This woman is wearing high heels, shoes, designed to make her look taller, by anything up to 10 centimetres. Beyond 10 cenimetres, heels should best be referred to as stilts and left to acrobatic performances. Many women choose to wear  extremely high heels, believing they look more appealing to the world, when they reveal more of their ankles  and legs and throw their weight forwards onto their toes when moving, rather than accepting  their natural height, gaits and posture.

Wearing high heels may prevent  a woman from participating fully in sport, but  does not negatively impact upon her intellect and being a productive and valued member of society.

Contrary to popular belief, the Christian, Jewish,  Moslem, agnostic and athiest women, I know, have chosen to wear high heels themselves, as a physical acknowledgement of the dictates of fashion, definitions of femininity and concepts and constructs of sexual desireability within Western culture and belief systems. It is rarely if ever a decision made for them, solely by the men in their lives.



Little known facts: 

• A woman, comfortable in what she wears, and able to move freely, usually feels, thus looks more attractive than one restricted in any way by her apparel. If she is covered from head to toe and comfortable with and within what she wears, she will continue to be sexually desirable. So too if she is accustomed to wearing excessively high heels.
• No woman has ever competed in an olympic marathon wearing high heels.
• No woman has ever lost the capacity to think for herself as a result of wearing a hijab,
• No woman wearing either an hijab, or high heels, or both, has ever become a mere reflection of the men in her society because she has chosen to conform to these modes of dress.
• Hijabs and high heels are not mutually exclusive.
• High heels and hijabs can both be fashion statements. Both can be discerningly "modest".
• Neither hijabs nor high heels have ever in themselves been responsible for oppressing women. But concepts that created, supported and advocated the wearing of them may be flawed or subject to misinterpretation.
• High heels make very effective instruments of long term torture. They they distort the posture, eventually causing curvature of the spine. High heels cause pressure points, bunions and blisters. Some heels can be used as a weapon in their own right, against an opponent, either on, or, removed from the foot.
• Women in all societies conform to the dress conventions of their times and the circles in which they move, with few exceptions.
• Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake, not because she was a witch, but because she refused to wear "womens' clothes".. Instead, she preferred the practicallity of men's military wear of her time and valued her own identity and right to choose. She was willing to die for her convictions.
• Men may hold considerable influence over what women choose to wear. They are often head business and religious  and advertising heirarchies. They are designers, fathers, brothers, boyfriends, husbands and sons. They may choose to harass women they believe are not maintaining the conventional dress codes of their society, or sub-culture, for any number of reasons. Many men also hold financial power over the women in their lives and encourage the purchase of high heels or hijabs and other fashion items, linked with their own beliefs and values. Good reason for womens' financial independence!
• Very few societies have ever encouraged cultural diversity to flourish. The dress codes of the dominant culture have literally been fitted upon the minorities. We thankfully live in new and potentially transforming times, where difference is valued more often than it ever has been previously in history!
• We have so many opportunities to travel and communiate beyond our own borders today. Yet many people have never met their own neighbours, let alone befriended them.
• The hoop petticoat ceased to be a desirable fashion item, when women were increasingly losing their lives and burning to death. Their "hot" mode of dress aided the ferocity of the flames. Once alight in a hoop petticoat, the flames were near impossible to extinguish by either quashing or water.
• Up until the invention of the brassiere last century, women in Western cultures wore corsets. These restricted both their breathing and ability to move freely. Some women, died of punctured lungs when their ribs pierced through, due to extra tight corset lacing. A big price to pay for a tiny waist and ample bosoms!
• Many adults continue to wear uniforms of one kind or another, well beyond their youth and even into old age. Uniforms always make us visible to "people like us", as well as marking us out as "the other" to anyone else who views us as "different". 

All women should be free to choose what they wear without fear of criticism or discrimination. Their bodies belong to no one but themselves. Anything less can only be called slavery. 

Women are used to paying dearly for their clothes. However, to my surprise, I recently went in search of  my first ever wetsuit, it was a mere $69.00.

In comparison my current two one piece swimsuits, cost almost $300 and the other, a near bargain price of $100. 

Given the prices of my two swimsuits, in comparison to my new wetsuit, I am feeling very much exploited simply because of my gender and body shape. Why are womens' clothes so expensive?

Do women become sex objects when they don a "bathing costume"?
For as long as bare flesh is associated with sex appeal and swim-wear is seen as a fashion item, to barely cover it, rather than merely practical sports wear, it seems women will continue to be exploited by "the fashion industry", when it comes to our "bathers"!

