Gabus was telling us to cross our legs, lay back and brace for the worst. Till now, a lovely river raft on the Telaga Waja had been serene sailing. Sure,...
21 Aug 2017
If you are devoid of a Russian history major prior to your visit to Saint Petersburg you may find yourself looking vacantly at testaments to distant Tsars, peering curiously at...
15 Aug 2017
The Italian Riviera in summer brings visions of dramatic sheer cliffs, pebbled beaches and pinstriped cabanas. You might also imagine endless boats moored in exclusive marinas with party-goers on the...
10 Aug 2017
Standing in the Jungle Room of Graceland. I feel the mastery and extravagance of Elvis exude from the walls. I imagine he and his entourage lounging about. Drinks and drugs...
08 Aug 2017
The Trans-Siberian Railway. The classic multi-day rail journey across Russia to the far east of Asia. Siberia is as desolate as it is beautiful, no matter the season. Much has...
03 Aug 2017
Rome in mid summer. Think heat. Think crowds. Think stress. Whether travelling solo or in a tour, all roads (and tourists) lead to Rome, particularly it's historic attractions. There is...
04 Jul 2017
Dog barking competitions, suitcase slaloms, assault courses in your underwear, live music and the awesome back drop of snowy capped mountains. It can only be the Queenstown Winter Festival! In...
23 May 2017
A true rags to riches story. Abu Dhabi has emerged as a tourist hotspot. Take theme parks, race tracks and action packed deserts. Add a devout Muslim culture and pioneering...
24 Apr 2017
Money makes the world go around. And, it also makes you go around the world! There is no avoiding it. It is also a myth that travel is expensive. It can...
24 Apr 2017
Travel planning. You either love it or you hate it. You may love doing in depth research about where to go, what time is best what to see, where to...
05 Jan 2017
It's 6am and five or so diesel engines are emitting that distinctive idling noise. The diesel engines in the bellies of a fleet of safari-equipped 4WD's are waiting at the gate to...
03 Jan 2017
It was with some trepidation that Erin and I left the safety of our traditional homestay in the main traveller's hub of Ella in the Sri Lankan hills. Aboard a small scooter, we...
01 Jan 2017
The situation was. Peak travel season in Sri Lanka for tourists and locals alike. The famous Kandy to Ella train ride through the hilly tea plantations was fully booked. 2nd...
31 Dec 2016
A four hour taxi ride from Dalhousie, near Adam's Peak had us arriving in Kandy. Visions of a town made up of confectionary were soon dashed upon entering the hustle...
29 Dec 2016
As far as mountain names go, Adam's Peak is as simple as you get. Alongside Everest, the Matterhorn or Acongagua it seems quite plain. But this is Sri Lanka where...
28 Dec 2016
A three hour drive out of Yallingup has us arriving at Perth International airport. Driven promptly and efficiently by our driver Dennis. Dennis hailed from the USA originally but had...
31 Oct 2016
Our Halloween began with a scene out of American Horror Story. Our Lafayette Airbnb creaked and moaned all night, cats mysteriously appeared from nowhere and then disappeared just as quickly....
23 Oct 2016
After a night in what can only be described as a truckstop, Texacarna, Arkansas was an experience. Between our stay at a Motel 6, our dinner at Applebees and breakfast...
12 Sep 2016
Pumphouse Point is a world-class luxury hotel in one of the most isolated wilderness areas of in the world. It combines adventure, eco-tourism, unique yet welcome dining and jaw-dropping views...
16 Aug 2016
The bite from the travel bug is an unforgiving one. The effects of which may go unnoticed for some time. You may begin to be aware that friends and family...
20 Jul 2016
It was hard to believe that after only one day in Greve in Chianti we'd be invited out to dinner. Even more curious was that we had been befriended by...
14 Jul 2016
`"They're pointing to his bike, he needs a bike..." claimed legendary Tour de France commentator Phil Liggett. Yellow jersey holder and defending champion Chris Froome is running in cycling cleats...
09 Jul 2016
A piper is playing an infectious and lively tune. Twenty middle-aged men in lycra dance merrily on a hairpin bend on the road. A colourful mob of Columbians are adorned in...
20 May 2016
6 days. 5 nights. 80 kilometres. The Overland track in numbers. Getting away from civilisation and walking the old trails of trappers and early settlers in a beautiful and dramatic...
31 Jan 2016
A '10km moderate walk' said the sign at the beginning of the Canoelands Ridge Trail, accessed logically by Canoelands Rd, Canoelands in the rural north west of Sydney just past...
31 Dec 2015
New Years Eve, island style. Our final day in Maui and it called for some beach action. Beauty of an Island like Maui is you can get anywhere quickly with...
26 Dec 2015
Nursing a mild hangover on boxing day, the day after Christmas, Erin and I were contemplating the prospect of working the days between Christmas and New Year while most had the...
29 Nov 2015
Matamanoa translates to 'Eye of the strong wind' in Fijian culture. Yet it was more of a soothing tropical breeze that filtered through the row of dancing palm trees on...
05 Jun 2015
A short drive north of Sydney before reaching Gosford on the M3 you turn off to Peats Ridge. Soon after you will find the entrance to Glenworth Valley. A multi-purpose...
