Month: April 2017

Globetrotters- Tara from Let Passion Unfold

I thought I was brave moving to the other side of the world albeit to an English speaking country but Tara from Let Passion Unfold has taken it up a gear by travelling living and working in Shanghai. What an amazing experience it must be to not only visit a country so different to your own but also to live, work and immerse yourself in the culture. I’m always in awe of people that have the courage to do this.

One of my favourite blog posts from Tara was What Travel has taught me
It covers everything I had felt when I first moved over here and even still now when I venture off on my travels. Travelling is amazing for teaching us lessons about life, about others, about the world and most importantly about ourselves. Reading her answers below I love her answers regarding her top tip for travel advice and you can see how her wonderful outlook on travelling. Reading her posts and her answers below always make me smile both with a knowingness and just feeling uplifted at her view on the world.

You can find more of Tara’s travels, tips, stories and itineraries on her blog (links below) and I strongly recommend you go take a look.

I’ll stop yabbering on and let you hear from Tara herself…


Hi, I’m Tara! I set out on an adventure two years ago to travel while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I thought I could cross off a few bucket list items, find some direction, and go back home. As it turns out, I was wrong. I’ve spent the last couple of years teaching English in Shanghai and travelling during weekends and holidays. Now my bucket list is growing rapidly, and I’m still not sure what I want to do with my life or where I want to spend the rest of it. The only thing I’m sure of is that I want to explore as much of this beautiful world as I can. In the meantime, I’m enjoying life and writing about my adventures at Let Passion Unfold!

What do you enjoy most about travelling?
I think I’d have to say getting to know the people and their culture. Sure, the change of scenery is always nice and trying new food is exciting, but I really just enjoy interacting with locals. When you see how hospitable and friendly complete strangers can be to each other, it really makes you wonder how any hate exists in the world.

Why do you think travelling is important?
I think travelling is important because not only do you learn about the place you are visiting, you learn more about your home country as well. You begin to see things from a different perspective and can really appreciate what makes each place truly great.

What is your favourite photograph from your travels?



It’s not easy to pick one, but one of my favourite parts of my trips to the UK last summer was getting to visit the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. The formation of the rock columns dates back 60 million years, and there’s a cute story about a giant named Finn McCool to explain the history of it all.

Which is your favourite – sun, snow, sea, city, mountains, country?
My two favourites would be snow and mountains. Living in Shanghai means I don’t see much snow anymore, so when I travel to cold, snowy places, I can’t help but fall head over heels in love. Snow has been my favourite my entire life. However, I did not grow up with mountains. Mountains and hiking are a new love of mine since I’ve started travelling more. It’s great exercise and the scenery never disappoints!

Who do you usually travel with?
Most of the time I travel with coworkers since we all have our holidays at the same time. Every long weekend or break we get, we plan something. Since I won’t be teaching abroad next year, I’m going to try my hand at solo travel. This summer will be my first solo trip and I couldn’t be more excited!!!

If you were to give one piece of travel advice what would it be?
Be flexible and forgiving, especially during your travels. Odds are things will not go perfectly. Don’t let little things ruin your trip. It’s extremely important to be easy-going when you’re completely unfamiliar with a place. Let’s be real, you’re probably somewhere you’ve never been and are away from home to destress and enjoy yourself. You don’t need to make your trip miserable by putting too much pressure on little things. Just laugh when you miss the last bus into town and have to walk 30 minutes instead. Your trip is what you make of it, and if you spend the entire time dwelling about what didn’t go exactly as planned, then you’re going to hate it. And that’s unfortunate for everyone involved.

Tell us the funniest story or a mishap from one of your adventures?
About a year ago, I was in Zhangjiajie, China (better known as the Avatar mountains – yes, as in the movie).  After hiking part way down one of the mountains, my friends and I decided to hike one of the casual paths and take a breather – our legs were jello at this point. We walked around for about 20 minutes and then decided to turn back. The path didn’t loop around, so you had to come back the way you came anyway. On our way back we noticed the path was completely surrounded by rhesus macaques. Like hundreds. And they were ready to fight us for the territory. They came running at us, hissing and screeching. So naturally, we ran away screaming. Realising once again that the only way to get back to civilisation was the way we came, we turned around to head toward the macaques. They were still there and still feisty, chasing us away for a second time. We dawdled for a while, not having a clue what to do. We were surrounded by territorial monkeys with no other route back. Luckily a 9-year-old saved our lives. (So much shame). The kid walked up and basically just showed the monkeys who was the boss. He didn’t back down or go running like we had. He proved he was the alpha. And that was it. All the macaques backed off. We followed the kid back but kept a safe enough distance that we didn’t look as pathetic as we felt. As embarrassed as I was that my 3 guy friends and I couldn’t outsmart these monkeys while a 9-year-old managed to, I can’t help but laugh at the hilarity of the situation. And it was all caught on video (but my friends wouldn’t let me post it).

Where is your favourite place that you’ve been to?
Is everywhere an appropriate answer? I feel like it’s impossible to pick. Each place I’ve visited holds a special place in my heart. New Zealand’s South Island is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, and Phuket, Thailand was probably one of my most unforgettable trips. But honestly, every country has something amazing to offer, and each trip is special in its own way. It’s rare that I travel somewhere and am not completely blown away by it.

