I’m not sure about you, but whenever I travel I tend to have an inability to just sit back and enjoy some free time. I tend to cram as many highlights and attractions into as little time as possible. There are so many new meals, exotic drinks and unfamiliar sites out there to experience.
This curiosity, or need to keep moving, came to the surface when planning a trip to New Zealand. I had a handful of free, unplanned days on the North Island that I wasn’t sure what to do with. I could have just bobbed around Auckland or taken some day trips, but then I made the mistake of looking at a map.
Hmm. What are all those islands near New Zealand? New Caledonia, Tonga, Norfolk Island, Samoa…Vanuatu! And so, one trip led to another. I had previously heard of Tanna Island in Vanuatu, with the world’s most accessible active volcano.
Getting to Tanna, let alone Yasur volcano, is definitely half the fun! That I will save that for another post though, as this post is all about the volcano.
You have to cross Lava Fields and Streams to get to Yasur Volcano
Volcano Post Office and Safety Viewing Sign
I visited when the volcano was being nice, as in the explosions were not excessively large, so I could get right up close to the crater – only 150m away from the vents! When the volcano gets mean, you can’t climb up to the edge of the vents and sometimes have to settle for viewing the show from down on the lava fields – safe, but far from the action.
Hiking to the Viewing Area at Yasur Volcano, Vanuatu
Edge of the Volcano. You could walk along there, if you dare.
Fiery red, spewing streaks of lava and balls of glowing rocks the size of cars are what I’ve come to see here on Tanna Island. You arrive just before dusk and hear the gurgling, hissing sound of the volcano. With clear skies you get a panoramic view of the island and surrounding ocean. Then, every 3-10 minutes a massive eruption and shockwave.
The Calm Before the Lava Storm, View of both Lava Vents on Yasur Volcano
Lava Splattered Around the Crater, After an Explosion
If you visit on a rainy day you may get a crazy mix of ash clouds and lava. Toxic, apocalyptic looking clouds that hopefully don’t blow your way!
A Lava Eruption and Toxic Cloud of Ash at Yasur Volcano, Vanuatu
As darkness falls, the lava glows brighter and the eruptions more vibrant…until finally you’re alone in the darkness, watching nature’s version of a crackling, roaring camp fire. In between eruptions it is almost pure darkness, which adds to the excitement.
Small Explosions in the Darkness at Both Lava Vents on Yasur Volcano
It’s better than watching TV, and more nerve-racking than a suspense movie. As you wait for the next explosion with camera ready (tripod mandatory!) In between explosions the released lava bombs spread across the crater and slowly cool, then fade to black. You’re left waiting…waiting…waiting for the next big explosion.
Cooling Lava after a medium sized explosion on Tanna Island
Then, suddenly you hear it, feel it, see it all at once. This hissing gives way to an echoing thunderous explosion, sending a wave of energy your way almost strong enough to knock you off your feet. With that shockwave, hot lava is thrown hundreds of feet into the air creating the most impressive fireworks display.
Lava Explosion in Vanuatu!
Closeup of a large Shockwave-producing Lava Explosion in Vanuatu
Within seconds, it’s over and the expelled lava is cooling, darkening once again – giving you enough time to check and see if you got ‘the shot’.
I don’t know if I captured any award-winning lava shots, but it was sure fun watching the show and was a perfect side-trip on my New Zealand adventure.
On a whim I booked a trip to Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is only a 1.5 hour flight north from Toronto, but takes 18 hours to drive there as you have to take a circular route around the Great Lakes. I usually love road trips, but with cheap flights and car rentals, I actually saved money (and a lot of time!) by flying on this quick trip.
View of Kakabeka Falls from the Visitor Centre Viewing Platform
One of the natural attractions that lured me here was Kakabeka Falls. The self-proclaimed ‘Niagara of the North’, Kakabeka Falls is located just off the Trans-Canada Highway about 100km from downtown Thunder Bay.
