It was with
some pride weeks ago, as I watched Jeopardy! (America's Favorite Quiz Show) that my host, Alex Trebek, hit me with the $2,000 question in a category dubbed "Hollow"—and I knew it! See if your wits match mine:
Alex: "This Aboriginal instrument, also called a 'drone pipe,' is traditionally made from a Eucalyptus branch that is hollowed out naturally by termites."
Me: "What is a didjeridu?! What is a didjeridu!"
I yelled the answer so loudly I terrified my cats (who were otherwise unimpressed), but for someone who prides themselves on knowing that Australian culture is far more than quotes about dingoes/babies and throwing shrimp on the barbie, it was a nice moment.
Pronounced "did-jury-doo" (and so
metimes spelled didgeridu or didgeridoo), the Yolngu Aboriginal people of northeast Arnhem Land call it the “yidaki”, and its ancient sound is a call to all people to come together in unity. The didjeridu is also believed to be the world's oldest wind instrument—dating back thousands of years. Harvesting has to be timed precisely to ensure that the wall thickness is just right; and because it takes at least a year for termites to hollow out the Eucalyptus tree, a didjeridu is indeed a feat of Mother Nature.
Have you ev
er heard a didjeridu? Its deep drone is not something you'll soon forget. The sonorous tones are hauntingly beautiful. In fact, the term didjeridu is believed to be an onomatopoeia developed by Westerners to describe the sound the instrument makes, not a name of indigenous origin.
A finished didjeridu is around four-to-five feet long and two or more inches in internal diameter. Its mouthpiece is usually made of beeswax or hardened gum, and the player blows into the instrument trumpet-style. Traditionally, the didjeridu is played in ceremonial dances called Corroborees, accompanied by clap sticks or boomerangs clapped together; players also tap out rhythms on their didjeridu with their fingers or sticks.
Still in widespread use today—both in Au
stralia and around the world—the didjeridu is often painted in remarkable colors and designs. The instruments are musically soulful works of art.
One of our fine locum doctors, Raymond Lewandowski III, MD, took to the didjeridu while he was Down Under. Another doctor who did clinical work for an Aboriginal community, David Stoltz, MD, befriended the local medicine man who took him on a journey to carve his first didjeridu.
Why don't you go to Australia for a lesson, or better yet, a performance? While you're there, don’t miss the
annual Garma Festival, to be held in September this year. Garma is one of Australia’s most significant Indigenous exchange events and attracts Yolngu people and neighboring clan groups from northeast Arnhem Land along
with tourists, locals and locums.
There’s a wee island in the Southern Hemisphere said to be the most wonderful and magical destination
on earth. Heralded as the Island of Inspiration and Rejuvenation, we simply call it Tassie. But golfers call it Nirvana, and you'll soon know why.
The heart-shaped Australian island of Tasmania (the only island state in Oz) is roughly the size of West Virginia in the US or Scotland in the UK, yet more than 80 golf courses are sprinkled across its diminutive 26,376 square miles (68,331 kilometres).
It all began with Ratho at Bothwell in Tasmania’s highlands, where a boatload of homesick Scottish settlers started playing a game they brought with them from Scotland’s east coast. That game we now call golf was transplanted and today Ratho Links is one of the world’s best preserved ancient golfing grounds - and Australia’s oldest golf course.
Australia’s number one public access golf course, Barnbougle Dunes, is also in Tassie. The wild and dramatic Anderson Bay coastline was the inspiration for this 18-hole course that draws golfers from around the world, and just next door you’ll find Lost Farm. The amazing par 3, eighth hole here is "pure spectacle." They say your tee shot here has to reach a pocket-handkerchief green on the far side of a deep chasm, where vertical sea cliffs plummet to surging ocean swells far below. We say don't go after your balls here.
On to Launceston in the north, Quamby is one of Tasmania’s most prestigious and historically important properties. Built between 1828 and 1838, Quamby was once the home of the Premier of T
asmania. Now, this beautifully-restored estate has guest suites where (between rounds of golf) you can sleep in luxury and dine on sumptuous meals washed down by local Tamar Valley wines. The magnificent 9-hole course is lined with English ash, elms, hornbeams and ancient oaks, some more than 100 years old.