I wanted a wet suit to protect me against the cold water in our southern climate. I wanted a wetsuit to protect myself from sun exposure and avoid using more sunscreen than absolutely necessary. I wanted a wet suit, because I hate getting out on the beach in a flimsy, revealing costume, when I prefer to be covered up.

I wanted a wet suit, because I want to go snorkelling in the Galapagos Islands, with sea lions.

I wanted a wetsuit so I can go swimming in our local heated pool!

Yes; my ideal of perfect swimming conditions is in hot springs or warm tropical waters. Anything below 25 degrees celsius is my idea of "water torture". That includes the local so called "heated pool"!

Memories of cramping in Dove Lake at the end of my very first day of hiking Tasmania's famous Overland Track has left me even more wary of cold water. Luckily, it was shallow enough to put my feet to the ground, but the water, warm on the surface and ice cold just below, did cause my body to seize up with cramps. Potentially life threatening in deeper water.

To get back to my fabulous wetsuit, it looks way more flattering than the average women's swimsuit on me. Wetsuits squeeze in a mass of flab, much like the effect of an all over girdle, yet remain easy to move in. They actually feel great on, offering the comfort and practicality of trousers. A kind of second, insulating skin.

Strangely, I feel much sexier in my wetsuit, than I do in my very flattering but somewhat revealing and expensive favourite swimsuit. I feel free and able to move when wearing more, rather than less.

A wetsuit is classed as sportswear. Way more wetsuits are sold to men than women.Perhaps this is a good thing?

If more women wore them, the humble wetsuit would, no doubt, become a fashion item and sold at the same huge margins that the rest of "women's fashions" are subject to. On the other hand, stores have long realised most men are practical in their choice of dress and unwilling to pay extra, for status labels and "fashion items", or at least this was the case until very recently. Sadly, thesdays, many young men are beginning to be exploited in the name of fashion, to a similar extent as women!

My wetsuit is made of a heavy duty rubberised and insulated fabric that would take much skill to sew and likely, the materials it is made from cost way more than the metre or so of fabric that comprises my swimsuits. It is way bulkier  and heavier to pack and transport, than my two swimsuits combined, so must cost its manufacturers and point of sale store a whole lot more to get it to that retail point and move it out of the storeroom, onto "the floor".

Thankfully, my wetsuit is not a "fashion item". Like my beloved safari pants, it falls into the practical dress category of clothing. Only that can explain its comparative bargain price to my swimsuits.

It has but one possible negative. Though easy to get into, getting out is another matter altogether. I need help to manouvre one side down over my shoulder.Once that is done I can easily slide the rest of my wetsuit over my body. It peels off like a second skin. On the other hand, the standard womens' swimsuit sometimes comes off  at maximum times of inconvenience, floating away even before she gets out of the water.

Hopefully the person who helps slip my wetsuit down over one of my shoulders, will be tender, caring and maybe, even sexy!

Now that is my idea of practical dress  really working for women!

I bought myself a Christmas present; I wanted a simple camera capable of taking some underwater shots and waterproof, for the wet conditions I anticipate with Galapagos landings and Amazon adventures, planned for later this year.

I began researching accordingly, reading up on sites devoted to photography within the Galapagos Islands and  the conditions I am likely to encounter in the tropical Amazon downpours and humidity.

I did not want a professional or semi-professional underwater camera as I will never become a competent scuba diver, or spend huge amounts of time and energy pursuing underwater adventures.

I wanted "light, compact and easy". I also learned that a wide angled lense is recommended for landscape shots in the Galapagos, so had planned on incurring the extra weight and expense for my beloved Sony.

It is possible to buy disposable underwater cameras. However at A$25 each and with the limitation of no zoom capabilities or video, I ruled them out as an option. I may well be using lots of them. They would be bulky and add weight to my luggage. I refuse to travel with more than 15 kilos of luggage, including carry-on. Travelling light, is travelling easy!

I regard myself as a "serious amateur wildlife photographer'. It is a passionate hobby, not a profession. Photography is certainly a keen hobby of mine and as such can be easily justified to add a new camera, with new possibilities in wet conditions to my "tools of trade"!

I began to read about the Nikon AW120 and saw online comparative images between it and other equivalent cameras made by other manufacturers. The price was also surprisingly reasonable!

