As animal lovers, the highlights of any trip we take are our encounters with wildlife. Over the years we’ve been lucky enough to come across many different species of animals, birds and marine life on our travels. This has ranged from green turtles and monk seals in Hawaii to wild elephants in Sri Lanka. But we still have a long list of wildlife encounters on our...
The Grampians National Park is part of the Great Southern Touring Route, and so for a lot of tourists, a visit there is a one-day affair on the way to or from the Great Ocean Road. Although you can’t possibly see everything in a single day, it is possible to see the main sights and to fit in a short hike or two. Of course, if you’re the adventurous type, the hiking...
Running alongside the Tamar River, the Tamar Valley stretches sixty kilometres north from the Tasmanian city of Launceston, up to the Bass Strait. It’s Tasmania’s oldest wine growing region and is renowned as one of the best in Australia. Simon and I both love wine, but surprisingly after eight trips to Tasmania, we still hadn’t made it to the Tamar Valley. So on our...
After spending a wonderful Christmas in Pambula, New South Wales this year, we were feeling the side effects of eating way too much food, and certainly not enough hiking! So it was just as well that after leaving Pambula we drove north to the town of Jindabyne, an all year round haven for skiers, hikers and bike riders. Jindabyne is located right next to the...
2017 has been a great year for us. We’ve maxed out our holidays, taking three international trips and several long weekends away within Australia. It’s been a blast! So it wasn’t very hard to put together our top ten list of experiences for the year. Taking a boat right up close to an active lava flow in the Big Island, Hawaii One of the best ways to experience the...
It’s not hard to find a good hike on any of the Hawaiian Islands, and Oahu is no exception. It has more hiking trails than you can realistically conquer during a two week holiday. If like us, you’re a hiker, you may find it tricky to choose from them all. But, on the eastern edge of Waikiki’s coastline, lies one of Hawaii’s most iconic landmarks, the Diamond Head...
The Australian state of Victoria is heaven for the wine lovers out there. With wine regions scattered all over the state, you could visit a different winery every day and not run out of choices for months. Living in Melbourne, we are lucky to have several wine regions just over an hour’s drive from the city centre. The closest one to us is the Mornington Peninsula...
Over the years we’ve become frequent visitors to the small town of Daylesford, in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria. Just a short ninety-minute drive from Melbourne, it’s easy enough to get to if you’re after a weekend of quiet relaxation. The area is home to the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia and is therefore very popular for romantic weekend...
No visit to Sri Lanka is complete without a visit to the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Sigiriya Rock is one of Sri Lanka’s wonders, and it’s a must-see attraction on any visitor’s itinerary. Sigiriya, meaning Lion Rock in Singalese, is an ancient city in the central Matale district of Sri Lanka. It’s easy to spot this two hundred meters high rock as you drive through the...
When you hear Pyrenees, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the French Mountain range. But Victoria has its own version of the Pyrenees, and it’s also pretty awesome. Nestled amongst the rolling hills and pretty little country towns, the Pyrenees produces some of the best cool climate wines in the state. However, the Pyrenees isn’t overly popular with...