Next, the meticulously maintained Country Club Tasmania (which was designed in 1982 by renowned golf course architect Mike Wolveridge and British Open champion Peter Thomson), features challenging fairway, water hazards and fast greens.
Last, but not least on our list, is Tarraleah, northwest of Hobart. One of the highest golf courses in Australia, Tarraleah wends its way through mature gum trees that tower over the fairways and all nine beautiful holes are kept manicured with the help of the resident wallabies. Breakfast with platypus before you tee off; walk with wombats; and delight in the sheer enjoyment of the noble game. We’re told there are plenty of kookaburras at Tarraleah, too, who (if their timing is right) will laugh at your playing partner’s shanks. After the ninth hole, yo
u can ponder your round at the gorgeous Tarraleah lodge; try your hand at trout fishing, then soak in a cliff-top hot tub. If that’s not enough, the illustrious Library Bar here boasts a selection of more than 200 fine malt whiskies from around the world. Cheers!
Yes, Tasmanians are spoiled for emerald fairways and velvet greens with spectacular cliff-top holes and wide ocean views. This isle of lush green valleys, uncrowded villages and unspoiled coastlines offers other amazing assets, too, from spectacular scenery, to unique wildlife,
to world-class food and wine. No wonder people are mad about the place.
Dibirdibi 2008, Sally Gabori, Kaiadilt people, the Queensland Art Gallery
Australia is known for a lot of things—kangaroos, dingoes, Uluru, Bondi Beach, "barbies". Strangely enough, the one thing not exactly synonymous with Australia is art, yet this sunburnt country truly excels at it. In particular, art galleries where the buildings are as impressive as the collections. We dispatched our own culture vultures to bring you a few local surprises and esteemed icons—starting with the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
The classical Greek frontage of this reputable Sydney collection plays a prominent role in the city. Here, you’ll find three permanent collections (Australian, post-16th century European and Asian) along with international touring exhibits that arrive regularly.
This summer, for instance, see the greatest Picasso exhibition ever to come to Australia: "Picasso’s Picassos" - personal and revealing works that he kept to shape his own legacy.
This rare opportunity to see the celebrated artist’s masterpieces is made possible only by the closure of the Musée National Picasso in Paris (for renovation). Some 150 paintings, drawings and sculptures will fill the Gallery of New South Wales—the only venue in Australia on the exhibition’s world tour.
A
nyone up for Pollack or perhaps an Aboriginal Memorial? Head due north to Canberra and hit the National Gallery of Australia. Sit in front of Jackson Pollack’s Blue Pole and get lost in his famous drip stroke or be among the first to see the stunning eleven new purpose-built galleries dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art. Better yet, immerse yourself in the creative splendor of Raphael, Botticelli, Bellini, Titian and more during a special exhibit of 15th & 16th century Italian Renaissance paintings from the Accademia Carrara, Bergamo.
If you prefer your art a little more modern, head straight for Brisbane and the Queensland Art Gallery (think MOMA meets the National Gallery). From its superb mix of Renaissance to Victorian paintings, to its 20th century cinematography, pop-art and surrealist sculpture, the labyrinth-like modern space offers something new in every room. International artists include Anish Kapoor, Edgar Degas and Stanley Spencer. Don’t miss “Matisse: Drawing Life” a spectacular exhibition that features a Drawing Room installment with an abundance of objects to draw.
Fin
ally (for now, at least), we head to Australia's capital of culture. The vibrant city of Melbourne floats our collective boat with countless independent art galleries that display quirky artworks by up-and-coming Australian artists. But the largest gallery in Australia (and the oldest public art gallery), is right here in Federation Square: the National Gallery of Victoria.
This grand dame and mother of Old Masters is so big that even on a busy day you’ll find yourself alone in a room. Put aside a good day or two to really appreciate the 65,000+ pieces on display, or simply enjoy one of your favorites. Bernini, Rembrandt, Rubens, Tiepolo, Tintoretto, Paolo Uccello, Paolo Veronese...you’ll find paintings, photography, sculpture, furniture, fashion, textiles and so much more—with pieces dating right back from ancient Greece, China and Egypt to 20th and 21st century masterpieces. If you visit just one gallery in Australia make sure it’s this one because it really does cover every artistic movement in Australian and international history.
