About
About me
My name is Graham Barker and I live in Perth, Western Australia. In a previous life I worked in information technology - mostly PC technical support, but with a bit of network management and security thrown in. Nowadays I'm studying library and information services part time while working in two jobs in very different types of libraries. This keeps me rather busy.
My hobbies and interests include travel (of course), reading, photography, hiking, and writing. I used to be a keen snow skier (mostly downhill, some cross country) but injuries persuaded me to limit myself to hiking. Some long-term goals, other than travel, include walking the whole of Western Australia's Bibbulmun Track, and finishing writing a novel.
About my travels
Although I've travelled overseas (mainly the US and Canada), I've travelled most extensively in Australia and New Zealand. I love this part of the world, and feel no need to venture further afield ... although a visit to Antarctica would be nice.
I haven't been everywhere yet, but
where I have been, I've tried
to explore thoroughly. This map
shows my travels in Tasmania.
My long term travel goal, stated simply, is to explore every part of Australia and New Zealand. However, to visit literally everywhere, in detail, is probably not achievable in one lifetime. At least not if you have a day job! Still, I want to have a go at exploring as much of these two countries as I can.
Because I prefer cooler weather, I’ve naturally given priority to the cooler or more mountainous southern parts of Australia and New Zealand. I aim to cover more of the warmer and northern parts too, eventually, although in less detail.
Here are some other aspects of how I travel - relevant because they largely determine what you’ll find (and not find) on this website:
- I travel independantly, having never been on a package tour (nothing wrong with that; it’s just not for me).
- I travel slowly, taking time to soak up the scenery and seek out places that could be missed on a quick visit.
- I visit places more than once. Return visits over a long period, and in different seasons, allow a place to be more fully appreciated.
- I stay in budget accommodation, because I can only afford to travel extensively and repeatedly by minimising accommodation costs.
- I focus more on natural attractions than commercial attractions and activities (which can be expensive).
- I prefer to avoid crowds, travelling out of season and avoiding holiday periods whenever possible. This saves money, but also allows most aspects of travelling to be enjoyed more.
