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After retirement from crazy round the world trips, 2006 was my first year back-to-reality.  Things got off to a really slow start and it was only in June that I managed my first getaway, 3 weeks to the Hawaiian Islands.  Sliding sands trail, Haleakala crater, Maui (6/2006).

The Pilani Highway on the south coast of Maui is one of the most amazing ocean drives ever.  Maui is a real sports playground and my favourite Hawaiian island.  It has windsurfing, surfing and an incredibly variety of scenery and landscapes (6/2006).

The Big Island is one of the few places in the world to see red-hot liquid lava flowing into the ocean.  Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Big Island (6/2006).

The 4200m summit of Mauna Kea has an amazing 360 degree view of the "big pond" (the Pacific).  Haleakala volcano on Maui is on the right horizon.  Big Island (6/2006).

Kauai, island number 3 on my 3 week tour of the Hawaiian Islands.  The Grand Canyon of Kauai (7/2006).

Windsurfing at Nitinat Lake on Vancouver Island was one of my big thrills of the summer.  Steve "the Gear dude" (5 boards and 6 sails) and I are taking a rest-break on a super-sweet 25 knot day (7/2006).

Rialto Beach on the wild Olympic National Park coast, Washington (8/2006).

 Peter, Julie-Ann and I on a weekend beach camping trip. Olympic National Park (8/2007).

Mt Shuksan, Mt Baker Wilderness Area, Washington (9/2006).

The blown-off volcano of Mt St Helen's is probably the most interesting of all the Cascade volcano climbs.  Peter and I on the windy 2600m summit peering into the crater (9/2006).

Although a crappy year for travelling, 2006 was a great year for the career.  I landed a cool job which has sent me to Europe 3 times already.  Trip 1 was to Holland.  Amsterdam (9/2006).

Company trip to Europe # 2 was to UK and Norway. View from the London Eye (11/2006).

Norway, the land of the $10 beer and $8 croissant is the kind of place you only want to visit on an expense account.  Vigeland Park and the Holmenkollen Ski Jump, Oslo (11/2006).

Traditional Czech snack with Robert and Helena.  Country-side tavern in northern Bohemia, Czech Republic (11/2006).

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.  Hradcany Castle from Charles Bridge on a crisp fall day.

Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic (11/2006).

November is my favourite month to escape the rain and dark winters of Vancouver.  30C and sandy beaches of Canaima's lagoon, Venezuela (11/2006).

Apart from one snake site'ing, there's little wildlife in the Venezuelan jungle.

Canaima's lagoon is a gorgeous fresh-water lake formed by a bend of the river. 

Table-top mountains, southern Venezuela (11/2006).

The 9th planet Pluto (4.4 billion km from earth) was discovered before the Angel Falls, can you believe that ? The Angel Falls is tucked away in the remote table-lands of the Venezuelan jungle so its no surprise that the worlds' highest waterfall was unknown to the outside world until 1935.

12 hours on a plane from Canada to Caracas, 1 internal flight, 1 hour roller-coaster bush plane to a remote jungle airstrip, 2 days on a river-boat and a 2 hour hike to this viewpoint.  That's a hell of a lot of work to see a waterfall....but what a waterfall ! The awesome sight of 979 meters of free-falling water ranks as one of the most stupendous sights in all my travels.

After 6 days of romping about the jungles of Venezuela and sleeping in jungle-camp hammocks, a week in a plush resort in the Carribean holiday island of Aruba was welcome.  Aruba also happens to be a great windsurf spot.  Plane'ing up-and-down 30 C clear blue waters was the activity of the week.

California's Death Valley the hottest place on the continent, is ideal in the middle of winter (12/2006).

Badwater, a dried salt-lake bed 282 ft below sea-level, is one of the weird and wonderful sights in Death Valley, California (12/2006).

Colorado River from Plateau Point, Grand Canyon, Arizona (12/2006).

Winter snow-storm adds a nice touch to the impressive scenery of the Grand Canyon (12/2006).

I've been playing hockey since I was a teenager but joined a real team for the first time ever this fall.  With only 1 goal and 3 assist in 10 games, I was hardly a sniper but it was such good fun.  F-Bombers team photo.

For a normal working-person, I think I did pretty good in 2006.  It just goes to show what can be accomplished if you are creative, cease every opportunity and really keep the pedal to the metal.