Finding the universe

7 Super Shots

2012-02-23T13:26:00.001+01:00

There is a lovely blog meme running around the web at the moment, started by hostelbookers, with the idea being that travel bloggers share seven photos from their travels. Not just any old photos though, these photos have to match the following seven categories:

A photo that…takes my breath away
A photo that…makes me laugh or smile
A photo that…makes me dream
A photo that…makes me think
A photo that…makes my mouth water
A photo that…tells a story
A photo that…I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot)

I was nominated to take part in this by the lovely Erin of De La Pura Vida (and if you’re heading to Costa Rica, you should definitely check her site out!). Photography being one of my main passions, I’m obviously very excited to be able to take part.. the only tough thing was picking the photos!

A photo that…takes my breath away

This is one of my favourite HDR photos I’ve done, a combination of three different shots blended together to produce this one. I absolutely love the clouds and the sky, presided over by the absolutely spectacular Mount Taranaki in New Zealand.

I was overwhelmed by how popular this shot was on my facebook page. It really seemed to resonate with the locals of the Taranaki region, many of whom said I had managed to paint their mountain in a way they had never seen it. Many thanks to the involvement of the Taranaki Regional tourism board on facebook for helping to share this :)

I climbed Taranaki while I was out in New Zealand, and it is by far my favourite day hike in New Zealand. Although it will take your breath away ;)

A photo that…makes me laugh or smile

Like its antipodean neighbour, New Zealand is a country with an obsession with giant things. Quite what makes a village think that the only thing that is missing from its sight seeing list is a gigantic concrete carrot is beyond me, but it makes for some photographic opportunities. I’m sure you can think of your own joke to insert for this one ;)

A photo that…makes me dream

A rainbow. And a sunset! And New Zealand’s southern alps in the background, dusted in snow. It is the stuff that dreams are made of, which was a theme for most of my trip around New Zealand. This was just one of the most spectacular natural sights I’ve ever seen, in a land that provided no end of them. If you’ve not been to New Zealand yet, get going. It’s an amazing place!

A photo that…makes me think

In June 1944, a German SS Panzer division rolled into the town of Oradour-Sur-Glane in rural France, rounded up 642 town people, and executed them. The women and children were taken to the church to be shot and then burned alive, whilst the men were dealt with in a barn. The town has been preserved ever since in the state it was left in on that day.

It’s not a happy place to visit, but it makes me think as to the sadness and unspeakable acts that still go on around us in the world today, nearly seventy years on.

A photo that…makes my mouth water

I’ve never really gotten into taking photos of my food, mostly because I want to eat it too fast. Still, I was very proud of this smoked tuna salad that I put together whilst travelling through New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula. So here’s a photo of that.

A photo that…tells a story

On the east coast of Australia, there are a number of coastal towns which feature breakwaters composed of kilometre long stretches of jumbled up bits of rock. It has become a bit of a thing to write things on these rocks. Whilst most of the writing are of the fairly banal “I was here” type, sometimes you are lucky and come across something a little more significant.

I’m not sure what drove the author to share with the world via the medium of a rock this piece of news, nor what role the rock had in the pregnancy. But there is a definite story here.

A photo that…I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot)

This photo, of Antony Gormley’s Inside Australia art installation in Western Australia, won me the weekly travel photography competition in the Times of England, no less. Which was pretty exciting. It is also, handily, the correct alignment for a National Geographic cover. Still waiting on that call…

All that remains is for me to tell the internet that “I am taking part in HostelBookers 7 Super Shots.” If you want to see more posts like this one from other bloggers, check out the twitter hashtag #7SuperShots. Also, I should nominate some other bloggers! So, in no particular order…

Gary from Everything Everywhere
Michael from Go, See, Write
Theodora from Travels with a Nine Year Old
Pete and Dalene of Hecktic Travels
Raymond, from Man on the Lam.

You’re next!

Travel blogging tips from the experts: Nomadic Samuel

2012-02-21T10:48:00.001+01:00

In today’s travel blogging tips article, I’m delighted to be featuring Samuel Jeffrey, better known as the man behind Nomadic Samuel, as well as the happy smiling faces of Smiling Faces Travel Photos.

Samuel burst onto the travel blogging scene with a tremendous bang last July, getting the sort of positive start that most folk dream of. Today he talks about how he got to where he is today, what drives him to blog, and his aspirations for his sites. Take it away Samuel!

Tell us a little bit about Samuel and your site, nomadicsamuel.com?

Nomadic Samuel was created on July 1st, 2011. I've personally been living overseas for six consecutive years and I wanted to share my stories, photos, videos, tips and resources with a larger audience than just family and friends. My only wish is that I would have started it sooner :P

My blog features a daily travel photo and a daily travel video of the day and I also offer articles based on ESL, travel photography tips, destinations, photo essays and quirky travel stories. As far as style is concerned, I'd like to think I cover both the positive and negative aspects of travel with a healthy dose of sarcasm and humour thrown in for good measure.

How do you define success in terms of your travel blog?

That's a great question! I think for me personally, it's a combination of connecting with my readers, growing my audience and eventually making a career out of what I do. I'm passionate about travel and there is nothing else I'd rather be doing with my life.

Speaking of success - you burst onto the travel blogging scene very quickly and achieved some impressive metrics early on - what do you think were the reasons for your rapid success?

Thank you! I'm humbled by how supportive the travel blogging community is in general. Without that support, I would not have been able to achieve much to date. I think a few factors have helped contribute to my blog growing at a decent rate.

Firstly, I have a lot of experience travelling, backpacking and living overseas in a variety of different roles. Secondly, I've really taken an interest in photography and video projects and prior to starting my blog, I had stock-piled a large amount of these resources. Thirdly, I post frequently, network with other bloggers, guest post, do interviews, stumble, tweet, comment and do my best to promote my materials and the materials of other travel bloggers.

Having adequate resources and talent is not enough. You really need to push your materials - especially in the beginning stages of your blog.

Where do you want your travel blog to be in the next year?

I'm currently pleased with the formula I have for my main site right now. If I continue with the daily travel photos, daily travel videos and 3-4 pillar articles per week (longer materials that are on my homepage) my site will hopefully continue to grow at a steady rate.

I'm actually working on four niche sites right now and rebuilding my youtube travel channel from scratch. I had previously been using music that was not creative commons with an attribution-commercial license. It was a difficult decision to dismantle thousands of hours worth of work, but I'm pleased to do things properly this time and I'll have the potential to monetize certain videos that achieve over a thousand views in the future.

Do you follow any metrics in terms of traffic analysis / site ranking, and how important do you think these are?

When I first started out, I slavishly would check my Google Analytics and Alexa ranking. Now I don't care so much about either of those. What I'm more concerned with now are my SEOMOZ rankings: Domain Authority, Page Authority and MozRank metrics; however, I would caution others from really caring too much about any of these.

Growth for your site will occur naturally if you have a formula of consistent effort that includes a regular posting schedule, promotion, networking and connecting with your audience.

Which social networks are you active on, and what tips would you give for success on these?

I'm most active on Stumble Upon and Twitter. I feel as though Stumble Upon is slowly decreasing in terms of it effectiveness and I'm considering some other options such as Pinterest.

To maximize your use of Stumble Upon, I would suggest installing the toolbar, following others within your niche, stumbling often and sharing no more than 4 articles a week with others. I un-follow those who send several articles per day. Nobody has time to keep up with that! However, sending an article roughly every other day, ensures that you're going to have the support of others who will stumble it, provided you do the same for them.

As far as twitter is concerned, I find a good balance of posting your own materials, retweeting others and being social is an ideal scene. Unfortunately, I don't feel I've achieved that yet personally. I'd like to be more social on Twitter than what I am currently now.

What other techniques have you used to improve your traffic, and how successful have these been?

The biggest technique I've used other than social media promotion is guest posting on other blogs and doing interviews such as these. I rarely turn down such a generous opportunity. The benefits are numerous. You get the opportunity to share your materials with a new audience and build back-links to your travel blog. Conversely, the host blog gets great free content to share on their site. It's a total win-win situation. Moreover, you develop a closer relationship with the partner blogger which is equally as beneficial. I'll never forget somebody who has contributed a guest post to my site or vice versa.

What sort of time commitment do you put in to your travel blog on a weekly basis?

LOL! I'd be scared to admit the time commitment I put in right now. It's basically every single second that I'm not eating, sleeping, exercising or travelling. I've sacrificed my social life to a great extent, but I certainly have plans to scale things back when my blog has become more self-sufficient.

What have you found to be the hardest thing about running a travel blog, and how do you overcome this?

I've found the hardest thing is managing every sphere that is necessary to run a successful blog. If one spends too much time on content they're not networking or using social media enough. Even if those three things are taken care of maybe your inbox is piling up. I find it very hard to keep up with it all! I haven't found the right balance yet. Additionally, one has to find the time to travel as well. What's the point of having a travel blog if you can't enjoy the passion that is behind all of it.

If you started your blog today, what would you differently?

If I started my travel blog today, I would wish I had started it 7 months ago (when I actually did) and if I can be even a bit more cheeky, I would have started it a few years ago. I think it's a much harder climate to break in right now than it was before. There are a lot of travel blogs these days.

As far as mistakes that I've personally made, I wish I had of done my youtube travel videos properly the first time. It's going to take me a long time (possibly a year or more) to build up my resources to where they were previously.

If you have questions or problems with your site, where do you go to find answers?

There are two fantastic Facebook forums for travel bloggers. One is Global Blogger Network and the other is Travel Bloggers. When I've posted a question, more often than not, I've received an excellent answer or piece of advice within minutes/hours.

Travel blogging is becoming more and more popular. How do you differentiate yourself in such a crowded market?

I think the best thing is just to be yourself and not to compete with others. I love the community spirit that exists where we (as bloggers) tend to help one another. I don't try to intentionally differentiate myself from others, but a few advantages I may have include my extensive experiences as a backpacker and as an ESL teacher. Additionally, I have a large catalogue of photos and videos that have been built up over the years.

There is no short-cut to achieving this. I've needed six years abroad to get to where I am today in all of those areas.

And finally, what advice would you give to people running, or thinking about setting up, their own travel blog?

I would say go for it! Don't wait too long like I did :P A few bits of practical advice would be to use Wordpress, find a SEO friendly theme and go self-hosted. Decide early on whether or not you want to do things casually or seriously. If you really want to grow your blog and audience an enormous amount of effort and hours come with the territory. On the other hand, if you are just interested in chronicling your trip, you can update whenever you feel motivated to do so.

Tremendous thanks to Samuel for taking the time to answer all my questions! Samuel is the wizard behind the curtain pulling the strings of Nomadic Samuel - Travel Blog - a travel site featuring photos, videos & quirky travel stories along with photography tips, interviews, esl tips, reviews and general travel advice.

Additionally, Samuel runs other related sites: Smiling Faces Travel Photos , Travel Photography Tips , Teach English Travel Overseas & How To Make Money Travel Blogging . You can get in touch with Samuel by following him on his Facebook Fan Page , Twitter , Stumble Upon , Youtube & Google + .

Perigueux: what have the Romans ever done for us?

2012-02-18T12:12:00.001+01:00

If the title of this blog post makes little sense to you, then you should pause your whole life for a couple of hours and go watch Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Done that? Good.

Perigueux is a town with a remarkably hard to spell name in the heart of France’s Dordogne. It is the administrative capital of the region, and has held the title of capital for some time, ever since 200BC in fact, back when the Gauls ran France.