Accessible Boardwalk at Kakabeka Falls Visitor centre
It is a Provincial Park in Ontario, so visitor payments go towards protecting and operating the park as well as it’s hiking trails and campgrounds. You can pay $5 for a two hour permit or choose from longer options if you want to make a full day trip out of it. I didn’t camp here, but many of the sites looked to be large and well-treed for privacy.
The falls themselves are a nice split waterfall. The height is impressive as they drop down into a deep gorge. The park provide accessible boardwalks on either side of the falls so that you can get some great photos from close to the edge of the gorge. Annoyingly though, the park and highway bridges are placed beyond the height of the falls meaning that they’re a bit of an eyesore for any full landscape photos. Nonetheless, you can get some great waterfall shots here.
Kakabeka Falls and the Park Bridge
As for the ‘Niagara of the North’ title, Kakabeka Falls doesn’t quite live up to the expectation. Think of it more as a mini-Niagara. What it does offer is a great natural environment with plenty of hiking trails (almost 20km) in the park and an opportunity to appreciate nature without the crowds. When I visited in September I only saw 10-15 other people in the entire park.
Close-up of Kakabeka Falls from the eastern Viewing Platform
For a quick hiking trail that offers some different perspectives of the falls and the Kaministiquia River, take the short and easy Mountain Portage trail. The trail has a few lookouts and also provides a glimpse of the nearby power generating station, which was first built more than 100 years ago. Bald eagles are also commonly seen in the trees along the edge of the gorge here, so keep an eye for them – I saw one, but it was too far away to get a great photo.
Powerplant near Kakabeka Falls
The visitor centre here also has plenty of picnic tables and open space to sit and enjoy the sound of the falls, making it a great spot for a family picnic. A worthwhile, relaxing place to stop if you find yourself in Thunder Bay, or plan to head out on a Cross-Canada road trip.
A trip into the Qadisha Valley of Lebanon brings you to the ‘Cedars’, a natural wonder dating back to ancient times. Lebanon is famous for it’s Cedar trees and they’re a huge source of pride to the point that a Cedar tree is prominently featured on their national flag.
Jesus Tree in the Forest of God
The Cedars of Lebanon are linked to many stories from the Bible, so they have a strong religious significance to many people. While the forest is much smaller now than it was 2000 years ago, it is still quite impressive and makes for a fun day trip of hiking and enjoying nature.
The Cedars of Lebanon
One area that really stood out for me was what is called the Cedars of God. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has many impressively large Cedar trees that date back for centuries, but it was the Jesus Tree or Crucifixion Tree that impressed me most. Carved into one enormous dead tree were various depictions of the crucifixion of Christ. An amazing bit of woodworking in an amazing natural setting.
Jesus Tree in the Forest of God in LebanonCloseup of Carving in the Forest of GodJesus Tree in the Forest of God
It all began with a quiet scratching sound emanating from within the wall. Just beside my bed. Gradually the sound got louder, quicker. Then it was gone…
Misty morning at the Kinabatangan Jungle Camp
I’d been in Borneo for about a week, spending time exploring Mt. Kinabalu and most of the Sabah region.
It had mostly been a urban adventure up to now, cities and night markets and beaches and BBQ’s. But we had now arrived in a more wild part of Borneo.
The Kinabatangan River. This river is one of the last great wildlife refuges in Borneo where orangutans, pygmy elephants, rhinos, proboscis monkeys and an abundance of bird life still flourish.
One of many birds at Kinabatangan Jungle Camp
It is also home to Geckozilla.
Now, I love Gecko’s. They’re usually a cool green colour, move kind of funny and remind me I’m in a tropical place – not at home. I admire the way they seem to glue themselves to walls and stealthily stalk flies and other prey, even smaller Gecko’s. Indeed, Gecko’s had a happy place in my travel heart – until I encountered Geckozilla.
Some memories are a bit fuzzy, perhaps subconsciously hidden in the deep, dark parts of my brain for my own sanity. But I’ll try to piece together the events leading up to when I was attacked by Geckozilla.