Believe it or not, this is not a contrail. The local Garrawa Aboriginal people call it kangólgi. Scientists call it a stratocumulus cloud. The world calls it a roll cloud. Australians call it the Morning Glory. And we call it simply amazing.
The Morning Glory phenomenon was first reported by Royal Australian Air Force in 1942 and teams of scientists have studied them since the early 1970’s. But these unusual cloud formations have been observed in the Land of Oz since ancient times.
The low-lying tube-shaped clouds appear to roll through the sky on a horizontal axis—like a baker’s rolling pin—and they’re one of the most extraordinary meteorological phenomenon in the world. In fact, these roll clouds are so rare that most people will never see one in their life. There’s one spot on Earth where roll clouds can be predicted and observed on a regular basis and that’s over the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland, in a tiny town called Burketown.
With a current population of 235 (its highest to date) Burketown sits on the flat plains of the Gulf near the Albert River. Though it’s really nothing more than a school, a pub, a couple of gas stations and three general stores, Burketown proudly announces to the world that it’s "The Barramundi Capital of Australia". Thanks to “Glory”, it’s also a magnet for scientists, pilots, photographers, and hang gliders.
Sometimes there is only one cloud. Sometimes there are up to eight roll clouds in a row! Glory can stretch 1,000 kilometers (just over 621 miles) long and occur at altitudes up to two kilometers high. The unusual cloud appears each spring and can be observed in Burketown from September to mid-November.
What causes these long, strange clouds? No one is sure. Although dynamic waves of this type occur unheralded everywhere and at all altitudes (and are the possible cause of clear air turbulence that frequently disrupts
commercial air travel), the waves are usually
invisible, infrequent and all but unpredictable.
Hang glider Jonny Durand recently became the first athlete to perform aerobatics over Glory. This spectacular event above the remote wilderness of the Gulf of Carpentaria was shot by extreme sports photographer, Mark Watson, who attached a fisheye lens to the hang glider to capture the incredible angle of the formation. Watson says photographing Durand "surfing" Glory was the photographic adventure of a lifetime. He tells all about the adventure in this video. Watch it then check out his images here.
New Zealand travel brochures depict two things: incredible scenery and extreme outdoor adventures. Walk into the airport in say, Queenstown, and the first thing you’ll see are posters and murals of breathtaking panoramas straight from the Lord of the Rings films, then scenes of people who are apparently having near-death experiences. Seriously. You’ll see people falling from great heights with their mouths agape in silent screams; some taking unfettered romps down a steep hillside inside giant, water-filled inflatable balls; and still others the hurling themselves from giant bridges and cranes with nothing but elastic bands strapped to their torsos.
It's true, bungy jumping was invented in New Zealand. Known as the adventure capital of the Southern Hemisphere, the country also originated Zorbing. Then when riding in a plain plastic Zorb became too tame, they added water inside for your trip down the hill. You can still bungy jump from bridges, cranes and more throughout New Zealand. And Zorb. But adrenaline junkies will want to check out a few of these new offerings, too.
Shweebing—a sort of human-powered monorail racetrack with sharp curves you ride at fast speeds.
River sledging—entails riding a boogie board down river rapids and ends with a drop over a waterfall.
Blokarting—also called sand yachting (and sometimes referred to as “the fastest deck chairs in the south”) it's basically wind surfing on the sand.
Black water rafting—white water rafting through dark caves (don’t worry, they give you a helmet to wear).
But there’s one extreme sport that makes all the others look downright tame: swooping. First-timers are cocooned in a harness that looks like a sleeping bag attached to a rope; it's then hoisted on a crane to a platform about 45 meters or 150 feet in the air. Before victims can change their mind, they're released—sending them swooping toward the ground at 130 kph/80 mph with a G-Force factor of 3 (we bet they’re screaming the whole way down).
Nowadays, there’s extreme swooping or “canopy piloting”—a low-altitude version of skydiving where the goal, they say, is simply to stay alive. Using a smaller, rectangular-shaped parachute, these radical “pilots” jump at just 152 meters/500 feet (verses the usual 396 meters/13,000 feet), plunging toward the ground kamikaze style at 33 km/hr (75 mph) and recovering their canopy just inches above the ground. Only a split-second maneuver—a turn that has them swooping horizontally over water—protects them from brutal impact on earth. Crazy? Maybe not; the sport is actually being considered for future Olympic Games.