 On a visit to Camera House Ballarat, I went in to enquire about the Nikon AW120. Much to my surprise and delight, they had them heavily reduced for Christmas. I asked could I "try before I buy" as per my previous experience of this wonderful store and again they let me go outside, with a fully charged camera and card. I played with its zoom, wide angled lense and did everything I could imagine, save diving into the local pool with my snorkelling gear on to test it underwater.

I also purchased a monopod, that doubles as a walking stick; another weight saving, practical means of stabilising my Sony, when the lense is fully extended to avoid camera shake. There is not much to rest the lense on in the Galapagos. Rocks and vegetation are most usually pretty low; no bean bags stashed away in the safari vehicle, like those provided in Kenya and Tanzania!

The Nikon Coolpix AW120 comes in a range of colours. I was very tempted by the electric blue, but practicallity got the better of me. It would attract tetse flies in Africa and would scare off birds and animals, not just due to its bright hue, but also its reflective surface. The camoflage model was the other extreme; just way too ugly, if practical for birding. I settled for "basic black", feeling a little like Goldilocks, having eliminated choices until I found the one that was "just right"!

So far I am thrilled with my new Nikon AW120. It has the bonus of wide angled lense settings, so saved me from buying another lense for my Sony. It has both automatic and manual overide settings and is waterproof to a depth of 18 metres.

It also has a blue reduction process, when in its underwater setting, to filter excessive blue out for clearer, sharper underwater shots.

It is the first camera I have ever owned with GPS location finders inbuilt, to record where you are shooting. This is new technology for cameras I am in two minds about. Maybe it's great for my personal records, but when it comes to publishing this data, do I want wildlife poachers discovering where I photographed rare and endangered rhinos, or elephants. I think not!

I guess the inbuilt compass may be useful should I have the misfortune to become lost in the wilderness, but then again, I would need to know my batteries would not run out and locations of nearest villages were accurate. I wouldn't be relying on GPS alone, if my life was endangered in "the wilderness"!

It is marginally heavier than my other Nikon Coolpix, my much loved P300, which has take quality photos ever since the day I purchased it. The extra weight of the AW120, is due to slightly more robust materials in its construction and mechanisms to ensure it is water tight, for underwater shots and very wet conditions.

Like the P300, the Nikon Coolpix AW120, is really straightforward to use. Batteries remain only chargable within the camera itself, so it means carrying at least one or two fully charged batteries, lest I be unable to shoot due to a flat battery. Luckily however, the battery it takes is the same as for the Coolpix P300, so I already have two possible spares to have in readiness!

The other negative, is that, despite quite high resolution capacities, it is not possible to shoot in raw. It also has no viewfinder, so you are reliant on the digital screen, which can be trying, in sunny situations. It will not take the place of my Sony and superzoom lense for long distance intimate animal and bird shots, but I did not expect it too. It will however, allow me to take quality shots, over a range of distances that all but the most ardent birder and animal photographer would ever require.

It is compact, light and performs very well so far. I am thoroughly pleased with it, so early in its life.

Of course, it only takes "selfies" on its self timer!

As for those underwater shots, I am in training to master snorkelling at the local pool; when I am satisfied with my snorkelling efforts, I will take it down to the depths and shoot in video mode, which is recommended for those new to underwater photography, where everything moves quickly and time to focus is limited. I can then freeze frames to get my stills!

Here are some shoots that I have taken during its first week of familiarisation and experimentation.

Remember those not so long ago holiday season times when there was nothing worth watching being broadcast on television?

Today, though this time of the year remains being top full of replays and cheap filler television, gone are the days of needing to head out to the video store, or turn off the television altogether.

With the miracle of modern technology, it is now possible to watch quality television, 24/7, 365 days a year, all without much effort at all, or without the added expense of pay TV!

For the last couple of years I have been making the most of delayed free to air programs, via station computer networking through my internet connection. I simply go to the ABC's 'Iview', or SBS' 'on demand' services. Less often do I resort to the offerings of the commercial stations, reflecting my general pattern of television viewing.

Moreover, I am devotee of documentaries and foreign films and to a lesser extent, lifestyle and cooking programs. A good comedy never goes astray, particularly if I need to lift my mood. 
These "freeview" services offer me all the quality entertainment I could ever wish for, without actually leaving home and heading to the cinema, gallery, concert, or travelling abroad.