Of course, the Romans put a bit of an end to that, with their rampant empire building, so for a few hundred years this was a serious Roman city, before the Romans gave up the whole empire thing and moved on to driving funky scooters and coming up with romance.

After the Romans came that dark bit of history that no-one seems to know much about, after which came the Middle Ages, during which time all kinds of embellishments appeared around the city, like the Cathedral, which is one of the sights on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage.

What all this history means is that Perigueux is a rather interesting place to wander around, filled as it is with relics from over 2000 years of history. So wander we did.

The initial approach to Perigueux is, it has to be admitted, not totally exciting. The town has sprawled beyond its Roman and medieval roots and moved on to being filled with the sort of large commercial parks that you would expect to find in any big town.

Close your eyes as you come into the town though, and all is well. Assuming someone else is driving of course. Or you’re reading this in the future where driverless cars have become the norm.

There are two main parts to the city that are of interest to the visitor – the old crumbling roman ruins, and the slightly newer and less crumbly medieval bits.

The Roman Bits

We started with the crumbly Roman ruins. We visited the remains of the temple of Vesunna, a Gallic goddess, which was built in the 2nd century AD. This is a fairly imposing bit of construction, measuring 27 metres in both height and in diameter. The original temple would have been much bigger – now only the central and most sacred part remains. And it looks good, for its age.

Beyond the temple we visited the very crumbly remains of the amphitheatre, now a public park, which has a children's playground in the middle and the ruins of the original seating around the rim. This was actually quite weird to walk around – the mix of ancient and new in the same place seemed quite out of place. Try imagining someone popping a couple of swings in the middle of the coliseum for an idea of what I mean.

After exploring further Roman ruins, and the burnt remains of the 12th century Barriere Castle, sacrificed in one of the regions wars of religion, we headed up to the medieval town centre.

The Medieval Bits

This is absolutely dominated by the St Front Cathedral – a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is more impressive on the outside than the in, covered as it is in little cupolas and domes. Inside it is cavernously vast and sparsely decorated, a far cry from the usual lavishness one finds in these places.

Around the cathedral the twisty mazes of the largely pedestrian only medieval town wind and wind, these are an explorers paradise, with countless little shops and restaurants tucked away to be discovered, and endless scope for wandering. Which we did, at some length, before finding somewhere to fill ourselves with excellent French food.

If you’re visiting the area, Perigueux is a must visit. It’s easy to get to and from, having both a train station and airport, and forms an excellent base for exploring the region. Beyond the town, there are no end of sights to see, from the town of Brantome to the endless castles of the region. You won’t run out of things to do!

Travel Tips
Perigueux

Tips for buying and selling a travellers vehicle in New Zealand

2012-02-14T18:06:00.001+01:00

If you’re heading to New Zealand for any length of time longer than a month, buying a vehicle is likely to be one of the most cost effective ways to see the country.

For example, renting a decent camper van for around a month is likely to cost you something in the region of $3000 - $4000 NZD. You can pick up a second hand camper van, depending on the time of year, for $2000 and up.

As well as being highly cost effective, the freedom of your own vehicle coupled with the wide spread availability of good value camping options gives you the opportunity to see the country at your own pace, and visit all of those funky little places that an organised tour may not be able to get you.

Here are some things that will help out when looking to purchase or sell a vehicle in New Zealand as a traveller, based on my experiences.

What to look for (or consider, when selling)

You are going to want to make sure that any vehicle you buy is mechanically sound. No buyer is going to reveal to you that they are trying to off load an oil leaking monster that barely makes it up a hill.

I’d recommend getting any vehicle that you are serious about purchasing checked at a garage. This won’t cost very much, and may save you a fortune in the long term.

On the flip side, if you are selling, keep copies of any services or garage visits that you have done. If you have invested time, money and love into your vehicle, demonstrating this to a buyer will reassure them that they are not buying a disaster.

When you are looking at a vehicle, there are some things to look out for:

Tell tale drips. Engines, as a rule, should not be an oil or fluid filled mess. Any savvy seller will clean up their vehicle before letting you inspect it, but any chronic oil or other fluid problem shouldn’t be too hard to spot. If you are inspecting a vehicle that has been sitting somewhere for a while, check underneath it to ensure that the ground isn’t coated in oil. Check for leaks again after the test drive.
Tyre tread. Don’t expect new tyres, but do check that the wear on the tyres is even – i.e. that one side of the tyre isn’t more worn that the other. Uneven tyre wear can mean problems with vehicle tracking, and may cost you money down the road.
Handling and engine. You will absolutely need to take the vehicle out on a test drive prior to purchase. Ensure that the brakes work properly, that it goes up and down through the gears smoothly, and that clouds of smoke don’t come out when you’re going up a hill, or accelerating hard, or even when you start it. Ensure that the vehicle doesn’t pull to one side, or the steering wheel vibrates terribly.
In an ideal world, you will be able to try and start it cold, although this may not always be possible. Listen to the engine for weird noises as you go along. Anything unusual could be a sign that something is wrong.
Fluid levels. It is worth checking the various levels in the vehicle to see if there is anything amiss. Any savvy seller will ensure things like the power steering fluid, brake fluid, radiator and oil levels are nicely topped up, but it doesn’t hurt to check. Any older vehicle is liable to burn some oil – ask how much.
Spare tyre. Check that there is one, what condition it is in, that you know how to access it, and that all the tyre changing kit is present and correct.
The add-ons. Don’t get too excited about the “accessories” that the vehicle may come with, or the funky paint job. These may be nice to have, but your purchasing decision really should be based on the mechanical soundness of the vehicle rather than the cute disco ball and funky flowers down the side. Nearly every travellers vehicle should come with a full set of cooking gear and other bits and bobs, probably handed down from traveller to traveller. Consider it a flavour enhancer.
Windscreen, paint and rust. New Zealand roads are not always smooth layers of hard black bitumen. In fact, it is inevitable that any vehicle you buy will have driven on a selection of exciting gravel roads. You’ll want to check that the windscreen doesn’t have any serious cracks as a result of this. Also, give the paint job a good look over. A cheap can of spray paint can hide a multitude of rust spots from a casual observer. And don’t forget to look at the roof too. Finally – check the exhaust system isn’t a crumbling rusted pipe.
General upkeep. Whilst the tidiness of a vehicle isn’t always a reflection on how good of a deal it is, a well kept vehicle is always going to be a more positive option. When selling, make your vehicle look as nice as it possibly can to attract buyers. When we were looking, one of the vehicles had a used condom on the floor. We didn’t dally on that one. This was ours, prior to a successful sale. Full marks to my better half on this particular accomplishment!

What to pay

Prices for vehicles in New Zealand for travellers fluctuate enormously depending on the time of year.

The peak season for buying and selling is between Oct/Nov and Jan/Feb, or the summer months. Prices can double or triple at these times, with vans going for anywhere upwards of $3000-4000, with over $7000 not being unheard of. Vehicles also sell very fast at this time of year, so if you find something you like you will have to move quickly.

Conversely, in the deep off season around Winter, April – August, prices crash, and you can pick up some serious bargains, with prices as low as $2000.

The price of a vehicle, as with anything, is entirely based on demand. Obviously, newer vehicles with lower mileage will cost more. Also, larger vehicles, such as long wheel base models, or vehicles with a high roof that let you stand up, will demand a premium.

If you are able to plan your trip accordingly, you could buy in the off peak and sell in the peak season, and actually make a small profit on your vehicle, which was what we managed to do. Which beats renting by some distance!

Documentation and paperwork

It is unlikely that any vehicle you purchase from a traveller is going to have anything approaching a full service history. However, there are some bits of documentation that any vehicle will need to have to make it road legal, that you will then need to hold onto for a sale.

WOF. The Warrant of Fitness is equivalent to Australia’s pink slip, or the UK MOT. It demonstrates that the vehicle is safe to go on the road. A WOF is valid for six months from time of purchase. Note that a WOF is not a mechanical certification – it is more about things like working lights, tire tread and seatbelts. It says nothing about the state of the engine. A WOF costs between $35 and $50. If the vehicle you are buying has a power hook up for camping, then it will also need an electrical WOF.
Rego. Registration is essentially your road tax, and can be bought in three, six, or twelve month blocks.
RUC. If you are buying a diesel powered vehicle, then you need to ensure it has an up to date Road User Charge certificate. For some weird reason in New Zealand, diesel is not taxed at the pump. Instead, you pay a charge per 1000km that you drive, of around $50, in advance.

When buying, you need to make sure that a vehicle has all of the above in place – normally these are displayed prominently on the windscreen. The REGO and RUC can be bought at any post office. A WOF can be done at most garages, or specialised WOF only centres.

You should be able to ask to see the last WOF report, which will highlight any problems that arose in the check - although holding onto this piece of paper isn’t a requirement of sale. The seller may also be able to show you the most recent service report, if there has been one. Don’t count on it though.

If you are selling, and you have regularly been keeping your vehicle serviced, being able to show this documentation will make your vehicle more attractive to a buyer.

Once you have agreed on a sale, there is a $10 fee to transfer ownership of the vehicle from seller to buyer. This is a very easy process requiring a couple of forms that can be done at any post office.

Where to buy and sell

The majority of travellers arrive into New Zealand in Auckland, which whilst not being New Zealand’s greatest city, is handy for getting yourself set up. Here you have a number of options for purchasing and selling.

Online

One of the most popular (and easiest) ways to sell a vehicle is online. There are a number of places to do this, although you should always arrange to view and test drive the vehicle if you are interested in it.

Gumtree New Zealand. We bought and sold our vehicle on gumtree. It’s probably the most popular online noticeboard in New Zealand for travellers looking to buy or sell a car. Be aware though, there are a number of scams operating. Be particularly wary of anyone wanting to buy a vehicle from you unseen, or wanting to pay in anything other than cash.
The backpacker notice board. As well as jobs, this is a decent place to look for a vehicle, but it doesn’t currently offer the facility to share images, so most folk use gumtree instead.
Trademe. Trademe is New Zealand’s equivalent of eBay, and is very popular with Kiwi’s. However, as listing on Trademe costs money, most travellers won’t bother with this one.

Car Markets

In Auckland, there are a number of car markets which charge a fee for folk to attend, where you can buy and sell a vehicle. These are often a good way to get a good idea of what is currently available for what price, and are worth a visit for that reason alone. There are two main place to consider:

Backpackers car market – this is a very popular option with backpackers, as it provides a one stop shop for traveller to traveller vehicle sales. They can sort you out with all the paperwork, provide insurance, and there is a garage over the road for mechanical inspections. However, our experience was that vehicles here were far more expensive than the other options, and we heard some negative feedback about the place from fellow travellers. It also featured recently on a TV programme in NZ, where undercover reporters showed that around 40% of the cars are actually being sold by dealers rather than backpackers. So buyer beware on that one!
Ellerslie Car Fair – this Car Market is held once a week on a Sunday. There is a $35 fee for sellers, and there are on site vehicle inspection services. This is a really great place to visit as a buyer to get an idea of what is on offer. As a seller, be aware that a lot of local dealers visit here looking to snap up a bargain from desperate travellers, so don’t get talked out of a fair price for your vehicle.

Noticeboards

If you are staying in a hostel, it will most likely have a noticeboard, which will probably have a swathe of leaflets from fellow travellers looking to sell their vehicle. Supermarkets and cafes will probably also have noticeboards that are worth taking a look at.

