Best of 2019 – Hiking overseas
For the first time I did more hiking overseas than in New Zealand this year, walking in the Himalayas, Asia, Australia, Papua New Guinea and Europe. Looking back on the…
Tag: beauty
Best of 2019 – Tramping in New Zealand
I did most of my hiking overseas this year, in Australia, Switzerland and Bhutan, but walked some great tracks in New Zealand as warm ups for those longer trips. The…
Best of 2019 – Places I’ve stayed
I’ve stayed in some memorable places this year during my travels. Here are the ones that stood out. Desert Himalaya Resort, Nubra Valley, LadakhFull on glamping in the northern most…
Best of 2019 – Travels
I didn’t think I’d be able to top 2018 for overseas travel but taking five months off work allowed me to visit some incredible places in 2019, though I was…
Auckland day walks ranked
There are almost no multi-day walks near Auckland, but thankfully there are many decent day walks, often along spectacular coastlines. Sadly the Waitakere Ranges are almost entirely closed now, to…
New Zealand day walks ranked
There’s a lot to be said for shorter walks. They may lack the sense of escape that a multi-day walk brings, but they can often match the scenery and carrying…
New Zealand tramps (multi-day walks) ranked
In the past five and a half years since starting with the Routeburn Track, I’ve done 24 multi-day walks (known as tramps in New Zealand), including all of the Great…
New Zealand benches
New Zealand is a truly beautiful place, with many views worth spending time to properly appreciate. Thankfully there are often handy benches to help one do so. Here are some…
Awhitu Peninsula
A great day trip from Auckland, the Awhitu Peninsula is a beautiful place about an hour south west, on the southern headland of the Manukau Harbour. Sweeping views of the harbour,…
Te Ara Hura
A relatively unknown Auckland gem, Te Ara Hura is 100km of connected tracks and trails around the Waiheke Island, only 40 mins by ferry from downtown Auckland. Particularly now the…
Hindu Kush – Mastuj to Hunza
Possibly the most spectacular piece of road I’ve ever been on (which is saying something), the scenery between Mastuj and Hunza through the Hindu Kush was consistently jaw dropping. From…
Best of 2018 – Hiking overseas
This year I ventured overseas for the longest and hardest hikes I’ve done to date, enjoying some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve seen. Hiking in Australia and Europe was…
Prague
An understandably if still overwhelmingly (in places) popular city, Prague has a rich history and wonderful architecture. The beauty of Prague (other than it’s obvious architectural beauty) is that there…
Best of 2018 – Tramping in New Zealand
I explored some of the most spectacular parts of New Zealand by foot this year. Though much shorter than my walks overseas, many of these being day walks, the scenery…
Municipal House
One of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen, Prague’s Municipal House is an Art Nouveau masterpiece that opened in 1912. It has played a key historical role twice, firstly…
Best of 2018 – Travels
By far the biggest year of travel I’ve done, helped by taking a fifteen week leave of absence from work, in addition to eight weeks of paid and unpaid leave…
Highlights of the Tour du Mont Blanc
My 24th multi-day walk, the Tour du Mont Blanc was the most consistently spectacular walk I’ve done to date. I’ve walked extensively in New Zealand, and in Patagonia, Australia, Georgia…
Best of 2018 – Places I’ve stayed
The idea for this post came while staying in a Peruvian lodge in the Amazon rainforest, thinking I’ve stayed in some memorable places this year during my travels. Here are…
Valbona Valley, Albanian Alps
A beautiful place, wonderful for walking, the Valbona Valley is a relatively undiscovered gem in the Albanian Alps. Accessible by paved roads a couple of hours from Fierza in Northern…
Northern Albania – Lake Koman and Shkoder
Travelling from the centrally located capital of Tirana to the mountains of Northern Albania there was plenty of history and impressive scenery. In a wonderful setting 130m above the northern…