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…
Tag: Photos
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…
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…
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…
Best of 2017 – Photography – Further afield
Other than four trips to Australia and my current trip around South America, from Santiago to Buenos Aires via Antarctica on a cruise (posts to come in January), I made…
Best of 2017 – Photography – Australia
One of my favourite travel destinations (thankfully, as other than the Pacific Islands it’s the only place within reasonable flying distance of New Zealand), I made four trips to Australia…
Best of 2017 – Photography – New Zealand
After seven years living here I’ve explored a pretty good chunk of New Zealand, but am still finding new places, even in Auckland, and enjoy revisiting old favourites. South Island…
Best of 2017 – New Zealand Tramping / hiking
I often think that for something I enjoy doing so much I don’t tramp / hike nearly enough, particularly during the second half of the year when the weather isn’t…
Atherton Tablelands
The Atherton Tablelands are inland from Cairns, and offer a completely different landscape to the Daintree rainforest to the north, with endless rolling hills and the odd volcanic crater or…
Paronella Park
A labour of love for Spaniard Jose Paronella, he opened his fantastical park by Mena Creek Falls in 1935 as a tourist attraction. After multiple fires, floods, and cyclones mainly…
Kuranda
A popular day trip from Cairns, though I somehow managed to find time at the end of a long day visiting the Daintree National Park and Port Douglas. Getting there…
Port Douglas
“Welcome to paradise!” said a painted fence on the way into Port Douglas, which passing endless gaudy hotels I was somewhat sceptical about. Heading along Wharf Street by the yacht…
Daintree Rainforest
Possibly the world’s oldest rainforest, around 110 million years old, Daintree National Park is a pretty special place just a couple of hours drive north of Cairns. It wasn’t quite…
Cairns Botanic Gardens
Almost certainly the best thing to do in Cairns itself, the Flecker Botanic Gardens are a very pleasant place to wander around for free. The clear highlight was the freshwater…
Cairns
Gateway to stunning northern Queensland, Cairns itself is a pretty uninspiring grid of hotels and hostels in which you’re more likely to be served by someone from Ireland than Australia.…
Rob Roy Glacier, Matukituki Valley, and part of Cascade Saddle
Planned for a over year, this was to be an epic five day hike up the Matukituki Valley, over Cascade Saddle and down the Rees Valley, taking in some of…
Power Plant – Auckland Domain
For eleven nights only the Auckland Arts Festival has taken over part of the Domain and filled it with atmospheric lighting and sounds, providing some great photo opportunities. These were all…
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
The first big walk I did in New Zealand, years before I properly got into tramping (hiking), the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is deservedly regarded as one of the greatest one…
Favourite New Zealand tramping / hiking huts
After 32 nights spent in huts over the past three years, and having visited many more while walking, here are my favourite tramping / hiking huts in New Zealand to…
Breast Hill and Timaru River Tracks
After finishing the Gillespie Pass Circuit sooner than planned we had a couple of days spare to explore other tracks near to Wanaka. After reading that the Breast Hill Track…