Rabaul

jontycrane

A fascinating place, Rabaul has packed in a huge amount of history in 150 years, and is a beautiful place as well, with lush bush and a spectacular volcanic backdrop.…

Best of 2018 Auckland Theatre so far

jontycrane

My Auckland theatre year was curtailed by travel so I only got to see 46 shows before the end of July (annoyingly missing another 7 due to work / illness)…

Duke of York Islands

jontycrane

A quite magical place, the Duke of York Islands are a beautiful part of Papua New Guinea, safe and wonderfully inviting. Barely touched by tourism, they were a highlight of…

Rabaul Hotel

jontycrane

The oldest hotel in the New Guinea Islands, opened in 1952, the Rabaul Hotel was a wonderful introduction to Papua New Guinea. There’s not many hotels that have their own…

Things learnt on the Larapinta Trail

jontycrane

Despite doing a lot of online research before walking the Larapinta Trail there is no substitute for the real experience. Here are my learnings and thoughts to share with anyone…

Highlights of the Larapinta Trail

jontycrane

The Larapinta Trail is a classic Australian long distance (223km) walk along the West MacDonnell Range from or to Alice Springs. It’s by far the longest walk I’ve done (both…

Hermannsburg Historic Precinct

jontycrane

A fascinating place to visit for it’s heritage and art history, Hermannsburg Historic Precinct was the first Aboriginal Mission in the Northern Territory. As it’s name suggests it was established…