OverlandSphere
Overland Travel, Expedition & Adventure Information for 4x4, motorcycle and truck overlanders
I have put off writing this blog for a long time. Somehow, putting it all into words seemed as though it might somehow lesson the magic of our time in New Zealand. New Zealand was like a dream, a country we felt connected to long before we ever arrived on her shores. It offered everything we love; stunning coastlines, jagged…
Barren. The landscape before me is apocalyptically empty en route to Moab. A flash of colour from a hill lures me to trek and discover a crafted flower and a jellyfish fossil. The wasteland undulates lazily into the distance. I foresee a long, unremarkable ride ahead. I love it when I’m wrong. Adjectives begin to fail me as unimagined geographical…
While driving around the United States we camped in many different National Parks, but Bryce is one of our favorites. Set in one of the most amazing natural settings in the world, Bryce Canyon is an outdoormans dream come true. The camping and hiking are out of this world and evenings in camp, watching the astonishing sky show of stars,…
OK, first, a disclaimer. In the interest of full disclosure I think I need to get one thing out in the open right away, I don’t like history. Wait, let me rephrase that, I LOVE being in historical places. I love wandering the same the same rock pathways that people have wandered for thousands of years. I love poking around…
Like Santa Fe, all I knew about Denver was that it was called Denver. In deference to its surroundings I always imagined a low-slung town, fields leading away to the jagged mountainscape. Wandering into an unexpected city in my path, I discover it is in fact huge. A Harley rider sets me on back course to Boulder as I wind…
WOW…..so beautiful. The contrasting colours make this place amazing!! …
“Knee deep in the water somewhere, got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair, only worry in the world is the tide going to reach my chair” – Zac Brown Band with Jimmy Buffet It’s not news to anyone that we love the beach. Not only do we camp there regularly here in the Pacific Northwest, but we’ve…
This was my first year attending the Winter Vail Mtn Games, although I have been to many Summer Vail Mtn Games. Check out my coverage from last summer HERE. The Winter Games have a very similar format, but a very different vibe. The days are full of athletic outdoor events that showcase the rugged terrain around the town of Vail…
No trip to Swakopmund is complete without a visit to Sandwich Harbour!! Strutting here stuff Preparing to go down the dunes!!!! Suspicious plant growth…..…
An interesting journey to Brandberg but not much to say about the sites on the way Brandberg at Sunset Sporting a new fashion B??? Feeding the pigs pork ribs Boring Organ Pipes…
Puros……some water after days of dry terrain!!! Well I am sure we hoped the canyon was drier Into the canyon where we got stuck Valley to Puros Slowly does it!!! Into the canyon where we got stuck First try to winch out Now a high-lift jack….. She is in pretty deep We’re out, Gerro with a cut after the…
If we thought it couldn’t get any better we came across the Hartman’s Valley. ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING!!!!!!! Hartmans Valley….need we say more Open spaces….. Gemsbok…
As we worked our way from the East coast of South Island New Zealand to the West coast, our thoughts were on one thing. Getting to Franz Josef to do some heli-hiking on the Glacier. Check one off the bucket list. We began by spending the night in Franz Josef Township, a tiny town of a mere 250 residents.…
Well we thought this was pretty spectacular!!! Marienfluss Valley….. The famous red drum!!! Our swimming spot…
After much planning we finally went down it. 3.5 Hours later and 11km down we were at the bottom Checking out the scenery Directing each other down Directing each other down…
Stunning Epupa falls…..this should be on every itinerary!!! Epupa Falls Epupa Falls…
Some places call to you, fill a place in your soul, and make you feel like you’ve come home; sometimes even if it’s the first time you’ve been there. I’ve had several of those experiences over the years; Vernazza, Italy on the Cinque Terre, Istanbul, Turkey, and Chiang Mai, Thailand, but the one place we’ve been to more than anywhere…
Africa has always been a dream destination, one for the bucket list. Romanticized in such movies as Out of Africa and I Dreamed of Africa, a land of adventure and amazement. A decade ago, the tour company I work for, Grand European Tours, first started selling a trip to South Africa and lucky us, we were one of the first…
Etosha….probably not the best time of year to go, yet we still had a great time!! Give me a peanut!!! Almost Missed it mmmm….. …
The endless highway drudges on, hypnotic, soporific. I catch myself struggling for consciousness, but I’m too stubborn to pull over. I’ve been on the road for hours and gotten nowhere – evacuation traffic just never ends. Lessons in riding tired are almost learned the hard way as I make my slow advance towards Houston, but my foggy consciousness manages to…
We started February off with our first camping trip of 2013. We needed to get away, clear our heads, and remind ourselves of all the things in our life to be grateful for. A forecast of mid-50′s and sunny didn’t hurt, but we were determined to make our escape no matter what. The last month has been an emotional…
If we thought Savuti was good then Chobe was in a different league!!!!! Add Savuti and Chobe to any Botswana Summer itinerary!!!! …
WOW thanks for the Engagement and Christmas Pressie!!!! We absolutely loved it here Our room View from our room …
Things just could never have been better in Savuti. If you ever were wondering about coming to this region at this time of year…..then go to SAVUTI!!!!!! Savuti Lion on his way to the campsite Our Porcupine at 9:00 a.m…
Over landing Africa is an amazing, and often challenging way to travel. Spending the time to drive the arduous route from Nairobi through Tanzania, following the lake in Malawi before veering SW into Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Continuing through arid Namibia and finally reaching South Africa you will travel thousands of miles on a trip that takes several months to…
Moremi….pure beauty at this time of year, just a pity there were no animals!!! …
Bangkok, Thailand… start of the backpacker trail of SE Asia. Love it or hate it, if you’re going to Asia, you WILL end up in Bangkok. We have now been there several times and I must admit, I enjoy it. Yes, it is crazy, crowded, and chaotic. An enormous city of over 8 million, Bangkok is polluted with horrific travel.…
I’m falling into a rhythm in my strange new home. My mornings are beauty and stillness. Wake up; watch the sunrise over the lake, diluted by city haze. Climb down, let Lost out of the electrical room I store her in for the night. Simple boiled rice and vegetables for breakfast; roam the deserted grounds. It’s hard to break the…
If yo want to see Springbok dropping their calves….December is the season to go Guiding her calf along Guiding her calfl along …
The sepia almost-light of cloudy dawn pulls me down from my dreams, but not to the ground. Carefully, I exit my shelter, remembering my lullaby – Don’t get out of your hammock and die, don’t get out of your hammock and die… ——————————————————————————– Yesterday began with a delicious coffee and conversations with perfect strangers on sex and religion, attended by…