Category Archives: Travel

Judging threat in Norway: travel advice vs. public opinion

Australians take about 6 million trips overseas each year, during which about 30,000 Australians need the assistance of an Australian consular or overseas mission, says the Australian Government travel advisory, Smartraveller. When I hear stats like this, I wonder, ‘who are these people?’ Are they  mostly those who travel to extreme destinations; places of highContinueContinue reading “Judging threat in Norway: travel advice vs. public opinion”

Wide angle: a day out in Brisbane

Brisbane is a city of possibilities; an accessible hub of cultural adventures. After living here for almost three years, I am still regularly amazed at how a seemingly quiet Saturday morning can transform into a day of unexpected delights. This Saturday was one of those days; unscheduled, uncompromised spontaneous adventure. 10.30am: The morning sunshine hasContinueContinue reading “Wide angle: a day out in Brisbane”

Heading for the hills: adventures around Maleny, Queensland

Sometimes I just need to get out of town, out of routine. I find myself craving an open road with the windows down; bird calls echoing into silence; hypnotic ocean blue. So, with very few plans  in place, I recruited the enthusiasm of my man, threw a bag in the car, cranked the tunes andContinueContinue reading “Heading for the hills: adventures around Maleny, Queensland”

Five and a half things I’ve learnt about Norway

The first ‘must’ for any international adventure is enthusiasm…the second is research. No matter what your travel style – ‘wing it’, ‘nose-in-guide’ or ‘three page daily itinerary’ – there is always a need to read up about your destination (even if it’s only about how to get there). Being the book worm that I am,ContinueContinue reading “Five and a half things I’ve learnt about Norway”

Another adventure in the planning

Oh, I have good news my friends! I’m dusting off my keyboard, brushing up my online bargain hunting skills and getting ready to launch into the comprehensive investigation, planning and plotting of another international adventure. Hurrah. But, before I get carried away in my pre-planning euphoria, I would just like to acknowledge that yes, it’sContinueContinue reading “Another adventure in the planning”

The road south

There is something about a road trip that feels like freedom. I am not sure if it’s the sun on my ruddy skin or the wind-whipped hair in my face, the music blaring over the road noise, or the time to let thoughts drift in and out.  Maybe it’s moving, getting somewhere, looking forward toContinueContinue reading “The road south”

The Challenge: 10 Ways to Reinvigorate Reality

Last month I made an empowering decision. I was mid-air, somewhere between Dubai and Singapore,  when I decided my adventurous experiences did not need to halt as soon as I landed back in the world of ‘reality’. I decided I would take my thrill-seeking, proactive, life-loving travel attitude and paint my everyday life with theContinueContinue reading “The Challenge: 10 Ways to Reinvigorate Reality”

The Last Leg: Mt Sinai To Cairo

White torch lights pierced the black Sinai night as we stumbled like zombies up the mountain trail. The crunch and crush of feet on sandy gravel echoed off the sandstone with the gurgling grunts of pushy camels. Even with a Bedouin guide bounding (quite literally) up ahead, at times the winding trail seemed to disappearContinueContinue reading “The Last Leg: Mt Sinai To Cairo”

Jordanian Adventures

Adventures take you by surprise, challenge you, inspire you and teach you something about yourself and the world. I love this aspect of travelling; I love that each day shows me something new and exciting. I am dizzy thinking back at the the adventures I’ve had in the past week. From the Syria-Jordan border, IContinueContinue reading “Jordanian Adventures”

The Sands of Palmyra

Nothing quite compares to sitting at the top of a second century Greco-Roman amphitheatre in the middle of the Syrian desert with only the hot wind and red sands for company. It was in this moment that I was overwhelmed with gratitude for my travel experiences. At times I still find myself a little surprisedContinueContinue reading “The Sands of Palmyra”

Learning Through The People Of Syria

Every new country presents a new set of customs, cultural understandings and practical circumstances. Learning a country – the people, the values, the plumbing – is one of the things I love most about travelling. There is something inherently thrilling about saying ‘thank you’ or ‘hello’ in a foreign language (and being understood) or figuringContinueContinue reading “Learning Through The People Of Syria”