Day 1
Arrival at our jungle camp along the Kinabatangan River in Borneo. There are friendly land monitors and big birds hanging around. Our lodge is only accessible by boat, or a very lengthy hike through the jungle. A bit of paradise. The only place you might get a cell phone signal is right at the river’s edge.
Kinabatangan River, Looking for Wildlife
I didn’t even try, I was there to enjoy nature.
All seems peaceful and relaxed. The lodge owner talks politics and likes that I’m from Canada. I drop off my bag in the simple rustic chalet, then head off for a longboat ride down the river in search of wildlife.
Monkeys, hornbills and more delight us all. We return back to the lodge for dinner and a much needed rest.
The Kinabatangan River in Borneo is home to many Proboscis Monkeys
As I turn off the lights and lay my head down I hear a rustling inside the wall. Something wants to get out.
I turn over and ignore it, but it won’t go away.
Like the childhood boogeyman in the closet I take the ‘if you can’t see it, it doesn’t exist’ approach and put on some headphones. It works to drown out the noise, until the pauses between songs. Exhausted, I finally fall asleep.
Day 2 Early Morning
Waking early in hopes of more wildlife sightings I mention the thing living in the wall to my room mate. His non-reaction does little to calm my nerves. Seems he didn’t hear it.
Looking at the wall beside my bed I notice a rather large metal grate. About mattress height off the floor, and about a foot from where my head was lying at night. It seems out of place and serves no real function. Then it dawns on me that the grate is there for a singular purpose – to ensure the thing living in the wall, stays in the wall. Crap.
Heading off to breakfast I point the grate out to my room mate. He is slowly coming around and no longer thinks I am delusional about the thing living in the wall.
Day 2 Late Morning
Lots of birds and two wild orangutans were the highlight of the morning boat journey. Everyone is happy. We return from the boat ride and head to our cabins to prepare for a jungle walk to get closer to the critters of Borneo.
Headed out for a wildlife hike in Borneo
Back in the cabin there are no signs of foul play or animals lurking where they don’t belong. The wall is quiet.
Then something catches my eye as I go to leave the cabin. It’s in the shadows and scurries away. A Gecko, I think…but it seemed awfully large. Hmmm. No time to investigate, must head off on a jungle hike…
Day 2 Early Evening
Quiet time in the cabin to get cleaned up, do some reading and wait for dinner. We’d had an extra amazing afternoon. Reports of pygmy elephants down the river proved fruitful and we had seen some of the most amazing creatures in all of Borneo, plus more proboscis monkeys.
One of the Pygmy Elephants seen along the Kinabatangan River
The creature in the wall and the large Gecko-like thing I saw were now the main topic of conversation in our cabin. Was it a Gecko? How big was it? How was it making so much noise when they’re usually so quiet? Both my room mate and I were a bit on edge now. Time for some beers and some food to take that edge off.
Day 2 Night
After celebrating a friend’s birthday late into the night, we’re happily fed and full of beer as we return to our cabin.
With the flick of the light switch, we immediately notice something different. There is a large object on the wall. There it goes -scurrying across the wall towards the bathroom!
We cautiously approach and see what must be the largest Gecko in the world. Both my room mate and I are spellbound by it’s size. It’s more brown than green, and blends in well with the wood cabin. But it is just a Gecko, and a huge sense of relief comes over us. Sure, probably it was just this big Gecko making those noises in the wall. Ha, funny…being afraid of a Gecko. We have a good chuckle.
The fearless, leaping Geckozilla
Not long after, it’s time for sleep.
I find myself standing in the small bathroom, brushing my teeth. The Gecko of unbelievable size has scurried into the corner of the shower and is watching me intently. He chirps a couple of times from the relative darkness. How nice. Cute big Gecko.
Then it happens…he attacks!
Without provocation, without warning. As I’m brush my teeth, Geckozilla lunges from his perch high above my head and comes sailing down, head first, legs out, directly for me! I spot his attack from the corner of my eye and move slightly. He misses, but lands on my foot! I’ve been hit!
