Midlife Crisis Odyssey: Recent Episodes
Jim Clayton
Perhaps ‘not all who wander are lost’, but some of us definitely are. Midlife Crisis Odyssey: a mainly lighthearted podcast about travel and existential crisis
Podcast Episode 17. Back in North Africa, Morocco
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
It was a relief to finally touch down in Tangier, Morocco, and good to be back in North Africa.
If you liked this podcast, you may also enjoy Podcast Episode 4. Driving in Tunisia, Podcast Episode 11. The Minibuses of Sharm El Sheik
Know someone who might like this podcast? You can share it with the social media links below
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Podcast Episode 16. Driving the Nordschleife, Germany
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
I really enjoyed my first day exploring the Nürburgring, which had included a visit to the RingWerk Museum and touring the Formula 1 track facilities. My guide had mentioned that the Nordschleife, the Nürburgring’s spectacular and fearsome 21km circuit, was open for public driving that afternoon…
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
If you liked this podcast, you may also like Podcast Episode 4 Driving in Tunisia
Know someone who might like this podcast? You can share it with the social media links below
Thanks to ears68 at freesound for the recording of Formula 1 cars
The post Podcast Episode 16. Driving the Nordschleife, Germany appeared first on Midlife Crisis Odyssey. written by Jim Clayton
Podcast Episode 15. Outside the Pyramids of Giza
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
Having spent the first day of my visit to the Pyramids of Giza getting a feel for the place, and venturing inside the Pyramids of Khufu and Khafre, I returned the following day ready for some wider exploration.
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
If you liked this podcast, you may also like Podcast Episode 14. Inside the Pyramids of Giza, Podcast Episode 13. The Panathenaic Stadium, Greece
Know someone who might like this podcast? You can share it with the social media links below
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Podcast Episode 14. Inside the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
After a 20 minute walk from my accommodation I arrived at the Giza Plateau. I paid to enter the site, and bought extra tickets to venture inside two of the Pyramids.
Not only was I visiting one of the most amazing historic sites on earth, I was going to enter two of the spectacular ancient monuments!
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
If you liked this podcast, you may also like Podcast Episode 6. The Acropolis, Greece
Know someone who might like this podcast? You can share it with the social media links below
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Podcast Episode 13. The Panathenaic Stadium, Greece
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
The Olympic Games are one of those things that make me feel like a kid again. Every four years it’s a two week festival of sport that has me enthralled. Consequently, when I arrived in Athens, I was keen to visit the Panathenaic Stadium to soak up a little Olympic History.
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
If you liked this podcast, you may also like Podcast Episode 6. The Acropolis, Greece, Podcast Episode 3. Bull Leaping, Greece
Know someone who might like this podcast? You can share it with the social media links below
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Podcast Episode 12. Searching for Kiwis, New Zealand
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
Whakatane is a little beachside town in the Bay of Plenty on New Zealand’s North Island. It’s known as the ‘Kiwi Capital of the World’, so I started walking the nearby forests tracks at night searching for kiwis. After many hours of walking in the freezing darkness, I decided that my fifth night of searching would be my last…
Kiwi calls sourced from Department of Conservation, New Zealand, Bird Songs and Calls
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
If you liked this podcast, you may also like Podcast Episode 1. Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand, Podcast Episode 10. A Chance Meeting in Wadi Rum, Jordan
Know someone who might like this podcast? You can share it with the social media links below
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Podcast Episode 11. The Minibuses of Sharm El Sheik, Egypt.
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
I had been too nervous to jump on the taxi minibuses in Egypt’s heaving cities, but figured I couldn’t go too far wrong in the beachside resort town of Sharm El Sheik. Riding the minibuses turned out to be a really enjoyable local experience.
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
If you liked this podcast, you may also like Podcast Episode 10. A Chance Meeting in Wadi Rum, Jordan, Podcast Episode 8. Slings and Stones May Break My Bones, Spain
Know someone who might like this podcast? You can share it with the social media links below
The post Podcast Episode 11. The Minibuses of Sharm El Sheik, Egypt. appeared first on Midlife Crisis Odyssey. written by Jim Clayton
Podcast Episode 10. A Chance Meeting in Wadi Rum, Jordan
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
A chance meeting in Wadi Rum lead to an amazing experience amongst the ancient landscape of this fascinating part of Jordan.
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
If you liked this podcast, you may also like Podcast Episode 4. Driving In Tunisia , Podcast Episode 6. The Acropolis, Greece
Know someone who might like this podcast? You can share it with the social media links below
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Podcast Episode 9. The Cemeteries of Gallipoli
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
The cemeteries of Gallipoli hold tens of thousands; each with their own story of tragedy that occurred here in this beautiful place.