Tell us one place/experience on your bucket list?
Every time I travel, my bucket list gets bigger and bigger. One thing I’ve always wanted to see but haven’t yet is the Aurora Borealis. It’s been a goal of mine since I was a kid. I think it would be super awesome to rent one of the glass igloos at Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finland and just enjoy the view!

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ANZAC Day & the Kokoda Track

Today is ANZAC Day. For those of you not aware what this is it a significant national occasion in both Australia and New Zealand and is always on the 25th April. ANZAC stands for Australian New Zealand Army Corps and during the war soldiers from Australia and New Zealand were always referred to as the ANZACs. The 25th April marks when the ANZACs landed on Gallipoli for the first major action in the First World War.

It’s a very symbolic day and is just as important if not more than Remembrance Day in both Australia and New Zealand. There is always a public holiday, dawn service (when the ANZACs landed at Gallipoli),  commemorative services, marches through all towns and cities and a day to remember what the ANZACS endured so that we could have the life we have today.

In the small country town where I am from they do something to not only commemorate what the soldiers of the past 100 years did for us but also to show a younger generation just what the soldiers had to go through so that we can grow up in the beautiful country, we call home. The local High School and Rotary club work together to train and prepare year 10 and 11 students to walk the Kokoda Track in the jungles of Papua New Guinea.

The Kokoda Track is another significant part of Australia’s history. In the Second World War, Australian had many battles along the track with the Japanese forces and it was key to hold them out so as to protect Australia.

My dad and his friend Bruce have walked this track 7 times!!  Actually, I think Bruce has walked it around 10 times. Yes, they are crazy! They have been instrumental in driving this in our town through the Dad at the School and Bruce in Rotary. It’s such an amazing thing that they are involved in they spend months (along with other leaders) training the students on walks, getting used to carrying the heavy packs and fundraising to support the trip. Most of the students haven’t been outside of Australia and in some case outside of New South Wales so to go to PNG and walk this track is such an eye opening experience. It’s also a huge sense of accomplishment in completing the track. It’s not easy,  you don’t have a comfy bed, clean clothes, the only food you have is what you can carry and if its rains it is muddy. Really muddy!


My mum went with dad and a group of parents from town and although she is extremely fit she even found it challenging at times. In Spite of all the tough parts of the training and the actual hike, my dad does it time after time. I am immensely proud and in awe of him for this.

Mum and Dad in 2008


The trip is always around ANZAC day and this isn’t by accident. The track has memorials at both the start and end which allow anyone completing the chance to honour those that have fought and fallen both here and in any military campaign.  The bond the trekkers make along the way, the old rusty machines still littering along the track showing glimpses into the past all are huge reminders of the past. When both mum and dad walked the track they experience a dawn service right there in the jungle. It would have been such an emotional experience. My Dad, Bruce and the rest of the trekkers have just returned from their most recent trip and were back in town (washed thankfully) and front row and centre at the local commemorative service heads a little higher, minds wiser and a deeper understanding and respect for the men and women involved in these campaigns.

The 2017 Kokoda Trekkers – Yes my dad is wearing a leaf crown!

I think it is so important as with many of the diggers passing away we need to make sure the younger generation engage, remember and respect the actions of those brave soldiers.

I would love to do this with dad one day. Just need to get training and maybe I’ll be ready by 2019.  Actually maybe more like 2025. Need to stop eating ANZAC biscuits!

Photos courtesy of Bruce Wright and Debbie Harris

Debbie has also blogged about her experiences walking the Kokoda Track and you can find them here

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Globetrotters- Melody Wanders

Reading Melody’s ‘About Me’ page on her blog was so refreshing to read. She homeschooled for 8 years and her parents used every hint and tip in the book to take the family to far-flung places to see more of the world. I also like her honesty in not knowing what she wanted to do when college didn’t go to plan so saving up and funding her own travel adventures for a year to help working things out. What better way to learn than getting out and involved with the world around you.

I especially love reading her posts about America- the cities,  the hikes, the road trips the views. America isn’t a country I have seen too much of so to read about it through her blog just drives further inspiration to get over the pond and explore.

Her Instagram page has lots of wanderlust worthy pictures of her travels and I especially like that she’s always smiling and her zest for life, fun and travels comes through in each photograph.

So let me hand you over to Melody,


I’m Melody a 21-year-old travel blogger from Florida in love with exotic food and spectacular views and always on the search for more spectacular places to visit.

What do you enjoy most about travelling?
What I enjoy most about travelling is the people I get to meet from all over the world! I’ve made some of my best friends from travelling!

Why do you think travelling is important?
I think traveling is important because it allows minds to grow from seeing other parts of the world and seeing how we as people are not so different from each other. We’re able to unite and grow together when we see other perceptions from other parts of the world.

What is your favourite photograph from your travels.



This one is my favourite picture because I love mountains and being in Austria where the picture was taken in the middle of hiking really captures the beauty of what I saw that day and the fact that my amazing Austrian host mom took it makes it all the more special.

Which is your favourite – sun, snow, sea, city, mountains, country?
I love being able to hike in the mountains because I come from Florida where the land is really flat and it’s not something I see all the time.

