Forgotten Post: The greatest journeys in the world . . .

(Another of those posts that didn’t quite make it)

Or at least, my world….

By Boat

Wellington to Picton, New Zealand, through the Queen Charlotte Sound – simply beautiful as the boat winds its way through the fjord, seeming so close you can touch the banks.

Rafting the Grand Canyon, USA – 8 days of stunning scenery, total peace and the occasional moment of panic on the rapids. Sleeping out under the stars, and the canyon getting deeper and deeper every mile we went.

Down the Mekong river on the slowboat through Laos – stunning scenery, 150 people crammed onto old car seats, incredible sunsets

On a bamboo raft near Chiang Mai, Thailand – watching the river drift lazily past as I built a new meditation metaphor

A week on a barge with my sons, my brother and his family.. Diving into the canal to rescue a sheep.. And the look on my mother’s face when we picked her up as a surprise for her 70th birthday..

Back from Ovelau, Fiji, on the ferry as the sun came up, painting the sky with orange and red.

Overnight through Milford Sound, New Zealand, on the Milford Wanderer – incredible scenery, kayaking, swimming, seals, amazing stars… did I mention the incredible scenery. Heart stopping

On a small boat through Doubtful Sound, New Zealand.. A chance to sample ‘the greatest commute in the world’ – penguins, a chance to drive the boat, even more incredible scenery.

By Train

Rugby to Glasgow on the sleeper, then Glasgow to Fort William over the moors (and on to Lochailort) – I used to work on a salmon farm in Lochailort (would you believe that we used to brand the salmon) and used to go up around once a month. This was where all the old rolling stock used to go – and I would weep at the beauty of the scenery over the lakes and moorland

Through the Outback in Australia on the Ghan – mile after mile of wilderness beauty

By Bus

Canyons Tour on the Green Tortoise bus – the concept of a bus that you can sleep on is brilliant – wake up the next morning in some new and totally beautiful place – and there are so many beautiful National Parks in West Coast USA

Any one of the bus journeys in New Zealand, where every turn reveals even more breathtaking beauty and even more staggering scenery.

Along the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne to Adelaide – mile after mile of stunning ocean scenery, beautiful surf beaches, incredible seastacks and ocean arches

On foot

The Inca Trail, Peru – 6 days of hard walking (after I had already done 6 days over the mountains – a magical experience, especially when Machu Picchu came into sight through the gates of the sun.