Photo of the Day (11.22.09)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Today’s photo comes to us from Flickr user SuBho_Photography, who caught this vibrant, dynamic shot. Though the photo doesn’t say where it was taken, I picture the scene somewhere along the Ganges in India. I particularly like the sense of movement and rich colors: the arc of purple liquid, the man’s outstretched arm and the tiny circular depressions from raindrops on the river surface. It’s an image that feels full of life and rich detail.

Want your pics considered for Gadling’s Photo of the Day? Submit your best ones here.

Australia’s Wild West: Cowboy Life at Home Valley

by Mike Barish on

An hour’s drive down the Gibb River Road from El Questro, in the shadow of the striking Cockburn Range, sits Home Valley Station. The spirits of the Kimberley’s settler history and cowboy culture are alive and well at this Outback resort. Its location is so fantastic and pristine, in fact, that it was used for many scenes in the film Australia. Sure, you’ll find flat screen televisions and wireless internet access here, but you’ll have to get past the cows, horses and flooded roads first. This is no American dude ranch. It’s a slice of Outback life that many Australians still relish to this day. Home Valley preserves that lifestyle, and its natural theater, in a way that allows visitors to experience a holiday that is an more about participation than pampering.

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Home Valley embraces the concept of experiential travel. It expects its guests to be active and engaged and provides activities that allow visitors to take on the role of a cowboy while still sleeping comfortably at night. My cabin was beyond comfortable, with a queen-sized bed, satellite television and bucolic view of the neighboring creek. But little time would be spent relaxing, as Home Valley is no place for couch potatoes.

As anticipated, a resort embracing cowboy culture also has guided horseback rides. My relationship with horses is tepid at best. I’ve eaten horse twice and I think they can sense this. Every time I get on a horse, they react first with indifference and then graduate to annoyance. Disdain comes later, as the animal learns how ignorant I am about his movements. Still, Ivan, Home Valley’s aboriginal guide who who grew up not far from the resort, led our group confidently through the property. With the Cockburn Range always lurking in the background and livestock joining us along the way, it was hard to not feel as if I had been transported back to the time when people were first trying to settle the Outback. Outside of the restaurant and reception area, the majority of Home Valley is pristine, untouched wilderness that is ripe for exploration.

The Pentecost River cuts right through Home Valley and is home to a fascinating variety of wildlife thanks to it being tidal. As such, beyond your typical barramundi and catfish, you will also find sharks and stingrays. This diverse ecosystem makes for some interesting fishing. Of course, if you’re in Australia, you’re really only hoping to catch a barramundi that you can grill up for dinner. I spent an afternoon on the Pentecost hoping to impress the locals with a barra worth sharing. Instead, I was left with nothing more than stories of hooking a shark and my inability to understand why a stingray would want to hang out in a river.

Despite my fishing failures, the day was a success, as I turned my t-shirt tan into a tank top tan (lotion up when you’re in the Kimberley) and I enjoyed some of the most timeless surroundings I’ve ever witnessed.

Home Valley has two scenic lookouts that are perfect for watching the sunset. The Cockburn Range becomes a chameleon as its colors morph in response to the ebbing of the sun. Shades of rust and crimson provide a fitting backdrop as another day in the Kimberley comes to an end.

As I departed Home Valley, I felt as if I had visited not only the Kimberley of today, but the Outback of Australia’s settler past. And sometimes the best journey’s take us not just to physical destinations but transcend boundaries of time. Home Valley’s creature comforts may make it a resort, but it’s the environment that makes it a time machine.

Mike Barish rode horses, flew in tiny planes and hiked across Western Australia on a trip sponsored by Tourism Western Australia. There were no restrictions on what he could cover or how many hamburgers he could eat. You can read other entries in his Australia’s Wild West series HERE.

Australia’s Wild West: El Questro

by Mike Barish on

A short flight from Broome to Kununnura and then a shockingly loud and bumpy 80-minute drive down the Gibb River Road through the Kimberley, you’ll find El Questro. Its not all that hard to find as exits off the Gibb River road are few and far between. What is harder to find is a definition for the faux Spanish name of this wilderness resort. And that’s because it’s a meaningless name. More substantial than its title, however, is El Questro’s bounty of activities and natural marvels. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who’s bored on this million-acre cattle-station-cum-retreat. I spent parts of three days and two nights exploring the property was in awe of both its size and beauty.

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El Questro offers a range of accommodations from cabins to campgrounds to a luxury resort. I stayed in one of the tented cabins at their Emma Gorge facility and was once again surprised at the level of comfort that can be achieved in such modest and rustic facilities. I had a full-sized bed, and a tiny but fully-functional bathroom. Perhaps the only downfall was the very short shower door, the frame of which became a constant sparring partner for the crown of my head.

Beyond the accommodations, El Questro offers a range of activities for both guests and travelers simply passing through the Kimberley. Day passes are sold to those who are not staying at the resort. One could easily spend their entire stay simply traversing the many hiking trails that lead to natural hot springs and swimming holes throughout the property. A popular site is Zebedee Springs, where guests enjoy the thermal pools set within a forest of palm and fig trees. Adventurous travelers will find some ripe figs to snack on along the way. If you can’t differentiate bush tucker from poisonous flora, though, it’s best to ask one of the staff members for guidance.

