In a city of almost ten million where the streets hum with a constant flow of people moving to and from their destination, imagine finding a little slice of serenity in the centre of it all. Would you think it possible? Recently I travelled to Bangkok with a group of writers and bloggers from Brisbane. We flew with Air Asia - the low-cost … [Read more...]
A history tour of Darwin
Tour Tub Darwin City Explorer From my high school studies of Australian history, I knew a little about the bombing of Darwin in 1942. And my recent visit to the Tiwi Islands, 80 kilometres north of Darwin educated me further. It was on the smaller of the Tiwi Islands - Bathurst - that Father John McGrath on that fateful day of February 19, … [Read more...]
Never smile at a crocodile
The handler calls out, “Good boy Will, pick up.” On command, Will’s 690-kilogram body thrashes in the water, one large foot claws the only solid object within reach - my Perspex chamber. I watch in awe as his gigantic jaw slowly opens giving me a ridiculously close view of his huge teeth. Before I could count those pearly whites, the rows of … [Read more...]
Sweet discovery in the Northern Territory
The dull whirr of the floatplane’s engine makes conversation impossible inside the cabin, but the captivating view over Darwin Harbour requires no commentary. I'm with a group of five all squeezed into a Cessna 208 Caravan. Sitting directly behind the pilot, it's probably a good thing my regular "oh wow" comments remain unheard over the noise. The … [Read more...]
Cruising Nitmiluk Gorge
There are numerous ways to get up close and personal with the impressive scenery and wildlife in Nitmiluk National Park. On this mid-May morning, I'm doing it via a boat cruise on two of the gorges in Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. At the southern tip of Kakadu National Park, Nitmiluk (pronounced Nit-me-look) a Jawoyn word meaning cicada place, is … [Read more...]
Scenery scotch and a song three reasons to visit Isle of Skye
As the second largest island in Scotland, the Isle of Skye is renowned for stunning scenery, good scotch whisky and a traditional Scottish folk song about Bonnie Prince Charlie. These may not be everyone's reasons for visiting, but they were mine. If you've been to Skye, (as the locals refer to it) it’s not hard to see why it ranks highly - the … [Read more...]
Castaway in Fiji
Close to the mainland the clear waters of this tropical island paradise will cleanse your mind and set you on the path of relaxation. Looking out over so many variations of blue water, the adjectives teal, cerulean, sapphire, azure and turquoise come to mind. I’m at the highest point on Castaway Island, a private island resort in the heart of … [Read more...]
Why not climb a mountain?
Good Friday – a day of rest for some, but for me, it was a day to hike a mountain. I’d responded to a media call out to join the epic Moonrise on Mount Maroon on Friday, April 19. The requirements: A writer/journalist who is fit enough to hike the seven-hour return night hike Available to depart at 2 pm on Good Friday. “The Moonrise … [Read more...]
The best of Brisbane’s weekend escapes
Winter in Brisbane is all about warm days filled with sunshine and blue skies. Want to know where I'd recommend you escape to if you're a local or a visitor to Brissie? Check out my story from the Upsider on four of my suggestions (And it was hard to write about only four!) Open beach on Moreton Island … [Read more...]
A London serendipity moment
“I recognise that building.” There’s been so much hoopla in the media around Julian Assange’s arrest on Thursday and his removal from his diplomatic refuge at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. News channels have repeatedly shared the video of the 47-year old being ‘escorted’ by British police officers down the embassy’s steps before being shoved … [Read more...]
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