THE LAND OF ADVENTURE
Hobart, Tasmania. Before we delve into Tassie, as Tasmaniacs affectionately call their island, I need to make an announcement.
With the Platinum Vegas Rendezvous a little more than two weeks away, I better explain why it may the Last Rendezvous.
As you may know, TTP is a labor of love for me, and not the way I make a living - I do that primarily by running expeditions. They often come together in that I prefer the company of TTPers on an expedition. By contrast, I try never to take any liberals and lefties, as having to put up with one in a remote place in the world is a serious annoyance.
I've been running Jack Wheeler Expeditions for 37 years, starting with the first commercial expedition in history to the geographic North Pole, on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean at 90 North. That was in April, 1978. I started To The Point 12 years ago, at the end of March, 2003.
Over those last 12 years, many of you have had extraordinary adventures with me - safaris in the Serengeti and Namibia, Gorillas and Pygmies in Central Africa, Concordia by helicopter to K2 base camp in northern Pakistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, The Land of the Dragon Blood Tree in Socotra, North Korea, the North Pole, remote islands in French Polynesia, Hidden Burma, Hidden China, Hidden Persia... it's a long list.
Next September, some of you will be with me to The Lost Kingdom of Lo. I've been able to operate all of these and still keep TTP running without interruption - thanks in large part to Miko, and to Jack Kelly's superb HFR's when I'm gone. A TTP Rendezvous, however, is different. My travel schedule has been so intense recently that the Vegas Rendezvous is the first we've been able to schedule since 2012.
And now I have no idea when I'll be able to schedule another. The reason is that I am passing my expedition baton to my son, Brandon.