Swoopers say the low-altitude jump (they call it a “huff and puff”)
is less about the dive and more about the landing. Imagine being loaded into a cannon that’s riding on the back of a truck flying down the freeway and you’re suddenly shot out of the canon.
That's swooping.
If you prefer your adventures without the fear factor, New Zealand can naturally be enjoyed with nary a helmet, swing, cord, strap, harness...or adult nappies.
"
You’re in the Australian Outback when a kangaroo suddenly emerges from the bush. It’s a fleeting moment—and your chance to capture that iconic “roo” shot. But wait.
What camera did you bring for this adventure? Is it up to snuff?
To make certain those once-in-a-lifetime shots don't become opportunities missed, we’ve gathered insight on some of the best travel cameras out there. They’ll give you those National Geographic-quality shots even if you’re not a National Geographic-quality photographer (okay, maybe that's a stretch, but you get the idea). Even better, these cameras won't weigh you down on your journey. Take a look at these seven beauties, presented in no particular order:
1. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 offers 11 dedicated lenses, including one for 3-D, plus extras, like a swivel LCD touch screen (turn it around for a self portrait and appease the narcissist in you). You get a lot of bang for your buck in a small digital package.
2. If you want something a little different, go for the Fujifilm Instax Mini. In a throwback to a vintage era, it lets you print Polaroid-inspired photographs in vivid colors. It also lets you capture great action photos. Bungy jump off of Kawarau Bridge, anyone? This is a neat little camera with a unique twist for all of your exploits.
3. The Olympus XZ-1 is the latest point-and-shoot that touts lightning-fast performance for stills and video. It's also got great wide-angle capability.
4. For the snorkeler, tramper or spelunker, the Pentax Optio WG-1 withstands it all. Drop it, kick it, or submerge it and it still takes great pictures. A GPS means you can geo-tag all of them, too.
5. Not as tech-savvy as you want to be (or pretend to be)? Get an Olympus PEN E-PL2. With built-in flash and cool accessories like the
PENPal (it lets you send images via Bluetooth to your phone) this
camera is extremely user-frien
dly.
6. You'll love the nightlife with a Canon Powershot SX230-HS. In low-light situations, this compact point-and-shoot outperforms more expensive models—thanks to a big sensor and image-stabilization technology. All you need to know: Grab it from your pocket and point to capture those vogue shots. A built-in GPS embeds photos with location information, too.
7. And don’t forget the Kodak PlaySPORT Video Camera. This mini wonder
(that goes underwater) is the favorite of at least two LocumLENS photo
contest winners because it was the first-place prize. 
So, rule number one of a locum tenens adventure is never, ever leave home without a great travel camera. Years from now when you're feeling nostalgic about the time you spent Down Under, you'll have that photo of you tandem skydiving over Abel Tasman Park. Or perhaps even that shot of your kid channeling his inner wallaby on Trinity Beach—and you’ll be really glad you had the camera that captured that once-in-a-lifetime shot.
SPECIAL NOTE: We'll be announcing the winner of the latest LocumLENS Photo Contest next week.
Check out the entries on our Facebook page and tell us which one is your favorite now.
By Kathryn Starkey, MD, and Molly Evans
G'day from the Top End,
Over 60,000 years ago, when the sea level was much lower, people walked from New Guinea to Northern Australia and these wanderers were the origin of the Australian Indigenous Aborigines. By the time Europeans arrived in 1788, the Aborigines—scattered throughout the continent as hunters and gatherers—may have numbered close to a million people. They are the oldest continuously maintained culture on earth and now number about 455,000. However, homelessness is highly visible among Aboriginal people.
We witnessed this first hand while working in a small remote 60-bed hospital in an outback town called Katherine (where 2011 Tour de France champion Cadel Evans hails from). I worked alongside an outreach nurse specialist who provided gynecology care to our patients, whom she called “the women from the long grass”. Often found living in the surrounding fields, these women lack education and have nowhere else to live. The government has tried to supply housing, but the demand outweighs the supply, so housing eventually becomes crowded and unsanitary.
