After a week in the hills of Sarraméa and Farino, I felt like going to the seaside. So I packed my bags and drove northward along the west coast of Grande Terre. I am at Poé plage now, which belongs to the little town of Bourail. It is still part of the Southern Province ofContinue reading “A change of scenery”
Author Archives: Sebastian
Ariane
It was a privilege and an honour to get to know Ariane over the past few days. And now, equally, it is my pleasure to introduce her to you, my global audience. But who is she? Well, Ariane works at Refuge de Farino, where I spent the last five days, and this is how weContinue reading “Ariane”
Pleased to meet you, SCO
You will now learn how I spent the first 48 hours on Grande Terre, New Caledonia’s main island. At La Tontouta airport I tried in vain to buy a SIM card. It was a few minutes past 5 pm on a Friday – week-end! Almost everything was closed, even the restrooms. Fortunately not the carContinue reading “Pleased to meet you, SCO”
This isn’t about uniforms!
A have a confession to make. But please promise not to tell anyone. It is something I experienced in Sydney, and I have to say, I really miss it already over here in New Caledonia. You all remember Village People, the band, right? I guess everyone can sing or hum along to ‘YMCA’, even ifContinue reading “This isn’t about uniforms!”
And boy, do they fly!
Taking a picture of a sitting cockatoo is one thing. Not difficult – sitting duck, so to speak. Especially if they are so kind to approach you, well, almost too near! A different thing, however, is taking an ‚action shot‘ of these magnificent birds in flight. Photographing flying birds is probably the Champions League ofContinue reading “And boy, do they fly!”
Parrots galore
WARNING: The following post is not quite up to date, as it contains material that I have gathered last week in Sydney, i.e. not New Caledonia. Furthermore, it should only be viewed by people who are not bored to death after five wildlife-related pictures. So don’t complain afterwards, do you hear me? You have beenContinue reading “Parrots galore”
Okay, but why New Caledonia?
Why on earth then did you travel to the other side of the planet, of all places? I hear you ask. Well, I’m glad you asked that question. I admit that it is not entirely without justification, and I have had some time to prepare my answer. Let me start off by telling you thatContinue reading “Okay, but why New Caledonia?”
Bonjour, Nouvelle-Calédonie!
No, don’t worry, I will not continue writing in French… I don’t have much to write yet anyway, having arrived less than 24 hours ago at Tontouta airport. All I can say is that things have been going smoothly so far. And I am looking forward to a first rendezvous this afternoon: the local ornithologistsContinue reading “Bonjour, Nouvelle-Calédonie!”
Hong Kong at dusk, part II
It feels weird (and probably is) to write about the beauty of Hong Kong, while the present of that wonderful city is overshadowed by violent conflicts, and its future not looking very bright either… But not to praise its attractions and to refrain from sharing with you the wonderful experiences I had during the shortContinue reading “Hong Kong at dusk, part II”
Hong Kong at dusk, part I
Every photographer will tell you that one of the best times of the day for taking pictures is the hour before and especially after sunset. From my own experience I can totally confirm this basic rule and I try to make use of these favourable light conditions whenever I can. Normally I am somewhere outdoorsContinue reading “Hong Kong at dusk, part I”
Display man
Although I am pretty much a rookie in the world of blogging (with one week‘s experience, to be exact), I think one basic rule is obvious: Never post the same picture twice! But rules are there to be broken. You remember how last Sunday evening the lovely receptionist at Mei Ho House ordered that taxiContinue reading “Display man”
Sydney, the usual suspects
I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Period. But okay, let’s assume for a minute that you didn’t believe me that I am really in Australia right now. The snapshot I posted from the airport a couple of hours ago could have been just a boring, meaningless pic downloaded from the internet. Now let’sContinue reading “Sydney, the usual suspects”
G‘day, Sydney!
Glad to be here!
Alice
(Yes, I can resist the temptation to add the subtitle: ‘Sebastian in Wonderland’. Definitely too silly a pun…) Weimar, Germany, August 2004. First day of the ‘Weimar Summer Courses’, my first major task as newly employed project assistant at the Bauhaus University within the EU funded project HERMES. It’s a huge event with more thanContinue reading “Alice”
What on earth does ‘ho-ho-ho-ho’ mean in Cantonese…?
Or: my dramatic departure. Picture the following scene: I am standing at the reception in Mei Ho House hostel in Hong Kong, having just checked out of my room and returned the key card. The wonderful young receptionist has urged me to leave early for the airport. Not because she wants to get rid ofContinue reading “What on earth does ‘ho-ho-ho-ho’ mean in Cantonese…?”
My Pacific Travel Blog 