Insurance

It is not a legal requirement to have car insurance in New Zealand. However, it is not a bad idea to have third party insurance to cover the cost of any unexpected damage to someone else's vehicle. A year of third party car insurance specifically aimed at travellers will cost in the region of $250, and can be picked up through someone like BBH, or the previously mentioned Backpackers car market.

Rules of the road

New Zealanders drive on the left, and speed limits and distances are given in kilometres.

The road rules are not that different from the rest of the world, apart from the incredibly weird rule about giving way to traffic turning across you, which has proven so confusing to so many drivers that as of the 25th March 2012 it is being cancelled. Find out more about that over at the New Zealand Transport Agency. Otherwise, stay safe, and enjoy your travels in New Zealand!

I hope this post has helped you a little bit with buying a selling a vehicle in New Zealand. I spent a year travelling New Zealand in a van I bought. This ended up costing me very little, as I sold the van at the end, so the only costs were on-going maintenance and fuel.

Due to the seasonal price variations of travellers vehicles, I was even able to sell the van for a little more than I bought her, meaning this process was a real bargain, compared to say renting, where the money would have just been thrown away. The only sad part was saying farewell to our faithful travelling companion :(

If you found this post helpful, why not check out the rest of my New Zealand guides, which include ideas for finding a job, hooking yourself up with free internet, and must visit destinations on the north and south islands!

In photos: Kings Canyon, Australia

2012-02-11T10:28:00.001+01:00

For today’s photo theme post I’m sharing with you the quite marvellous Kings Canyon in Australia’s Northern Territory.

There is a big rock not too far from here that gets a lot of attention (and deservedly so!), but if you have some time in your trip, then I cannot recommend a visit to Kings Canyon enough.

The main highlight are the incredibly weird “beehive domes”, also referred to as the “Lost City”, which are pictured above. These are the remains of incredibly ancient (up to a billion years!) sand dunes, which were compacted into sandstone and then revealed by weathering.

The best way to explore this area is on foot, via the 6km Canyon Rim walk. This takes you right up and around the canyon, offering spectacular views and seriously dizzying drops, some as high as 270m. The walk isn’t too strenuous, although there is a steep section at the start. Now, on to some more photos!

Hard to believe that this was all sand once.

Looking down the canyon itself from the rim

The canyon walls are sheer, and fences do not feature highly. These cliff walls are not stable!

Incredible fossilsed sand dunes

You can still see the ripples in the sand, frozen in time

The colours are simply incredible

The rock formations are just unbelievable.

The walk is like something out of a science fiction movie.

The outback scenery here is just stunning

How do these trees survive?

And that was Kings Canyon in the Northern Territory. As well as the rim walk, you can also walk inside the canyon itself, which is a much easier walk, although doesn’t have quite the spectacular views.

I hope you enjoyed today’s pictures. As always I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences on today’s post in the comments below!

A boys african adventure

2012-02-10T11:03:00.001+01:00

Today’s featured post was provided by Nicola, writing for Opulent Africa. When I was younger, I was lucky enough to go on a trip to Botswana’s Okavango Delta, which was one of the most incredible safari experiences I’ve ever had. I’m sure today’s adventure idea will appeal to many of you, gender aside!

As soon as we reach the age of toddlerhood a big divide in gender specific interest starts to unfold. Little girls might sit playing for hours with dollies and prams, whilst their male counterparts charge around the garden, climb trees, swing from ropes and generally fall and bounce back.

That’s not to say there aren’t a fair few tomboy’s charging around with them, or boys preferring to play along more domesticated themes, but in general little boys are often Tarzan’s in the making.

These traits usually pervade into adulthood to some degree. So it’s no wonder that the ultimate vacation for a group of adventurous guys can easily be based around an African safari.

Where better to base such an exploratory adventure than on a Botswana safari in the Okavango Delta and the Makgadikgadi pans. Starting out in Botswana’s seasonally flooded pristine Okavango Delta a multitude of activities are available.

For the fearless, one can Mokoro (a traditionally dugout canoe) along the waterways and narrowing sparkling channels, careful not to bob along into a hippo or crocodile, but nevertheless enjoying some fabulous game viewing as elephants dot the banks. Alternatively ‘tiger fishing’ often comes out towards the top (catch and release policy) with man’s ever competitive edge surfacing for an afternoon.

Moving away from the Delta’s glistening reed lined channels there are land activities such as day and night game drives in the Kwedi Plains where you can seek out the nocturnal animals with a spotlight and tracker. Night Game Drives ignite the adrenalin easily as eyes, either cowering or focusing intently on prey, pop out of the dark undergrowth. If you fancy staying out overnight in a hide or ‘fly-camping’ for a few nights this too adds to the building excitement of viewing Botswana’s diverse array of animals.

In comparison and as a compliment to the Delta, there are the Makgadikgadi Pans which were formed from the remains of an ancient super lake that has receded and during the dry season leaves simply a glistening salt layer on top of a dry cracked and barren surface. With expansive salt pans stretching far into the horizon, a Kikoi on your head and the rumble of a nearby quad bike warming its engine, it’s clear to see the attraction of blasting through to the other side on an apocalyptic adventure.

With a light backpack it’s possible to camp out under Botswana’s beautiful night sky as stars twinkle brightly through the boughs of huge Baobab trees that you can lay beneath. These trees hold a story too as they are often studded with the bullet holes of past explorers using the trees to ‘sight’ their rifles.

For the more bird-loving male...it’s best to visit during the wet season, when tens of thousands of flamingos arrive in their droves to enjoy the shallow waters that form on the pans, for the rich pickings of algae and brine shrimp. In addition to being hauntingly beautiful, seasonally sustaining wildlife and being tempting to quad bike around, the Makgadikgadi pans are rich in archaeology, with thousands of stone-age tools being re-covered from the surface.

Botswana, it seems, can offer a very rugged experience of Africa that can scratch the itch of any boy looking to test his adventure skills.

Thanks to Nicola for providing today’s post. Have you been on safari in Africa? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below!

Credit for the first photo in this piece goes to Wilderness Safaris. The sunset across the Okavango Delta photo is from mdezemery on flickr. The elephant photo is from najeebkhan2009 on flickr.

A tale of many cakes

2012-02-07T14:20:00.001+01:00

I have recently had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday, achieving the milestone age of 32. Excitingly, this is the only time in my life that my age is exactly half that of my Dads. I’m not sure if there is a word for that phenomenon, but there should be. A demi-père perhaps.

This birthday, which I celebrated in France with my folks (the first time in 17 years that I’ve spent my birthday with them) was particularly notable for being a white birthday. Europe being somewhat coated in the snowy stuff at the moment.

This meant that all kinds of exciting snow related shenanigans could take place, including the obligatory attempt to slide down a hill on a piece of plastic, and the creation of snow angels. Just because I’m 32 doesn’t mean I have to be a grown up too.

It also nearly put a spanner in the works of our lunch plans, as both us and our local restaurant were entirely snowed in – this part of France not being used to dealing with snow of this magnitude, and things like grit and snow ploughs not featuring heavily in the local mairie’s arsenal. As the photo below of our road demonstrates.

What actually happened, however, was far nicer than a lunch time cancellation. After ringing the restaurant, to find that they had been forced to close as no-one could make it, they invited us over for lunch anyway, as we are in easy walking distance. The food had, after all, already been prepared. In fact, they said, we could come over whenever we wanted, as alcohol was in plentiful supply.

So it was that we found ourselves walking through the heavy snow to the mill down by the river, and had lunch sitting next to an enormous log fire for warmth. The food was, as always, excellent, a warm goats cheese salad, followed by rabbit main and then, excitingly, a birthday cake which seemed to be some magical tiramisu layered concoction.

This was the first of three amazing cakes of the day – having both a mother and girlfriend in attendance for my birthday meant I was getting two cakes already. The third cake being the icing on the cake. As it were. I can report that all three were splendid.

Lunch was pretty damn splendid, as you can imagine, and being a French affair, lasted for over three hours. Lunch is a very serious thing round here. They also refused to let us pay for it, which was rather too incredible for words.

Post lunch, as I’m sure you can imagine, largely involved some lying around and feeling overly stuffed, followed by further cake eating, after which I did my best to wear myself out fully by rediscovering my inner child in the snow. All in all, a damn fine birthday!

My travel ABCs

2012-02-04T15:49:00.001+01:00

A travel meme has been sweeping the travel blogging world recently, where travel bloggers are posed 26 (!) questions about their travelling life.

I was nominated to take part by Sophie of Sophie’s World. It’s a bit of fun, and you might learn some things about me you didn’t know already. Without further ado:

A: Age of first international trip:

I was whisked from the Seychelles in the womb, born in Wales, and then returned back to the Seychelles as a baby where I lived mostly on a beach and ate sand. So, quite young would be the answer to this.

B: Best (foreign) beer:

Best? Oh dear. I sense a flaw in this series of questions, as I have a slight fear of the idea of things being better than other things. Any cold beer served in the company of good people, or against good scenery, works for me. But if I had to pick, the Australian Coopers Red is a damn fine tipple.

C: Cuisine (favourite):

There’s that favourite idea again. Sigh. I love all kinds of food. If I had to survive on one cuisine for the rest of my life, it would be Kreole food – the traditional food of the Seychelles.

There is so much variety, it carries a lot of spice, and often involves gorgeously fresh fish. It’s so good in fact, that I wrote a whole article about the stuff.

D: Destinations, favourite, least favourite and why:

I think I’m going to have to give up on fighting this meme and go with the flow. I like anywhere with big mountains and epic scenery. New Zealand was a particular recent highlight, as was Australia. I love big, open, empty spaces.

Least favourite? Well… I’ve mentioned Milton Keynes a few times recently as being not the best place in the world. But even Milton Keynes has a roundabout with cows on, so it’s not all bad.

E: Event experienced abroad that made you say “wow”:

I attended a festival in the outback of Australia for the 2009/10 New Year, which largely consisted of a lot of naked hippies, drumming and fire twirling. That was a pretty epic experience.

F: Favourite mode of transportation:

Train. Or plane. Train because you can just get on it and it’s like having a room with an ever changing view. Plane because, dammit, getting from one side of the world to the other in such a short space of time is as close to magic as I’ve ever been. Plus I love aeroplane food. I know.

G: Greatest feeling while travelling:

The thrill of seeing new things. The awe that the world is able to inflict on me. The feeling that I am so insignificant and meaningless, that the world and the universe is so much greater than I could ever possibly hope to imagine.

H: Hottest place travelled to:

The Namib desert. It was over fifty degrees C for most of the day, plus there was a wind "heat” factor from the wind blowing over the desert. It was like sitting in front of an open oven door. Most of the time was spent with a wet towel around my head.

I: Incredible service experienced and where:

Well, the mechanics around Australia were bloody awesome at looking after my landcruiser. Nothing was too much trouble, and they’d often charge less because I clearly looked like a destitute traveller. Amazing people.

J: Journey that took the longest:

Most of my journeys seem to take an epic amount of time due to the cheapness of the flights I take. Europe to New Zealand was particularly long though, although that did include a 13 hour stop over in Shanghai, which more than made up for it.

K: Keepsake from travels:

I try not to collect junk, but I couldn’t resist picking up a little bongo drum in Australia. I know, a drum and dreadlocks. Seriously, could I be any more clichéd? Oh, I also found my girlfriend whilst travelling. She’s definitely not junk!