I am a child of the television age and I continue to relish quality television. I use it as a means of relaxing, for entertainment and information.

Thanks to "freeview services", those awful times, where I had to tolerate second rate programs through the "festive season" is hopefully gone forever. When there is nothing worth watching I simply turn to "freeview"!

Wonderful!

What's more I don't even have to bother with networking in my computer, or watching these programs on my tiny computer screen. Instead I have a wonderfully simple little gadget, compatible with the brand of my telly, that simply plugs in and then is tuned into my broadband service, synchronising the freeview servers and services to my television and its big screen.

The $100 I spent on that little gadget has paid for itself many times over with the amount of pleasure and quality entertainment it has delivered to me these past years. I bought the gadget at 'The Good Guys'. I can think of no better gift for anyone who adores television and uses it as their prime medium of entertainment!

Remember Julie Andrews, singing her heart out as Maria, in 'The Sound of Music', giving the Von Trapp children advice about how to survive thunderstorms, or times:
          "When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling bad,
           I simply remember my favourite things and then I don't feel so bad"....?

I guess I am going to reiterate her very pertinent advice and suggest you compile your own personal list of things you are eternally grateful for, to recall when the going gets tough.

During those tough times, it can be hard to see the forest for those distorted and terrifying trees, each an obstacle in its own right, out to get you or hold you back. You won't have the time or energy to get that "favourite things" list happening then, as you will be too busy worrying about things at hand, or speculating about the worst case scenarios, soon to consume you or those around you.

That's why, when the going is sublime, store the memories in your heart. "When the living is easy" take stock and take just a few seconds everyday to consider all the things you are truly grateful for in life, past and present. Give thanks to the Universe and remember these are the most precious posessions, along with time itself, you can ever hold!

Enjoy.
Gratitude finds a way of multiplying tenfold!

The above are just a few personal examples of "the good things in life". It is by no means exhaustive!
And thanks for reading my blog today!

Forget the New Year Resolutions, that are just too difficult to maintain, like giving up smoking, losing weight, or ensuring you send birthday and Christmas cards to arrive on time in 2015.

Instead, learn from the wisdom of the Chinese. Their attitude to Chinese New Year is way more practical than our "Western European" ways.

The Chinese do a thorough clean out prior to New Year, getting rid of things they no longer use or need, to make way for the new things that will come with the new year.

Similarly, Jewish culture dictates a major clearing  and cleansing of the cupboards of all raising agent containing food products, in preparation for Passover.

In both cases, it's a case of cleansing and preparing for what is to come and appreciating the best of what you have!

So far I have managed to get the windows in my sunroom sparkling and am working my way towards tackling the wardrobe and build up of "printed materials".
 I have almost got my garden looking the best it has done so for some years. I even have scrubbed the "dog mud" marks from the brick steps, that lead the way to my back garden.

Do an emotional spring clean and de-clutter as well. Prioritise time with the people that matter most and stimulate postive energy within your own life. Spend less time with, or even eliminate those who drag you down, or bring negative energy into your relationship. Support should always be a two-way process, not one where one person sucks out your best energy like a leech, by regularly demanding way too much. Don't tolerate drunks. Get yourself out of bullying or abusive relationships and think very carefully about continuing on in ones where you do all the giving, or make all the compromises.

Weed that garden bed you have neglected for months. Sweep the paths and stake the tomatoes.

Despite what we hear to the contrary on the media, the world is basically a safe place and the majority of its inhabitants are good, rather than evil. 

Plan for 2015 to be a year of bounty and harvest. 

Indulge yourself to a few luxuries regularly.


"Life is for living" as my favourite pop band Sherbet, sang in my teen years and as the old addage says, "you only live once"!

Open a special purpose savings account and save for that special trip you have always dreamed about.

And "dare to dream". Dreams seem to be way easier to pull off, than successfully maintaining a New Year's resolution.

Perhaps there are two New Year's resolutions worth making afterall. Allow yourself to dream and set about achieving your dreams, from this day forward, for the rest of your life!

Meanwhile, I have an email inbox to clear.......ugh!

So, you've shopped for presents, wrapped them, made a Christmas pudding, cake and biscuits and slices,  survived the work break up, hid the santa gifts successfully from the kids, organised and decorated the tree, played Santa to the the kids, hosted neighbours and friends for drinks and nibbles, then managed to stuff the turkey by midnight on Christmas Eve, then were up by 6.00 AM to have it cooked for lunch on Christmas day.