Who do you usually travel with?
Usually, I travel with my amazing family including my mom, dad and younger sister.

If you were to give one piece of travel advice what would it be?
Don’t be afraid to get out there and try out new things!

Tell us the funniest story or a mishap from one of your adventures?
I was kayaking in St. Maarten with a friend of mine who swore they could kayak but they didn’t and it took us almost an hour to travel a couple yards away from the beach and my friend who kept jumping out of the boat said he was “helping” by pushing our boat further away from where we suppose to go. At the end, he said I took so long kayaking even though we both knew it was him.

Where is your favourite place that you’ve been to?
Bavaria, Germany because the food and beer are amazing and I have never met more hospitable people in my life there. And the alps are spectacular as well and leave me breathless every time.

Tell us one place/experience on your bucket list?
I would love to go to Bali on a retreat of some sort and just enjoy the place and monkeys!

Check out Melody’s blog and social links here.

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Weekend Adventures- The Elizabethan Gem, Montacute House

I’m just going to put this out there- I love National Trust properties.  Yes, I am well aware this is probably going to ruin my street cred (ha as if I have street cred)  but I really do love nothing more on a weekend than going and exploring a stately home, manicured garden and some pretty quintessentially English landscapes. In Australia, we don’t have many of these historic buildings. We have a completely different history.  So maybe this is where my fascination with these properties comes from I’m just not used to them.  We read about mansions and castles in books but never got to actually see any or walk around them.

I love the history, the stories, the artwork, the secret gardens if all just makes you feel like stepping back in time (or often for me like I am a royal queen) and seeing how different life was in the past. I think the national trust has done a tremendous job restoring and maintaining these properties. To think they are still standing and still intact after 100s of years is amazing.

We’ve been to see quite a few places over the years and some of which has been blogged about previously (and many still to be blogged about) but over the Easter weekend this year we ventured to the Elizabethan Gem Montacute House.

Located just outside of Yeovil in Somerset this commanding house was built by Sir Edward Phelips in 1598. He was obviously a wealthy and powerful in those days and he was most commonly known for his role in the prosecution in the trial against Guy Fawkes. He was also on very good terms with King James who donated a portrait of himself which is still on display in the house to this very day.


The building is made from the local Ham Stone which gives the building a lovely honey tint. Walking up to the gate you get a lovely view of the house and can see why it’s been used in so many films and Tv programs. The gardens are well manicured and full of colour, especially with the brightly coloured tulips. My personal favourite was the wibbly wobbly hedge that looks like a big green cloud. My other half loved the orangery so much he is now planning to try and build one for us.

After strolling around the gardens we then headed into the house and found signs of the past in all rooms. We even saw a historic version of an ensuite. The most impressive inside the house was the Long Gallery. This is apparently the longest of its kind in the country and houses over 60 portraits. They are spectacular and yes you can feel all theirs eyes watching you. The portraits are on loan from the National Portrait Gallery and well worth seeing. Seeing all the faces, the fashion and different techniques just add more insight into the past. I liked seeing the lesser known portraits just as much as seeing ones of Queen Elizabeth the First and Henry VIII.

When we finished exploring through the house and gardens we then also went to out to explore the village that shares its name with the house. The ham stone is present throughout the village and it couldn’t have been more British if it tried. Two sweet pubs and a very creepy looking museum. It was a lovely little village.


To visit the property is £12.60 per adult from March to October. Outside of these times, you can only visit the garden and there is a discounted rate for those months.  We actually opted to sign up for a year membership to the NT on our visit. I’ve never felt so middle aged in my whole life. But you know what I don’t care I’m just going to keep looking through my book to see where we can have our next weekend adventure.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/montacute-house

A few more photos to show you this beautiful place

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Globetrotters – Old School Traveller

Woohoo it’s Sunday so that means it’s time to introduce you to another Globetrotter.

The first blog post I read from the Old School Traveller was the first of their 5 part series called A Singular Honeymoon. I loved it! Why do you need to be married if you want the honeymoon experience now? It reminded me of when Carrie ‘married herself’ and gift registered for herself in Sex in The City after spending me a $ on engagement presents, wedding presents, baby showers and baby gifts. Whilst this wasn’t the thinking behind having a singular honeymoon  it was more about having that experience even if a honeymoon wasn’t in the near future. What I also liked was that he set himself the rule that he wasn’t allowed to say no to anything. I personally think all adventures should be like this.  The Old School Traveller is now married and his wife has a style section on the blog.

On the blog, you will find help with travel booking, restaurant guides, travel inspo, travel stories and the new addition of the style section. Links will be below to the blog and social channel so you can see for yourself.

The imagery of his words, the quality content, the images all just convey a beautiful sense of  an old school romance for travelling and seeing the world- so let me hand you over to The Old School Traveller.