While the Aboriginal people now receive what they call “sit-down pay” (deposited into bank accounts for their use) this monetary support means the younger generation has lost the ability to live off the land; they have no “need” for work, nor do they see a role for education. As I found out, healthcare is also on the back burner. Clinics and transportation are available, but the people find it difficult to attend. Both preventive care and early detection are not yet embraced; unemployment is six times the rate of non-aborigines; and truancy in the primary schools is at 60%.
Cultural practices are also profoundly different; we do try to understand but find it difficult. This is demonstrated by the following story: I recently had a patient arrive with internal bleeding that occurred as a result of repetitively jumping out of a tree onto her abdomen. This was her way to demonstrate grief over the death of a grandparent and - coupled with an undiagnosed bleeding disorder - it almost cost her life. Also, once a person dies you can no longer view their image or say their name. This practice to honor family ties is just one instance of cultural differences.
Despite the aforementioned “doom and gloom", the Aborigine culture is slowly gaining ground - with the granting of full citizenship in 1967 and the return of their traditional ancestral land. If there is any area that has defined the renaissance of Australian Indigenous cultural globally, it is visual art. We have enjoyed learning about and collecting art from the different regions where we have worked. One of the most telling films of Aboriginal history is the film The Rabbit Proof Fence depicting a time when half-caste mixed blood children were taken from their homes and placed in missions in the hope of educating them and eventually “breeding out” the black color. It is a very powerful story.
On another note, the rainy season has arrived with its hot humid conditions and rain that comes in horrific downpours, but we're enjoying the adventure as always.
Happy New Year to All,
Kathy and Molly
Dr. Kathy Starkey, an OB/GYN, and her partner, Molly Evans, have chosen locum tenens as a permanent lifestyle (they're currently on their seventh assignment). Their adventures have taken them to New Zealand's North and South Islands, the Cayman Islands, Western Australia, the small Australian state of Tasmania and now the Top End of Australia (in the Northern Territory). Read more of their adventures right here. And if you haven’t subscribed to this blog yet - do it now!
With the holiday season upon us, our thoughts turn naturally to food. ‘Tis the season to eat, after all—and no one knows that better than the Australians. It may be summer Down Under, but the Silly Season means spending time with rellies (relatives) and mates, feasting on lots of Holiday edibles.
What is Australian food? We actually get that questiona lot. So, we'll start with a few bits of Australian foodie lingo: chook is chicken, sangers are sandwiches and lamington is a jam
-filled wedge of cake.
Food in Australia is primarily influenced by two cultures: the British, who settled the country in the late eighteenth century, and the Aboriginals, who occupied the land for more than 40,000 years before that. The British favored staples like roasted meats and grilled steak and chops. Despite an array of different influences (Asian being high on the scale), a lot of traditional British foods remain a mainstay of Australian cuisine—particularly in pub fare like meat pies and fish and chips. The Abori
ginal influence is still seen in methods of cooking local fish and meats, including barramundi, kangaroo and possum, and in flavors like wattleseed.
If you’ve lived and locumed in Australia, you probably crave a few Aussie favorites like mash (potatoes) and meat pie—and you’re not alone. Six years ago, an Irishman named Niall Grant joined forces with a Melbourne native and chef, Lincoln Davies, to open the Tuck Shop in New York City "because you couldn’t get a decent Australian meat pie there.” They offer single-serving meat pies with fillings like ground beef, creamy
chicken with leeks and ham, Guinness Steak or lamb, a vegan mixture, and a daily special like spice-infused chili beef—all on the cheap. In addition to its staple meat pies, you’ll find sausage and an array of rich desserts including lamington, sticky date pudding and a dreamy Vanilla Slice (an Aussie cake so delectable that a competition called the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph is held every year to discover the best Vanilla Slice bakers).
Since it opened its doors, the Tuck Shop has expanded to three locations in NYC. What’s more, the number of Australian and New Zealand restaurants in NYC has tripled. And in other cities, including Chicago and LA, Aussie and Kiwi ingredients are becoming a fixture, not just a popular trend.
