Among the many myriad of reasons I became involved in the aviation industry was my love of travel. Travel can be an end onto itself... as opposed to reaching for a goal. My viewpoint is rather taoist, it's not where you're going, but the journey itself that is important.
Often my travels are more about seeing people than places. Or its about sharing the experience with someone. I know many people who enjoy travelling alone. I'm not one of them. So I often travel to either visit with someone, or I travel with my children or my partner, or all of the above. Fortunately my partner and my children share this love of adventure with me.
Canadian Arctic - January 2004
In January of 2004 after over 3 years here in Thompson, working for an arctic airline, I finally had a chance to do my annual fam flight up to the arctic circle - and get my Arctic Circle Certificate. It was a one day trip... starting in Thompson at 0900 and returning the same day at 2000. January is known for it's bitter cold, and this day was no exception, but I did have some brilliant sunshine. You might note we reached Repulse Bay on the arctic circle at about 1500, but it was already full dark. A one day 'trip around the horn', was a fascinating taste of the north, I'd love to go back during the summer and spend a couple days. Also I think I'll look at doing this one day fam flight trip again next January, with a better camera.
Australia - December 2004/January 2005
This year I had the great pleasure of taking my first overseas trip. Passport Stamp!! My Christmas time adventure to Australia was made all the more special in that I was going to see, and spend the holidays with, my beloved life partner. In the end, it was more like 'coming home' (to a place I'd never seen), than being on 'vacation'. No doubt the wonderful relationship James and I share had a lot to do with that, but a lot of it was simply the wonder of the country.
Never have I known a place like this. In all my travels throughout the U.S. I'd never encountered a place that 'felt' so Canadian. The soil itself was welcoming. Aside from the palm trees and lizards it felt very much like Canada, and it felt like 'home'. Unfortunately due to my limited time, I only had 12 days, we didn't have time to do much more than travel from Sydney to Brisbane by the coast road, and back to Sydney from Brisbane via the inland route and a visit with Den Whitton in Dubbo, a trip to the Western Plains Zoo, and The Dish at Parkes on the way back. Still what I saw and what I did was a wonderful introduction to a 'sunburned country'.
In the summer, I returned again to beloved Australia. This time I took two of my children, Andrew 17, and Jessica 14, with me. A lot of the photos from these groups were taken by them as well as myself. While they didn't quite fall as deeply in love with this wonderful country as I did, they sure did have a wonderful time.
In August of 2005 I made my first trip to London England. I was there for 24 hours. I'd gone over to assist my mother travelling home after she'd taken ill on holidays. I arrived at the home of the cousin she was staying with at 1 in the afternoon. After lunch she drove us across London to the hotel my mother had booked at the airport so we'd be handy for our early flight the next morning. It took approximately 30 minutes to drive from the house in Lewisham to Heathrow Airport across London. As she drove (the long way around so I could 'see' London), I leaned out the car window and snapped a few photos of key 'must see' sites in London as she pointed them out. This is how to not see London from a moving car in 30 mins or less.
Ocean's Edge