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This amazing island paradise, once connected to Terra Australis by a land bridge, is rife with contrasts. Papua New Guinea or PNG is the eastern portion of the island of new Guinea with the western region simply known as Western Papua is part of Indonesia. Millions of years ago, when the seas and oceans were more shallow, a natural connection between this island and Northern Australia existed at the Torres Strait. Indigenous peoples migrated southward perhaps blending traditions, customs and ...

Remnants of Gondwana

Australia, the amazing southern continent has much more to offer than Kangaroos, Koalas and Uluru. Australia’s land surface was once a part of a much larger for most of its history. First Pangea, when all continents were amalgamated into one supercontinent, followed by the great southern continent Gondwana. The island continent didn’t occur until its separation about 45 million years ago. This massive movement over an extreme timeline birthed Terra Aus...

Remnants of Gondwana

Australia, the amazing southern continent has much more to offer than Kangaroos, Koalas and Uluru. Australia’s land surface was once a part of a much larger for most of its history. First Pangea, when all continents were amalgamated into one supercontinent, followed by the great southern continent Gondwana. The island continent didn’t occur until its separation about 45 million years ago. This massive movement over an extreme timeline birthed Terra Aus...

Shanghai to Sydney aboard Oceania’s MS Insignia is a spectacular itinerary. Having spent only a couple of weeks aboard from Shanghai to Jeju and Incheon Korea, Tianjin and Beijing China to Kobe, Okinawa and Naha Japan, the first few days have been wonderful. Cherry blossom season held on just long enough for us to enjoy the fluffy pink clouds and rosy carpets at our feet. As ancient as many parts of this region are the cities are remarkably modern and sophisticated. Shanghai towers with...

The Amazon Basin, or Amazonas, is often referred to as “the lungs of the planet.” I prefer “the birthplace of the clouds.” Huge pillars of candy floss-like vapor rise continuously over the murky waters of the Amazon. Early morning light paints the outer edges of long, island- like shaped clouds as if they were just dipped in gold. As the constant, almost oppressive, sun heightens in the sky, shapes, densities and colors change yet again. Clearly this must be the birthp...

The garden’s neo-natal wards will be popping up all across this country over the next several weeks. Like so many other anxious gardeners, I too am disinfecting, mounting lights to rival I am sure even the most sophisticated “gro-op” and sorting through a rather sizeable container of “got-to-have” seed packs. There really is something inherently common for all gardeners and that is the absolute need to get a head start on things and get our private stash of speci...

“You can’t do that…vegetables belong in the vegetable garden not the front yard!” I quote this statement paraphrased for editorial reasons as I have heard it a few times relating to various personal landscapes. Traditionally the vegetable growing component of the garden was relegated to a larger plot, typically in the rear of the home and usually maintained in neat, almost militaristic, precision rows. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this approach, however, man...

Rather a sad time of the season for many gardeners, then again, rather joyous for others. The bright colours and interesting textures that you have worked so hard on to perfect, the exact placement of that wonderful new perennial and those sultry summer days sniffing the fruits of your labours all ends now. Myself, I tend to support the joyous constituency; the work is (almost) completed, the garden is somewhat put to bed for the next several months of winter and I actually may have some time...

There is a lot of buzz around pollinators lately, and with good cause. Populations of many common Canadian pollinators are shrinking at remarkable rates for a number of reasons. As with many global tragedies, the issues seem overwhelming, the predictions austere and for many, I assume a sense of hopelessness prevails. What can be done by the individual Canadian, what possible difference can one household make? The truth of the matter is that each of us with very little effort and expense can ...

There is a great deal more to growing plants and gardening than the obvious soil, pots, water and petunias. It’s a family affair, or certainly could be. Introducing and engaging young ones into the world of green and growing is rife with learning opportunities, lifestyle foundational development and just good old fashioned fun. In today’s busy and scheduled world many young parents rely on peer suggestion and electronic support for parental guidance and concepts for structured pla...