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The art of conscious travel
“I think I’ve done this before,” I say to my partner as I try to piece together memories. The vision – the feeling - tugging at my memory is on the chairlift. I was young and concerned my shoes were...
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Falling for the mountain
Some places get under your skin. They draw you in and then draw you back. Over time a connection forms. The adventures and memories build and suddenly it means something. With each visit you unlock...
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Adelaide’s still got it
As a kid, family holidays were rare. I grew up on a dairy farm so my parents didn’t really get annual leave. When we did go away, it was usually to visit my grandparents. That meant a trip to Port...
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A Book Lover’s Guide to Melbourne
We hopped off the north-bound #8 tram and continued up the street. Since leaving the city centre we’d travelled through some questionable-looking neighbourhoods, but my map assured me we were in the...
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A rough start
Asleep in a sausage-like row of hikers in sleeping bags, my eyes snap open. The wind, which has terrorised me all day, is now threatening to rip the roof off the hut. Just how sturdy is this wooden...
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Finding my feet
I spend a lot of time looking at the ground. If my eyes aren’t on my own boots, they study those of the walker ahead as I watch their careful footsteps through a boggy stretch. Some branches offer a...
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A failed summit
I have developed a possibly irrational fear of leeches. It started the night before. After my first warm day on the Overland Track I felt like a wash. The wet wipes weren’t cutting it anymore. Ignoring...
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The finish line
In every hut along the Overland Track there is a large sign outlining the leg ahead; kilometres, estimated time, elevation, landscape. The same details are in the official guide I’m carrying, but...
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Getting to know Albania
We had finished our drinks on the top floor of Hotel Tomari when Dorjan and Nevila spoke quickly in Albanian. “It is late,” Nevila explained. We’d watched the sun set over Berat, the City of a...
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Steaming into the wilderness
His arms told the story. Both were covered with scars; the price of long days in front of the boiler. His cap was also worse for wear – tattered around the edges and painted with soot. It doesn’t look...
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And then she said ‘beautiful’
The streets called to us at breakfast. Despite the early hour the sticky heat smacked my skin as we left our hotel. Sukhumvit was bustling – cars, buses, motorbikes and tuk tuks competed on the main...
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What’s old is new again
The Borek Shop was clearly a crowd favourite. People crammed at the counter, eyeing off the oven at the back. While they waited for a fresh piece of spicy lamb or cheese and spinach, one of the ladies...
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Your guide to an amazing adventure in Tasmania
For a small state, Tasmania packs a lot in. Think you can tackle it in a long weekend? Think again. To give you an idea of what you’re in for, I’ve compiled a list of 100 things to do in Tasmania. This...
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The street I shouldn’t tell you about
There is a fine line between a place existing peacefully off the beaten path, and finding itself slap-bang on the tourist trail. It’s a line on which Rue Crémieux is wavering. The small street in...
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Quick guide to the North Coast 500
The US has Route 66. Australia, the Great Ocean Road. The Ring Road will take you around Iceland, and The Garden Route up the coast of South Africa. But what about in Scotland? Here, my friends, lies...
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My favourite places to eat in Melbourne
I don’t write a lot of posts like this, but after several indulgent trips to Melbourne in the last year or so, I decided it was time I shared my dining discoveries. Finding good food in Melbourne is...
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Where to find a scrumptious breakfast in Melbourne
Melbourne might be all about the coffee, but in case you need a little more sustenance, here’s some suggestions of where to get the most important meal of the day. Seven Seeds It’s official. I’ve found...
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Sympathy for the devil
Mortimer spends his days in an enclosure all to himself, tucked away from the high-traffic areas where the juvenile devils and some joeys delight tourists. At the ripe old age of six, he’s earned a pen...
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Flirting with Orkney
Should we or shouldn’t we? A decision that seemed easy, had become agonising. Nothing was in our favour. Not the weather, time or money. It would cost £140 ($250) for a return trip on the ferry. We’d...
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The hidden courtyards
From the outside, New Parliament House is an intimidating symbol of strength and power. The Italian marble facade and manicured lawns give little away about what lies within. It’s not quite the most...
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