While the Tuck Shop's owners attribute the popularity of the cuisine to the approachability of Australian culture, NYC chef Brad Farmerie (the award-winning chef of the Michelin Star-winning restaurant Public) thinks it’s the purity of the flavors from Australia and New Zealand. 
“They’re so clean and fresh,” Farmerie says. “Venison is lean and healthy, good for you, but it still has rich and robust flavor.” The Public menu offer items including grilled kangaroo, braised lamb shoulder, and pan-seared Tasmanian sea trout. Grilled New Zealand venison loin is the top-selling menu item. They also serve Hokey Pokey—the vanilla and sponge-toffee flavored ice cream that’s a Kiwi favorite (especially during the holidays).
What else is on the menu Down Under? For nostalgic locums, Ruby's in NYC is one of the 
few places in town to get a true-blue Aussie burger “with the lot”—ground beef mixed with finely chopped peppers and onions, then topped with a fried egg, beet slices, and roasted pineapple. Other NYC spots for Aussie food are Eight Mile Creek and The Australian NYC. If you’re a locum who’s nostalgic for New Zealand favorites, check out Nelson Blue where chef, Eric Lind, has crafted a Kiwi menu that includes lollipop lamb chops and (one of our favorites) green-lipped mussels.
Thanks to the wonder of the World Wide Web, you don’t have to travel to a big-city restaurant to find your favorite Aussie foods, either. Stop by your local Trader Joe's and pick up some Pastilla Nash! Although it's private label, it's definitely the same prune and walnut log that Aussies have come to know and love. Trader Joe’s also carries Darrell Lea licorice in strawberry and traditional flavors. And if you’ve just gotta have your Weis fruit & ice cream bars, Trader Joe’s carries Mango & Cream, Raspberry, Vanilla, and Coffee. One Aussie tells us Weis bars are "as summer as a sunstroke on Bondi Beach! I have at least two packa
ges in my freezer at all times.”
A few other foods native to Australia remain popular cuisine. Did you know, for instance, that the macadamia nut tree is a native plant species? The trees were introduced to Hawaii in the 19th century where it was used for reforestation, but indigenous Australians have been using macadamia nuts and bush foods for more than 50,000 years.
Wattleseed is another "Oz-some" flavor. A roasted grain 
spice with a rich, nutty flavor, wattleseed is used in sweet and savory dishes. Relish it in rolled wattleseed pavlova, walnut and wattleseed bread, wattleseed waffles or wild mushroom and wattleseed risotto. Yes, Virginia, wattleseed is as Australian as Vegemite. Vic Cherikoff offers a range of wattleseed products along with other sauces and splashes that taste distinctively of the Outback, both online and at Whole Food Markets. Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Australia has taken the world by storm, too. Cobram Estate Ultra Premium oils won an unprecedented two Best of Show awards out of three 
international categories, three Best of Class awards, and five gold medals at the 2011 Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition. Another Australian EVOO brand, Yellingbo, has also been dubbed “Liquid Gold” by the New York Times.
So fill up your holiday tucker bag (a food or dinner storage bag used in the Australian outback) with some edibles from Oz. And don't forget a fine Australian wine like one from the Barossa Valley to wash it all down.
'Tis the season!
The tiny Australian island of Tasmania has a special relationship with Mother Nature and with the sea. Its mild maritime climate brings four distinct seasons; its incomparable beauty, unique wildlife, world-class food and wine, and fascinating history will astonish you; and its five diverse regions - from the capital city of Hobart to its Eastern “Suncoast” - will leave you wanting for nothing.
We asked our locum doctors to recall the things they love about Tassie (beyond the famed hiking and wine), and this is what we learned. We did our best to limit the list to the top ten, but it wasn't easy.
1. Get close to Forester kangaroos, Bennett's "red-necked" wallabies, and wombats that graze on the plains and lawns at dusk in Narawntapu National Park. Watch for pademelons while you’re here, too - they’re extinct,
except in Tasmania.
2. Discover the string of charming towns from Evandale to Pontville along The Heritage Highway. Walk in the footsteps of infamous bushrangers, enterprising wool growers, convict road gangs, political exiles, scoundrels, and opportunists who are all at the heart of Tasmania's first main road. Surrounded by gracious homes, historic farming properties and a wealth of magnificent architecture, this scenic countryside inspired the famous artist, John Glover, The Father of Australian Landscape Painting.
