Life Trove: adventure

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Adventure

Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realize that, the sooner we will be able to treat life as art. Maya Angelou

I love to go on adventures and do adventurous things. Here are some of the adventurous experiences I've had and adventurous activities I enjoy.

Adventurous experiences

Hiking to Everest base camp in Nepal
Land expeditions in the Arctic
Battling scorpions in the desert in Botswana
Swimming out to an island in Kizkalesi (Turkey) and exploring its ruins
Climbing to the Telicho Lake, the highest lake in the world at 6700 metres in the Himalayas (Nepal)
Paraglinding over the lagoon of Oludinez (Turkey)
Jumping from high cliffs on a day boat trip in Oludinez (Turkey)
A very high leap from a cliff in Parati (Brazil)
Zip lining between giant trees at Whistler (Canada)
White river rafting grade 5 rapids on the Zambezi River (Zimbabwe)
Quad biking on the dunes of Swakopmund (Namibia)
Jumping off a 3rd story balcony in Luxor (Egypt) into the pool (to impress my tour group)
Hiking Suicide Gorge in South Africa with mighty leaps into the river
Climbing a live volcano in Pucon, watching lava spew, and then sliding down the mountain on our bums
Whiteriver rafting grade 5 rapids on the Zambezi River
Hurtling down the worlds most dangerous road on mountain bikes and then chilling out in Coroico (Bolivia)
Exploring an abandoned shale mine in Glen Davis, braving snakes, and feeling like Indianna Jones
Ice climbing and hiking on The Grey Glacier (Chile)
A very close shave with a bull elephant in The Kruger National Park

Adventurous activities

March 25, 2026

Memorable moments: Three times I nearly became part of the food chain

I love wildlife reserves. There’s something magical about them—vast landscapes, incredible animals… and the constant, underlying possibility that something might kill you. From the deserts of Botswana to the shower blocks of South Africa, these three encounters taught me that nature doesn't care about your dignity, your itinerary, or your rental car’s insurance excess.

The Botswana Scorpion Siege

At sixteen, I learned that Botswana doesn't just have sunsets; it has traps. When our tyre exploded in the pitch-black desert on the way to the Okavango, we had no choice but to pitch tents by the roadside. As we fumbled in the dark, someone casually remarked that something "soft and tickly" had just brushed his bare foot. I realized, with a sudden jolt of electricity, that I’d felt the same thing.

We flicked on the torches, and the ground didn't just move—it heaved. It was like the snake pit in Indiana Jones, only the snakes had been replaced by a carpet of scorpions the size of human hands, all tails up and ready for war.

We immediately initiated a frantic "military operation" to reclaim our territory, shaking scorpions out of tents and—to our horror—finding them already nestled in our sleeping bags. In the ensuing struggle, we suffered one very unfortunate casualty: a sting to a little toe.

The "surgery" that followed was pure frontier melodrama. With a twig between his teeth for the pain and two pretty girls holding his hands for moral support, his toe was sliced open with a sterilized blade. I’m still not sure what hurt him more—the venom or the fact that his life was in the hands of a group of teenagers with a campfire aesthetic and a very sharp knife.

The Mkuzi Naked Exodus

Years later, I was heading for a quiet shower at Mkuzi National Park. I was five metres from the block when the screaming started. Suddenly, naked bodies began flying out of windows and doors like a synchronized swimming routine gone horribly wrong.

The cause? A Black Mamba. It’s one thing to face a predator when you’re armed and booted; it’s quite another when you are at your most vulnerable, clutching a towel and a bar of soap, facing a snake that can outrun a professional sprinter.

The Kruger Standoff

Finally, there was the Elephant. With the Kruger gates closing in twenty minutes and a hefty fine looming, I found my path blocked by a massive bull elephant munching on a freshly toppled tree.

Every time I edged the car forward, he stopped eating and flared his ears—the elephant equivalent of a "Keep Off the Grass" sign backed by lethal force. It was a choice between a one-hour detour or a leap of faith. Reminding myself that fortune favours the brave (and the budget-conscious), I floored it.

As I sped past, I could swear he feigned a lunge with his tusks. I didn't look back to check. I was too busy calculating the insurance excess on a "tusk-shaped hole" in a rental car door.

I’ve since learned that several motorists have had their cars flipped by those very bulls. If I’d known that then, I probably would have just paid the fine—or moved into the park permanently.

February 23, 2026

Canyoning adventure

A fabulous weekend of canyoning in the Blue Mountains.

Highlights included:

Getting to meet Gavin's wonderful friend Luke who joined us on the adventure. He is so much fun.
Srini's awesome leadership skills. He has become such a skilled canyoner. We always felt safe.
Some great abseils down beautiful waterfalls.
Coming to what I thought was the end of the canyon only to discover some of the best and most beautiful parts of the canyon were still ahead.
Discovering how much easier and more pleasant abseiling is when you wear gloves!
Squeezing through some tiny cracks and holes with water pouring through to get back into the lower parts of the canyon.
Gavin discovering water had got into the dry bad containing his lunch. His very soggy sandwich didn't look very appetising !
Rayu in his hoodie looking like an ICE official.
Coming across some very large spiny crayfish (yabbies) in the river. Some were tempted to bring them home for dinner. Gavin, who has just completed an Upschool course about nurturing wildlife, was having none of it!
A steep climb out of the canyon at the end to enjoy a great view while we had lunch.
A kilometer from the car, the heavens opened and it absolutely poured. Srini had gone on ahead and we arrived at the road in the bucketing rain, not knowing whether to go left or right. Watching Gavin try to shield his phone while attempting to call Srini was a sight!
Sheltering under Srini's gazebo in the pouring rain at Mount Wilson, deciding whether to stay or go. Lots of prophecies about when the weather would clear. Thankfully it did after 90 mins and we were able to set up our tents. I was relieved because I only had a $10 Kmart tent with no flysheet.
Sitting round the fire eating dinner, chatting, laughing. Always feels so great.
Luke giving Gavin his luxurious swag to sleep on. Ah, the comfort!
Sausages and garlic butter for breakfast. A glorious ritual.
Gavin and I stopping off for an awesome swim on the way home.

Gavin and Luke

Looking surprisingly relaxed!

Climbing out of the canyon to a great view

Mount Wilson camp site

Stopping off for a refeshing swim on the way home

Awesome video footage taken by Ashesh

October 22, 2025

Water Dragon Canyon (Mount Wilson)

A fantastic weekend of canyoning and abseiling.

Highlights of the weekend

Gavin very kindly lending us lots of gear for Andre to use (tent, sleeping bag, wet suit, mattress, harness).
Meeting Prajwal at 6 am at Home Bush station to get a lift to Mount Wilson. Andre stayed at my place overnight and we got the Uber. Good call as we had loads of gear!
Getting to show Andre the Blue Mountains and how much he loved the whole experience. He's an inspiration to us all. We can only hope to be as fit as him when we are 68!
Srini, Warren, Bart: Experienced canyoners who were very patient with us beginners and kept us completely safe.
Andre, on one occasion, abseiling upside down!
A 15 metre abseil into a stunning cavern followed by the canyon getting so deep and narrow, it was almost pitch black.
Rayu's outfit with wet suit head covering. He looked bad ass!
Swimming an epic 400 metres at the end.
An orgy of meat cooked on the camp fire: Beef, Lamb, Goat, Chicken kebabs. Yum. The butter chicken soup was also delicious.
Waking up to beautiful mist on Sunday morning and taking photos.
Discovering an enormous leech feasting on me in the car. I shrieked like a little girl!
Stopping off for a view of the Three Sisters in the mist on the way home. Andre and Prawjal had never seen it before.