Not So Connected In Syria

Just a quick note to thank you all for reading and let you know that internet is not as readily available in Syria as in Europe. I will still be writing, but will likely have to post two or three posts at a time when I find more internet. In the meantime though, I’m lovingContinueContinue reading “Not So Connected In Syria”

Souqs, Citadels and Syrian Sandals

Syria is lovely: the people smile, welcome you and show you around; the food is fresh and rich in flavour; the hot air is thick with humidity (just how I like it); and the streets are a chaotic mix of ancient buildings and modern development. After a relaxed morning I met some other travellers whoContinueContinue reading “Souqs, Citadels and Syrian Sandals”

First Impressions of Syria

I was surprised to see the great expanse of lights below as the plane descended towards Aleppo. In my mind, the old city was expected to be smaller, less illuminated, less city-like. After a long line in immigrations and a very thorough inspection of my passport, visa, travel documents and personal details (always nerve racking),ContinueContinue reading “First Impressions of Syria”

Exploring Taksim

The day after I post my jeans and jumpers home, the temperature in Istanbul drops from 35 to 20 degrees Celsius. But that is okay, the cool air has been a welcomed change and a popular topic of conversation between strangers on the street. Today has been a day of welcomed surprises. This morning IContinueContinue reading “Exploring Taksim”

Surviving The Mysterious, Inevitable Travel Sickness

After a twelve hour journey from Denizli to Istanbul (two buses, a tram and a long, hot walk), I spent yesterday in various states of laziness. Being the kind of person who always crams as much as possible into a day, laziness is something I still need to think of as constructive to enjoy it.ContinueContinue reading “Surviving The Mysterious, Inevitable Travel Sickness”

The Road To Denizli

I am sitting in Denizli Otogar (bus station) drinking free tea while waiting for an overnight bus back to Istanbul. I have had a day of relaxation, an evening of trials and first-hand experience of how gracious and considerate the Turkish people are. (This includes the five old men at this Doner Salonu who areContinueContinue reading “The Road To Denizli”

Skimming the Turkish tourist trail

Just a quick update tonight… My eyes are heavy after a long, hot day skimming the tourist highlights around Selcuk: Ephesus, Artemis’ Temples, the Ephesus Museum and the local markets. I arrived in a dark and deserted Seluck at 6am this morning after a sleepless overnight bus ride. Being a single female, I was seatedContinueContinue reading “Skimming the Turkish tourist trail”

Peace and War

Looking out over the peaceful Aegean Sea from Anzac Cove, it was hard to imagine the site once hosted such bloodshed and violence. Small white tablets and rosemary bushes dotted the lush grass around me, marking only some of the thousands of deaths among both Allied and Turk forces in 1915. Throughout the day IContinueContinue reading “Peace and War”

Braving the Bazaar

I am exhausted (and a little broke) after a day in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. After a hardy hostel breakfast (three black olives, one slice of tomato, a knob of cucumber, a square of fetta, some sour cherry conserve and boiled egg), I set off with nothing but my wallet, walking shoes, a bottle of waterContinueContinue reading “Braving the Bazaar”

The Colours Of Turkey

I am brimming with impressions of colourful Turkey. After a full day in Turkey, I am now feeling the culture shock I missed when first arriving in Europe. Istanbul is overwhelming. The buildings, clothes and furnishings are brightly patterned; the streets are thick with scents of food and smoke and incense; and there are soContinueContinue reading “The Colours Of Turkey”

The Two Week Mark: Croatia

Thinking back over the last fourteen days, I am amazed to think of how many places I’ve already seen and experienced. To be honest, the whole idea of travelling to another country in just a day still thrills me (as does travelling to another country full stop). And riding on planes still feels like aContinueContinue reading “The Two Week Mark: Croatia”