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
If you liked this podcast, you may also like Strange Meeting, Poland; Evacuation, Ukraine
Know someone who might like this podcast? You can share it with the social media links below
The post Podcast Episode 9. The Cemeteries of Gallipoli appeared first on Midlife Crisis Odyssey. written by Jim Clayton
Podcast Episode 8. Slings and Stones May Break My Bones, Spain
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
Whilst waiting for favourable winds for our onward journey, I decided to have a look around the Castillo de San Carlos in Palma, Majorca. I was to discover that the holiday playground of Palma was once a place of piracy, plunder and peril…
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
If you liked this podcast, you may also like Podcast Episode 3. Bull Leaping, Greece
Know someone who might like this podcast? You can share it with the social media links below
The post Podcast Episode 8. Slings and Stones May Break My Bones, Spain appeared first on Midlife Crisis Odyssey. written by Jim Clayton
Pocast Episode 7. Strange Meeting, Poland
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
After seeing the main areas of Birkenau Concentration Camp, and learning of the horrors that had occurred there, it was a relief to find a tranquil patch of nature. Whilst enjoying the quiet and the late afternoon sun, I had a strange meeting.
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
If you liked this podcast, you may also like Podcast Episode 2. Evacuation, Ukraine
Know someone who might like this podcast? You can share it with the social media links below
The post Pocast Episode 7. Strange Meeting, Poland appeared first on Midlife Crisis Odyssey. written by Jim Clayton
Podcast Episode 6. The Acropolis, Greece
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
Rising majestically from the centre of old Athens, the Acropolis mesa supports a breathtaking collection of ancient structures. Come and investigate the ruins and myths of this amazing place.
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
If you liked this podcast, you may also like Podcast Episode 3. Bull Leaping and Podcast Episode 4. Driving in Tunisia
Know someone who might like this podcast? You can share it with the social media links below
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Podcast Episode 5. Chicken Kyiv, Ukraine
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
A few of my mates asked if I had eaten a Chicken Kyiv in Kyiv. Turns out there is less Kyiv in Chicken Kyiv than I thought. I have a table for two – join me, won’t you?
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
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Podcast Episode 4. Driving in Tunisia
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
I was keen to head south from Bizerte to El Djem, but I have to admit the thought of driving in Tunisia made me nervous. Jump in and join me for the ride.
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
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Podcast Episode 3. Bull Leaping, Greece
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
The ancient Minoans hosted sporting events long before the Olympic Games began, which included the amazing spectacle of bull leaping. Join me as I travel across Crete, tracing the history of this breath-takingly dangerous sport.
If you would like to see the post for this podcast you can find it here
The post Podcast Episode 3. Bull Leaping, Greece appeared first on Midlife Crisis Odyssey. written by Jim Clayton
Podcast Episode 2. Evacuation, Ukraine
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
The full-scale Russian invasion has forced millions of Ukrainians to flee their country and seek safety abroad. Those who have chosen to stay in frontline cities and towns, or have had no means to leave, are often senior citizens. This episode describes the evacuation of an elderly lady who could no longer receive the care she needed in her shattered city.
If you would like to see the post for this podcast you can find it here
The post Podcast Episode 2. Evacuation, Ukraine appeared first on Midlife Crisis Odyssey. written by Jim Clayton
Podcast Episode 1. Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are.
NZ is volcanic, copping frequent earthquakes and thankfully less frequent eruptions. One of the most active areas is the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Come and check out this fascinating and potentially lethal part of the New Zealand’s North Island.
If you would like to see the post for this podcast, and accompanying photos, you can find it here
You can learn more about the Waiotapu Scenic Reserve mentioned in the podcast here
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Searching for kiwis
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
I’ve always found it interesting how many state and national faunal symbols are either extinct or on the brink thereof. The animals are often loved and revered today, after having been persecuted fervently in the past. And to be honest, if the species is still around, the love and reverence only goes so far. In many cases society just isn’t prepared to pay the economic or social price to ensure their survival.
Although neither have official status, the silver fern and the kiwi are both synonymous with New Zealand. I’m not sure why New Zealanders chose to be known as ‘Kiwis’ rather than ‘Silver Ferns’ (‘I have a couple of mates who are Silver Ferns…’) but I am sure it’s for the best.