I let out a series of incoherent expletives and jump back out of the bathroom.
Notice the huge feet and eyes on Geckozilla
My room mate comes to investigate and I tell him I’ve been attacked by Geckozilla. It’s not a friendly Gecko after all, this is a blood-sucking man-eater of a Gecko. The lunge must’ve been at least 10 feet, a jump that surely would have injured a lesser Gecko.
Grabbing cameras, we both peer back into the bathroom, trying to locate the killer Gecko. Where is Geckozilla hiding?
He scampers from under the sink over the the shower and makes a run for the shower drain (half the size of the wall grate beside my bed). It’s closed. He can’t escape back to his lair inside the walls from there. He runs up the wall and towards the window, sneaking outside through a thin crack.
With the heart beat back to normal, I finish brushing my teeth.
Turning the bathroom light off we joke about Geckozilla and his brazen attempt on my life. Crazy how such an innocent looking creature could create so much noise in the wall. We’re just happy that he’s out of the cabin and we can get a good night’s sleep tonight.
I head to bed. Cabin light is turned off. Room mate and I say goodnight, thoughts moving on towards tomorrow.
A few seconds later there is a loud scratching a clawing at the grate beside my bed. But this time it goes on longer. It’s louder. Something is about to break through!
Then there is the sound of claws running up the other side of the wall, across the ceiling towards the end of our cabin, where the bathroom is. Finally, a loud metal crashing sound as the beast, the thing living in the wall, leapt from the roof of our cabin into the nearby jungle trees.
This is the second post in a three-part Everglades series during National Parks Week in the US. The first post was on Shark Valley.
Wildlife galore! The Anhinga Trail in the Everglades National Park was so nice I went there twice – in the same day.
Male Anhinga feeding youngsters
Only 4 miles form the park entrance at Homestead, the Anhinga Trail is a short, flat trail that is partly along a paved route and partly along an over-water boardwalk. At less than 1 mile in length it had a surprisingly large number of creatures to keep me busy. I knew this trail would be a treat right away as pesky vultures and other big birds were hovering around the parking lot when I arrived.
The trail namesake – the Anhinga – is a bird that can be seen fishing and sunning itself in the trees beside the trail. Now, usually I am nto a bird-person, and I don’t quite get ‘birders’, but I’m open to any wildlife experience. With that said – I think I was extra lucky to find an Anhinga family perched in a nest near the trail, posing perfectly for photos. Not only did I get to see fluffy baby Anhinga birds, but I saw their parents fishing in the nearby waters and actually feeding the youngsters. Man those birds were hungry!
Walking Alligator near the Anhinga Trail
I also saw my first ‘mobile’ Alligator here. Over at Shark Valley I had only seen them swimming or lounging around on land. So I couldn’t really appreciate the size and shape of these prehistoric creatures. But, lucky again, I saw one walking along the sandy beach between two waterways. I had expected it to more or less slide along and drag it’s tail around, like a snake, but it actually picked up it’s entire body as it walked along, before vanishing back into the water. Pretty cool.
After these right place at the right time moments I ventured along the entire trail boardwalk for about half an hour, watching Alligators swim all around. It was a perfectly sunny day, so after the Anhinga Trail I drove on through the Everglades to hike a couple of smaller trails in the hot afternoon. But on the way home, at sunset, I had to stop by the Anhinga Trail again and get more photos during the golden hour of light.
Wildlife watching in the Everglades at Anhinga Trail
With the hot sun fading, the Alligators weren’t as plentiful – they seemed to retreat back away from the trail boardwalk at this time of day.
The Anhinga birds were no longer feeding their young either, but there were all sorts of herons, including the Great Blue Heron, and other birds flying around or stealthily stalking their dinner. Overall, the Anhinga trail provided a very impressive wildlife show for such an accessible destination, and I’d have to give it a very slight edge over Shark Valley for my favourite trail and wildlife experience in the Everglades.
More bird photos from the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park:
