hanging out with you guys so much. You re-energise my soul. You are amazing friends to have.
• Gavin loved my photos of Bonnum Pic.
• You are a good story teller (interesting, good inflexion, vocabulary)
• What a hike! I feel lucky to have such great friends!!!
• Would have you and Srini as my pages at wedding

Chris

• "You're the most creative person I know."  Book, photography, Wisdom Trove.

Srini

• That's what I love about you. You still have lots of mojo (after leaping).

Shushann

• Shushann: Beautiful buddies. Gavin: With beautiful bodies.  Shushann:  Hahaha you guys rock! 
• "You’re the ultimate manifester."
• You're great to have around.  In demand.

Dani & Chrisel likes

• Arctic trip, Cedarberg hike, Kingfishers mating, Antarctica to come

Life Trove

• John (Srini's friend) in blog: Graeme is an open book. Feel like I know him.

Nic hypnosis site

• Without you, I'd just have images on Microsoft Drive
• 9 clients in a day

Spiritual moments (2022)

Being

• Sitting and Being at park with Mack near tree
• Nov & Dec, timed Being. Ave of 30 mins per day.

Love

• Love to music (driving to and from Carocar at Xmas)

Wisdom

• Presence, Spaciousness, Surrender wisdom deeply reviewed & understood.
• Reading daily wisdom (Life is God's experience)

Birding 

• Malachite kingfisher in Rondevlei
• Puffin close to the zodiac in The Arctic
• Wagtails at Dunns Swamp
• Cape Rockjumper and Buntings in Cedarberg

Animals

• Polar bears in the Arctic
• Arctic fox

Synchronicity

• James at La Perouse (never been there before)
• NRMA car service van at Barton Park after I left my lights on.
• Fine for seat-belt

Beauty

• Ndlovu Choir

Vision

• Sight of camera screen in dark

Evidence for benevolence

• Getting dex in Longyearbyen

Moments of synchronicity (2022)

Meeting James at La Perouse

I was hiking at La Perouse with Gavin, Srini and Elna.  As we walked, we spoke of Gavin's friend, James, who I knew well and liked very much.  Gavin said he had asked James to come hiking with us that day, but that he had decided he wanted to do a solitary hike to sort some things out in his head.  Half an hour later. we walked out onto an isolated headland to have some lunch.  Suddenly who should appear but James!  He said he had never hiked at La Perousa before but had decided to explore it on a whim.  The chances of us doing the same hike and then meeting in this isolated spot were mind bogglingly tiny.

The NRMA service van

A few months later, I went birding at Barton Park near Botany Bay. I parked at an isolated parking spot well off the main road and walked into the park.  After a couple of hours, as I walked back to the car, I remembered I had switched on my car lights on my early morning drive to the park and had forgotten to switch them off. I made mental peace with it as I returned to the car. When I reached the car, what should I discover, but an NRMA van parked right next to my car. There were no other car in the parking lot. The NRMA driver had parked there to have a short break. I asked him for a jump start and he willingly obliged.

Priceless Moments (2022)

Outings

• Leaping Mermaid Falls with the boys
• Photography at Dunns Swamp
• Swimming with Gavin at Centennial Glen and the Coastal track
• The Grand Canyon in flood
• Bonnum Pic trail
• Wolfberg Cracks and Arch in The Cedarberg
• Corang Arch, Buddawang

New Macbook Pro

• Anticipation and getting all sorted
• So fast (especially Lightroom) with its 64 gigs of RAM.
• Giving my old computer to Chris

Medical relief

• Discovering my hand (growth) was ok
• Stool test negative
• Neck after physio

Buying and learning my new R5 camera

• Realisation wider angle lenses are not expensive
• Camera store: especially 100 - 500 lens
• Taronga Zoo: Realise I have something special
• Birding

The Arctic

• Polar bears (including cub)
• Puffin
• Photo presentation on ship and feedback
• Photographing with Peter Eastway on my back at the bird cliff and chatting on our hike.

Birding

• Rondevlei, Strandfontein, Kirstenbosch, Barton Park
• Malachite kingfisher mating
• Puffin in ocean close to zodiac
• Mousebirds, Sugarbirds, Sunbird

Movies

• Maestro music

Special connections (2022)

 

Nic

• Nic site
• Nic hypnosis

Gratitude expressed

• Gavin
• Elna birthday tribute video
• Jo 50th birthday video

Michael

• Beautiful lunch conversation. Heartfelt gratitude re camera. Sharing about my Arctic trip.
• Lunch with Michael & his friends. Reminiscing about Sue.
• Offer to scan his photos and create a blog.

 

Anusha

• Share my movie list
• Beautiful conversation

Xenia

• Some beautiful sharing and mutual inspiring during lunch
• Xenia trip to Tasmania
• What we want from our lives
• Wanting to live life to the full
• Coal Loader

Chris

• A room to stay while in South Africa when he lost his room
• Taking his books to help out
• His delight in finding a room
• Looking after Mack while in The Arctic & South Africa

Tina, Ruth, Dom

• Carcoar for Xmas
• Heart to hearts with Tina

Francisca

• Chatting about movies, get great recommendations

Non fiction books read (2022)

Advaita Vedanta 

• Advaita - Tools for Spiritual Unity (Merlyn Swan)

Idealism

• Brief Peeks Beyond: Critical Essays on Metaphysics, Neuroscience, Free Will, Skepticism and Culture (Bernardo Kastrup)
• The Idea of the World: A Multi-Disciplinary Argument for the Mental Nature of Reality  Bernardo Kastrup
  
  

Challenges (2022)

Finances

• Inflation high: eating into my savings 
• Didn't invest to earn dividends 
• When invest?
• Hesitate to ask Martin to pay more rent
• Extra $2500 tax
• Obsessive index viewing & then avoiding
• Mum outgoings for Sam & Matt
• Jo verse me
• Bank: Money didn't come through for two days
• $ 25 000 for Arctic trip

Mack & Liza

• Blood test: $250
• Arctic pet sitters
• Antarctica put off telling Liza
• Liza not having him overnight
• Putting him in for a heart scan

Car

• Radiator:  Gavin saw me stressed and running.  Cost $500.
• Fine for seat belt & no registration.  $1000 plus

Home

• Getting new housemate (after Christina)
• Garden wall shifts
• Martin's room: mould, shower
• Christina's bed
• Floor stains, especially my room, Martin room
• Shower potential leaks

World events

• Ukraine war
• Novak visa debacle: Made me embarrassed to be Australian

Health

• Lump on hand and foot
• Blood in stools
• Excessive meds in blood?
• Stool sample shame
• Blood pressure high with dr
• Graeme ill with cancer
• Booster shot:  Feel crook for a day
• Sick in South Africa

Macbook Pro

• Not get 4 gig: Spend $1000 on ssd drive
• Battery: Worried only lasted few hours. Delay testing it properly.

Weight

• Weight on stomach

Cosgrove

• Having double for 3 months, get known?

Xenia mum

• Angry, making her have tube in stomach. 
• Xenia upset she in hospital, still not sure if she wants her to recover.

Antarctica  (false start)

• Mack and Liza. Say yes to Gavin?  Lose his respect?
• Renew passport: get back in time?
• My photography good enough
• Cosgrove: Need meds early, will be able to get appointment before meds run out.

Antarctica  (2023)

• Unhappy I must pay $2000 for Richard and my cabin. Eventually have it out with Gavin.

Before Arctic

• Dark night of soul: camera.  Next day hiking with old camera.
• Anxious not up for it.
• Spent 20,000 and more.
• Gavin says do research.
• Body corporate: shower and concrete leak. 
• Martin’s room ceiling and shower.
• Richard not like Canon 90d (photography business so in the know)

In Arctic

• Richard not bring camera
• Risk of running out of meds. Stress of Longyearbyen: will be able to get ?  Terrible day of 5 - extreme fatigue and stress.
• With lessons on zodiac, unable to photograph
• Customs in Oslo leaving - not realize passport.
• Strike delay effect on Liza. 
• Norway customs especially coming home. 

Flight to Cape Town

• 1 hour in Cape Town, worried not enough. Actually brilliant.

Wisdom Trove

• Google algorithm cause 75% reduction in traffic.
• Wordpress & Plugins need upgrading but hesitating

2022 Highlights

Carcoar twice, The Arctic, Cape Town

Priceless moments

• A weekend away in Alpine with beautiful people.
• Table tennis with Chris.
• Camping at Dunns Swamp with Elna and others.
• Canyoning with Srini and John and conquering my fears when we navigated a knife-edged cliff.
• Conquering my fear of heights again by leaping from a high cliff at Mermaid Falls.
• The Grand Canyon and Centennial Glen after the rain.
• Some great hikes with the boys including Bungonia National Park Red Track, Gardens of Stone, Wolgan Valley, Bonnum Pic trail and Corang Arch in the Buddawang.
• Practicing my new Canon R5 camera at Taronga Zoo and be amazed by its extraordinary eye detection. 
• The experience of a lifetime in the The Arctic (Svalbard). Eye dropping scenery from zodiacs and shore landings.  Close encounters with great white bears and amazing birds.  
• My photos of The Arctic featured in the New York Post.
• Being inspired to get back into bird photography at Barton Park.
• My gratitude expressed to Michael for his generous gift that allowed me to get the Canon R5.
• Lunch with Michael and Sue's friends.
• Jo graduates as a Zoe Project birth companion.
• Hiking to Ystervark Grot at Silvermine with Russell and Brandon and squeezing ourselves through narrow cave passages to reach larger caverns.
• Squeezing through the Wolfberg Cracks in The Cedarberg with Russell to ascend the mountains to spend the night at the spectacular Wolfberg Arch.
• Birding photography at Rondevlei where, to my absolute delight, I got photos of mating malachite kingfisher.
• Thousands of flamingoes at Strandfontein Sewerage Works.
• Getting photos of sunbirds and sugarbirds at Kirstenbosch during two vists.
• Photos of a Paradise flychatcher on its nest in the Greenbelt.
• A stunning hike with Russell and Jo in the mountains in Hout Bay.
• Listening to the Ndlovu Choir and being moved to tears.
• Doing a video tribute for Jo's 50th birthday and for Elna's 50th birthday.
• Planning our Antarctica trip for March 2023 with Aurora.
• Sitting & Being at the park with Mack.
• Visiting Tina in in Carcoar in January and  also spending Xmas with the family.
• A really fun New Year's party at my place, and going off to watch fireworks from a good spot, thanks to me pitching a tent there earlier in the day.

Not so great

• Mike has a heart attack. He recovered but it really took it out of him.
• My Wisdom Trove visitors keep going up, but then plummet in October after Google changes its algorithm.

Culinary delights

• Portuguese Charcoal chicken with Srini after hike
• Messina icecream
• Jo's coffee and rum & raisin icecream
• Thick chocolate milkshake in Cape Town
• Eat Greek prawn wrap after Coastal Track walk
• Cape Town meat & fish: Cattlebaron steak, Ocean Basket, Ribs at market
• Xmas feasts: Ruth: Duck, pork belly, chicken, amazing potato bake Xmas day at Shalow: Lemon curd trifle, turkey

Purchases

• Canon R5 with 100 - 500 lens.
• Air Fryer
• iPhone 14
• Air tags

Favourite movies

• Top Gun Maverick  (2022) (*)
• King Richard  (2022)  (*)
• The Menu (2022)  (*)
• Ennio, The Maestro (2022)   (*)
• The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
• CODA (2021)
• Thoroughbreds (2017)
• The Descent (2005)
• Palm Springs (2020)
• Fall (2010)
• The Platform (2019)
• Mr Nobody (2009)
• Easy A (2010)
• Booksmart (2019)
• The Perfection (2018)
• The Banshees Of Inisherin (2022)
• Triangle of Sadness (2022)
• Ozark
• Better Call Saul