Kangaroos cross, but kiwis just go about their business Although land use and hunting by Maori is likely to have had a localised effect on the kiwi, it was when Europeans arrived that they really began to have a shitty time. Since colonisation, the forests of Aotearoa have been cleared with maniacal enthusiasm, to the point that most of the landmass now looks like one big farm. As a consequence of human activity, New Zealand’s forest cover has reduced from an estimated 85% of the land mass to 23%. It’s no exaggeration to say that the remaining 23% would probably have been cleared too if it wasn’t near vertically steep, cladding an active volcano or frozen most of the year.
In addition to having their habitat destroyed, the kiwi then had to confront novel mammalian predators brought from Europe. Aotearoa has no native mammals apart from bats and marine species, and highly evolved hunters like stoats, ferrets and cats arrived to an all-you-can-eat naive kiwi bonanza. As if that wasn’t enough, other introduced species also negatively effect kiwis both directly and indirectly. These days, domestic dogs give them a particularly hard time. Of the five kiwi species, the New Zealand government lists two as ‘endangered’, two as ‘vulnerable’, and one as ‘at risk’.
Whakatane is a little beachside town in the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand’s North Island. It’s known as the ‘Kiwi Capital of the World’, which is perhaps a little grandiose considering kiwis aren’t actually found anywhere else on earth other than Aotearoa. I discovered that due to both luck and good management the kiwi is relatively common in the forested hills behind the town. And when I say ‘relatively’, that’s in comparison to places that don’t have any at all. Anyway, although it still seemed unlikely, it appeared to be the most likely place I could see the elusive bird in the wild. So I started walking the forests tracks at night searching for kiwis, New Zealand’s unofficial faunal emblem.
Whakatane has a series of beaut kiwi statues around the town. Kiwis and I have several things in common: neither of us can fly, we both have long noses, and our eyesight is shithouseWearing just about everything I had, I braved the winter evenings and spent many hours walking in the forest. The New Zealand bush is pretty special at night. It’s thick, dense, dark and quiet save for the calls of the bush birds and the babbling of creeks. Oh, and the possums, but the less said about them the better (poor bastards – not their fault some dickhead introduced them). The forest trees and ferns seem larger by moon and torchlight, and little green glow worm constellations shine on creek banks and track cuttings.
Kiwi countryOn each night, I heard male kiwis calling. It was pretty exciting to know they were in the vicinity.
Male kiwis sound like this…
Department of Conservation, New ZealandA couple of times I had a chorus of males calling out on either side of the track. I never heard the females, but apparently they have this beautiful, lilting call.
…and females like this
Department of Conservation, New ZealandI decided that my fifth night of searching for kiwis would be my last. Looking for a needle in a haystack has oft been compared to looking for a kiwi in a forest, and I had accepted that hearing them would be the closest I would get to this enigmatic creature. I climbed up the track into the bush, listening to the now familiar night sounds. I turned back after an hour and a half, having enjoyed the walk despite again missing out on a sighting.
Then I heard a rustle in the scrub to my right. I stopped and listened, thinking that it was probably a possum. However it didn’t sound like a busy, bumbling marsupial, and it seemed to be coming my way. I stood still, telling myself it was probably a weka (see Marlborough Man) and not to get too excited. Crouching down, I shone my red filtered torch into the scrub and…there! What was that? Definitely a bird…but weka or kiwi? Did I imagine it had a long beak? I thought I might not get another look, and I would be forever left wondering whether I had actually seen a kiwi in the wild.
I could hear movement parallel to the track, and then a kiwi, a kiwi, strode out of the scrub about four metres from me. I held my breath, barely believing my eyes. It was at least 40cm tall, and had what looked like a perfectly groomed coat of smooth, fur-like feathers. I watched as it probed the track with its beak, seeking food, seemingly unfazed by my torchlight. Then it got spooked by something, and took off at a surprising pace up the track. I headed after it, and watched as it propped, paused, then hastened into the scrub. I moved up to where I thought it had entered and waited. No sound. After a while, I heard rustling, and caught another glimpse of the strange and beautiful animal before the bush hid it once more. Hoping it would return to the track, I stood silently in the cool quiet. I heard some movement, but the sound was fading. The kiwi had moved away, swallowed up by the dense forest.
I feel very privileged to have seen that beautiful kiwi, a species that has roamed Aotearoa for over a million years. Ultimately, human beings – that other kind of kiwi – hold the fate of the species in their hands. Let us hope they respect the right of this ancient animal to wander the forest and commit to ensuring its survival.
For more about the kiwi click here
If you liked this post, you may also like Road Hazards, Bay of Islands
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Rotorua
Midlife Crisis Odyssey
Sun and sulphurFor more on Rotorua click here
If you liked this post, you may also enjoy Mt Taranaki National Park, A Volcano in the Back Yard
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