In between you prepared all the vegetables and timed them to be ready to go with the turkey, sliced the ham, put the pudding on for its final couple of hours of steaming, made the gravy for the turkey and rum sauce to go with the pudding, bought and chilled the wine to serve with each course, made non-alcoholic punch for the kids and non-drinkers, put nibbles out on the table for the guests to munch on, set and decorated the table, arranged the glasses and stemware, set the turkey to rest, then carved it and plated it and the ham and vegetables up for the multitude at your table

Over lunch you mediated between feuding family members, delivered meals to the table, all piping hot, said grace, ate the main course, cleared up, hoping someone will at least pop the plates into the dishwasher, drained the pudding, sliced it, added the sauce and taken it to  everyone at the table.

Next, you get to play Santa, distributing Christmas presents that have been placed under the tree by the assembled guests. The guests open their presents, then rush off  without ceremony, to get to the next Christmas function they are obliged to attend, leaving you with a pile of dishes almost as high as mount Everest. You pack the dishwasher with as much as it will hold, twice over. There remains a line up of pots and pans that would not be out of place in a five star restaurant, where, at least they would have a sous chef and kitchen aides.

Somewhere around 10.00 pm you finally finish the dishes, then set about dismantling what remains of the Christmas table, salvage the intact paper for next year's presents and deposit torn wrapping paper into the recycling bin. Somewhere around midnight you finally get to enjoy a cup of tea, then crash into bed!

For all these reasons I have downsized Christmas to a very quiet affair!
I'm not sure the extended family are all that thrilled that I do not follow in the footsteps of my mother and "do it all", but the last time I did the hot roast turkey and pudding Christmas  was for the 22 members of my extended family, including my parents, brothers, their partners, their six children and their partners, plus all their offspring, (my great neices and nephews). Not only did it take hours of preparation and cleaning up, it cost in excess of four hundred dollars. On top of that, my dad and I were still expected to buy presents for all who attended. It was the second year Christmas had fallen to my dad and I to organise and serve. My mother was pretty much bed-ridden by then, but remained at home.We did it for her. My present to each of them that year, was a copy of my mother's Christmas recipes that I set out on the computer and printed up. 

From that Christmas on, they were free, to do their own thing!

By the following Christmas my mother was in a nursing home and my dad and I had our Christmas dinner with her.

I was liberated from "the burden, expense and responsibility of providing Christmas dinner" for the extended family, from that year forward, though some family members articulated an expectation of me to continue the tradition, after my mother had died
.
I found it somewhat ironic, that me, who was single and childless by choice, should be expected to "do it all" for the whole extended immediate family, year in, year out, as my mother did. My brothers both had partners and children with partners. Despite this, Christmas remained an event my mother hosted year in, year out, Now my brothers were accumulating grandchildren as well and my neices and nephews were grown up and old enough to shoulder responsibility for their own celebrations too. 

No one put their hand up to host Christmas Dinner for the "entire family" the following year, or subsequently. It was the end of an era and the beginning of a new one for my neices and nephews and brothers. None of them had ever prepared a meal on Christmas Day. They have since!

A pot luck Christmas dinner, or organising people to bring different components of the meal is a good way to share the burden, responsibility and costs; it is wonderful when Christmas ceases to be a day of enslavement for family matriarchs and cooks!

TripAdvisor.com, is an invaluable site for anyone planning a trip, or even selecting a  restaurant or attraction in your home town.

In the pre digital days, resources such as 'Lonely Planet' and 'Rough Guides', provided travellers with useful background and information. Thesedays, TripAdvisor seems to have usurped these publications.

Personally TripAdvisor is the site I turn to first, when I begin my own travel plans. In 2013 and 2014, Trip Advisor provided me and my travel companion with fantastic reviews about hotels and attractions, that made planning our itenary and then, pre-booking accomodation online a breeze, for our trip to Europe.

 TripAdvisor's  greatest strength is that information is provided by fellow travellers and is updated on a regular basis, based upon their experience. Reviewers have their own styles and biases and the most insightful reviews consider what a traveller "needs to know" and will also consider "special interest appeal and audiences" of some attractions.