Homesick By The Seaside

So it’s day thirteen of the overseas adventure and my initial burst of wanderlust is waning under physical exhaustion and the logistics of solo travel. After a rough night sleep (the mattress actually had protruding springs that I had to cover with a towel), I have my first serious dose of homesickness and am fightingContinueContinue reading “Homesick By The Seaside”

Meeting Crazy

By 9am yesterday morning I was on a bus winding along the Croatian coast to Korcula Island. Rocky hills undulated along the seaside, hiding quaint red-roofed towns that seemed to have it all figured out: vineyards, Adriatic Sea views, peace and quiet. I arrived at Korcula bus station by noon to find my transfer hadContinueContinue reading “Meeting Crazy”

Adriatic Relaxation

I am sitting on a third floor balcony watching the sun set over the Adriatic. Pink light bounces off the sea of red roofs that line Dubrovnik’s port. A gentle coastal breeze soothes the heat of the day and chills my sunburnt skin. I have cider and cheese and am enjoying the perfect end toContinueContinue reading “Adriatic Relaxation”

The Man With The Bolt Cutters

You’ll never believe it! Best blunder of my trip so far… After a relaxing dinner of anchovy risotto and red wine, with a side of people watching, I returned to my hostel to finish a blog post and get a good night sleep. I removed my shoes and scarf, put down my wallet and camera,ContinueContinue reading “The Man With The Bolt Cutters”

A day in the life of a train traveller…

I watched the sun rise over Prague this morning as I made my way by taxi to the central train station. The gold orb ascended into purple sky over mist shrouded gothic spires that  reflected in the Vltava River. It was one of those unexpected and unconditionally perfect moments that travellers hope for. The restContinueContinue reading “A day in the life of a train traveller…”

10 Things I learnt in Prague

While the Australian tongue is not very well equipped for Eastern European languages, I have learnt it is best just to give it all you’ve got when trying to communicate in Czech. This is a fun challenge: ‘a’ sounds like ‘ya’;‘kh’ sounds like ‘chi’; ‘ow’ sounds like ‘au’ and there are a lot of ‘z’sContinueContinue reading “10 Things I learnt in Prague”

Travel Mode – Czech

My cheeks are flushed from the cool Prague air and the taste of eggnog ice cream still lingers on my tongue as we walk ‘home’ from Kobylisy metro. My body is tired after walking the cobbled, crowed streets for two days. My head is full and relaxed and my senses are awake. I’ve finally settledContinueContinue reading “Travel Mode – Czech”

Lost in the land of Prague

After my awe inspiring train trip into the Czech Republic yesterday, I commenced a crash course in finding my way in Prague. First there was finding which of the three queues for ‘international tickets’ was the right line to actually reserve an international ticket (turns out third time is lucky). Then there was finding aContinueContinue reading “Lost in the land of Prague”

This is what wonder feels like

It seems the world is much more romantic when viewed through a train window. As I ride from Berlin to Prague, I am overcome with a warm, fuzzy kind of happiness. My heart skips with excitement and wonder as I look upon lush green fields adorned with sunshine-yellow dandelions; eminent rows of wind turbines; uniformedContinueContinue reading “This is what wonder feels like”

Gluten-full Germany

So I have heard that there are others in this great world of ours who physically reject gluten as I do… perhaps not in Germany though? No, seriously, while I have heard rumours of gluten-free possibilities in Berlin, I have to admit they have been hard to find. My diet over the past few daysContinueContinue reading “Gluten-full Germany”

Berlin in a picture

My eyes are full after a day of exploring the grungier side of Berlin. The streets are alive with the colours of protest, expression and passion, as art dances across almost every wall and gives the city a wild, outspoken character. The theme of Berlin’s street art seems to be socialist vs. capitalist, which isContinueContinue reading “Berlin in a picture”

Symbols of Turmoil and Tolerance

Day one in Berlin, I thought it fitting to tour some of Berlin’s many symbols on the free (with tips) Berlin Walking Tour. Approximately three hours with an English-speaking guide, the tour did a quick round of the major city highlights and opened my eyes to many of the serious stories Berlin has to tell.ContinueContinue reading “Symbols of Turmoil and Tolerance”