17 Apr 2015
I'd never missed a flight before. This was not a record I was tracking closely or even particularly proud of. I supposed it was something of an achievement. Not a...
15 Apr 2015
Border crossings these days have lost the romantic appeal of yesteryear. Today you can drive across Europe, pass through 20 odd countries and never once get out your passport. Conversely...
10 Apr 2015
Swing freely like Jane and Tarzan between the treetops of an old growth rainforest and stay in rustic treehouses. Participate in a harmonious balance between tourism and conservation by helping...
22 Mar 2015
Thinking Maldives, thinking over water bungalow's. Could the same be obtained with a trusty camping hammock? It was in Woollamia we decided to find out. Staying on the Currambene river...
10 Feb 2015
About 40km out of Lithgow, New South Wales you will find Newnes. Situated at the end of a dusty dirt road it is signposted as 'The place that money can't...
26 Jan 2015
Camping on a deserted beach less than an hours drive from Sydney may seem an impossible task. But that was the challenge set. After a bit of research online, a...
15 Sep 2014
Finding a truly deserted beach to camp on these days is a pretty tough find. So, by the time we were sitting back in our camping hammocks, with a beer...
14 Sep 2014
Doing business in Borneo is a peculiar affair. Our hire car was acquired by meeting a man outside a supermarket in Kota Kinabalu. Our campground was found by visiting a laundromat...
12 Sep 2014
Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain on the island of Borneo. Kinabalu stands at 4095m above sea level and is reported as a two day hike to the summit of...
09 Sep 2014
On the Malaysian portion of the island of Borneo, a few hours drive west from Kota Kinabalu, lies Poring Springs. Located at the end of the road, Poring Springs is...
28 Jan 2014
Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina. This is the jumping off point for most trips to Antarctica and also known as 'Fin Del Mundo' meaning 'End of the world'. It truly...
16 Jan 2014
The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust staffs the most southern post office in the world located at Port Lockroy on the Antarctic Peninsula. This remote outpost attracts a resilient crew over the...
13 Jan 2014
Camping on an Antarctic glacier during a blizzard is perhaps not everyone's idea of a happy birthday. Yet this is what I found myself waking to on my 37th lap of...
05 Jan 2014
Sailing into Paradise Bay evokes images of palm trees and white sandy beaches. Instead Paradise Bay, Antarctica is surrounded by towering snow covered mountains. These dispense icebergs the size of...
01 Jan 2014
Many New Years Day's are started with a late greasy breakfast, potentially on the sofa watching re-runs of How I Met Your Mother, or instead, taking a dip in the...
14 Jul 2013
I spotted a lone figure in the distance. This shimmering haze on the horizon slowly materialised into a white cloth-clad figure shuffling alone in the vacant landscape. Slowing to a...
25 Mar 2013
Arriving into Changi airport my phone buzzes with an incoming message while in the customs queue. "No Signboard 414 Geylang road, Geylang". Sender was unknown. Certainly a cryptic welcome message...
02 Feb 2013
Running to the southernmost point on the Australian mainland seemed like a good incentive. The Wilson's Promontory National Park also contributed great scenery, including huge granite mountains, open forests, and...
12 Sep 2011
I walk down the corridor leading away from my room. The receptionist, Natasha is scurrying toward me in a distraught state. "Gun, gun" is all she can verbally muster. She...
10 Sep 2011
Awake 4am for a 5am departure. It is dark, cold and still. Today we reach Machu Picchu on the final day of the Inca Trail. Packing up camp Allison decides...
07 Sep 2011
Inca trail beckoned after a 2 day acclimitisation in the quaint town of Cusco. A relatively civilised wake up time of 6am for a 7am departure. We meet our Inca...
04 Sep 2011
Get a sleep in before a taxi arrives to take us back to Cusco. Let the acclimitisation begin! Our base camp being Torre Dorada Hotel which we arrive at after...
03 Sep 2011
Early start. Note to self, LAN domestic flights require a check in 2 hours prior to take off! Seems like we are last to check in and get bundled up...
01 Sep 2011
Forgive me if I start this article with Inca Cola. Sure, you are expecting to read about the majestic Amazon jungle but first you must learn about Inca Cola. It's...
28 Aug 2011
You know you're travelling when you wake up not knowing where you are, what time it is and what you're supposed to be doing next. It's 5:30am, in Buenos Aires...
27 Sep 2010
The overnight train from Varanasi continues till 7am. Our elderly guest packs away his belongings into his briefcase and is ready for his day of business in Delhi. We on...
25 Sep 2010
Awake to the clickity clack of the overnight train from Agra into Varanasi. Slept pretty well and with no reason to get up, slept through to 10 am. We arrive...
23 Sep 2010
We had passed the 3rd level of security. The small group of tourists was down to 12. We felt like Charlie visiting Willy Wonka's chocolate factory clasping our golden tickets....
22 Sep 2010
We awake early on the first day of our India travels and take a stroll out to the Gateway of India. Being early we awaken some of the locals who...