A negative is TripAdvisor's remoteness, to be able to contact the site controllers, if attractions or restaurants actually close down. It also has its share of whingers, who want to get their own back on a restaurant or attraction, they were disappointed with. Some travellers also seem to have very unrealsistic expectations and complain about prices of restaurants around iconic locations, such as the Duormo in Florence, or Sydney Harbour, in the area of the Opera House, or whinge about room sizes and small lifts in Europe, where such elements are the norm, rather than unusual, in retrofitted buildings.Unless you are staying in a modern, purpose built hotel things are on a smaller scale expect small dimensions!

I am a regular TripAdvisor. As such, I have gained "Top Contributor" status. I enjoy sharing my experiences of restaurants, attractions and accomodation online, if they are likely to benefit others. It is equally a great vehicle for loading up some favourite travel photos.

According to the latest update from TripAdvisor, I have helped well over 400,000 travellers, with information I have provided in my reviews; pretty mindblowing in the context of an audience!

One frustration, is that editing my reviews to perfect spelling and punctuation is not always straight-forward on TripAdvisor. I wish they had their own spell-check, for editorial purposes. I get very embarassed when typos slip through and are permanently out there on TripAdvisor!

On the upside, it's lovely when fellow travellers contact you directly for advice, or attractions offer you a return visit, if you have highlighted partcular concerns and show you how they have addressed them!

I urge anyone reading this to become a TripAdvisor contributor. It is very satisfying and a great way to get useful information and opinions, out to a mass audience!

Look for reviews by "fional943", some examples below.....

I always enjoyed photography and have long aspired to shoot  the kinds of images that professional wildlife and landscape photographers achieve. My degree of success varies enormously, but that's where editing comes in and is now easy and cheap, due to digital photography. While many of my photos remain simply personal travel snaps, some I put up on my blogs, some end up on my TripAdvisor reviews and now, some are within ShutterStock's online collection and offer me financial reward, should they be purchased by people selecting one of my images.

The quality of my photographs has expanded in recent years, with the purchase of a Sony digital SLR camera, along with a fabulous lense designed for shooting animals and birds from long distances. I call it "spycam" when I use it around cities, as I can zoom in on unsuspecting humans, with the same degree of magnification, that allows me to capture tiny birds some distance away. Naturally I use "spycam" with discretion and respect of individuals privacy. I carry my Sony and zoom lense, along with a way more compact Nikon that allows me to have a less prominent camera with me in some situations, or if weight is a consideration on long days sight-seeing or hiking.

Both have automatic point and shoot options as well as manual over-rides, which gives me sufficient scope to meet virtually every photographic scenario possible.

I also needed a camera capable of shooting in high resolution and raw settings and under minimal light conditions, without resorting to a flash, just in case I ever wanted to exhibit, or sell any of my photos professionally.

Given I knew I would be shooting live animals and birds in action in the wild, I wanted a camera that offered me real scope in the settings I could select.

In choosing my Sony A58 camera, I went to my local Camera House retailer in Ballarat. There Sue, the wonderfully knowledgable  and extraordinarily helpful proprietor, let me have hands on with a range of cameras and we played around until I found one that I found suitably lightweight, user friendly, easy to operate and not too prone to camera shake, when a zoom lense is fully extended. Camera shake, results from instability when the lense wobbles in the hands of the photographer, causing blurred images. Use of a tripod, or resting the lense on other fixed and stable items can also prevent camera shake. The lense was a considerable upgrade to the basic camera lense and cost way more than the camera itself. Its magnification capacity can also be doubled, using the camera's internal zoom mechanism.

Another bonus with my Sony, is that its batteries are recharged externally. Meaning, when one battery dies, I simply load in the other and don't lose any opportunity in shot-taking, due to the camera being tied down to an electric socket, whilst the battery recharges!

The camera trial, taking the best part of a day, included loading the cameras with cards and letting me head out into the street to experiment and get the feel for each camera I tested. Given I was making a very big investment, Sue's willingness to entrust me with her valuable stock was overwhelming. This made me far more confident  I would not be making a very expensive mistake with such a major purchase!

As for my beloved little compact Nikon Coolpix P300. It is my constant companion. It lives in my handbag, so I am always ready to capture shots at a way higher resolution rate than a mobile phone could offer and with way more settings to match conditions I am shooting under. It too has a manual over-ride and lots of settings. Its zoom capacity is adequate for all but distant wildlife shoots. The only negative with it, is that the battery recharger is internal rather than external, so it is vital to always have a second, or even third battery charged up and ready to go as, once its zoom is engaged, it eats up the power, as the zoom function is controlled by the camera mechanisms, rather than by adjusting the lense itself, manually. I purchased it in 2010.