L: Let-down sight, why and where:

If a sight lets me down, the fault lies with me. I do my best not to let that happen – there is always a positive to be found somewhere. I could mention Milton Keynes again, but I never had high hopes for that as a destination in the first place.

M: Moment where you fell in love with travel:

I can’t remember not being in love with travel!

N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with hotels, as I both grew up in one, and then my corporate existence required me to live in one for around seven years. But I can recommend Cousine Island in the Seychelles as a rather nice spot, since you asked.

O: Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?:

Landscapes. And reflections. Reflections of landscapes are, suffice to say, enough to hold me for a very long time.

P: Passport stamps, how many and from where?

I’ve been lucky enough to visit around thirty countries across five continents. I’ve got quite a few stamps in my passport!

Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:

Any of the giant things in Australia or New Zealand. I have no idea what motivates the construction of a giant carrot or an enormous fake prawn, but it sure makes for some oddball attractions.

R: Recommended sight, event or experience:

Anything denounced as over visited, too touristy or not far enough off the beaten path. Usually there is a reason millions of people want to visit a place, travel fashion trends aside.

S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling:

Beer. I love a nice cold beer at the end of a day!

T: Touristy thing done:

Lots. Watching the sunset over Uluru was a highlight. But there are so many great tourist attractions out there, and I have no shame in doing them.

U: Unforgettable travel memory:

Climbing the sand dunes in Namibia to watch the sunrise. Hiking a part of the Great Wall of China. Rafting in Costa Rica. Climbing Mount Taranaki in New Zealand. There have been so many incredible memories from travel that are indelibly burned into my mind!

V: Visas, how many and for where?

Having a UK passport is an amazing thing. But my favourite visa was my Chinese visa that let me travel around that splendid country for three months. I’m not sure I’ve needed a great many more beyond that, other than my work and travel visas for New Zealand and Australia. A great initiative by the way, and one I highly recommend!

W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where?

Ah wine. I have a similar theory to wine as I do for beer. On a hot day, you can’t beat a chilled glass of white wine on a sunny terrace with a view and good company. Generally though, I’m a red drinker. And I’m not fussy! Currently I’m in France, where the wine is both cheap and excellent!

X: eXcellent view and from where?:

This is like trying to ask a parent of quintuplets to name their favourite child. So many! I am however a sucker for any view with a nice mountain range backdrop, so New Zealand and California score well there. Also, the start of the Gibb River Road in Western Australia had an amazing view back across a mightly river flood plain and mountain range. The world is so incredible!

Y: Years spent traveling?:

This trip, which has resulted in a semi permanent base in France, started in June 2009. I don’t intend for it to end either – there shall be no return to a corporate existence for this hippy.

Z: Zealous sports fans and where:

I lived in England for a long while. They have football there. Probably enough said on that topic…

Phew! Thanks again to Sophie for nominating me! If you’ve got any thoughts to share on this long list of trivia about my travel abc’s, don’t be afraid to pipe up in the comments below!

Face off: five European cities duel to the death

2012-02-01T15:31:00.001+01:00

I was going to write a nice post about my five favourite cities in Europe, but then I figured that wasn’t quite as exciting as putting them to the test in a knockout and seeing which came up trumps. Naturally, this will be an entirely objective post, based solely on fact.

Each round will feature two European cities, and I’ll work out which one I like better, allowing it to proceed to the next round. The city still standing at the end, wins! Let’s get this started with our five contenders. Rocky theme music is optional.

Round 1: Paris vs Rome!

Lets see – two cities famous for being the romance capital of Europe. Sadly only one can carry that particular crown, and Paris wins my heart there.

Romance isn’t everything though. Rome has the upper hand when it comes to empire building, with the Roman Empire once spreading all across Europe. They’ve also got the religious angle down pretty well, what with being the seat of Christianity.

As far as old crumbliness and prettiness go – well, Rome and Paris both have their spectacles, but for me, Rome wins. Paris may have a steel tower, but Rome has so many ruins that you can often find ruins built on top of other ruins built on top of other ruins. Rome is the onion of ruins. Plus the ice cream is better. Victory to Rome!

Round 2: Berlin vs London!

On second thoughts, putting Berlin up against London may have been an error, what with the recent history between the Germans and the English. Still, I’ll labour on, and do my best not to mention any unfortunate football based incidents.

I am slightly biased, as I lived in London for a couple of years, and haven’t spent a massive amount of time in Berlin. Still, the time I did spend there let me see what a fascinating city it is.

There are visible reminders of the cold war all around – from the crumbling remnants of the actual Berlin wall to the incredible street art to be found all over the city.

It is also home to a vibrant club scene, wonderful palaces and churches, and some of the most inventive sausage sauces out there.

It’s not all over for London though. London has quirky markets, incredible pubs, and some of the most recognisable landmarks in the world. Plus I’m English. Victory to London!

Semi-final: London vs Rome!

So now I have two cities that are over two thousand years old, both of which owe a rather great deal of their look and feel to that previously mentioned empire, both of which I absolutely love.

Rome has some serious quirkiness going for it, which I am mostly basing on the fact that everyone drives tiny cars or scooters. This transport option is less popular in London, largely due to the presence of the deadly London bus.

Rome also has better weather, better ice cream, and a bit more crumbliness. London has markets that service goat curry, pubs that serve real, meaty beer, and the South Bank.

Ah, this was a tough one, but ultimately, London isn’t going to win this bout. Rome, as she was a couple of thousand years ago, is victorious. Alea iacta est.

Final: Surprise Contender vs Rome!

I did say this was a round up of five of my favourite European cities, and thus far only four have slugged it out, Rome emerging victorious.

My fifth city is a bit like Marmite. For those of you not familiar with this food stuff, marmite is a yeast based tar like substance that you spread on bread. The flavour is difficult to describe, and hard to appreciate unless you’ve been brought up on the stuff. The thing about Marmite though, is that you either absolutely love it, or you hate it. There is no happy in-between.

And the same can be said of Venice. Some folk absolutely adore the place, a city set in a swamp which is slowly sinking away. They will go on about the tiny backstreets, the magnificent piazzas and the fabulous ice cream. They will wax lyrical about the cafes, the glass sculptors, and the joy of getting lost in the pedestrian heaven that is a car free city.

Venice’s detractors, on the other hand, will bemoan that the place is tacky, full of tourists, overpriced, and smells like an open sewer.

Those people are wrong.

Which is why I am happy to declare Venice my overall favourite city in Europe! Rome has a lot to offer, but the magic that can be found in Venice is unbeatable.

I’d love to know what you have to say about my five picks! Did I miss one of your favourite cities off the list? Am I completely insane to have picked Venice? Share away in the comments below! And if you are planning on visiting some of these cities, why not check out the deals that Hotels4U have on accommodation, including London hotels and Paris hotels :)

Sex when travelling: location, location, location

2012-01-29T11:29:00.001+01:00

There are two things that the internet is better at than anything else: providing pictures of cats in a variety of cute / hilarious / tragic poses, and providing graphic pictures of people engaging in intimate acts. This post is not going to be heavily featuring one of those things.

Today I’m going to be taking a look at the various options travellers have for “getting jiggy with it” when on the road in terms of where to do it. Because travellers are people too. And people have needs, people.

As this is a blog where I like to illustrate my posts with photos, whilst also being mostly on the family friendly side (that may have gone out of the window), I’m going to be illustrating this post with some carefully hand crafted Paint masterpieces, as first seen in this post.

Enough throat clearing. Here are six places you might find yourself doing it whilst travelling.. and the pros and cons of each!

The dorm room

We’ve all been there. You’re lying in your dorm trying to get some sleep when a giggling and likely intoxicated pair stumble in, and start what a swimming pool sign might refer to as “heavy petting”.

Heavy petting will quickly migrate to more frenzied, vigorous action, possibly accompanied by light to intense bursts of giggling. Once they’ve convinced themselves everyone is asleep, or uncaring, it’s going to get noisy.

Best for: The exhibitionist in you, learning sex talk in a foreign language
Watch out for: The rest of the people in your dorm hating you. Or joining in.

A tent

Tents are amazing, in that they offer the illusion of privacy whilst offering no privacy whatsoever. Sure, you might think that those walls of canvas are capable of creating your own anechoic chamber, but let me assure you, they are in fact quite the opposite.

Still, unlike a dorm room, unless you have unfortunate lighting, no-one is going to actually see you. Plus – you can put a tent up far away from other people. So privacy is a much more achievable option.

Best for: Giving you the illusion of privacy. And well, at least no-one can actually see you.
Watch out for: Knowing smiles on everyone elses faces the next day. Snakes, of the non trouser variety.

The shower

Oh, shower sex. All the cleaning benefits of a nice hot shower and the pleasing, heady rush of an endorphin high. Assuming you don’t fall over. Because you don’t want to have to be explaining that injury on your travel insurance claim form.

Still, shower sex is likely to be one of the more private options for the traveller on a strict budget. And you come out smelling better than you went in, which doesn’t usually happen with sex. Good news all round.

Best for: Saving the environment
Watch out for: Dropping the soap, cleaners, breaking yourself on the slippery floor.

The beach

There is a reason sex on the beach is the name of a popular cocktail. There’s hardly a more romantic thought in the world than making slow, lingering, passionate love to someone under the light of the moon.. with surf crashing in the distance and perhaps warm tropical waters delicately caressing at your toes.

The reality diverges from this dream a bit, and usually involves sand in places you really didn’t want sand to go, nosy crabs (the beach kind), and someone falling over you in the dark. But it’s a nice idea.

Best for: Keeping as a romantic notion.
Watch out for: Dog poo / broken glass / other sand lovers.

The back of your car / van

This option works better if you have one of those nice long estate style cars, or a proper travellers style camper van. It’s also better if you’re either far away from civilisation, or you have curtains. Otherwise you might end up attracting all the wrong sorts of attention.

If you have the right kind of car, and can find the right kind of place, this is one of the better options out there for the traveller literally “on the move”. Plus you’ll quickly learn what condition your suspension is in, and be able to drop all kinds of raunchy sounding motor talk into the act.

Best for: Learning how to use the suspension to your benefit
Watch out for: People into dogging, the gear stick. Or not.. whatever you’re into.

A private room

If you’re travelling as a couple, the private room is the option you’ll probably want to splash out on (no, not like that. Seriously people). In a hostel they usually aren’t actually that much more expensive per person than a smaller dorm room.. and the privacy benefits are usually more than worth it.

As well as the sex based benefits, you’ll also find that your stuff is likely to be safer, plus you can even close the curtains and wander around naked, with less people staring at you than normal. What’s not to like?

Best for: Actual privacy
Watch out for: The walls being thinner than you thought…

Well, that’s that round up done. I’d love to know your favourite places to get down and dirty when out and about. Do share in the comments below! (and stay safe folks!)

In photos: Kalbarri coastline and national park

2012-01-27T11:13:00.001+01:00

Australia has a lot of coastline – nearly 26,000km of the stuff, according to the CIA world fact book. Driving that distance in a straight line would take you half way around the world.

Quite a lot of this coastline is spectacular. Today I’m highlighting the coastline around Kalbarri, which is about half way down the Western Australia coast, just north of Geraldton.

This stretch of coastline is reminiscent of Victora’s Great Ocean Road – and in fact, when I posted a sneak preview of these shots on my facebook page many commentators thought that this was that famous stretch of coastline.

Unlike the Great Ocean Road though, this bit of coastline is less trafficked and more isolated. As well as the coastline, there is also a beautiful interior national park featuring stunning bush scenery, gorges, and rock formations, which is worth spending some time exploring. On now, to the photos!