3. Take a fragrant journey through the evolution of the rose – there’s more than 4,000 to enjoy at the historical Woolmers National Rose Garden in Longford.
4. Take a glide on a high wire at Hollybank Treetops Adventure and get a fresh perspective from the tip top of a forest on a Canopy Tour (why walk when you can fly?). Or try gliding through the lush, beautiful forests on a Segway Tour!
5. Watch the Fairy Penguins parade. A colony of these little blue penguins managed to hang onto their home at the end of a Burnie city beach, and thanks to local volunteers who (among other things) constructed hundreds of penguin igloo apartments to protect them, the Little Fairy Penguins are presented to visitors every summer.
6. Battle back and forth with a marlin, swordfish or bluefin tuna on a game-fishing charter out of St Helens - widely acclaimed as one of Australia’s best game-fishing spots.
7. Take to the water on a kayaking expedition into Bathurst Harbour, where the granite-jawed mountains keep the water – and all that surrounds it – gloriously pristine.
8. Meet the remarkable butcher of Hill Street Gourmet Meats in Hobart, Shane Mundy, who is known the world over for the enthusiasm he serves up along with his famed free-range, grass-fed beef and poultry.
9. Raise a glass of beer at Boag's, where Wizard Smith is ale you drink and the magic is in the brewing.
James Boag’s famed brew is made of pure water, barley, hops and yeast from “the only place that makes it
possible - Tasmania.” Take a tasting tour of the Brewery or head to the Centre for Beer Lovers - a museum experience that no-one with a passion for beer and brewing should miss. If you take any Boag's with you when
you leave, guard it with your life.
10. And for the cherry on top, indulge in the luscious fresh fruit from the orchard at Spreyton farm, where more
than 15 varieties of cherries are grown.
You know what they say about all work and no play making a locum tenens doctor dull? Neither do we. Check out this commercial for Tasmania tourism, then get planning a locum assignment in Australia.
A 35-year dream in the making - Te Araroa, The Long Pathway - comes to life tomorrow, December 3, with the official opening of the completed trail. A ceremony will take place on the Wellington seashore - the midpoint of the nearly 3,000 kilometer walkway that stretches the entire length of the country.
Following dedicated walking tracks and backcountry roads,
Te Araroa (pronounced "tee are-a-rho-a") links New Zealand’s
actual and symbolic poles - Cape Reinga, on the tip of the
country's North Island, and Bluff, a fishing port at the sou
thernmost point of the South Island.
Te Araroa joins a select group of epic walking trails throughout the world, including the famed Appalachian trail in North America and the Camino de Santiago in Spain. While Te Araroa will take "trampers" through the world’s most spectacular scenery, it was also designed to take you on a journey through the country's history.
Cape Reinga is one of the most sacred Māori places where, it's said, the spirits of the dead leave to return to their spiritual homeland of Hawaiki (the legendary homeland of the Māori peoples). The
trail also passes through Waitangi, where New Zealand’s founding treaty was signed in 1840.
In the central North Island, the trail takes in the Tongariro Crossing,
a world-renowned mountain crossing through a unique volcanic landscape. The trail’s longest and most demanding section traverses the Richmond Ranges and summits above 1,500 meters. Some of the most spectacular routes are along mountain trails through the South Island’s Southern Alps. You’ll also make your way thr
ough seven cities on green pathways, wandering across farms and pastures.
If you're a dauntless hiker, take the entire odyssey that is Te Araroa (three months or more). If you prefer your walks a little more leisurely, the trail is actually formed from a network of regional pathways that offer day, overnight and shorter multi-day excursions. There’s also a water section you can travel by kayak (mainly on the Whanganui River), and a few sections - like one across Mackenzie Basin - can even be cycled.
Te Araroa is one of the most ambitious voluntary projects The Land of the Long White Cloud has ever seen. Hundreds of volunteers helped create the spectacular route. The grand opening of the pathway coincides with the release of a new guidebook written by Te Araroa Trust founder (and Kiwi Journalist), Geoff Chapple. The Walking Guide to Te Araroa will help walkers make the most of their travels, but you can start planning your own trek now. We suggest you plan it along with a locum assignment in New Zealand, of course.