tiabunna's photos with the keyword: tourists

While heading south from Pakse, we found ourselves behind this wagon, apparently carrying local tourists to Wat Phu, which also was our destination. I guess maybe I've taken road safety too seriously for too long, but what struck me was the way the passengers travelled, including free standing on the rear of the wagon or tucked into brackets on the rear sides. The PiP shows us all arriving at Wat Phu. I think the passenger in the skirt had moved inside by then ...

More tourists arriving on the daily aircraft (some days there are more). The number of tourists on the island is capped at a maximum of 400. That's the end of the very short runway for the small airport to the left - when I flew there in 1974 (see my album "Flying Boat Days") the runway was incomplete and this was the last flying boat service in the world. This musical link seems to fit. Taken from a kayak. :-)

An immature Hookers Sea Lion stops visiting tourists as it becomes territorial about 'its' beach on Auckland Island. The dark coat and mane show this is a male. These sometimes are known as New Zealand Sea Lions. Another earlier image in the note. View larger on black. Explored.

Lusitania Bay, toward the southern end of the east coast is a "must see" destination for its huge King Penguin colony, estimated at 170,000 breeding pairs and covering the beach for several kilometres. Near the centre of the photo is the old hut installed by ANARE in the early 1950s. I once stayed there, a link to my 1968 photo is in a note at top left. The slopes are typical of the steep escarpment surrounding the island, inland it is essentially a rolling plateau. The island is about 34km long and 5km wide, running more or less north-south. Although tourists are limited to landing at either the Macquarie Island research station, or at Sandy Bay, there is no constraint on floating around other parts of the island close to shore: apart from rocks and safety constraints. I was concerned about water getting to my digital camera, so for this excursion I used a pocketable APS-C film camera. After this voyage, I never again used film: on my return I was so disappointed by the colour reproduction of the prints I asked for them to be printed again, but there was little improvement - so I went entirely digital. This is from a digital copy I made from the film negative, technically not great but far better than the original prints!

Although tourists are limited to landing at either the Macquarie Island research station, or at Sandy Bay, there is no constraint on floating around other parts of the island close to shore: apart from rocks and safety considerations. Lusitania Bay, toward the southern end of the east coast is a "must see" destination for its huge King Penguin colony, estimated at 170,000 breeding pairs, covering the beach in this photo and extending for several Km. Some details in notes. I was concerned about water getting to my digital camera, so for this excursion I used a pocketable APS-C film camera. After this voyage, I never again used film: on my return I was so disappointed by the colour reproduction of the prints I asked for them to be printed again, but there was little improvement - so I went entirely digital. This is from a digital copy I made from the film negative, technically not great but far better than the original prints!

Not far from the partying Royals, the Kings were being far more dignified. The quieter conditions were relaxing for some elephant seals to have a nap, while a Giant Petrel also rests (see note). At Sandy Bay, Macquarie Island.

After pecking at my boot and leg, this Royal Penguin kindly posed for a standard portrait, pretty much looking as it did earlier. Then it moved a step or two closer and, for a few wildly exciting moments, I fully expected it was about to take a peck at my lens ..... thankfully it resisted the urge! :)

Antarctic tour operators warn tourists not to approach closer than five metres to wildlife, to avoid disturbance. But nobody has told the penguins about that rule and, besides, they cannot count! So, with the Royal Penguins at Macquarie Island, it is simply a matter of remaining stationary and they will come to investigate. :) By way of further detail, that is my leg and boot being tested. Other photos in notes above. Sadly, human interaction with the penguins was not always so enlightened (see third note - caution, may be distressing)

Antarctic tour operators warn tourists not to approach closer than five metres to wildlife, to avoid disturbance. But nobody has told the penguins about that rule and, besides, they cannot count! So, with the Royal Penguins at Macquarie Island, it is simply a matter of remaining stationary and they will come to investigate. :) Other photos in notes above. Sadly, human interaction with the penguins was not always so enlightened (see third note - caution, may be distressing)

From an old slide. The sealers and such have long since gone, thankfully. In 1968 a new industry arrived when Lindblad Expeditions began the first tourist trips to East Antarctica and Macquarie Island. This is part of that first ever tourist group to visit the island, returning to their ship the Magga Dan with some of the "locals" assisting. Several tourist ships now visit yearly. This group had no zodiacs for shore landings, as is now usual, so we backed the station tractor and trailer into the water as an improvised jetty to help get them to their ships' boat. Best viewed large on black.