travel

Camper Van Part Two: Western Australia Edition /  by Michael Johns

Here is a photo dump from our recent trip to Western Australia. We spent 10 days in a hired camper van on a loop from Perth, to Bremer Bay, along the southwest coast, to Margaret River, and back to Perth. Too many highlights to mention, but there are two in particular worth calling out. First, our drive and hike around Fitzgerald River National Park for a Banksia overload, and some other amazing rarities endemic to only that small corner of the world. I think we counted over 20 different species of Banksia, and the Royal Hakea (Hakea victoria) was a real treat. The second was the Bald Head Walk Trail in Torndirrup National Park, which in our estimation was the most incredible hike we’ve ever been on. Exfoliating granite plutons plunging into the blue sea with colorful Australia wildflowers and massive brown Banksia seed pods dotting the foreground. Words cannot describe the beauty, so here are the photos.

Western Australian Botanic Garden /  by Michael Johns

Casey and I find ourselves back in Australia, and it feels so good to be back. A short 15 minute walk up the hill from where we’re staying in Perth is the Western Australian Botanic Garden. Situated on a bluff above the city, this amazing garden hosts thousands of some of the most spectacular and iconic Australian native species that thrive in the sun-baked parched conditions characteristic of this part of the world. I’ve become obsessed with a particular group of plants that abound in this garden, the Proteaceae, a group that contains the spider-like flowers of the grevillea, fireworks of the bottlebrush (Callistemon), and giant upright candles of the Banksia. There are a few limited hardy varieties of grevillea and callistemon (and at least 1 Banksia) tolerant of the cold wet Pacific Northwest winters that we are attempting to grow in our own garden at home, but here, the diversity of forms, shapes, and colors of the Proteaceae are staggering.

The garden also contains a vast selection of eucalyptus, tea trees (Melaleuca), Hakea, and some stunning fiery displays of kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos).

Palmyra Atoll /  by Michael Johns

I’ve recently returned from a month on Palmyra Atoll, a collection of small islands rimmed by an extensive reef system located basically at the geographic center of the Pacific Ocean. I was helping capture red-footed and masked boobies for a movement study, where we attached small devices for short 2-day periods to collect GPS, accelerometer, and video footage while birds were out foraging at sea. Writer’s block continues, so here are some photos I grabbed during my free time to sum up the trip.

Ireland and Spain /  by Michael Johns

Casey presented some of his work on walrus teeth at the Marine Mammal Conference in Spain this year, so as usual I played the traveling spouse. We booked our flight with Aer Lingus, an Irish airline, and decided to schedule an extended 4-day layover in Dublin to tour the city and catch up with a few old friends. Dublin was packed with holiday shoppers, and bars were overflowing with a mix of locals and tourists nearly every night we were there. Still, we braved the crowds and took in the sights, which included a pint at the Guinness Storehouse and lively traditional Irish music at the famous Temple Bar.

The remainder of our Euro trip was 10 days in Barcelona, where the conference was held. We spent much of our free time wandering the Gothic Quarter; a labyrinth of narrow cobble stone alleys winding through the oldest buildings of the city, with some structures dating back to the Middle Ages. The highlight of our time in Spain was a visit to La Sagrada Familia, a massive unfinished Roman Catholic basilica designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Guadí. His artistic modern twist on the Gothic style blends traditional spiritual and religious symbolism with representations of the natural world. The impressive structure towers high above the city, but the massive work of art is best experienced from inside. Huge columns of stone rise and fork overhead like a giant tree canopy, and beautifully intricate stained glass windows invoke the warm colors of a sunset. In my opinion, this basilica is as much a celebration of the natural world as it is of the spiritual one, a truly unique masterpiece that can be enjoyed by all. Guadí was hit by a trolly and died in 1926, 43 years after he took on the project of Sagrada Familia in 1883. Through donations and visitor fees the construction continuous, with the major elements slated for completion by 2026, the centennial of Guadí’s death.

Moving Out Of Alaska /  by Michael Johns

Five winters later and the time finally came to say goodbye to Fairbanks. After donating or throwing out anything we couldn’t fit into Casey’s Honda CRV and my Toyota Tacoma, we hit the road for Seattle. My dad, who flew up from California to take part in the move, drove the Tacoma with Noosa as co-pilot. It was early September, so the fall colors from the birch and cottonwood of the Boreal Forest transitioned back into the the late summer greens of cedar and big leaf maple in the Pacific Northwest. We took the eastern route on our move up in 2014, so this time we decided to give the western Cassiar Highway a try. Road conditions were excellent, camping was easy, we found some time after dinners to paddle Kluane, Boya, and Meziadin Lakes, and although we saw many black bears none of them ended up in our tents. Good times were had by all, and it was great getting to share the road trip with my dad.