A little bit about me, I trained in Fine Art as an Oil Painter, which I still am, but soon moved into photography and became a ‘Celebrity’ shooter for postcard and poster printers in the 80’s. After a bit of a mishap, I moved home to Wales and got into the hospitality industry, running a pub in Wales where I was also the chef, cellar man and host, and then ran a 22 bedroom hotel near Cambridge in England. Here, my cooking levels increased as did my interest in both food and wine. After this, I became an actor and comedy writer in Bristol, before moving to Australia to become a Television Executive. Due to the unbearable type of people I was meeting I got out and set up my own graphics business and started to travel extensively back and forth to Europe in particular but also to Asia and America. I am well past 1 million airmails and with three trips to Europe a year from Brisbane, I can’t see that slowing down anytime soon. During the last year or so, I have decided to put my travel experiences, my love of food and wine, my back catalogue of photographs and my sense of humour to better use, and I’m now focussing on travel/food blogging…. and here I am, OST.

What do you enjoy most about travelling?
Having spent the first half of my life in Europe and the second in Australia, I love going home. Australia is it’s own paradise but I find I need to get my fix of the ever changing face of architecture, art, cuisine, dialect and scenery that Europe offers. I’m a Europhile no doubt. Ultimately I love beauty, whether it be in scenery, in the joy of wonderful food and wine or simply the smell of wild thyme on a Greek hillside. Ultimately though, seeing the joy on my partner’s face when she experiences something incredible and that she never thought she would be part of, makes everything worthwhile. It’s these images that stay with me – of her, my, our happiness. It’s something I’ve noticed out there in ‘blogland’; the sheer lack of true happiness in the images. More a postcard than a love letter.

Why do you think travelling is important?
Travelling broadens the mind for sure, but I feel it’s truly about finding your home from home. Those places that just welcome you and make you feel as if you truly belong. I’m not after wild adventure, I’ve had enough of that in my life. I’m more interested in happiness, relaxation and the understanding of inner self. I find that the older you become, the more you appreciate that that’s being lost and the desire to just .. be.

What is your favourite photograph from your travels?



That’s a tough one as I have about 200,000 to choose from, but I think this one from Folegandros. I just woke up from an afternoon nap and took it from bed. The light and composition and that it’s also fairly unusual, speaks to me quite a lot.

Which is your favourite – sun, snow, sea, city, mountains, country?
Sun – Greece. The ever-changing light, bright colours, the beautiful Aegean, the crisp whites and hospitality. Snow – The Swiss Alps. They just know how to do it and everything works perfectly under extreme conditions. You need ‘reliable’ when travelling through Winter. Sea – Italy. The whole coast of Italy is a delight, including some wonderfully islands, both secluded and popular. And again, that light, especially around the bay of Naples.

Who do you usually travel with?
I spent pretty much 15 years travelling on my own but now with my wife. She is an incredible traveller. Easy going, happy to do other things (shop) while I write or take my photos, or to just join in. She came late to European travel and has embraced my love for it with open arms, and it’s truly a sharing experience now. Each trip is usually one of my favourite places that I want us to share, one that she, Kati, wants to see, and one that’s new to both of us. It works.

If you were to give one piece of travel advice what would it be?

Save as much money as you can on flights and hotels to be able to spend the money on luxuries elsewhere. The Airport transfer, for example, is something that I couldn’t afford when I was younger but is now crucial to a relaxing trip. Lugging baggage around, waiting for buses, taxi’s etc and not knowing where you’re going cause a lot of stress between travelling couples. For example, getting to Naples airport from Positano. Paying for the private transfer allowed us to experience the incredible coastal road, we got to stop off at Pompeii for two hours with our luggage safely in the car and then on to catch our flight. No stress and it meant that we didn’t have to go out and back to Pompeii and use up a whole day getting there and back. So airport transfers…… and earplugs on flights. Crucial. Even keep them in when watching movies. Eradicates white noise and fellow travellers and you arrive so much more refreshed, less tired, less stressed and less prone to jet lag.

Tell us the funniest story or a mishap from one of your adventures?
You’ll have to read that here.  It involved Ouzo and a boat load of Honeymooners.

Where is your favourite place that you’ve been to?
Right now, Milos Island in the Cyclades. It’s our secret. It’s a wonderfully small and unspoilt little gem. Like the Greek Islands used to be before the ‘too big’ cruise ships and tourism ruined the more obvious islands. It’s like they have seen how the other islands have been spoiled and have laid the groundwork for a great trip as was. Empty beaches, old school Tavernas, wonderful seafood, great geology, amazing sunsets, friendly locals, pristine and about a quarter of the price of Mykonos/Santorini… It has everything, and it’s the reason that we fell in love with the Greek Islands all those years ago. It is truly a magical place that I thought had gone….and very much Old School Traveller.

Tell us one place/experience on your bucket list?
The next trip, always. Seville, Jerez and Cadiz have always been on the list and I finally get to cross them off, but we’re also going to Bologna, and as true foodie and cook, my grin will be the widest there. Italy after all, is my spiritual home and if Italy’s stomach doesn’t bring the widest smile to my face, nowhere will.

To see more from The Old School Traveller you can find them here

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Geothermal Wonders at Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland in New Zealand


Have you ever wanted to experience what it must be like in middle earth or even what it could be like walking around on another planet, well if your answer is yes then you need to get yourself Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, New Zealand.

Everyone knows that Rotorua is the home of the Geothermal activity in New Zealand and it truly lives up to that status. We weren’t entirely sure what we would be expecting when we got there- maybe some mud pools, a geyser erupting if we were lucky and maybe a hole or two in the ground looking into the earth’s core. What we weren’t expecting was all the colours of the rainbow, sulphur smells and one of the most beautiful and surprising landscapes I have ever witnessed.

