The Magic of Skye Part Two The Isle of Skye on Scotland’s west coast offers a delectable assortment for the outdoor enthusiast. I recommend deviating from the popular routes and uncovering a few of Skye's lesser-known gems in the more remote regions. Thanks to isolation and no travel during the Coronavirus pandemic, I've finally found the time … [Read more...]
Finding my tartan in Scotland
Queen Victoria’s love for Scotland Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park is the largest National Park in the United Kingdom. Inside its 4,528 km2 expanse are five of the six highest mountains in Scotland. The highest is Ben Macdhui (1,309 metres.) On the 7th of October 1859, Queen Victoria at age forty hiked to the summit of Macdhui. She felt … [Read more...]
A Taste of Kakadu celebrates more than food
The Northern Territory's Kakadu National Park Taste of Kakadu in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park is a very special Indigenous Food Festival celebrating local bush food culture. I was fortunate to be part of the festival during the 2019 Taste of Kakadu. The Bowali Visitor Centre The scent of freshly cooking food … [Read more...]
The Granite Belt Region: Where optimism and the scent of rain is in the air
“I haven’t had to mow the lawn in two years,” says Warren Thomas. Now if you’re a lawn lover, not having any grass to mow for that long could be depressing. But not for Warren, husband to the owner of local Ballandean business Washpool Skin Wellness Rather than dwelling on not having to drag the mower from the shed in over 24 months, Warren, a … [Read more...]
Recommended short getaways in Australia and New Zealand
Chuffed to be included in blogger Dean Williamson from Lavidaglobal.com list of the best places in Australia and New Zealand for a short getaway "To show you some of the magnificent places you might be missing we have asked some experienced travellers to let us in on their favourite places in Australia and New Zealand to get away for a few … [Read more...]
Top End magic
As the capital of the Northern Territory, Darwin is renowned for fun and adventure, but an interesting mixture of history and the slightly obscure is found in the Top End - when you know where to look. Darwin’s unique charm and character is a by-product not only of its geographical location - history and a couple of natural events played a role. … [Read more...]
Where to find Queensland’s award winning wineries
Discovering Queensland's world-class wineries (and scenery) I’m partial to being outdoors and love to follow the hiking trails through the Australian bush. It had been way too long between visits to Girraween National Park. How long? My eldest, James was almost six when I last clambered over the magnificent granite boulders with some very … [Read more...]
The very special Tiwi Islands
Passing the island’s southern coastline from the open deck of our SeaLink ferry, I see nothing beyond the thicket of trees hugging the white sandy shore. Once inside Shoal Bay, the multi-coloured corrugated rooves of houses peek through the trees indicating the first sign of civilisation – Wurrumiyanga - Bathurst’s main settlement. The tropical … [Read more...]
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat
This incredible haven within Lamington National Park is brimming with plenty of bushwalking experiences and gorgeous (sometimes tame) wildlife. Read about my review on what you can do at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat … [Read more...]
Walking below the canopy of ancient giants
Walking through a rainforest reminiscent of the forests that covered the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana A strange noise breaks the gentle silence of the rainforest. Initially, my thoughts were it sounds like the cries of a baby, but then as it repeats, my brain likens it to that of a cat’s meow - but somewhat strangulated. “That’s a green … [Read more...]