The beaches are home to some pretty epic waves. Surfing is big round here!

Where the rocks give way to sand, looking north along the coast.

It is a bit like that ocean road!

The waves discourage casual swimming.

And this is the inland bit of the national park

Looking through the arch rock up the gorge

That was Kalbarri and surrounds in photos! Have you visited? There is plenty of exploring to do, and the town of Kalbarri makes a good base. As well as just seeing the sights, there are a whole bunch of walks that can be done, both along the coast and in the bush wilderness. You can get more information on this park, and lots of other WA parks, at the DEC site.

Places I’d like to go in 2012

2012-01-24T14:19:00.001+01:00

When I was a wee lad, growing up in Cornwall (amongst other places), my parents decided one year that a trip to the Canary Islands was something that we as a family needed to undertake. Presumably for vitamin D reasons.

This was the longest flight I can remember taking up to that point, and the wonders of that trip, including discovering burning rubbish dumps that we thought might be active volcano's, learning not to run on glass coated beaches in bare feet, and the joys of the package holiday experience, have stuck with me forever.

(It wasn’t that bad, although those things did take place. Away from the madding crowd, Lanzarote was host to some spectacular sights and wonderful deserted bits. I expect it still is.)

That trip will be forever cemented in my mind. Fast forward from the first destination I can remember that may be responsible for setting me down the path towards independent travel, and find me in 2012, planning my travels for the year ahead.

I’ve come up with some destinations for the year that I’d love to visit. In no particular order, these are:

Iceland

Ever since I joined the addictive social sharing site Pinterest (feel free to follow me.. or ask for an invite to find out what the fuss is all about), more and more amazing photos from Iceland have cropped up in my photostream. Photos like this:

This is the land of northern lights, glaciers, steaming pools and quite incredible looking waterfalls. And foodstuffs so weird that I’m just bound to make myself sick trying them.

It’s not exactly on the cheap side, but the cost of travel to Iceland from Europe is certainly affordable. If I can work out how to get there on a reasonable budget, then it’s way up there on my to-do list for 2012.

Paris

I’ve already waxed lyrical about Paris. Recently watching the excellent Woody Allen film Midnight In Paris has awakened a desire to re-visit this city. This time I want to get a bit more off the beaten track and explore some of the parts that I’ve not had time to get acquainted with. I’d love to hear your tips on those in the comments at the end!

Barcelona

Now that I’m living in continental Europe, there is a lot around me to explore. Somehow, I’ve never quite made it to Barcelona, a failure I aim to rectify now it’s a short (well, less than a day!) drive or train journey away. Gotta love that European rail network thing!

Somewhere in the camper van

We went through a whole German adventure to get ourselves a vehicle that was suitable for conversion into a rolling hotel on wheels. With any luck, this year we’ll be able to realise the conversion dream and set off somewhere exciting in her for a while. I’m thinking of Spain and Portugal, or perhaps Italy, or maybe even Eastern Europe.

There are a lot of roads out there. And frankly, as long as wherever we go has giant mountains to climb up or beaches to meander along, I’m going to be happy.

Somewhere warmer for winter!

Maybe I shouldn’t be discounting those Canaries holidays after all, given that warm, cheap holidays are what I’m after this winter.

I have just suffered (bless) my way through two winters in a row as a result of some rather terrible hemisphere planning. This winter I'm determined not to let that happen again. Or at least, I’d like some sun to mix up the wintery days.

This will probably be the biggest trip of the year, and I’m hoping for something exciting to happen at the end of 2012 or the beginning of 2013. I’m thinking Asia, or South America, but frankly, anywhere warm and not too exorbitantly priced will do. Maybe I’ll find someone who wants me to housesit for them in a glorious climate, and take it from there… (applications on a postcard please!).

What are your plans for 2012? Do any of the above options ring a bell with you, or have you already got some other exciting destination in mind? Share your thoughts, or your posts on the subject, in the comments below!

As I’ve not yet had the pleasure of visiting all the places in this post, some of the photos on this page aren’t mine. I hope to be able to change that soon! In the meantime though, photo credit goes to: Senior Airman Joshua Strang, for the northern lights shot, Stuck in Customs’ for the shot of Gulfloss waterfall in Iceland and MorBCN for the Barcelona shot.

Disclaimer – some of the links on this page, like other links on this site, are revenue generating for me. It’s one of the ways I turn dreams from posts like this into reality :)

Three stupendously awesome burgers

2012-01-22T13:34:00.001+01:00

I would make a terrible food blogger. Here’s a post about three phenomenal burgers, and I have no pictures of any of them to share with you.

This was probably a testament to the incredible nature of these beasts – there was simply no time for pause and reflection. It was just eat or.. well. Actually, that was just it. Eat. Instead of photos I’ve used my best Paint skills in order to recreate these burgers for you.

You’ll probably notice I’m not very good at Paint.

Without further ado let me introduce my three favourite burgers from my time in Australia and New Zealand. Other countries will probably follow, once they’ve caught up to the burger making technology that our antipodean cousins have already mastered. In ascending order of greatness, I’ll start with number three… the

Vegetarian burger of Tasmania

Sweet mother of god you are probably thinking, (or sweet mother of Dawkins, if you’re of the atheist bent) the man is a fool. He’s starting off a post about burgers with a vegetarian option. Is there nothing sacred left in the world? Apparently not.

Way down in the town of Launceston on the island of Tasmania, there is a cafe. Which only serves vegetarian food. A meat based option was never going to be on the cards here. So I ordered the lentil burger, which came with a satay sauce, and was served on a bed of something leafy.

This, when it arrived, was a testament to what great vegetarian food is supposed to be. Incredible flavours, unexpectedly blended together to form a taste sensation like no other. A must. If every cow died tomorrow, I’d be safe knowing that this burger is out there as a standby until science figures out how to grow cow meat in vats. Enough now of the non meat options. Let’s move on to:

The burger with the lot

Australia was the first place in the world where I learnt that beetroot is a viable burger topping. Previous to my adventures down under, I had had no idea that such a thing was feasible, let alone edible.

In Australia, when you order a burger with “the lot”, you quite literally get a burger with pretty much everything you can imagine stuffed on top of it. Including a slice of beetroot.

My first memorable experience of such a feast was in the Western Australian town of Kununurra, (try spelling that after a couple of whiskies).

In Kununurra, having just come from a few weeks living off tinned food in the bush, it seemed only fair to try out the local delicacy. Which in this case was a burger served with the aforementioned lot.

It would be unfair to describe this burger as the largest I’ve ever had, as that honour goes to the next burger in my list. But certainly up to that point in my life, this was up there with the greats.

A mound of burger sat atop a mighty bun, sagging with the weight of accompaniments which included pickle, beetroot, fried egg, shaved carrot (they really are a bit odd in the outback), artery clogging amounts of cheese, pineapple, onion, bacon… yes. This was the sort of food that probably killed Elvis.

So how do I go about beating that? Well, only with the most amazing burger I’ve ever eaten. I introduce the, spoken of only in hushed whispers…

Fergburger

If you’ve had the pleasure of visiting Queenstown on the southern island of New Zealand, you will probably be aware of the local legend that is Fergburger.

Word of this establishment reached me during my time on the North island, some 1000km away, when I was manning a hostel reception. Travellers would ask me to recommend a local burger establishment. Usually, I’d recommend a venue, which in my mind served admirable meaty feasts, only to be asked, in soft tones, if I’d ever had a Fergburger. I would reply no. They would peer at me mournfully.

Because it turns out, no burger joint in the world, or at least, Rotorua, that I could recommend, would be able to serve up anything comparable to the Fergburger, A fact I learnt for myself when I eventually made it to the establishment in question.

There was no doubt in my mind, upon arriving at this burger joint, that I was about to experience a once in a lifetime burger. And since this was likely to be a once in a lifetime experience, I immediately ordered the largest burger available on the menu – the “Big Al”.

This thing, when it arrived, put previous burgers in my life to shame. It was home, for example, to two fried eggs. Somewhere. Competing for space in the bun with two massive slabs of burger. And bacon. And of course cheese. And onion. And Aioli. And, because New Zealand is practically Australia, beetroot. And more things. The whole thing was at least the size of my head, and jaw dislocation was looking to be a serious problem.

I did order fries to go with it. These weren’t really necessary, and I had them cold for dinner instead.

The experience was incredible. Even if I then did need a little lie down.

Those were three of my most favourite burgers from two years of careful burger sampling around NZ and Australia. Do you have a burger that you think could top these? Share away in the comments below!

Chase the Sun this Winter

2012-01-20T09:59:00.001+01:00

Today’s featured guest post is from James, representing skyscanner.net. It’s that time of year where much of the Northern hemisphere is feeling, well, a bit on the grey, cold and wet side. Luckily, there’s a whole world of warm places to visit to chase those winter blues away. James shares four options below!

Winter in the UK can be a dreary affair: cold, damp days and long, dark nights with only the prospect of the occasional party (and subsequent hangover) to break the monotony. Why not change the plan this year and treat yourself to a bit of winter sun? Take it from me, January’s a lot easier to take on with a tan and, with a little bit of research, a winter break doesn’t necessarily have to cost you an arm and a leg. Here are a few sample destinations for you to consider:

The Canary Islands

The Canaries attract thousands of UK tourists each winter, thanks to a wide range of flights to Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria leaving UK airports every day. The stunning volcanic islands offer easy access to all-year-round sun with winter temperatures averaging a comfortable 17C.

While some resorts are very much geared towards tourism (mainly Brits and Germans) there are still plenty of unspoiled, typically Canarian villages to visit and some of the most diverse and dramatic landscapes you’re ever likely to see.

Agadir, Morocco

Morocco offers the chance to experience the mystique of Northern African without enduring a marathon flight time – flights to Morocco from the UK on average take only 4 hours. With an average winter temperature of 21 °C, Agadir, located on Morocco’s Atlantic coast is a perfect winter destination with something for everyone: 10km of beach, lapped by warm, blue waters, great surfing, a huge range of restaurants, affordable accommodation and the fascinating Berber heritage.

Bodrum, Turkey

With an average winter temperature of around 17 °C, the port city of Bodrum, Turkey, provides an ideal destination for those who like it mild and sunny but not too hot.

In addition to its climate, Bodrum offers tourists excellent affordability due to Turkey being outside of the Eurozone.

While Bodrum is most definitely a party town during the summer season, it has a more laid-back appeal during the winter months, with cultural highlights such as Bodrum Castle (built by Crusaders in the 15^th Century) and the fantastic Museum of Underwater Archaeology drawing in the crowds.

With a wide range of flights to Bodrum available from UK airports, why not try a new bit of Turkey this winter?

The Andaman Coast, Thailand

Flights to Thailand from the UK take at least 12 hours, so you might want to have a couple of weeks to spare to enjoy this incredible part of the world.

The Andaman Coast and its people were hit hard by the devastating tsunami of 2004 but have recovered well since with resorts such as Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Lanta and Railay continuing to draw tourists every winter thanks to their stunning natural beauty, sensational beaches, cheap accommodation and food, relaxed vibe and, most importantly, average winter temperatures of 30C.

Thanks to James and SkyScanner.net for providing today’s post! Are you planning a bit of Winter sun this year? Let us know in the comments section below!