With my Nikon, Sue, at Camera House Ballarat, also helped me find just what I wanted in a compact camera at the time.

Both my cameras are capable of taking good quality videos.This is not however a function I tend to use, prefering to specialise in still photography!

My next camera will be a simple one, capable of underwater photography, with some zoom, for getting marine shots in the Galapagos and wet conditions in Amazon rainforest.

The best advice I can give to any ameteur photographer is to try before you buy and make sure you give yourself time practising shots and familiarising yourself with your cameras functions and settings well before your departure. 

I had a fairly decent pre-safari lead up with my Sony, even so, there were many settings and funtions I was learning whilst on safari, which was at times very frustrating. Indeed, over a year later and I am still learning and experimenting with some of my camera's functions.

I also have a tripod, which can be useful for landscape and night photography, but it is a luxury extra that I never take when "travelling light". The carbon ones are extremely light-weight, but useless in strong wind gusts. To my mind it defeats the purpose of having one!

On safari, carrying a tripod was out of the question. I did however learn to rest my camera lense on the bean bags supplied in our vehicles, or other stable items like posts, or even rocks, which really helps overcome camera shake.

As for camera cases, I have a range of them. One includes a small Berghaus daypack where the bottom is designed as a camera bag, and the top unzips seperately with my other bibs and bobs, like a handbag. Another is an orange Krumpler, that doubles as a handbag, if I am on a city based photography shoot around Melbourne or Ballarat. The Krumpler is extremely tough, but quite heavy in its own right.

I also have a large, rectangular Pacsafe handbag, that can house both my Sony and Nikon, with the Sony in a meduim sized all purpose padded tote I purchased at 'Katmandu'. This makes my camera gear look way more like a regular handbag. It also fits in my ipad, at a squeeze; ideal for long flights!

I carry a range of destination based travel double adaptors for recharging all my electronic gear. 'Dick Smith' stores have been reliable for double adaptors for destination power currents, whereas most of the travel specialist dealers tend only to have single power adaptor sockets.Other people suggest using a single adaptor, but carrying a powerboard to attach to it, which may be feasible should you not be travelling alone!

Also don't forget to purchase enough memory cards for your camera before you head off. I took 2,000 photos in 3 weeks on safari and a similar number in Europe this year over 7 weeks.
Don't forget to purchase lense cleaning equipment. It's amazing how dirty camera lenses get in dusty conditions and these spots of dust will remain as a mark on your precious photos!

I also strongly recommend travelling with at least one or two sets of safari shirts and trousers. They are readily available in colours other than khaki. They come highly recommended due to their very practical pockets, great for housing spare batteries, lense caps and cleaner, insect repellant and a bit of cash to purchase items from local vendors. They are durable, light and easy to handwash, as well as drying overnight. My Nikon shoot and point fits easily into a pocket within my safari gear.

My safari wear often frees me from the need to carry a handbag, as a woman, or indeed just hang my camera around my neck and leave the camera bag behind in the hotel!

I stash my chargers, adaptors and non portable lense cleaning gear in a smaller version of my Katmandu, all purpose padded travel tote.

Another useful source of information is Lonely Planet's 'Guide to Travel Photography.

Some examples of photographs taken with my Sony A58 and Nikon Coolpix P300

I am currently in the process of reseaching and planning my next trip.

This time, my travels will take me to South America.

Being both a nature lover and history buff, South America has long been high on my list of places to visit.

The Galapagos Islands caught my imagination as a child, when I first saw documentaries about the marine and land iguanas. My determination to get there was reinforced in the knowledge that this unique group of island was the first place my idol, Charles Darwin, first observed variation of species, noticing the similarities of the finches between islands and how they had adapted to the specific conditions and food sources of each island.

Then there is Peru, with the intrigue of the high Andes and history of the Incas and previous civilisations. Lake Titicaca, the highest altitude lake on earth.

I could hardly go to South America, without experiencing the Amazon rainforest jungles and river. As a child I read all of Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals series. Later I wateched his television series that centred around his Jersey Wildlife Park, zoo. I fell in love with tamarinds, spider monkeys and marmosettes. To have a chance to see them in the wild, is something I could not bear to miss.

As for Easter Island, it will be an add on, if I can afford it, as it too, is one of those places that have long intrigued me. 

Why is it that documentaries do not satisfy me in their own right? 
Instead I want to experience these fascinating places for myself!

