welcome

It's a bit of an understatement to say my website has been a bit quiet since it was set up but I aim to do better from now on.

I've recently completed a second edition of Wildlife & Conservation Volunteering that comes out in late March 2012. It's been completely revised and expanded, including updated assessments, new organizations, more volunteer stories and more field adventures. There is also a new chapter on great wildlife migration events - how, when and where to see them, with more great photographs.

It's a must read for anyone thinking of working with wildlife, planning to volunteer on a gap year or anyone who simply wants to holiday with a purpose.

Conservation volunteering is so much more than a wildlife trip or safari, not just for the positive feel-good factor of doing something useful but because of the hands-on involvement and insights they provide into the life of wild creatures & the countries they inhabit.

After the book my other big project last year was an overland trip from London to Australia. No Z list celebrities were involved; I didn't ride a unicycle, hop along the Great Wall of China or engage in any other mindless attention seeking activities.

I simple took a train across Europe to St Petersburg, across Russia, down through Mongolia into China then south into Vietnam and the reunification express down to Saigon. This is the only gap in the world's rail network so I had to take buses north through Cambodia and across in Bangkok where I was able to pick up the rail network again and travel down through Thailand & Malaysia to Singapore. A flight across the Timor Sea enabled me to pick up Australia's rail network & travel down to Adelaide, across to Sydney & finally back to Perth.

All very straightforward, although it did take 3 months as I stopped off in many places en-route but it could have been done in 3 weeks at a rush. If you missed my blog of the journey you can catch it at:

http://the-9-35-train-from-london-to-sydney.blogspot.com/2011/08/preparations.html