The first thing I liked about Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland is that it didn’t seem overly commercial like you would expect within this area. We also visited in the height of summer and whilst there was a lot of people there due to the size of the park it didn’t feel crowded. There was no queue to get in and once we started our short walk to the park we stepped into another world.


Around the park are all sorts of geothermal wonders with lots of sign posts to not only tell you what you are looking at but the science and geology behind the intriguing landscape.  You will find mud pools, caves, sulphur mounds, holes in the earth, forests, lakes, pools, water in every shade of blue and many signs with a ‘dont step here it’s 100 degrees).


There are three walks that you can do around the park and I suggest you do them all so you don’t miss a thing. It’s roughly around a 5k walk but don’t let that put you off. The walks are easy but I would suggest good footwear as the paths can be a light uneven in places. We spent the best part of a day here and it was needed there was so much to see. If you can try and get there for 10.15am to see Lady Knox Geyser erupt. We didn’t get there that early and I really wish we did! There is also some mud pools 10 min drive down the road which is worth a visit. Seeing mud bubble is so captivating. I swear I was transfixed for a good 20 min.

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Whilst there is so much to see I did have a couple of favourite places in the park – Artist’s Palette, The Champagne Pool, Oyster Pool,  Devil’s Ink pots and the fluorescently coloured Devils Bath.


The Artist’s pallet is a place where you see the rainbow laid out horizontally. It’s contrasted so well against the grey silt on the other side of the boardwalk across the two pools. Right next to the Artist Palette is the vibrant blues and oranges of the Champagne pool.


The Devil has many places here from his (or her) home, ink pots and even a pool. The
Devils Home is a huge hole with yellow sulphur edges.The ink pots are three pools of pitch black bubbling away waiting for the devil to dip his ink pens in and do some fabulous calligraphy.  As you come to the end of the park and just when you have through you have seen everything imaginable you come across this fluorescent yellow pool (#notfilter) and this is aptly named the Devil’s Bath.

This was one of the best things we did in New Zealand and it wasn’t even on our initial ‘to visit’ list we kinda of just got there by accident and I am so glad we did. Seeing nature like this really just opens your eyes up to how amazing the world really is.

Finer details
-Cost NZD 32.50 adult, NZD 11 children or NZD 80 for  family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children)
– You’ll get a map of the park including the walks and points of interest when you purchase a ticket
– Open all year round. In Summer make sure you have sunscreen and a hat as there are limited shaded areas and my other half got rather sun burnt
– There is a cafe, toilet facilities and gift shop.
– Located 20 min outside of Rotorua and 3.5 hours from Auckland.
http://www.waiotapu.co.nz/


If you want to see some of our other favourite things in New Zealand you can them here
Wine on Waiheke
Glowworms
Martha Mine
Auckland

Forget your year 6 school trip experiences here is 10 reasons to visit Canberra now

My sister has lived in lots of places both in Australia and overseas over her lifetime. She lived in our rural country town,  experienced the bright lights of Sydney, spent a semester in Sweden, lived in the midlands of the UK  and she even lived in the Italian Alps for a year when she didn’t know a word of Italian.  Her husband and she relocated from Birmingham a few years ago (he had never been to Australia and yet moved without hesitation- but that is another story for another day) and after a brief stint staying back with the parents, they made the move to Canberra.  Yes, Canberra. You can probably hear me roll my eyes when I say this.

I seriously don’t mean any disrespect to Canberra or its residents but really my only memories are of  school trips, roundabouts so many roundabouts, stopping for a Macca’s on the way to my grandparents on the way to the coast or a brief end of school girls trip when we weren’t even really old enough to do anything fun so just shopped and visited Telecom tower.  I also slightly resent Canberra as a whole as it’s close to Mum and Dad so they spend a lot of time there visiting my sister.  I know the inner 16-year-old version of myself is coming out.

My sister, however, has been constantly trying to encourage my other half and I to 1)move home and 2) move to Canberra.   I even got a Canberra tea towel from her one birthday as if that could tempt me further.  Nice try Sissy.

In her bid to promote Canberra as a place I could move to I asked her to send over 10 reasons why people should visit Canberra.

If you aren’t familiar with Canberra it is the capital city of Australia and located in the Australian Capital Territory. Australia has only two territories and these are the ACT and the Northern Territory (NT). It’s home to Parliament House, National War Museum and was a purpose built capital city that lies directly equal distances between Sydney and Melbourne.

So here are Canberra’s Best Bits according to my Sissy..

1.     It’s the bush capital


Canberra strikes a great balance between having all the amenities and convenience of cities but a small population and large open spaces.  Within a five minutes drive of her high-density apartment complex,  she can be in the bush with no sign of development.

If you want a true bush experience there is the Canberra Nature Park (30+ separate areas) across Canberra allowing you to walk and hike in the bush.  Plus you can hike up Mount Ainslie, Black Mountain or Red Hill for great views of the city.  And if you’re really keen, there are plenty of bushwalks just outside of Canberra (such as Mount Tennent or Mount Painter). If you’re keen to see Australian wildlife, it is pretty much guaranteed at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

2.     It may not be on the water
Unlike most Australian states and capital territories, Canberra isn’t located on the coast.  However, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t any water fun to be had.  In the middle of Canberra is Lake Burley Griffin neatly dividing Canberra into south and north (with a fairly competitive rivalry to accompany it).