As I haven’t been (I know, I need to get out more!) to many of the destinations in this post, the photo credit goes to flickr users: JeffOliver (Bodrum Castle), Joao Maximo (Agadir Beach), szeke (Canary Island sand dunes), Tim Ove (boat at sunset in Thailand)

In photos: Wolfe Creek Meteor Crater

2012-01-18T12:37:00.001+01:00

Out in Western Australia’s remote outback is the quite remarkable Wolfe Creek Meteor Crater. This was formed as a result of 50,000 tonnes of rock (think large battleship size) crashing into the earth around 300,000 years ago.

Made infamous as a result of a 2005 horror film, the crater is an incredible sight, set in truly stunning outback scenery. It isn’t that accessible, and you’re going to want a 4WD vehicle ideally to get out there, but the wilderness you will find is totally worth the effort.

Today’s photos will hopefully give you a glimpse of what is out here, in the middle of Australia’s incredible outback next to an ancient 800 metre wide meteor crater.

The sign. In case you’d driven 800km by mistake.

The surrounding outback from the crater rim. Hills do not feature heavily.

Sunset from the crater rim. This place is both spectacular and deserted.

Looking into the 800m wide crater. You can walk around it, which takes just under an hour, and walk into it, which takes less time.

A panorama of the crater just after sunset.

And finally: the kind of sunset view that reminds me how awesome life is. The stars at night are pretty damn spectacular out here too – light pollution not featuring heavily!

So that’s the Wolfe Creek Meteor Crater. I’d recommend spending a couple of days out here just to soak it all in (and make the journey worth it!). And while you’re in WA, you should check out some of the other incredible highlights this state has to offer.

Skiing in France

2012-01-16T11:07:00.001+01:00

Skiing is a bit like golf. You either love it, and spend time talking about it at length, or you don’t, and wonder why your friends who do bang on about such a pointless sport, which is basically just walking interspersed with random acts of violence directed at a helpless ball.

I’ve been skiing a few times in my life. For some reason my parents saw fit to send me off to Innsbruck at the young age of fifteen to throw myself down a mountain and see if I enjoyed it.

The conclusion was that I did. (I’ve never got the hang of golf though. This is probably why my corporate career failed). Since then I’ve had a few more goes at killing myself and learning appropriate ski based lingo. I’ve skied in Italy, France, Austria, and, rather exotically (for a European anyway), California.

I’ve had the pleasure of having a couple of ski holidays in France, the country I’m currently happy to call home, with trips to both Chamonix and Val Thorens. The latter is probably best known as being at the budget end of the three valleys ski resort, which boasts more skiable area than anywhere else in the world. The former is just well known for being posher.

Obviously, two resorts in France is just barely scratching the tip of the available skiing area, but these are two resorts that are popular for different reasons. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of both, as well as, naturally, some pictures.

Val Thorens

At the top of the three valleys (now with extra fourth valley!), Val Thorens is one of the highest ski resorts in France, which means it is more likely to have snow than anywhere else. The two thousand snow cannons also help. Being at the end of the three valleys means you can ski to both Courchevel and Les Menuires easily and on the same lift pass.

Val Thorens is a purpose built ski resort, which means it is lacking slightly in the olde worlde charms of the older, more traditional ski resorts. Its height also means that this isn’t a place with tree lined pistes. Bare, open mountain side is the order of the day. Which makes for some stunning vistas, and marvellous sunsets.

The advantages of a purpose built resort at this height are plentiful. Getting to the lifts from your accommodation involves a very short walk. There are over 600km of pistes. And if you want to, you can ski all the way down to Courchevel, one of France’s poshest ski resorts, and spend all the money you saved by choosing Val Thorens in one of the many Michelin starred restaurants. What’s not to like?

Chamonix

If you like the idea of a skiing holiday, but aren’t too bothered about the actual hurtling down a mountainside part of the trip, then Chamonix might be more to your liking. This is one of the more traditional French ski resorts, set in a lovely village, with mountains looming all around.

This isn’t to say the skiing isn’t excellent, although the runs are a little more dispersed and usually require some form of transport to access from your accommodation. It’s also on the pricier side.

But if the thought of hiring your own chalet complete with outdoor hot tub sounds like the sort of skiing holiday you could embrace, then Chamonix might be the place for you. I’d recommend getting a group of friends together and finding somewhere that’ll make you feel like you’ve fallen into a Bond movie. As a group, prices will become very reasonable for very epic accommodation.

Well, those were my thoughts on a couple of France’s ski resorts. Are you a snow bunny, or does the idea of falling down a mountain at high speed terrify you? Share your thoughts on your favourite resorts below!

Disclaimer: some of the links in this post, as well as other links on the site, may be revenue generating if clicked.

A village of death and memory in France

2012-01-13T13:47:00.001+01:00

On the 10th of June 1944, four days after D-Day, a retreating German SS Panzer division entered the town of Oradour-Sur-Glane in the Haute-Vienne region of France and killed 642 men, women and children. This was essentially the entire population of the town.

This was the worst civilian atrocity carried out in France during World War II.

Oradour-Sur-Glane has been preserved in the state that it was left in on that day, as a memorial to the hundreds of civilians who lost their lives.

We took a visit to Oradour-Sur-Glane on a gloriously sunny winter morning, to see what had been left behind.

The first thing that struck me, walking down the gutted and empty streets to the sound of birdsong, was quite how large this village had been. This was no backwater hamlet. This had been a thriving town. A tram line ran down the centre of the street, and there were countless houses on either side, and on the side streets leading away.

So often when I have heard about war atrocities, the numbers involved are unimaginable to my mind. How can I imagine six million – the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust? It’s just so big of a number that it stuns my imagination. It becomes almost unreal.

Even 642 is a tricky number to put into perspective. Visiting Oradour-Sur-Glane brought that number to life for me.

The houses are labelled. Some labels state who used to live there. Other depict the function of the building. There were cafes, butchers, bakers, hairdressers. A school. An entire community of people, who up to the 10th of June, had no doubt been hoping to get through the war alive.

The very human nature of the village is what is perhaps so striking. This is no concentration camp designed from the outset for mass murder. This was a place where people lived out their lives, where families were raised. That is incredibly apparent, even sixty years on, and it is terribly moving.

The reasons behind the events of the 10th June are not entirely clear. It seems there may have been a misunderstanding, that the village was mistaken for another village, thought to be harbouring resistance fighters. Personally I think trying to apply reasoning to acts like this is folly of itself. There can never be a reason to murder this many people in such a brutal manner.

At the end of the village street, which runs for about two thirds of a kilometre, is the village church. This was where the most unspeakable of acts was carried out. Into this church were herded the women and children of the village.

Of the 241 women and 205 children who were herded in, some only weeks old, only one made it out alive. The rest were first gassed, then shot, then burned.

Today, the only obvious visual reminder of this atrocity are the bullet holes in the church walls and altar.

Within the village grounds, by the cemetery, sits a memorial, where personal artefacts and the stories to accompany them can be found. The cemetery holds all that is left of the towns inhabitants, as well as a wall listing all the victims.

Just next to the original town of Oradour-Sur-Glane is the new town. Walking around here was another difficult experience. It’s another town, full of life and people. But for the acts that occurred on the 10th of June 1944, this town wouldn’t be here as it is. The dead village is the one where, were the world a kinder place, the streets should be alive and vibrant.

I don’t really have brilliant closing words for this post. War is clearly a terrible thing. And it’s not something that has gone away in the time since this tragedy. I’m just lucky to live in a time period where the countries I live in are relatively peaceful. Visiting places like Oradour-Sur-Glane help remind me of that fact. Thanks for reading, and as always, do share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Malaysia meets Britain, India and China on the island of Penang

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000+01:00

Today’s featured guest post was provided by Joe, representing insureandgo.com. It’s a fascinating insight into Penang’s capital city of Georgetown in Malaysia and the colonial influences that made the city as it can be found today. It is definitely a place that is on my to-do list. Enjoy the read!

The city of Georgetown, with its blend of beautiful old colonial manor houses and soaring modern skyscrapers, is Penang's capital and one of the Malaysian island's biggest draws.

Founded in 1786 by British trader Francis Light, it is a city with bags of personality, made up of distinctive areas such as dusty Little India and lively Chinatown – as well as thriving modern business districts. It's a great place to hang out for a few days, or to use as a base for exploring the rest of the island.

As you approach Georgetown from the water, it's the shimmering modern skyscrapers that dominate the skyline – but on closer inspection the city has an historical area that is full of character and has a much slower pace of life than the modern city.

Although nowadays many of the colonial shophouses and grand mansions have a slight air of neglect about them, it's still easy to see how magnificent many of them will have been during their heyday. A number of guesthouses and hotels have taken up residence in some of the finer mansions, and it's this area that's most popular with backpackers, making for an atmospheric stay.

There are lots of laid-back tourist cafés dotted around, and these are a great place to meet fellow backpackers or try cheap Malaysian dishes – although if you venture into less touristy areas you'll find more authentic versions of the same dishes.

Exploring the old town you'll stumble across two compact but very different areas: Little India, and Chinatown. If you take a stroll around Chinatown early in the morning you'll find a selection of Dim Sum stalls, while the shops in Little India sell vibrant saris, trinkets, handicrafts and spicy Indian delicacies.

To get a taste of the late 19^th century wealth of the old part of Georgetown, visit the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion on Leith Street, former winner of a UNESCO's Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Conservation, where guided tours show off the building's architectural features across 38 spacious rooms and five courtyards. On the Esplanade you'll find one of the finest buildings from the heyday of the British Empire: the gleaming City Hall, built in the Edwardian Baroque style in 1903.

Georgetown is also a city of many faiths, and a wander around will lead you to a variety of places of worship including the the Dharmikara Burmese Buddhist Temple, the Kapitan Keling Mosque, the Anglican St. George's Church, and the Thai-style Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram.

To escape the heat of the city centre, take a half-hour ride up Penang Hill by funicular railway, and you'll get a superb view over the entire city.

It's also very straightforward to arrange a sightseeing trip around the rest of the island, visiting beaches, farming areas, fishing villages, batik factories, spice stores and lush jungle.

Get covered before you leave

Lots of travellers have lived to regret not buying travel insurance, because an emergency abroad can prove very costly.

There are lots of different types of travel insurance available, however, so you need to choose a policy that's appropriate for the type of trip you're planning. For example, if you take more than one or two breaks each year, consider an annual multi trip policy.

Do remember however that these usually limit the number of days you can spend abroad during any one trip. If you're off on an extended backpacking trip to Malaysia you will need to find the right kind of specialist cover.

Thanks to Joe for providing today’s post. Have you been to Georgetown? Do you have anything to share? Get involved in the comments below!

As I’ve not visited Malyasia yet, today’s photos were sourced from flickr users: P Donovan (graveyard & hotel), timparkinson (street), Gabbian (B&W Georgetown Street), xiangi (Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion)

In photos: Cape Raoul, Tasmania

2012-01-10T12:26:00.001+01:00

The first big view of the walk out to Cape Raoul, Tasmania.

One of my favourite walks in Tasmania was the five hour return hike out to Cape Raoul, on the Tasman Peninsula.

This is a hike that takes you though native bush and out to cliff tops with quite frankly terrifying drops. There’s little in the way (ok, nothing in the way) of safety barriers, other than a very ominous sign at the beginning of the trail warning you of pretty much certain death if you choose to undertake the walk.

Certain death aside, this is one walk that should be on your to do list when in Tassie. The views are absolutely incredible, and the scale of the scenery on offer is breath-taking. Enough of the talking already. Lets get on with some photos!

