I have always been in awe of life on Earth and have spent more and more of my time seeking out the most iconic and most bizarre of creatures. I’ve always looked for them in their natural habitat - I don’t visit zoos or aquariums. Instead I’ve done hundreds of dives looking for the tiniest of nudibranches in the Philippines, I’ve helped bring a lost polar bear cub back to it’s mother in the Arctic, and I’ve had to run away from a very close encounter with an elephant in dense undergrowth whilst on a walking safari in Ethiopia.
Jack-Ass
Way up on Table Mountain
The cable cars silently glide over my burnt orange rocky perch and from this vantage point I can peer into the glass fronted levitated car. Inside is a cram of people all sporting sunglasses sunhats and DSLR cameras slung around their necks. I felt smug for my route up table mountain, the solitude I had coupled with views overlooking the cape peninsula surely beat being penned in a cable car. If anyone in the car looked downwards they may have seen me waving and I'm sure they would've felt the opposite, feeling smug for their quick and comfortable journey up to the top. But for any mountain it's about the journey more than the destination which holds for even for this benign looking mountain and hiking/scrambling up was the only way I would be getting to the top.
Buffel The Elephant Seal
SNAPSHOTS
ETHIOPIA: Episode 8 - In Search of Wildlife
For the last part of our journey we headed to southern Ethiopia famed, at least in Ethiopia, for it's wildlife. What we found though was the immense pressure that livestock agriculture was having on the environment.
But that didn't stop us from having the most unique safari experience ever. Join us for the eighth and last film of our journey around Ethiopia. Episode 8 - In Search of Wildlife
ETHIOPIA: Episode 7 - Of Music And Angels
Lalibela, Ethiopia's Jerusalem, a town of faith unchanged for over a thousand years. Episode 7 takes us into the realms of the rock hewn churches, carved out by the angels and at the centre of Ethiopia's Christian faith. But first of all we start with stumbling into a music video at the honey market...
ETHIOPIA: Episode 6 - Salt
In the hottest place on Earth the Afar people toil throughout the scorching day to harvest thousands of kilograms of 'White Gold'.
The Afar have evolved specially to be able to withstand and work in this hot, arid landscape with little or no water.
ETHIOPIA: Episode 5 - The Hottest Place on Earth
The Danakil Depression is one of the hottest places on Earth and another incredible places we didn't even know existed before our travels around Ethiopia. Join us to find out more in Episode 5 of our journey exploring Ethiopia: Episode 5 - The Hottest Place on Earth
ETHIOPIA: Episode 4 - Erta Ale
Ever found yourself on the edge of an active volcano? We did in the far North Eastern corner of Ethiopia. Join us for episode 4 of our travels around the fascinating country that is Ethiopia. This is my scariest adventure to date and the most incredible thing I have ever seen! Episode 4 - Erta Ale
ETHIOPIA: Episode 3 - Buna
Ever had coffee roasted on an open fire, grounded and served right in front of you? We did, in a small village 3,000m up in the Simien mountains. Captured beautifully in our latest film.
Check out Episode 3 of our adventure around Ethiopia: Buna
ETHIOPIA: Episode 2 - War
African history sits in our educational knowledge as a backwater; glossed over with some wars, a few genocides and little famine. I class myself as well traveled and well read, however I was soon to learn that there is all of this and a lot more in Ethiopian recent history than I could have ever have thought of... and a lot of it happened in my lifetime.
This is our second episode in our epic journey around Ethiopia. Enjoy! Ethiopia: Episode 2 - War
ETHIOPIA: Episode 1 - Of Mountains and Monkeys
It's been an absolute privilege to travel to some of the most incredible places on the planet. One of these is definitely Ethiopia, a country that has always been there in the back of mind to want to visit. This year I got the opportunity and I'm so excited to share our journey across this ancient land with you via our eight part film.
Here is episode 1, taking us high up into the Simien mountains, an enchanted world Of Mountains and Monkeys:
Blonde, Blonde Hair
A Thousand Years of History
A thousand years ago, King Lalibela of Ethiopia, helped by angels carved twelve magnificent churches out of the ground beneath his feet in a single night. He dug down into the ground and from solid rock carved each church before hollowing out the centre. That is how the legend goes, which our guide vehemently believed. And despite their architectural wonder it is the belief of these churches, belief of Christianity amongst the Ethiopians that brings these buildings, some of the oldest in Africa, alive.
The Most Incredible Thing I Have Even Seen
The Crocodile's Picnic
In the depths of Botswana, Africa, a crocodile finds some free food. But will he be able to get a meal?
A short (01:47mins) comedy filmed in Botswana 2012. Enjoy!! :-)
A Special Lecture on Aeronautics (somewhere in the Zambian countryside)
**New short film online!**
In 2012 during another year's travelling I found myself in a small Zambian village with no electricity or running water. We were greeted with song and dance and countless smiling faces.
What could I do to give something back?
The Fish River Canyon
In late 2012 as part of our travels through Southern Africa we sneaked onto the 90km Fish River Canyon hike in Namibia.
The hike took us through some of the most spectacular scenery in Africa. Check out the film below. It runs at 9mins 35secs.
What did you do today?
Sorry for all the wait, but there will be a little more waiting as there is so much footage I need to get through. But here's a little snippet of things to come...