01 Oct 2009
'Are you going, to San Fran-Cisco?' Well we are. That line never gets old as we make our way south from Sonoma near the Napa Valley. About as fitting as...
30 Sep 2009
An hour's drive from Berkeley and we were in Sonoma. The little sister of Napa, the major town of this winery region north of San Francisco. We pulled into the...
29 Sep 2009
Start the ignition on the Mustang to begin the Big Sur roadtrip. Clock turns on showing 9am precisely. Nothing strange about that except that the two previous mornings of our...
27 Sep 2009
Las Vegas to Yosemite National Park. Thinking Google maps told me it was 400km away I was surprised to see it then would take 9 hours. Seems an awfully slow...
02 Mar 2009
Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa is an impressive sight. Arising from the surrounding plains as a single volcanic peak adds a certain level of majesty. Our party of...
04 Jun 2007
I never had Makarska at the top of my desired destinations list. In fact it wasn't in the middle or at the bottom either. It wasn't there at all simply...
03 Jun 2007
I drew a rough map in the red-orange Saharan sand. The persistent wind erased my efforts within a few seconds. My last form of communication was now exhausted. I looked past...
02 Jan 2006
Very hot in Utila which is an island off the Caribbean coast of Honduras. Being Caribbean it has it's own culture and English is widely spoken along with a form...
25 Dec 2005
Christmas day. And looks like we may get to experience the full 24 hours allocated to this special day. From midnight the intensity of fireworks hit a crescendo as a...
24 Dec 2005
Christmas Eve. What better day to climb a volcano. A 6am start as the pre-arranged bus arrives at the door of the Yellow House. Martina and I hop in having been...
19 Dec 2005
First day of Spanish School in San Pedro. Martina got us each a traditional German 1st day of school gift. A brown paper bag of sweets. Sweet! Upon arrival to...
17 Dec 2005
We had enjoyed a very decent meal in Santa Cruz the night before. Prepared by our German host it was a 6 course degustation meal. Totally at odds with what we...
15 Dec 2005
Chichicastenango sounds like a made up place for a town. It is the type of name that warrants a little jig each time I say it. Each time trying to...
11 Dec 2005
After a much needed sleep from the previous day's travels we are up early. Our accommodation is in a wooden hut perched on a hill. We are not in the main...
09 Dec 2005
There's always a risk when travelling that you'll have a bad day. You know it's going to happen, just not when. All began peacefully with a journey north via taxi...
04 Dec 2005
We have breakfast with the yachtie set on the Rio Dulce. We say adios to Capt John and the Windy Dancer and also to Sean our Canadian companion. Although we...
02 Dec 2005
The power in Placencia was intermittent. Being very hot and humid we noticed quickly when the fans stopped during the night bringing with it uncomfortable heat before the power kicked...
29 Nov 2005
So we decide we need to keep moving on our Central American trip. With no itinerary it was difficult to leave Tulum . It was a great spot to get assimilated...
24 Nov 2005
On a bus south to Tulum. The bus stopping all around town drumming up business before eventually departing. Little did we know this is very common practice in Central America....
16 Nov 2005
After escaping the wet, cold misery of Vancouver we found ourselves in Cancun to begin our Central American adventure. We head to Isla Mujeres for a few days which is...
31 Oct 2005
Snow drifts sweep across the road. Elk and deer dart in front of the headlights. We'd stop if there were any towns nearby yet we must push on to Jasper...
19 Oct 2005
If time is on your side, take the train. A good rule to live by. Trains generally arrive in the centre of town, have more space and you are free...
02 Oct 2005
Get a bus from Boston to New York. Getting buses is difficult enough but when you have two large bags each it becomes very cumbersome! We arrive at the NYC...
26 Sep 2005
Board the bus in Moncton which crosses the border into the USA not too far down the road. As Aussies we get a more than thorough interrogation although one guy...
22 Sep 2005
Head down the Atlantic coast from Cape Breton towards Halifax. A long drive and we are a bit over it after arriving into town. We look for a place to...
20 Sep 2005
Arrive into Nova Scotia off the car ferry from Prince Edward Island. We head towards the Cape Breton National park. Home to one of the world's most scenic drives. A...
16 Sep 2005
Arrive in Moncton, New Brunswick after an early flight from Toronto. Pick up our hire car and opt once again for a PT Cruiser to sort us out for our...
06 Sep 2005
Train journey to Quebec City is peaceful snaking alongside the St Lawrence river. Train station in Quebec City is outside the walls of the old city and at the bottom...
04 Sep 2005
Having left jobs in Sydney for 12 months to travel we soon found ourselves in Toronto, working. So after 4 months we decided to chuck our jobs in again and...
17 Jul 2005
Allison and I plus Cath and Marty hit the road in our hire car to Tobermory on the Bruce Penninsula which is about 4 hours drive north of Toronto. Cruise...
24 Jun 2005
Having experienced a few days of a bitterly cold winter in Toronto a few months earlier, spending time in the summer months seemed a better alternative. So on return it was...
05 Jun 2005
While working out of Toronto for 6 months an easy and obvious side trip was the iconic Niagara Falls. Allison and myself plus Toronto co-conspirators, Cathy and Marty, get a bus...