There are also smaller lakes in the some of the Canberra districts – Lake Ginninderra (Belconnen), Gungahlin Pond and Yerrabi Pond (Gungahlin) and Lake Tuggeranong.

There’s also plenty of swimming locations.   Casuarina Sands (swimming in the Murrumbidgee River) is highly recommended but there is also Uriarra Crossing, Kambah Pool, Cotter Dam/River, Gibraltar Creek (with some nice waterfalls) and other spots to be discovered.

3.     It encourages an active lifestyle
Due to the large open spaces, Canberra encourages an active lifestyle.  Not only are there cycling tracks all around the lakes, there are plenty of shared off-road paths and on-road bike lanes linking the main areas of Canberra.  And if you get tired, all the buses come equipped with bike carriers so you can just get the bus home!

You can also row, sail, kayak, stand-up paddle board on the water and cycle, walk or Segway on the 40km path surrounding Lake Burley Griffin.

4.Seasonal experiences
It’s a rarity in Australian states and territory capital cities (excluding Melbourne with its four seasons in one day and Tasmania) that all seasons are fully experienced in Canberra. What’s even better are the events that accompany the seasons.  No matter when you travel to Canberra, there is likely to be something on.

Summer events
Summer kicks off with Christmas markets and light displays.
Canberra holds the world record for largest number of Christmas lights on a residential home and also the world record for most Christmas lights on an artificial Christmas tree.
Canberra has a free New Years Eve concert and fireworks (though don’t expect them to be anything like Sydney’s).
Free Australia Day concert
Multicultural festival – three-day event that is massive – sort of like Tumbafest on a bigger scale with daytime drinking encouraged
Ignore Summernats – highly recommend avoiding Canberra on this weekend

Autumn events


Autumn may not be what you expect – in March the days are still warm (often getting up to 30 degrees) with cool nights. From late April (Anzac day onwards) the temperature drops, but the days are generally sunny and bright.
Enlighten and the Night Noodle market in March
Canberra Day – public holiday – second Monday in March
SkyFire – Random Saturday night of fireworks over the lake – in March
Balloon Spectacular – nine days balloon festival near Lake Burley Griffin – in March
Anzac dawn service at Australian War Memorial
Canberra District Wine Harvest

Winter events
Truffle Festival
Sports – rugby union, rugby league, AFL GWS
Corin Forest – skiing, snowboarding, sledging and snow activities 45 minutes from Canberra
Ski fields  – the best ski fields in Australia are less than three hours from Canberra

Spring events
Floriade
Night Fest (part of Floriade – comedy shows, drinks, music, cooking demonstrations and imaginative light display
Canberra Nara Candle Festival – Nara (Japan) is the sister city of Canberra – over 2000 candles with Japanese music and other Japanese-themed events
Oktoberfest

5.     Markets
In addition to your typical shopping centres, Canberra has thriving markets.  You can get your food for the week or crafts and clothing.
*Old Bus Depot (weekly) – has food, clothes, craft, art etc
*Hall markets (monthly)
*Canberra Handmade markets (quarterly) – the very best products from independent designers, artisans, craftspeople and gourmet food makers. Categories include – Art & Photography, Skincare & Grooming, Things for Children, Fashion, Food, Homewares & Textiles, Jewellery & Accessories, Paper & Craft, Furniture, Pets and Christmas.
*EPIC Farmers Markets – every type of produce you could imagine.

6.     Dinner and drinks
When we used to go to Canberra as a teenager, we always ended up eating in  Manuka as that was the “Canberra eating area”.  Thankfully, (and while Manuka still has good restaurants) Canberra is undergoing a transformation and other areas have developed.

*Braddon has led the trend of hip and quirky nightlife.
*The Bentspoke Brewery brew all their beer and cider on the premises – they have up to 18 different beers on tap at any time.
*The Hamlet – Food truck venue and bring your own alcohol (with a bottle shop conveniently across the road)
*Mandalay Bus – Canberra institution
*Frugii Dessert Laboratory – amazing ice cream in a strange variety of flavours
*Grease Monkey – used to be a mechanic shop, now does amazing burgers

In addition to Braddon, Kingston Foreshore, New Acton and Civic are highly recommended spots for great food.

If you’re in the mood for a pub experience, the Old Canberra Inn is the oldest pub in Canberra and predates Canberra itself by over 50 years (although it was a home for a large amount of that time).  It’s an amazing old building that is very cosy and does amazing food.  It only serves craft beers and always has different beers on tap.

Canberra has also joined the trend of concealed, laneway bars.  Molly is an amazing underground (literally) whisky bar, Suke Suke is a Japanese cocktail bar that’s also underground (and down a dodgy looking lane), Highball Express is a Cuban themed bar up a fire escape and unlike most laneway bars is very airy and spacious, Hippo Co is another whisky bar, Bar Rochford has a lovely open fire in the winter.