The stunning cliff walls of the Cape.

Looking back along the coast line

The walks half way point. Great spot for lunch!

Looking down. Don’t try this at home.

Health and safety. Serious stuff.

I paid attention to the health and safety. Honest mum.

And that’s Cape Raoul in photos! It’s a truly wonderful walk in one my favourite Australian states. If you want to know more about this walk, take a look at the Tasmanian parks and wildlife service’s excellent 60 Great Short Walks page, of which this is number six! And before you set off on this, or any other walk, you may want to check out my tips for preparing for a day hike.

Tips for finding a job when travelling in New Zealand

2012-01-07T15:47:00.001+01:00

New Zealand is a fabulous country to travel in. With the working holiday visa scheme, it’s also a place where, as a traveller, you can find work to supplement your travel budget.

I talk more about the benefits of travelling with the working holiday visa scheme in this post.

In today’s post, I want to share with you my tips for finding a job when travelling in New Zealand, based on my experiences during my year long trip travelling and working there.

Get the basics right

There are some general basics when it comes to finding work that are universal wherever you are.

Visa

To work in New Zealand for pay you need a work visa. A normal holiday visa isn’t enough.

The year long work and holiday visa is generally what most travellers will use – it is valid for a range of nationalities and is relatively easy to apply for online. Find out more at the New Zealand Immigration website.

Tax number / Bank account / Phone number

Anyone working in New Zealand needs an IRD number for tax reasons. You can apply for one on the New Zealand Inland Revenue website, here.

Normally your employer will deduct tax from your salary before you receive it. Whilst a bank account isn’t mandatory, you might find it makes your life easier. When I was in New Zealand, i found Kiwi Bank, run by the post office, to be the easiest (and cheapest!) banking solution.

Also, you’re going to want a local phone number so prospective employers can contact you. A pay as you go SIM card from someone like 2degrees can be picked up very cheaply nearly anywhere.

Resume / Experience / Covering letter

As with anywhere else in the world, when you apply for a job, you will need to demonstrate that you have some skills or experience that make you a good fit.

The best way to demonstrate this is with a well written resume, also known as a Curriculum Vitae (CV).

It is possible that the job you are applying for may not match previous work experience. In this case, try to work out the similarities of skills that previous roles have required, and highlight these in your CV. For example, you may never have waited a table in your life, but if you have experience working with people, handling cash, or in a team, bring that out.

Your CV shouldn’t be more than two pages, and should just highlight your main skills, strengths, experience and qualifications, including things like having a driving license. Prospective employers don’t want to wade through pages of irrelevant trivia about your life.

When applying for a job, a covering letter introducing yourself and bringing out your key strengths and experiences relative to the role in question is a must. This will show that you know what is required of the job, and why you are right for it.

Presentation.

If you are successful in your application, or are applying in person, don’t forget how important personal presentation is. You may have been travelling out of a backpack for the last two years, with the happy notion that personal hygiene is for other people, but no-one is going to employ you if you look like you just fell out of a tree. Generally.

Obviously, adjust your appearance to suit the role – you probably don’t need to turn up in a suit for a job as a cleaner for example. Some sectors of work, like fruit picking, will probably be less particular, but don’t let a great role go because of your fear of some soap.

The types of work available

Specific types of work are particularly suited to the transient nature of a traveller – mostly these rotate around seasonal demand. Particularly popular in New Zealand for travellers are jobs in the following areas.

Hospitality

New Zealand is a very popular tourist destination, so roles in hospitality are usually available. These can range from waiting on tables or coffee shop work, to cleaning, to reception work in hostels. Prior experience isn’t always necessary for many of these roles.

Agriculture

Fruit growing is big in New Zealand, and at certain times of year, demand for workers is huge. From fruit picking to fruit packing, there are all sorts of jobs available for people who aren’t afraid of physically demanding, repetitive work.

Personally, I am afraid of physically demanding and repetitive work, so I never gave this a go. Some tips I heard from other travellers though included going for the pack house jobs rather than the picking jobs, as pack houses aren’t affected by the weather. Just be prepared for long, hard hours.

Ski season

New Zealand has a lot of ski fields and in the winter months, they need a lot of people to work at them. Unfortunately this work is very sought after, so you need to apply well in advance and ideally have some prior experience.

If you’re a keen skier or snowboarder though, this can be incredibly rewarding stuff, as the benefits usually include lift passes and the like.

WWOOF’ing

World wide workers on organic farms is a scheme that aims to link people to exchange work. Initially this was farming specific – you did some work on a farm in exchange for accommodation and food, and got a great experience out of it.

In New Zealand this concept has been expanded somewhat, unofficially. You can work in exchange for your accommodation in a variety of roles, including things like cleaning in hostels in return for your accommodation

These roles can be great for short term money saving, and crucially, as you are not being paid, don’t generally require a work visa. So for saving money on accommodation - one of the main expenses as a traveller – these roles can be wonderful.

A word of warning however. Do make sure that you are getting a fair deal. I have seen adverts for roles requiring almost a full time commitment in return for very little. Work out the value of your contributions using the standard minimum hourly wage in New Zealand (around $13 at time of writing), and compare it to the value of your accommodation (dorm beds are around $20-25) and other benefits/experience. If you feel the deal is unfair, stay away.

How to find a job

So you’ve got your Visa, your tax number and your CV ready. Your bank account is primed, and ready to accept some cash. Now you actually need to find yourself that perfect job. Here are some places to look:

Online resources

Trade Me – Trade Me is New Zealand’s equivalent of ebay or craiglist, with all kinds of stuff on offer, including jobs. It’s not traveller specific, but is a very popular place for job postings.
Backpackerboard job listings – a listing of jobs specifically targeted at backpackers. Lots of fruit picking and hospitality roles here
Seasonal Jobs – predominantly focused on seasonal fruit picking work, this site has all sorts of jobs of a seasonal nature.
BBH Board – Focused exclusively on the hospitality industry, this board offers roles working in hostels and other hospitality areas across New Zealand. There is a section specifically for BBH hostel roles, and one for more general vacancies. Work is largely of the work for your accommodation variety, but paid jobs do pop up.
Gumtree – another noticeboard with all sorts of things wanted and for sale, Gumtree also has a jobs section for all kinds of roles.

Offline options

As well as scouring the internet for jobs, you could also try the following:

Recruitment agencies: There are a number of recruitment agencies around the country who have offices where you can pop in and drop off your CV. They will then find work for you.

Noticeboards: most supermarkets / hostels have a noticeboard section, where casual job offers may be posted. Always worth a look.

Get on your feet: If you’re after a job in a hostel or other customer facing role, you could do worse than walking around the local establishments and just asking. You may strike lucky. Always have a couple of copies of your CV on hand just in case.

Ask around: If you’re looking for work, a good idea is just to ask the people you meet as you travel. Other travellers may know where work can be found. Or you could ask in the local pub. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. The worst thing that can happen is that someone will say no.

And that is that for my guide to finding work in New Zealand. Have you been to New Zealand on a working holiday visa? What were your experiences? Please share it in the comments below!

A trip to Wilsons Prom, Victoria

2012-01-04T19:06:00.001+01:00

Australia has no shortage of wonderful scenery and the state of Victoria is particularly chock full of the stuff.

From the sweeping road trip that is the Great Ocean Road to the towering Snowy Alps, from outback desert to lush rainforest - this really is a state that offers something for everyone.

One of Victoria’s most popular spots, particularly for lovers of the outdoors, has got to be the Wilsoms Promontory National Park, known affectionately to those in the know as The Prom.

On my year long road trip around Australia I spent a few days camping out in this park, and was able to appreciate some of the delights on offer. Here are some of my favourite things to do when visiting mainland Australia’s southernmost park!

Wander up Mount Oberon for splendiferous views

I have a thing about needing to get to the highest point of my surrounding area in order to geographically align myself with my surroundings. Multiple towers, churches and domes have been scaled as a result of this need. Mountains too.

Whilst Mount Oberon isn’t the biggest mountain in the world, it does offer excellent views across the Prom, and the walk up is an easy hour return. Definitely worth doing for the views. When I was there I was lucky enough to be dive bombed by swallows at incredible speed. Which was different.

Camp under the stars

There are a plethora of awesome campsites to choose from in the Prom, from outback wilderness requiring you to walk in with all your gear, to the high end luxury with hot showers style of camping that you will find at Tidal River.

We stayed at Tidal River, because, well, by this point in the trip campsites with hot showers were darn awesome. Plus it’s on an incredible white sandy beach, and is within a stones throw of some rather wonderful walking. But the main reason to stay at Tidal River is to:

Experience the outdoor cinema

I know, I recommend coming to a park full of glorious nature and then I suggest you ignore that and go to the cinema. But the cinema in the tidal river campground is pretty cool (a campground with a cinema! this place is serious luxury!), what with it being outside and everything.

Just bring plenty of mosquito repellent. And a bean bag. (You do go camping with a bean bag don’t you?)

Get squeaky on the beach

From Tidal River campground, if the arc of pure white sand that is Norman Beach isn’t quite doing it for you, then you can hop over the northerly headland, and take a look at Squeaky beach.

Here you’ll quickly notice that the sand is a bit weird, and squeaks when you walk on it. Something to do with quartz crystals. It’s pretty cool.

If squeaking sand doesn’t do it for you either (I’m dying here), then head south instead. There are endless headlands hiding beach after spectacular beach, and you can easily get your groove on away from the madding crowd in peace. There are even funky lichen coated boulders. What’s not to love.

And that was Wilson’s Prom! A truly magnificent park in an incredible state. Have you been? Would you like to go? Do you just want to share with the world how wonderful everything is? Get involved in the comments below, now with 100% more commentluv!

If you are heading to Wilson’s Prom don’t forget to pick up travel insurance before you go. Get a travel insurance quote from HBF, and see if you can save!

Spain vs. Portugal: the hottest holiday spot

2012-01-02T10:45:00.001+01:00

Today’s featured guest post is from James, representing skyscanner.net (which happens to be one of my favourite tools for finding cheap flights!). James provided this article weighing up the positives of these two countries to help you decide between them, although personally, I plan to visit both! If you’ve got a favourite to share from these two, tell us about it in the comments at the end!

Often mentioned in a single breath when sunny, gorgeous and reasonably priced holiday destinations come up, both Spain and Portugal have plenty to tempt the holidaymaker. But how do you decide between the two? Check out some of the things that make the destinations special in their own right, and find out which most tickles your fancy.

Chasing history

Discovering some of the best sights of Portugal’s history is easy, and there are a few not to be missed experiences – such as strolling through the ancient university town of Coimbra or feeling your heart flutter in the romantic town of Sintra. You’ll also find many surviving castles and ruins dotted around the countryside.

However, Spain is bursting with castles, medieval towns and picturesque villages of its own. And with wonderful cultural treasures such as Roman relics, Muslim palaces, baroque cathedrals and Modernista constructions, it could be said that Spain just pips its rival to the post when it comes to spectacular sights.

The best beaches

For serene, gorgeous beaches, there are few areas better than Spain’s Menorca, a beachgoer’s mecca that encourages plenty of people to hunt for cheap flights to Spain. There you’ll find unspoilt stretches of sand as well as plenty of hidden coves and ravines for exploring.

On the other hand, Portugal’s seaside town of Cascais offers a great mix of youthful exuberance and history, as partygoers and holidaymakers mingle with historic fishing traditions that carry on to this day.