So far my preparations have included lots of time checking out destinations and accomodation possibilities on Trip Advisor, I have this morning spoken with a consultant from my favourite Travel agency, Four Corners Travel, in Melbourne. I used its African Specialist Travel Agency, which forms part of Four Corners Travel, when I did my safari to Kenya and Tanzania.

One of the reasons I like Four Corners Travel, is that their consultants have done the tours and itenaries they recommend to their clients. They spend regular time on the ground in destinations and train and prepare local staff to assist their clients. Services are top notch and hotels and itenaries offered, cater to a range of budgets.

The other thing I love about Four Corners Travel, is that their policies and practices are designed to empower 
local people in the tourism industry and ensure profits get back into their actual communities, thus boosting education, health and other local services in the process.

On my safari in Kenya, I witnessed the regard director, Richard Ruskin, is held in by the local people, including the Masai, due to his willingness to bring positive outcomes that enrich and empower local communities. I saw schools that are funded by African Specialist Travel  and extraordinary work to ensure tours that have minimal negative impact on local communities, but bring huge improvements in access to quality safe water and power.

For this reason and because, many South American travel destinations, like Ecuador, and Peru fall into the "high risk" category, I believe their expertise and 24 hour back up service at both the Australian and destination end, are worth the money I pay in comissions.

Whilst in East Africa I witnessed many unsafe practices that some low end tours engage in, such as not having vehicles fitted with roll bars in places where roads are unimaginably apalling. I saw travellers crowded into safari vehicles, where we had a maximum of four or five in a twelve seater vehicle. Our guides were impeccibly trained and their knowledge of the animals and culture extraordinary. Never once did I feel unsafe, even travelling on my own. We always had photo spot access from safe within our vehicles and were not clambering for space amongst a crowded vehicle, to get the best shots. This is a real issue, when just one person moves it results in the blurring of what should have been a static position for the photographer. Whilst it did ocassionally happen, our fellow safari goers, had both the courtesy and the space to enable the most serious of photographers to get their ultimate  travel shots!

Having organised our trip to Europe with ease most recently, the reality is, travel within Europe is very easy. Train services and public transport is excellent. Lots of people speak English and the culture is not too far removed from our own experience. I could say the same for Canada, the USA and New Zealand.

However, when it comes to the Middle East, South America and Africa, I want to know I am going to have the safest and best possible experience. That is why selecting an exceptional travel agency is paramount.

I am also in the process of embarking on learning basic Spanish, prior to my departure. Enough for greetings, thankyou's directions, asking for keys and ordering drinks and food.

I initially planned on heading to Madagascar in 2015. Sadly there is an outbreak of bubonic plague there at present and although there has been very little media coverage, in the shadow of the ebola outbreak in West Africa, 122 people have died to date in Madagascar, since September. This is good reason to always check health warnings on planned destinations before booking for your dream adventure. I do not want to put myself at risk of contracting bubonic plague!

My travel vaccinations are up to date, including Hep A and B, Typhoid, Tetanus, Yellow Fever, adult Polio and even rabies, animal lover that I am. I have found Melarone to be the perfect malarial preventative for me, being allergic to other options. Here too, the price, though hefty, is worth every penny for peace of mind.

As for insect repellent, I use MosiGuard, which I initially discovered in the UK. It is now available here and though not full of DEET, does not bring me up in red welts. It is strong enough to repel the tsetse fly and even smells fantastic. A wonderful non-irritating insect repellent, that is now available in Australia.

I am still researching what clothes to take and plan on having a maximum of 15 kilos including carry-on luggage, including my camera gear. I will also be packing some teabags and powdered milk to ensure I can start and end the day with my favourite beverage!

I guess I'd better invest in some light-weight gaiters, for my treks deep into the Amazon Rainforests. Much better gaiters than leeches!

Whilst I once used to go and purchase Lonely Planet and or Rough Guides to plan my travel adventures, I now find their online services to be far superior to their publications in print, which now read like computer based information. This saves weight in luggage and can be downloaded and purchased online.

I will purchase bird and animal guides for the Galapagos, and Amazon rainforests. Here I found Lonely Planet's 'Watching Wildlife in East Africa' guide invluable and am hoping they publish the equivalent for South America.

I will also start reading fiction and non-fiction related to my chosen destinations, as well as trawling for images that will serve as inspiration, both for my trip itself and my own photography whilst there.