1. Okavango Delta in
Botswana
The
Okavango Delta is Africa’s greatest wilderness, its biggest oasis. It is a
not to be missed journey. I would even go so far as to say it is an experience of
a lifetime. I drove there twice from Cape Town in South Africa. I once went to
the area around Moremi and Savuti (coming from Maun) and on my second visit to
Botswana I went to the Chobe National Park, entering from Kasane. The whole
area is close to Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
This
Yellow-billed hornbill was a regular visitor when I camped in the Savute area.
When I first saw it I couldn’t believe birds like this exist, it was like in a
film. In African mythology/folklore, the Yellow-billed hornbill is the
optimistic one, it stands for the belief that everything will be alright in the
end. That is the spirit, right?
2. Vivonne Bay in Australia
More than a third of Kangaroo Island is dedicated
to conservation parks. It feels heavenly isolated from the rest of the world.
Some say this beach on Kangaroo Island is
Australia’s best. But wait till you discover all the other ones, I have yet to
set eyes on an ugly beach in this country. Their beauty becomes your standard
and it gets pretty hard to travel and appreciate other beaches. OK, there are
also all these stunning beaches in South Africa. Clear water, and an endless
sandy beach. I visit on a pretty overcast day; imagine this place in bright
sunshine. I went here for a long beach walk after I visited Seal Bay, home of
one of Australia’ largest sea lion colony.
To get to Jervis Bay and to catch the ferry to
Kangaroo Island, I drove the 800 kilometres from my Melbourne home. Those were
the days. Did you know that the time difference between South Australia and
Victoria is 30 minutes? Discussions about a time zone shift are ongoing.
3. Namib-Naukluft
National Park in Namibia
This
park is Africa’s largest conservation area. The sand here is 5 million years
old. That puts most things in perspective, right? Some of the dunes are 400
metres high, and they are red in colour due to its iron oxide content.
The
most photographed dune in the world, which gets its names from the distance to
the entry gate of the park is right behind me. I took this photo of my Land
Rover parked at Dune 45 after I drove along a (soft) sandy 4×4 track to
Sossusvlei.
I
love driving through Southern Africa; there is so much to experience. This type
of travel gives you a true sense of the vastness of this part of the African
continent. From here I made my way to the Etosha National Park, close to
Angola, and later all the way back to Cape Town in South Africa.
Read more about Namibia: Survival of the fittest.
4. Arthur’s Seat in
Scotland
It is the highest point in the 640 acre Royal Park in
Edinburgh. The dormant volcano sits 251 m above sea level, and I was happy that
it is so very great for hiking. Read all about my adventures finding perfect food in Edinburgh.
5. Corsica in France
On
a hike from Bonifacio to a sort of nearby lighthouse along the limestone and
granite cliffs at the Strait of Bonifacio (a protected Marine Park), I made the
major mistake not to carry enough fresh water with me.
The
walk along the cliffs is beautiful, the view is breathtaking, the vegetation, a
mix of shrubs, herbs and alpine flowers is really special. I took far too many
photos and was far too long in the sun. I came to a beautiful beach, and silly
me decided to go for a swim. You can imagine how thirsty I was. I was too
embarrassed to ask the other swimmers (there were only a very few around) for a
drink.
It
was a roughly two-hour walk back to town, but on the way, I had the feeling to
collapse (true). All the time, I wondered how I could end up like this. I
travelled extensively through Australia, I travel to terribly remote areas in
South Africa, Botswana and Namibia and now I am going to collapse in France. I
remember well that I could hardly walk anymore, but I thought: "toughen up
princess." I just made it to a fountain. I was in heaven to drink that
cold water.
Visit Corsica, it truly is a magical place. Now is a great time to Corsica - here is why.
6. Muriwai Beach in New Zealand
Roughly
1,200 pairs of gannets nest here from August to March each year. It is the most
wonderful experience to watch them fly over the Tasman Sea and to see how they
navigate to find a landing place in the midst of their colony. Can you see the
surfers in the ocean, waiting for the next wave? The 50 kilometres long stretch
of coast is of outstanding beauty, and the beach is black volcanic sand. As I
turned away from the viewing platform, to walk back down to the beach, I saw a
young rabbit, sitting in the green, chewing a big leaf. What a place this is.
That
night, I camped on a beach in Waihihi Bay. I cooked Gnocchi (you can prepare a
lot even with small equipment). As I tucked my toes into the sand at dinner
time, the sunset over the South Pacific was the loveliest orange, pink, and
purple. Sweet memories. Not too far from here, you can dance on an active marine volcano.
7. Wilsons Promontory in Australia
If
you like breathtaking scenery, beaches that are to die for (the water here is a
protected marine national park) rainforests, and plenty of opportunity for bush
walks, this National Park in on the southernmost tip of mainland Australia is the place for you. And after that, you might plan to go on a road trip from Melbourne to Uluru.
Where can
I have more magnificent nature experiences? Can’t wait to hear from you.
From Berlin
with love
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