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Family

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.   Joyce Brothers



I am truly blessed to have a beautiful family who love me and support me in all I do.  I love them so much.  Here, in this section, I celebrate family members and family events.



Family Tributes



Family Research




Family Events




Birthdays 



Weddings and anniversaries



Study and graduations



Romance and courtship



Family re-unions and get togethers



Posts related to family members

December 20, 1990

December 20, 1990

Ode to things I love: Nature reserves

South Africa

Africa

  • Serengetti & Ngora (Tanzania)
  • Etosha National Park (Namibia)
  • Okovango Delta (Botswana)
  • South Luanga National Park (Zambia)
  • Chobe

UK


Australia


New Zealand

Asia


South America


Special Memories

























Hiking and Camping

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  John Muir



To me, nothing feels better than hiking deep into nature, getting away from it all.  Hiking is my deepest form of spiritual connection and when I feel most fully alive.  It's also the perfect way to connect with friends as well as a great opportunity to practice my photography.


Hiking diary



Australia hikes



Sydney


North of Sydney


Royal National Park


Blue Mountains, Newnes and further


South of Sydney


Australia wide


Southern Africa hikes


Cape Town


Cape Town surrounds


Eastern Cape


Natal


Transkei


Namibia
  • Fish River canyon


New Zealand hikes


Europe hikes
  • Vicos Gorge (Greece)
  • Mount Olympus (Greece)
  • Pembrokeshire Coastal walks (UK)
  • SW Coast walks (UK)
  • Mount Snowdon (Whales)


    North America hikes


    South America hikes


    Asia hikes

    My Travels

    My favourite thing is to go where I've never been.   Drane Arbus



    Travel is something I'll never grow tired of, be it discovering a new place or re-exploring a familiar place with new eyes.  Travel and photography, to me, are inextricably linked.  My preferred form of travel is backpacking


    Some favourite places


    Countries explored


    Quicker trips and holidays


    Business trips


    Travel letters




    Travel timeline


    2026



    2025



    2024


    2023


    2022


    2006



    2005



    2004



    2003



    2002



    2001



    2000



    1997



    1996



    University years (1989 - 1993)



    School years (1977 - 1988)


    December 20, 1990

    Ally´s life list

    • Learn another language
    • Swim with a whale shark
    • Opera at Paris Opera House
    • Do a career guidance course
    • See a tiger in the wild
    • Read the 100 top BBC reads
    • See a leopard in the wild
    • Have a piece of art hanging up that I'm proud of
    • Visit Malawi and the Rift Valley
    • See Ayres Rock
    • Teach or do a project in a 3rd world country
    • Visit the glaciers of Alaska
    • Spend a night in the Ice Hotel
    • Watch the sun set from a hot air balloon
    • Go skiing
    • See a polar bear
    • Visit the National Gallery
    • Go to Wimbledon tennis
    • Visit the London planetarium
    • Visit Neasden Temple
    • Ascott Races
    • Markets (Greenwich, Spitalfileds, Portebello)
    • Vinopllis wine
    • Champaign at the Ritz
    • Lunch at a top London restaurant
    • Nurture myself

    Completed

    Things I would love to do before I die

    "If the vision is there, the means will follow."   Faith Popcorn

    Longer term
    • Read the BBC 100 top reads.
    • Capture wonder and beauty through photographs.
    • Photograph a tiger in the wild.
    • Make a real difference to someone's life.
    • See 100 mammals in the wild.
    • Start a successful and popular web site.
    • Practice Chi Gong daily for a year.
    • Visit many nature reserves and do many hikes.
    • Perform random acts of kindness.
    • Watch all David Attenborough's documentaries.
    • Meditate in beautiful, spiritual places.
    • Earn a significant portion of my income doing what I love doing (relating to photography, training and coaching, blogging and / or movies).
    • Identify someone who has inspired me most. Let him / her know.
    • Always be the first to say hello.
    • Create 6 powerful, new habits in one year .
    • Achieve financial abundance with one of my passions.
    • Help people learn powerful, new skills in an inspiring and easy way.
    • Write a letter to at least 5 family and friends telling them how much they mean to me.
    • Learn to cook 6 excellent dishes.
    • Exercise 5 times a week for 12 months.
    • Go on an artificial sugar diet for 3 months.
    • Inspire other people to take up photography.
    • Gain enlightenment.
    • Achieve inner tranquility and outer effectiveness.
    • Conquer a big fear.
    • Write a book
    • Be still for 3 days


    Travel related
    • Do a 6 month Australian road trip
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Madagascar
    • Indonesia
    • Vietnam
    • Columbia
    • Central America
    • India (again)
    • Central America
    • Colombia
    • See a tiger, polar bear, blue whale
    • Visit Manepools in Zimbabwe
    • See the Great Wall of China
    • Canoo down the Zambezi river
    • Visit Nevada and Utah
    • Be a hippie in Southern India for a month
    • Birds to see: King or Emperor penguin, Lovely Fairy Wren, snowy owl
    • Swim with a Whale Shark
    • See a tiger, polar bear, blue whale
    • Explore Cape York (Australia)
    • Explore Australia  (Kimberleys, Cape York, Mungo National Park)
    • Live in South America or Asia for a year teaching English
    • Go hiking in New Zealand
    • Fly in a hot air balloon over a beautiful landscape





    Completed
    • Learn massage  (2011)
    • See an Echidna in the wild (2008)
    • Do a photography course (2006)
    • Listen to the choir at a King's College service (2004)
    • Meditate every day for a year (2004)
    • No sugar for a month (2004)
    • Reach a toned 90 kg's (2003)
    • Swim with wild dolphins (1999)
    • Visit the ruins of Pompeii (1996)
    • See a Pel's Fishing Owl (1991)
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