---

2022 Index of Links

Cape Town   (Oct)     All posts 

Arrival

• Flight to South Africa
• Reunion with the family

Hikes & Walks

• Hout Bay hike   (Jo and Russell)
• Silvermine hiking to Muizenberg peak   (Jo)
• Llandudno rock hopping   (Russell)
• Hike in the mist at Silvermine   (Jo)
• Hike to Ystervark Grot at Silvermine  (Russell)
• Wolfberg Cracks and Arch in The Cedarberg  (Russell)
• Greenbelt walk   (Jo and Sam)
• Walk at Groot Constantia  (Jo)
• Constantia Nek to Kirstenbosch  (Jo)
• Walk in The Hel  (Russell)
• Walk Muzenberg to St James  (Jo)
• Eagle's Nest (Russell)
• St James to Muizenberg to Kalk Bay  (Jo)

Birding

• Constantia Nek to Kirstenbosch  (Jo)
• Rondevlei
• Kirstenbosch revisted
• Mating malachite kingfishers at Rondevlei
• Flychatcher in The Greenbelt
• Intaka Island
• Strandfontein Sewerage Works

Outings

• Camps Bay 
• Ndlovu Choir

Get togethers

• Llandudno sundowners (Russell)
• Get together with hardcore hiking club
• Pub Quiz
• Learning to paint rocks
• Constantia market with Russell and Heather

Meals

• Fishhoek and Simons Town for lunch  (Jo, Mum, Mike)
• Dinner at Woodside
• Cattle Baron with family
• Ocean Basket
• Lunch in the garden with the family

Arctic trip   (Jul)    Overview     All posts       Video

Getting ready

• Researching content for our Arctic lessons
• Getting my photography juices flowing for the Arctic
• Arctic farewell picnic

Getting there

• Building team spirit in Singapore on the way to the Arctic
• Singapore to Oslo
• Arriving in Longyearbyen, gateway to the Arctic

In the Arctic

• Introducing the star of our Arctic expedition: The Greg Mortimer
• Exploring the Arctic by zodiac
• Exploring the Arctic through landings on shore
• Arctic scenery that took our breath away
• A wonder world of sea ice just 1100 km from the north pole
• Close encounters with great white bears
• Other animals we saw in the Arctic
• Birds we saw in the Arctic
• Creating video lessons on location in The Arctic

Getting home

• A long and very winding road

Home

• Our Arctic trip in the news
• Planning our Antarctica trip for March 2023 with Aurora

Journals

• Journal of our Arctic adventure (written by Tanya)
• Journal of our Arctic adventure (written by Aurora Expeditions)

 

Weekend away

• Visit Tina in Carcoar for a family Xmas (Dec)
• Weekend away in Alpine  (Mar)
• Camping at Dunns Swamp (Jan)
• Visit Tina in Carcoar (Jan)

 

Hiking     (23 hikes)

• Silvermine hiking to Muizenberg peak   (Oct)
• Llandudno rock hopping   (Oct)
• Hike in the mist at Silvermine   (Oct)
• Hike to Ystervark Grot at Silvermine  (Oct)
• Wolfberg Cracks and Arch in The Cedarberg  (Oct)
• Hout Bay hike   (Jo and Russell)
• Another Colo River hike with Srini and Rajesh (Sep)
• Colo River hike with Srini and Rajesh (Sep)
• 2 hikes in The Arctic
• Nattai outlook hike  (Jun)
• Gardens of Stone, Wolgan Valley (May)
• Nattai river hike (May)
• Corang Arch, Buddawang (May)
• Pierce's Pass  (May)
• Bonnum Pic trail (Apr)
• Berowra to Hornsby (Mar)
• Royal National Park Garie Beach to Eagle Rock (Mar)
• The Grand Canyon and Centennial Glen after the rain (Mar)
• Uloola Track  (Feb)
• Bungonia National Park Red Track (Feb)
• Mermaid Falls leaping  (Feb)
• Canyoning with Srini and John (Jan)

