Great Surfing Waves
How does a reef create great surfing waves?
The tide is a force of nature, the result of the moon’s gravitational pull. Waves break in the open seas as well as just offshore, and for very different reasons. It’s often thanks to undersea reefs that coastal waves get their shape. So it’s little surprise that the favored surf spots are often in regions that have coral reefs. read more
Why Great Ingredients Matter
Why great ingredients matter
Master chefs don’t use a magic wand. And just by making inspired combinations, they can’t guarantee any dish will taste special. So how do they do it?
Ask any dedicated cook or restaurant chef and they will tell you: it’s all about the ingredients. You can make lasagna for next to nothing if you select the cheapest mince and powdered bechamel, just don’t expect it to taste good.
Most chefs start their day read more
Native American Pottery: A Potted History
The Pueblo Indians from southwestern America made some of the most interesting pieces of pottery of their time, and they were making it long before European settlers arrived. So what makes their work so unique?
Use of pottery was commonplace in the settlements of American Indians. Those tribes that roamed as hunter-gatherers found little use for pots and vessels, for obvious reasons. But where tribes settled, they made all manner of vessels. read more
Railways: On a fast track to recovery
For a while the US train network attracted little interest: ignored by investors and consigned to the history books by travelers, it was as if its days were numbered. But, things are changing!
Investors are back. The multi-billionaire Warren Buffet staked his interest with a huge investment of $US 34 billion into railway firm BNSF back in 2009, and governments the world over are upgrading rolling stock. read more
Let’s Tango
Why is the Tango so controversial?
This once persecuted step is perhaps the most seductive and dramatic of dances. But why all the fuss? Just what makes the Tango such a hotly debated dance step?
Well, the dance is steeped in controversy. First discovered in the brothels of Buenos Aires, Argentina, it was also danced by men in an attempt to seduce a woman (the town had many more men than women, so you needed to be good!).
Whether it was born in the brothels or backyards of working class houses is up for debate, however it is also said to have been practiced by men together, as they developed their moves. read more
Sailing: True eco-power
Sailing boats have been made from all types of material: wood, fiberglass, even aluminum. Well, have you ever seen a boat made from recycled plastic bottles?
The ‘Plastiki’ is the brainchild of expedition leader David Rothschild, and is constructed of 12,500 plastic bottles. Devised not as a gimmick, but to be good enough to sail around the world, the ship was tested to the full on a recent 8,000-mile ocean voyage. It left San Francisco in March heading west into the Pacific, and at the end of July arrived in Australia. On route the ship and its crew visited Hawaii, Bikini Atoll, the Gilbert Islands and Fiji. read more
What’s the greenest way to fly?
Robb Y 
Airborne Activities, Lifestyle Activities 
airborne experiences, bucket list, learn to, scenic flights
Such is the worry about the environment, everyone’s looking to cut emissions and watch their carbon footprints. The so-called gas-guzzlers – vehicles that use lots of fuel – have come under real scrutiny of late, and the airlines have also been put in the spotlight.
A jumbo jet creates a lot of carbon dioxide. Now, whether or not you believe this causes global warming is not really relevant – although it clearly is a lot of emissions.
That said, sometimes there really is no other way to travel than to fly; it’s the quickest and probably the safest form of modern travel we have – how else are you going to get to that meeting read more
‘Saddle up’
A 4×4 is perhaps the ultimate cross-country vehicle: it can go just about anywhere. That said, long before the motor vehicle was invented, we managed to cross miles of inhospitable terrain, ford swollen rivers and climb the steepest of gradients. How? We trusted our travels to horses.
They played an integral part in the creation of the United States; from the mail service to the armed services, our equine companions have done us proud.
The horse and its rider are symbolic of our search into the West read more
The art of the glassblower
To reach the highest standard of glass blowing takes years. After all, it is an age-old skill and it requires a very special touch.
It’s thanks to the special characteristics of glass that we have so many beautiful objects; glass has no set melting point but gradually changes as temperature rises.
It wasn’t until the late 19th century that any form of technology was utilized to form glass. Until then, glass was formed only by the hands of master craftspersons, using just the air from their own lungs. read more
Kayaks are not canoes
Robb Y Lifestyle Activities, Outdoor Activities, Water Sports canoe, kayak, kayaking, whitewater raftingKayaking is not canoeing. However, it is similar, albeit with a few key differences.
A kayak is the older, more traditional relative of the canoe. First used in the Arctic more than 4,000 years ago, its primary role was as a fishing and hunting vessel, but it was also used for general transportation.
As a boat, it sits lower in the water than a canoe and it rarely has a seat. By using stretched sealskin and whale fat over a wooden frame natives created for themselves a waterproof layer. read more
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