7. Breakfast
The most important meal of the day and you’re bound to be impressed by the breakfast and coffee available in Canberra.  A Canberran barista has won the Australian Barista Championships for the past two years.

The freakshake trend started in Canberra at Patissez who incidentally do amazing ricotta pancakes.  Another place where you can get a side serve of diabetes with your breakfast is Ricardo’s – their display cabinet is a rainbow coloured delight.  The Cupping Room does great breakfasts and quite often has a queue outside the front door.

8.The iconic Canberra experience

Forget about your year six excursion to Canberra, some of the main tourist spots are fascinating.

The Australian War Memorial is incredible and depressing; Questacon is just as fun as when you were a teenager (and I highly recommend the adult only nights – science and alcohol!?); the National Gallery of Australia currently has Treasures from the Palace of Versailles on display; there is a lot to see in Canberra and you may as well roll down the hill at Parliament House while you can (they’re building a fence).

9. Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay has the most amazing beaches in Australia and the world.  Part of Jervis Bay belongs to the Australian Capital Territory so that the capital has access to the sea.  The Booderee National Park is part of the Jervis Bay Territory has truly incredible beaches and campsites.  Murray’s Beach is probably and all time favourite beach.

10. She lives there and its closer to home than I am currently
Do I need any other reasons??

Planning your Honeymoon?

Have you checked out Honeymoon Seeker? Well, you should!

I’ve been fortunate enough to meet Nickie on Instagram and now through many comments, emails and conversations, I feel I have found a kindred spirit in the travelling blogging world. She’s lived in lots of different towns and countries. Visited and explored so many places both on her own but also with her family, she’s backpacked and had luxury holidays and just had a deep love for travelling so much so she started a website to help couples plan their dream honeymoon.

I work my day job in the magazine world and work on two wedding magazines so know all too well how important the honeymoon is to brides to be. So to have a resource like Honeymoon Seeker really is amazing when planning your first holiday as husband and wife! Honeymoon Seeker not only has a blog for inspiration but also has an easy to use directory to help create your perfect honeymoon.

Nickie has been kind enough to share some of her insights. I’ve also put links below for Honeymoon Seeker and their social pages so you can check out more.

Let me hand you over to Nickie…

My name is Nickie and I am a mother of two, wife to one and lover of all things travel! I have explored and lived in most of my home country Australia and am now based Darwin, NT. In my early 20’s I was addicted to snow and spent two ski seasons living on the beautiful North Island of New Zealand and one ski season in Banff, Canada. My love of travel continued to blossom as I explored India, Bali, Singapore and Thailand. In between working jobs in HR, Advertising and Hospitality, I have backpacked solo through USA, Canada, Ireland, England, France and Italy. Some of my favourite trips have been travelling with friends through Croatia, Austria, The Netherlands and Germany. I have travelled as a family with young kids through Spain, Germany, Switzerland, France, England, Hawaii, Thailand, Singapore and Bali. I don’t fit in a box or category! I’ve been a solo backpacker, a loved up couple in fancy hotels, a family on a budget and a bunch of girlfriends on a weekend away. I love sharing my knowledge and tips with anyone who wants to explore our globe.

What inspired you to start Honeymoon Seeker?

My love of travel, romance and all things in between. I was a destination bride with an 18-month-old baby and I had no idea where would be a good place to honeymoon for us! I wanted somewhere family friendly that offered babysitting services so my husband and I could have a few date nights together. I spend hours stressing and searching and ended up finding a beautiful hotel in Ao Nang, Thailand. I want to reduce that stress and time searching by offering carefully selected places to suit a range of honeymooners wants and needs.

What can couples find at Honeymoon Seeker?

They can find inspiration of where to stay and explore on their honeymoon! Loads of blogs with our team’s personal experiences of destinations to help couples decide what will suit them best.

Top 3 things that should be considered when planning a honeymoon? 

1. Budget! Don’t send yourself bankrupt by booking three weeks in Bora Bora on a water bungalow if your budget won’t allow it. Look for similar and cheaper options like the Philippines and Fiji.

2. Your personalities! If you don’t like sitting still, then don’t book a two-week honeymoon on a beach in Play Del Carmen in Mexico. Look at Thailand for rock climbing, zip lining or New Zealand for other adrenalin fuelled activities.

3. Expectations! Chat with your partner and make sure you are both on the same page about what your honeymoon means to you both. One might want to sleep in and read books, the other might want to rise early and explore the surroundings. Chatting first and sharing your expectations will avoid arguments or frustrations on your honeymoon.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?

I have always wanted to explore Central America! We are waiting til our young kids are a bit older so they can be more independent and enjoy the rainforest boat rides, hikes and long bus journeys between each country.

If a bride asked you one thing she must take on honeymoon what would you say?

Your camera! Phone photos are great, but if you want to print or enlarge any images from your travels, a good quality camera is a must have.

Tell us the most interesting honeymoon adventure you’ve heard about?

A four-month driving tour of the USA. The Australian couple started in Boston and made their way down the East Coast to Florida, over to California and up the West Coast to Seattle. They stopped at so many places along the way and were able to spend a quality amount of time in each place. It was something they had been dreaming about together for 8 years!


http://www.honeymoonseeker.com

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Globetrotter- Hallo Barbara 

Firstly you are probably thinking I’ve spelt Hello incorrect in the title but alas I have just learnt that is how you say hello in German.  This weeks Globetrotter is the lovely Barbara from Barbaralicious.