Walking

• Stroll at Coogee with Shushann & Lydia  (Dec)
• Walk to Balmoral with Sharon, Elwin, Stewart, Lydia, Shushann  (Dec)
• Berry Island and Balls Head with Shushann  (Nov)
• Greenbelt walk   (Oct)
• Walk at Groot Constantia  (Oct)
• Constantia Nek to Kirstenbosch  (Oct)
• Walk in The Hel  (Oct)
• Walk Muzenberg to St James  (Oct)
• Eagle's Nest (Oct)
• St James to Muizenberg to Kalk Bay  (Oct)
• Fishhoek and Simons Town for lunch  (Oct)
• Newport to Whale Beach with Sharon, Shushann and Lydia (Apr)
• Walk with Srini along the coast near Cronulla (Apr)
• Le Perouse walk with Elna and the boys (Apr)
• Malabar Headland with Shushann (Jan)

Photography outings

• Sculptures by the Sea (Nov)
• Taronga zoo practicing for Arctic with new camera  (Jun)
• Vivid  (Jun)
• Redfern   (Feb)

Birding outings

• Strandfontein Sewerage Works (Oct)
• Kirstenbosch (Oct)
• Rondevlei  (Oct)
• Flychatcher in The Greenbelt (Oct)
• Kirstenbosch revisted (Oct)
• Mating malachite kingfishers at Rondevlei (Oct)
• Intaka Island (Oct)
• Barton Park (Sep)
• The Arctic (Jul)

Spiritual

• Sit & Be at the park with Mackie (Nov, Dec)
• Yoga day with Elwin and Sharon (Apr)

Shows and concerts

• Ndlovu Choir (Oct)
• Music festival at Marickville with Elna  (Nov)

Cinema

• Top Gun Maverick  (May)

Visits to Jilly

• Visit Jilly in Bowral (Nov)
• Bowral to visit Jilly (May)
• Bowral to visit Jilly (Apr)

Birthdays

• Mack turns 18  (Nov)
• Chris birthday at The Botanica (Sep)
• My 52nd birthday (Sep)
• Elna's 50th birthday Indian dinner (Aug)
• Birthday tribute video for Elna (Aug)
• Jo's 50th birthday including my tribute video (May)
• Anusha's birthday party (May)
• Mum's 75th birthday (Feb)
• Krissula's birthday lunch  (Jan)

Parties

• A really fun New Year's party at my place  (Dec)
• Annual Xmas party at Gavin & Tanya (Dec)

Eating out

• Elna's 50th birthday Indian dinner (Aug)
• Lunch with Michael and Sue's friends  (Nov)
• The Flying Bear with Chris (Sep)
• Lunch with Chris at Thelma & Louise (Mar)
• Dinner at Gavin and Tanya (Mar)
• Krissula's birthday lunch  (Jan)

Being active

• A swim at Bronte with Gavin & Tanya (Dec)
• Being a kid again at the park (Dec)
• Yoga day with Elwin and Sharon (Apr)
• Table tennis with Chris (Feb)

Catch ups with friends

• Ball's Head with Xenia  (Dec)
• Manly with Elna (Aug)
• Catch up with Roger (Mar)

Family

• Dinner at Woodside (Oct)
• Cattle Baron with family (Oct)
• Lunch in the garden with the family  (Oct)
• Mack turns 18  (Nov)
• My 52nd birthday (Sep)
• Jo's 50th birthday including my tribute video (May)
• Jo graduates as a Zoe Project birth companion (May)
• Jo delivering babies (Mar)
• Mum's 75th birthday (Feb)
• Matt gets 5 A's for matric (Jan)
• Jo and the family in 2022

Related

• My spiritual journey (2022)