Save the Tasmanian Devil

September 7th is Threatened Species Day and it is your chance to make a difference and organise your own fundraiser or simply just make a donation to help save the Tasmanian Devil.

National Threatened Species Day is held on this date each year to commemorate the loss of the last Tasmanian Tiger that died in captivity in the Hobart Zoo in 1936.

In some ares of Tasmania up to 90% of the Tasmanian Devil Population has been wiped out due to a facial tumor disease (DFTD).

This disease is fatal and it is characterised by cancer growths around the mouth on the face and head. The disease is passed on from one Devil to the other from biting each other. Although the bite itself is quite harmless, the Devils do fight a lot to establish a pecking order as well as they fight over food.

Help a team of scientists find a cure by donating or running a fundraiser on September 7th. Details are available at www.tassiedevil.com.au

Why you should take a guided wilderness walk in Tasmania?

Do we mean as opposed to "walking solo" or because of its natural beauty?

Ok, lets take a look at what Tasmania has to offer.

It is the most mountainous state in Australia. It sits in the pathway of the notorious "Roaring Forties" winds. It has changeable weather, it can snow in any season. It has two of the worlds most venomous snakes, the Tiger Snake and the Copper Head. It has dense cool temperate rain forests and impenetrable horizontal scrub.

However, don't let this put you off. It is this; Tasmania's relatively unspoiled natural environment that attracts thousands of walkers each year. Nothing will make your journey more memorable, safe and informative than sharing it with a local guide (packhorse or not) on a Tasmanian guided walk.

Satellite Phones - Keeping in touch

There may come a time that you have a medical emergency or the progression of your bush walk has been hampered by bad weather and you expect to arrive late at your destination.
Whatever the emergency, verbal communication with emergency services is vital to initiate a quick response and to receive needy advice.
Telstra's Next G service doesn't reach the remote areas of Australia therefore a satellite phone is your only alternative.
Satellite phones can be rented for as little as $11.00 a day or you can buy them outright over 2 years on a plan. They sell for around $2000 - $2100 and a service plan will cost you around $30 per month plus calls.
The next time you head off on a remote walk have a communication plan. Does the area have normal phone coverage? If not consider a satellite phone. For emergencies phone 000

South Coast Track Guided Walk - now with "Live Track"

Adventure Seekers South Coast Track Guided Walks now come equipped with "Live Track"

Live Track records your exact position every 10 minutes with a product called SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger. SPOT uses the GPS satellite system (much like in a car) to determine your location.

Family and friends can track your walk progress from the comfort of their home from anywhere in the world in real-time, using Google Maps.

The SPOT leaves a virtual breadcrumb trail of your South Coast Track walk and it's fun for friends to follow your wilderness journey.

Choosing a tent - What to consider.

There are four main things to consider when buying your next tent. They are size, use, waterproofness and lastly free-standing verses non free-standing. This blog focuses on tents that are suitable overnight or extended walking.
Size - The first thing to think about is the size of your tent followed by what season / s that you will be using it in. For bushwalking around Australia a 1 person tent will suffice if you are going solo or a 2 person tent if you have a walking partner. Make sure that the tent has a vestibule, so that you can store your pack in. Most 2 person tents now have twin vestibules so that each person can access their own side of the tent and store their gear separately.
The next consideration is - use. Where are you going to use it? and for what season of the year? Tent options range from summer weight tents all the way to 4 season tents. Will you only use it below the snow line? Use generally goes hand in hand with waterproofness so you will need to choose a tent that will also suit the weather extremes of the areas in which you will visit.
The waterproofness of a material is rated in millimetres and generally a material (nylon or polyester) that is rated from 1000mm is waterproof.
10,000 mm is the highest value you can get. The higher the value means the more waterproof coating, more weight and more cost.
For commercial purposes I tend to choose a tent that is more durable and waterproof. I look for a tent with a floor of 10,000mm and fly of 4000mm + as well as being UV resistant. For personal use and depending on how often you may use it a tent with a 5000mm floor and 3000mm fly may suffice; this will save you on weight and cost.
Lastly free-standing verses non free-standing. A free-standing tent is a tent that supports itself. By placing the poles into eyelets in each corner of the tent and then clipping the roof of the inner tent to the poles, this will tension the poles and the tent will stand erect. Free standing tents are good for wooden tent platforms like which you will find on the Overland Track in Tasmania, they are easier to set up, a bit lighter and easier to stake out. However non free-standing tents are generally stronger.
On the other hand you can always own a range of tents to suit the different locations and conditions.

Overland Track Walk - Now with "Live Track"

Adventure Seekers Overland Track Guided Walks now come equipped with "Live Track"

Live Track records your exact position every 10 minutes with a product called SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger. SPOT uses the GPS satellite system (much like in a car) to determine your location.

Family and friends can track your walk progress from the comfort of their home from anywhere in the world in real-time, using Google Maps.

The SPOT leaves a virtual breadcrumb trail of your Overland Track walk and it's fun for friends to follow your wilderness journey.

Landscape Photography Tips

I have put together a few basic tips that you should apply to your landscape photography and by applying them it should help you to capture the scenery at its best.

1. Where possible use a tripod as this will ensure sharpness of the image
2. Use the rule of thirds. Place the horizon a third of the way down
3. Place the centre of interest (unusual rock, stream, cabin) a little bit off - centre
4. A foreground image will help frame the scene but ensure that you have your depth of field set correctly.
5. Check through your viewfinder that there are no un-natural objects in your shot (telephone boxes, power lines etc)
6. Never use your cameras flash
7. Try and keep your image horizontal
8. Be patient and stick around for a while when capturing a scene. Morning and evening light can bring change quickly and make your shot more interesting.

In the picture above, by placing an object in the foreground, it gives you the impression of three - dimensionality.