A few weeks ago I found myself on the road to Albany. I was in Western Australia to photograph the Killer Whales in the Bremer canyon, but I'd booked myself a few extra days in the area because....well, just because. I thought I'd stop in Albany to try and find some Albany pitcher plants but, as it turns out, I'm better at finding orchids than carnivorous plants.
Read MoreOf yellow eyes and rock hoppers
It's hard to not love penguins. Very hard, in fact. Cuteness factor is through the roof, and I'm convinced that most people actually just want to hug them. I am happy to report that sub-Antarctic penguins do indeed look very cute, with a healthy dose of comical and adorable.
Read MoreMegaherbs: botanical curiosities
The name gives it away. Megaherbs are particularly large herbs. 'Carrots', 'cabbages' and giant diasies up to 1.5 meters tall with big, colourful flowerheads and leaves the size of dinner plates. They are only found on a handful of islands south of New Zealand in the middle of the Southern Ocean, in a zone between the temperate and the Antarctic. The sub-Antarctic. Here, extreme temperatures are not the main problem: rather, the near-constant wind, rain and general cloudiness make it challenging for both the plants and their pollinators.
Read MoreA day on Enderby Island
On our first morning, we awoke close to the Snares, with hopes of a zodiac cruise and Snares Crested Penguins. But 60 knot winds left that idea dead in the water. Instead, we headed onwards toward Auckland Island...
Fast foward 24 hours and we awoke to complete calm: the sun was rising, the wind was still, the waters of Ross Harbour were smooth, and everyone was smiling. It was going to be a good day.
Read MoreTozers Bush Camp, Bremer Bay
Tozers Bush Camp is a wonderful little patch of bush, surrounded by farmland, on the road to Bremer Bay. We were drawn to visit the place because of their now-famous orchid tours including the highly sought-after Queen of Sheba, Thelymitra speciosa, which we saw. But the place is so much more than a couple of admittedly spectacular orchids. We were so taken by the place that I've dedicated a whole blog post to highlight some of the wonderful flowers that we saw when were there in late August this year.
Read More