Fun festivals

Of course, there are some things that can only be properly enjoyed in their countries of origin – such as traditional celebrations and festivals. In Spain, you’ll have the chance to see man and beast collide in its traditional bullfighting as well as the unforgettable spectacle of Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls.

Get in touch with Portugal’s past by timing a visit to coincide with the Festas da Ria in Aveiro. Celebrating the Ria estuary, this is a massive party with seaweed covered boats, traditional dancing and performances.

Sunny surfing spots

Thanks to its mild climate combined with stiff offshore morning breezes, Portugal is particularly popular as a sunny surfing destination. It picks up swells from the north, west and south, meaning surfing conditions are nice and consistent, with more challenging waves in the winter and gentler conditions in the summer.

Spain is blessed with 4000km of coastline and world class surf of its own, and with so many beaches to choose from, you’re likely to be able to find a quiet spot to catch a few waves.

If you still can’t decide between the two great destinations, why not pick up cheap flights to Portugal then hire a car with the intention of crossing borders when you arrive!

Thanks to James for providing today’s article! James writes for Skyscanner.net, a cheap flights comparison site based in Scotland. For more information about Skyscanner, or to get in contact, check out the Skyscanner Linkedin page.

Today’s photos come from flickr users: valkie76 (Menorca Beach), szeke (Palacio da Pena, Portugal), –foxhusky- (Spanish stilt dancers) and marcp_dmoz (Burgos Cathedral) The surfing shot is mine.

2011 in photos

2011-12-31T13:11:00.001+01:00

We’re on the cusp of entering a New Year. Before we go forward though, I’d like to take a bit of time to have a look back at 2011. I’ve decided to do that in photo form, with photos to represent every month of the year that’s gone. Let’s go!

January

The year started with us working at a small campsite in the Tongariro National Park on New Zealand’s north island. The work wasn’t too stressful, and we got a lot of spare time for wanderings, including some epic walking, and even a bit of DIY caving. Above shot is Mount Ngauruhoe in the Tongariro National Park.

February

In February, still in the Tongaririo National Park, we ramped up the search for Gollum, as part of an on going quest to find Middle Earth in New Zealand. Above is Mount Ruapehu against Mangawhero Falls.

March

In March we ended our job at the Tongariro Holiday Park and moved to managing a hostel in Rotorua. But in between we took a tour of the west coast of New Zealand’s north island, where the highlight was scaling Mount Taranaki. My favourite day hike in New Zealand! Above is the path up Mount Taranaki, below is me at the summit!

April

By April we were firmly ensconced in a role running a hostel in Rotorua. Here we got to do all sorts of awesome things, including rafting a 7 metre waterfall, rolling down a hill in a giant ball, flying down a mountain in a kart luging and soaking up the local geothermal waters. Awesome times. Above is Sulphur Point at Lake Rotorua.

May

The hostel gig didn’t last quite as long as planned due to a misunderstanding over pay. So in May we hit the road in earnest, and eagerly took in New Zealand’s East Cape, continued our Middle Earth adventures with a trip to Hobbiton and then headed south via some Art Deco and the Wairapapa Coast to the inter island ferry and New Zealand’s south island. Above is Tolaga Bay beach on New Zealand’s East Cape

June

June was absolutely jam packed with adventure as we explored New Zealand’s quite frankly stunning south island. From glaciers to sounds, from beaches to mountains, this island has absolutely everything a lover of spectacular landscapes could want to see. Above is the Queen Charlotte sound at the northern end of the south island.

July

Our wanderings on the south island continued in July, as we took in the east coast of the south island. Here we found France in New Zealand, a whale crazy town full of seals, and stumbled across the locations of some of New Zealand’s most scenic toilets.

It also saw our return to the North island where our journeys took us to transsexual aliens, incredible waterfalls, 4000 year old trees and the entrance to the afterlife. A busy month! Above is Akaroa Pier on the Banks Peninsula

August

After the hectic travelling of the previous couple of months we decided some down time was in order. We found a stunning campsite located on Muriwai beach, where we took a lot of long walks, admired the local cormorant colony, and watched countless incredible sunsets.

We also spent time preparing Bernie, our campervan, for sale. And sadly, at the end of August, we bade her farewell, and headed out of New Zealand. Above is the surf watch station on Muriwai Beach and below is us saying goodbye to Bernie as her new owners move in. Sniff.

September

September brought a return to Europe, which started with a couple of months in Germany. In this time we did some exploring of the local area, I learnt all about weeing in space, and we managed to fit in a trip to Luxembourg. Above is the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg

October

October saw us working out our plans going forward, which involved the purchase of a new potential campervan for European exploration, and the planning of a move to France. It wasn’t all hard work though – we did manage to fit in some partying and take in a friends wedding!

Above is the wedding bus, below is what I get up to when I’m not taking pictures of scenery.

November

November was another big month, with a move to France being the main adventure. I even managed to change gender. We were busy getting to grips with the new lifestyle (and unpacking!), but managed to find time to do some exploring, including taking in our local Venice. Above is an old stone house in the town of Montbron.

December

And finally, to December. Still in France, still getting used to life in a new country. We’ve sampled a lot of local food, inherited some chickens, and spent some time getting to grips with the local castles. We also distinctly didn’t go to the Seychelles, but made up for it with some local carol singing. Now that’s how to see in a Christmas! Above is the Chateau Lastours ruin.

So that’s that for 2011. Here’s to 2012, and all the adventures that that is going to bring! Have a great one, and of course, thanks to you for all your support so far! Have a fabulous 2012!

Three French Castles, and the death of a lion

2011-12-28T15:21:00.001+01:00

France is home to some quite brilliant castles. As well as being magnificent to look at, these castles also bristle with history, from playing host to damsels in distress, to being the place where Kings die.

Below, I go on a journey around three Chateaux in the Haute Vienne region of France. Read on to find out what I learnt!

Chateau Jumilhac

The first castle on our tour was the most fairy tale like and best preserved of the three. When Disney think of castles, they generally think of castles like this – all turrets and spires and tiny windows for locked away damsels in distress.

Legend tells that Chateau Jumilhac actually was home to a locked away damsel. Back in the early 1600’s the lady of the castle, Louise de Hautford, was locked away in a room for twenty years, with a spinning wheel her only company.

Her husband, the lord of the castle, was apparently the jealous type, and while he was off fighting wars and drinking ale, he kept her locked up. Sounds like a lovely chap.

Chateau Lastours

Chateau Lastours is in the sort of state that you find the majority of British castles to be in – crumbly. Some sort of defensive building has been in place on this spot for over a thousand years, although these defences did originally take the form of mounds of earth.

Mounds of earth not being entirely the sort of place one would want to entertain, an actual castle of the Norman style was built here during the thirteenth century. Which is probably why it looks so English.

Sadly, after a bit of neglect, and a long period of time pretending to be a stone quarry for the locals, the castle lost some of its former glory. Today though, it is in the process of being looked after and restored. There are even re-enactments of life in medieval times. Presumably everyone dies young.

Just next to the castle is a lovely little church, dedicated to the life of a prominent crusader. I don’t know much more about it, other than the fact it is very pretty.

Chateau Chalus-Chabrol

This region of France, Aquitaine and surroundings, is, I have noticed, a bit obsessed with the life and times of Richard the First, better known as Richard the Lionheart.

It turns out that this is because he lived here for the majority of his 42 years. As well as ruling England, (which he managed despite not being able to speak English) he also had responsibility for running a number of other parts of the world, including the Duchy of Aquitaine, which sits adjacent to all the castles on this page.

Of course, he was most famous for being involved in the third Crusade, which was where, with my tenuous grasp of European history, I had always assumed he had met his end.

As it was, it turns out that he actually died at Chalus-Chabrol Castle, which was, by all accounts of the time, fairly puny and poorly defended. Still, the siege didn’t go entirely as planned, and one crossbow bolt later, England was looking for a new King.

Chalus Castle is famous now for both being where the Coeur de Lion was fatally wounded, and as being the resting place for his entrails, and is open for wanderings of the ruined sort. The town is also good for an explore, not least to take in all the trappings of being associated with the death of a King. Richard the Lionheart doorknockers anyone?

Xmas and New Year in Edinburgh

2011-12-27T10:27:00.001+01:00

Today’s sponsored post on spending Christmas and New Year in Edinburgh was put together in partnership with Joe, representing eurobookings.com. I love Edinburgh, and have visited on multiple occasions, – it is one of my all time favourite UK cities. Hitting up Edinburgh at Hogmanay, or New Year, is way up there on my to-do list!

Festive travellers are bound to be spoiled for choice when they hit the picturesque and quintessentially Scottish streets of Edinburgh over Xmas and New Year. And there’ll always be somewhere to stay with the huge array of hotels in Edinburgh city centre that are on offer during the festive period. So what has the city got going on that you should check out?

Christmas Market

Much like many of Britain’s larger cities, Edinburgh hosts a Christmas Market that offers fun for all the family, day and night. With fairground rides, speciality continental food stalls, gift stalls, a beer hall and the incredible Edinburgh Wheel, offering stunning views of the cities iconic landmarks, Edinburgh’s Christmas market is unparalleled.

Not only this, but if you like to ice skate around Christmas, the market is in close proximity to one of the largest ice rinks in Europe!

Hogmanay

The streets of Edinburgh play host to an immense street party every single year on New Year’s Eve and truly are a sight to be seen. A torchlight procession creates the illusion of a river of fire through the city, and there's live music from some of the biggest and most influential artists around.

This year, Edinburgh’s partygoers will be Primal Scream, Mark Ronson, Friendly Fires and The Vaccines, who will all play against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. More details on the Hogmanay celebrations and how to get tickets can be found here.

Shopping

The Old Town in Edinburgh is a fascinating place to enjoy a spot of retail therapy and to grab a few trinkets and bargains while you’re there. Lined with all manner of quirky boutique shops and independent eateries, the maze of streets that makes up the Old Town area really is unique.

The Sights

The Royal Observatory, Nelson's Monument and the National Museum of Scotland are all essential sights. Top of the list though, should be a trip to Edinburgh Castle.

This imposing building is perched on an edifice in the centre of Edinburgh, and is a magnificent castle to explore. There’s also a daily gun salute at 1pm from an actual cannon - not to be missed!

Princes Street

The main shopping street in Edinburgh, Princes Street provides the milieu for a wide-ranging programme of multi-cultural events between now and the end of December, from street artists to live music and even the Scottish Snowsports Festival!

Climb a hill

Edinburgh is a wonderful city to explore by foot. If you’re looking for a great view, you should consider taking a walk to the top of Calton Hill, which is right in the middle of Edinburgh. As well as having an amazing view, it is also home to the “National Monument”, an acropolis built in 1816.

If you’re looking for more hills to climb, then a walk to Arthur’s Seat, situated around a mile from Edinburgh castle, is another must. Looming 250m above the city, this hill offers incredible views across the city and surrounding area.

And that is that for Edinburgh! Thanks to Joe for helping put this one together. Have you been to Edinburgh for Hogmanay? Got any stories to share, or places you recommend to visit in Edinburgh? Do share them in the comments below!

Despite having been to Edinburgh many times, for some reason I have no decent photos of this marvellous city. So today’s photo credits go to DecoByDesign for Edinburgh Castle, Katy-Mac for the Hogmanay street shot, phault for the shot across Edinburgh to Arthur’s Seat, and hockadilly for the firework shot at the beginning!