Dinner bells for Black Bears, King Crab, Sperm Whales, Rubbish!, Into the mouth of a volcano, then -20*C. Finally the northern most top of Japan.

Travels in Hokkaido-

Green are the wild/ free camps.

Black Bears are active In Hokkaido and every bushwalker has a Bear Bell. So off to the hardware shop and in the ‘Repellant’ section with the fly spray are Bear Bells. BUT are they not dinner bells if the Bear knows that that jingle means walking food !

King Crab is the feast. They can be very big but I am surprised how small some are, but still caught and for sale

Another wild camp up near a lighthouse.

King Crab and red wine, nice way to finish the day.

Sperm Whales are the order of today

Off the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula.

It’s a remote area, no roads and the Ainu people refer to it as ‘ the end of the earth’

In the Shiretoko Goko National Park we join a guided walk to look for Bears.

Bear marks on the tree.

The short ones when they go up the long ones when they go down.

Note to remember: if you only see short ones look up!

On the drive out of the park we see our first Japanese Black Bear and her cub

A free camp in a road side stop,

we always attract attention- communication by Google translate.

Rubbish disposal is our biggest problem.

I have a 1/2 gas bottle cylinder to burn all the packaging.

If you purchase biscuits every one is individually wrapped !!

Mt Io, an active volcano.

This time you can, despite all the warnings, you can walk into the active area.

and of course we did !!

From Fire to minus 20*C.

The sea ice museum- does not sound interesting but truly was.

Yes they are real sea ice blocks from last winter

Various fish ( a sun fish this one) sharks,

and under sea plants all frozen in block ice.

Yes ice, not Perspex.

We are given jackets and a wet towel to spin around, in less then 30 seconds it’s frozen stiff.

Yes it’s B cold…

The most Northern point of Japan.

Cape Soya, it’s cold, wet and crazy windy.

Not quite the tip of Cape York challenge to get to but an achievement.

Hay Tasmanians- you know if the French navigator La-Perouse .

He has been here too in 1787.

Now traveling down the west coast of Hokkaido.

Not rugged as the East coast.

Dairy farms and food crops the main stay.

The cattle are all inside and grass fed from harvested grass