The resort’s cruises on the Chamberlain River provide ample opportunity for crocodile spotting, as well as bird watching. But the most interactive part of the cruise is when the archer fish approach the boat. Archer fish eat insect that fly above the river. To hunt them, the fish shoot concentrated streams of water at their prey. Hold your hand over the side of the boat, and you’ll take a money shot from an archer yourself.

Perhaps the best way to start a day at El Questro is the Emma Gorge hike. It traverses a moderately difficult trail that requires a bit of bravery over some steep patches, but is rather accessible for anyone wearing a sturdy pair of shoes and with a good sense of balance. Along the way, you’ll encounter a stunning turquoise swimming hole. While it will be tempting to refresh yourself in these waters, your temperance will be rewarding a few hundred meters down the trail. There you will find Emma Gorge and its accompanying water fall. Visitors frolic in the cool, clear water and enjoy the privacy of this hidden gem. If you don’t want to share the experience with half of the population of El Questro, start your hike early and enjoy the the gorge before it becomes people soup.

While El Questro caters to people of all ages and incomes with its array of accommodations, it does seem as if younger travelers and backpackers stay at El Questro’s Station Township campground facilities. There you will find a more lively nightlife scene, complete with a bar, Saturday night barbecues and live entertainment. Over at the Emma Gorge accommodations, I was surrounded by grey nomads (Aussie slang for retirees on RV or tour holidays). While I get along with that demographic just fine, my evenings may have been a bit livelier at the Station Township. That said, I was more than happy to end my evenings at 9:30 so that I could begin my days shortly after sunrise rested and refreshed.

From bush tucker walks to horseback rides to fishing trips that require a helicopter, El Questro has activities to match every interest and budget. And they all take advantage of the Kimberley’s diverse ecosystem. El Questro’s best attribute is its location, and it takes full advantage of everything that the Kimberley has to offer. Just don’t expect to sleep much on the drive in. That Gibb River Road is like riding a wooden roller coaster.
For more information on El Questro, visit their website.

Mike Barish rode horses, flew in tiny planes and hiked across Western Australia on a trip sponsored by Tourism Western Australia. There were no restrictions on what he could cover or how many hamburgers he could eat. You can read other entries in his Australia’s Wild West series HERE.

Report lists America’s most polluted beaches

by Katie Hammel on

On Tuesday, the Natural Resources Defense Council released its annual Testing the Waters report, which lists the most polluted beaches at the country’s oceans, lakes and bays.

The worst offenders have been on the list for several years, with contamination levels exceeding national standards anywhere from 60% to 90% of the time. The top beaches for contamination include Shired Island, Florida; Kings at Stacy Brook, Massachusetts; and Joerse Park in Indiana.

The report lists the number of days that beaches were closed or that contamination warnings were issued. This year’s number, 20,000, is one of the highest in the 19-year history of the report. The full report also shows how often each beach checks its contamination level. While the majority perform checks every day, others lack the funds and only check the water a few times a week, so contamination levels may actually be higher than reported at some beaches.

The biggest culprit of beach pollution: stormwater run-off and poorly designed sewage systems. For those of you as grossed out as I am right now, don’t worry. The report also lists the beaches that are the cleanest.

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Kayaking the Grand Canyon

by Kraig Becker on

For years it was nearly impossible to kayak the Grand Canyon independently. Sure, there were plenty of guided rafting tours that you could hire out for a few hour or a few days, but in order to float the river yourself, you’d have to get your name on a waiting list for an independent permit. That waiting list was legendary in its length and paddlers typically waited ten years or more to get the permission they needed.

Three years ago that all changed when the National Park Service switched to a lottery system that awarded the permits on a weighted system that favors those who have never rafted the river before. This new system did away with the waiting list, which had grown to 25 years in length, altogether, offering fortunate paddlers the opportunity to get their permit in a matter of months.

The lottery is conducted every February by the Grand Canyon National Park with all entries requiring a $25 fee. Each entrant is allowed to select up to five dates in which the would prefer to paddle, with the summer months being the most in demand. Those who haven’t floated the river in the past five years are given priority, and once the lottery has been conducted, winners are expected to pay a $400 deposit towards the total price of the permit, which is $100 per person. Unclaimed permits are given away in follow-up lotteries.
There are a few caveats to the system however. The Park Service requires that at least one person paddling under the permit have experience on the Colorado River, or under similar river conditions. That person will serve as the guide, and work with the other paddlers to ensure that it is a safe journey.

And what is it like to paddle the Canyon independently? Travel writer Kate Siber of the Boston Globe found out recently when she was lucky enough to go on just such a trip. She has written about her experiences in an article that was recently published in that paper, and from the sounds of things it was quite an adventure. Kate says that while the rapids are exciting and wild at times, the majority of the time on the river is spent on calm, flat water. She also reports that the scenery is beautiful and their is plenty of fun to be had exploring the side canyons and shoreline of the Colorado as well.

For adventurous kayakers, these new options for paddling the Grand Canyon are a wonderful opportunity. You no longer have to wait decades to get a chance to be out on the water, and you can enjoy one of America’s most impressive natural resources as few have ever had the opportunity to do.

To find out more about the lottery click here.