What I love about Barbara is that she has been on the road since late 2014! I would love to be spending my days travelling the world seeing new places, writing about new places and all the experiences that go along with it.  I was really excited to ask her some of these questions to find out more about what she gets up to.  I’ve included her blog link and social details at the bottom and make sure you do check them out. Her blog has lots of great travel information on destinations from her travels but how to work and travel to fund your adventures.

So let me hand you over to Barbara ..


My name is Barbara and I’m a digital nomad. I’ve been on the road since November 2014, telling my followers about my life of travels around the world: I’m writing on my blog Barbaralicious and in my books about my experiences as a location-independent online-entrepreneur.

What do you enjoy most about travelling?
I love that I can work from wherever I want to – which is mostly close to the sea. At the same time, I meet so many people with a similar way of life.

Why do you think travelling is important?
Travelling makes people grow. You learn a lot about the world AND about yourself.

What is your favourite photograph from your travels?



I don’t really have ONE favourite photo. But I really like this one taken last week in Amman. It’s an old palace in the sunset.

Which is your favourite – sun, snow, sea, city, mountains, country?
I love the sun and the sea! I always try to choose a warm country with a coast. I loved Brasil for example and I had a great time in Thailand. But every country is special in its own way. My favourite cities are NYC and Rio de Janeiro

Who do you usually travel with?

I usually hit the road by myself. I even wrote a book about solo travelling called TRAVEL SOLO (you can find it under “my books” on my blog or on Amazon).

If you were to give one piece of travel advice what would it be?
Travel alone at least once in your life. Get out of your comfort zone and learn as much as you can about yourself. You will be surprised 🙂

Tell us the funniest story or a mishap from one of your adventures?

Ok, well… I never told this to anybody until I wrote it in my first book about my trip around the world. I was in El Calafate, a village in south Patagonia, Argentina. I was walking behind some small houses where the dormitories of my hostel were. Suddenly I fell in a cesspit. Yes, I fell in a hole filled with nothing else than shit. It wasn’t funny at all… I was super embarrassed, but everybody loves this story in my book and thinks it’s super funny.

Where is your favourite place that you’ve been to?
I don’t have one. But I enjoyed Koh Lanta, Thailand, and Jericoacoara, Brasil, a lot! At the same time, I’m totally in love with Rio and New York.

Tell us one place/experience on your bucket list?
I want to see all 7 New Wonders of the World. Now that I’ve been to Petra last week, there are only two left: the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall.


To find more from Barbara you can find her here

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The High Line in NYC 

On my most recent trip to NYC one thing I really wanted to experience was The High Line. I’d heard about it from friends, witnessed lust worthy snaps on Instagram and started seeing it pop up on all the ‘must see in NYC’ lists on Pinterest. So I wasn’t going to be leaving the big apple on my next visit until I had got there!

The High Line is a linear urban park in Chelsea and the Meat Packing District of Manhattan. It’s been upcycled from an old disused railway that was due for demolition. A preservation society worked with the council to turn it into what we now know as the High Line. It’s such a clever concept and I’m sure there is lots of other parks like this all over the world. I have seen pictures of one in Paris and believe it was the initial inspiration for The High Line. I mean seriously what a clever clogs to think of having a park running amongst the high rises. It’s kinda like playing in the sky just below the clouds. They must have got some funny looks when they first proposed it.
It’s roughly just over a mile long and is a really easy walk. It’s just so beautiful and quickly became one of my favourite places!! Sights of the city and river all around you yet you feel like you aren’t surrounded by one of the biggest cities in the world. You get such a different view of the skyline and a little insight into NYC away from the hub of midtown.
It can get busy so you may want to try and avoid mid day but to me the people added to the experience. We saw some very interesting characters on our visit from excitable tourists, to NYC locals out running to Billy Connolly and even a lady taking her dog out for a walk in a pram. Taking the term furbaby a little too far.
Along with the city sights and the characters you also have wonderful views of the Hudson, street art dotted along the park and the actual tracks that have been preserved so you can see a glimpse into what it was in a previous life. It really has been executed so cleverly. There is a lot of benches along the line so always a place to sit if you want to take your time and breathe in your surroundings and or just to rest your weary legs.
I thoroughly loved our walk along the High Line and will ensure I go back again and again on my next visits. It really was a nice little escape from the hustle and bustle of the NYC experience.
Here is my 5 things for your trip to the High Line

  1. Take your time you don’t need to rush here
  2. Observe. Look up, look down, look out, look EVERYWHERE
  3. Wrap up if visit in Autumn or winter it can get a little chilly especially by the Hudson
  4. Do a tour be it stargazing or food related or even try and witness an outside opera
  5. Take in the history of the urban park. Notice the railway sleepers in the boardwalk, look at the buildings and structures surrounding.

Have you been to the High Line or a similar park? If so would love to hear your thoughts!

There is so many great places to explore in New York. One I would have loved to visit would have been Williamsburg (save that for next time!) but you should check out this great guide from our friends at Do You Salut