Vanuatu: Diving the Semle Ferdersen, GoPro Video…

Diving The Semle Ferdersen, Port Vila, Vanuatu from James Doherty on Vimeo.

As I watched the depth gauge roll past 40 meters the GoPro didn’t miss a beat. As mentioned previously manoeuvring in the engine bay of the Semle Ferdersen required both hands, as such the video quality suffered somewhat, but with the help of some splicing, judicious editing, and a Moby track, this video gives you a good idea of the dive.

Mount Field National Park, Tasmania

Water cascades through Mount Field National Park, Tasmania

After our time on the Freycinet Peninsula we headed inland to Mount Field National Park, a two hour dive on progressively curvier roads outside of Hobart. The well worn track herds the majority of tourists towards the base of Russell Falls, but with a keen eye, and a little local knowledge, an old track cut into the valley wall can be found. This overgrown trail climbs to the middle tier of Russell Falls, where you stand in the mist created by the cascading waterfall and surrounded by the detritus of trees that have tumbled over the falls.

Water cascades through Mount Field National Park, Tasmania Water cascades through Mount Field National Park, Tasmania Water cascades through Mount Field National Park, Tasmania Water cascades through Mount Field National Park, Tasmania Water cascades through Mount Field National Park, Tasmania Water cascades through Mount Field National Park, Tasmania Water cascades through Mount Field National Park, Tasmania

Freycinet Peninsula and Wine Glass Bay

Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania

Late last year (2012) we had the opportunity to travel to Hobart for a week. Two hours north of Hobart on the Southwest coast of Tasmania is Freycinet Peninsula. Freycinet is known for its red granite cliffs, coloured by orange lichen and it’s pristine white sand beach at Wineglass Bay.

Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania
Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania Red Rocks and Blue Sky, Freycinet Nat Park, Tasmania

Vanuatu: Mele Cascades

Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu

Mele Cascades, fifteen minutes by bus outside of Port Vila the road steepens suddenly, and whilst the Efate ring road traffic climbs skyward, the Mele river cascades back down over a series of drops. Walking through the dense jungle, you criss-cross the cascades, which are interspersed with sections of blue-green pools, lined with fine white soil. After fifteen minutes climbing up a somewhat uneven set of stairs the final cascade appears, a cliff of 20 meters, moss covered and, as the name suggests, water cascading down. Having no tripod to allow for a low shutter speed the resultant photographs aren’t as crisp as I’d like, but they still convey the beauty of this place.

Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu
Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu Mele Cascades, Port Vila Vanuatu