Whether you have your own bike, pick up one from Melbourne's fantastic Bike Share programme or hire one from Rentabike by the river below Federation Square, you are in for a treat cycling in Melbourne. Melbourne has some great rides which I am going to try out over the next few days. Rentabike have a great map you can take with you, and also do tours if you want to have a guide. They also have electric bikes (always my first … [Read more...]
Women’s Road Trip Australia
Rensina Van den Heuvel loves road trips - she has driven across Mongolia, Morocco, Africa, Europe and parts of Australia. Read about some of her road trips here In August Rensina is doing a trip to Mongolia - more about that here Uluru Base Walk Now she is inviting women to join her on the budget road trip of a lifetime Brisbane in Queensland to Adelaide, to Alice Springs and returning to Brisbane. It will be a BYO … [Read more...]
New Zealand – don’t hire a campervan
A lot of visitors to New Zealand hire a campervan as a great way to get around, but in doing so they are missing out on one of the magic things about New Zealanders - their hospitality. Don't Miss out on a Taste of Kiwi Hospitality... If you must hire a campervan - my suggestion is hire it in the South Island - from Christchurch and return. There are lots of flights in and out of Christchurch, even some international ones, and it saves you … [Read more...]
What is a Bach?
A Bach is a peculiarly New Zealand word to describe a rustic holiday home. It can be in the mountains or by the beach or lake. It is definitely never in suburbia. Rosemary is a New Zealander who loves Baches and what they represent Five things you should know about NZ Baches... 1. A Bach is rustic – by this I mean they usually look like they could do with some repairs, or a paint, the garden is often non existent or a bit overgrown. … [Read more...]
Papua New Guinea
Beth Whitman of Wander Tours says there is not much that can tear her away from a Seattle summer. Here's the exception: Papua New Guinea!!! She is now away for her eighth trip to this incredibly diverse and extraordinary destination, which coincides with the Mt. Hagen Singsing festival each August. 75 - 100 tribes from around the country descend upon showgrounds to sing, dance and drum in a cacophony of sound like nothing you've ever … [Read more...]
Getting around in New Zealand and Australia – instead of a car – try a train or fly
Many people coming to New Zealand or Australia want to hire a campervan to do their whole trip. My suggestions is think in a more varied way flying between some centres, catching a train or bus, or hiring a small car. New Zealand suggestions For your international flights - try flying into Auckland and out of Christchurch or vice versa instead of in and out of Auckland Hire a car to drive north of Auckland - not many tourists make time … [Read more...]
Cycle New Zealand – Great Walks and Great Rides
For many years doing one of the New Zealand Great Walks was on everyone's bucket list. Now you can do a Great Ride - Cycle New Zealand! I have never met anyone who did not have New Zealand on their bucket list - even those of us who live here have more of New Zealand they want to see. And one of the great features is our scenery - in a small country we have everything from Glaciers to hot pools, beaches to lakes, sand dunes to … [Read more...]
Gunnadoo – your base to explore Northern Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef
If Northern Queensland is not on your bucket list, then it should be... Great Barrier Reef Daintree National Park Mossman - Ngadiku Dreamtime Walks I was there 10 years ago and stayed at the Pink Flamingo in Port Douglas, a very gay friendly funky boutique motel in Port Douglas. For the past 8 years Gigi and Andrea have been the lovely hosts at Pink Flamingo, but all things come to an end, the motel has been sold and … [Read more...]
Discovering Uluru at Your Own Pace – Cycle Uluru
Forget climbing the rock - cycle Uluru! I’m more of an off-the-beaten-track kind of a traveler, a nature enthusiast who falls madly in love with all things timeless. It’s the magnificent giants of our time that completely captivate my desire to roam, and so, as an avid hiker, an adventure-seeker, it made all the more sense for me to finally visit the famous outback of Australia and Uluru. But there’s so much more to this wilderness, an … [Read more...]
Rarotonga – a Threatened Paradise?
We loved our recent trip to Rarotonga (read about it here), but we were concerned about the loss of coral, the growth of weed - it looks like we as visitors are contributing to the decline of the very thing that makes this place special. Sadly it looks like Rarotonga and New Zealand have a lot in common - once pristine environments now under increasing pressure from economic development that is threatening the very things that make them … [Read more...]
