I was heading to a hotel in the hills in Brisbane for a long weekend. Located in the mountains, about a 30 minute drive from the city, my plan was to go for walks in the hills and relax by the pool. It wasn't too far from the city but my GPS certainly made the drive longer than it needed to be. Firstly there was the long and circuitous route I seemed to be taking, then there was a "Deliverance" moment as I dutifully followed the GPS instructions down a narrow dead end road. As the road petered out into a red dirt trail I came to a gate making it clear I couldn't go any further. In case of any confusion there was a flurry of dust and an old four-wheel drive came flying out ... read more

In my year of living in Australia and my year of mild obsession about the possibility of seeing a snake and wondering what to do if it happens, I've been told repeatedly by Australians by that I will never see one. Well certainly not in the city (thank heavens for that!) but it won't happen anywhere else either. Well - they are all wrong! Sighting number one was the snake in WA . Admittedly I have no verification of my story and while I still maintain it was a baby snake, I concede that it may well have been a slithery snake-like worm. There is no doubt however about my second sighting. My latest weekend away was up to Port Douglas, and I took a day trip to the Daintree Rainforest. It was here that I ... read more

It was time to get out of Sydney, and with friends in Melbourne, this was my weekend destination. I think the travel curse was following me, as it was a bleak weekend - windy, wet, overcast and cool. But then again it was Melbourne in winter, what else to expect? I was lucky to be staying with good friends in Port Melbourne, a part of the city that I had gotten to know much better over the years that they had lived there, so it was a return to an old stomping ground of sorts. But new adventures were on the cards as well, so we were off to the Mornington Peninsula for a spot of wine tasting and exploring. First up was a visit to a vineyard that had rocketed to the top of my ... read more

Exactly one year ago today, having bundled up nearly all my belongings into storage, I joined more than half a million other New Zealanders in the so-called "lucky country". I can't believe how quickly it's gone. I didn't know what the future would hold, with a work contract for one year, so I set myself a goal to see as much as I could in my year. I've visited every State and Territory, including a visit to the Federal Parliament where I found out what the difference between the two is. I've seen a lot, but only starting to discover what a vast, diverse, wild and beautiful country it is. Australia is nothing if not a land of contrasts. The beaches are simply stunning, amongst the most beautiful I've seen anywhere. Whether downtown Sydney, or more ... read more

Landing in Darwin it was hard to believe I was in the same country. It was midnight, but still 27 degrees, and steamy with it. Of course more sensible people than I would have looked at a map before getting on the plane. It turns out that Sydney is over 3,000 kms away. I might as well have landed in Indonesia. Day one was a trip to Litchfield National Park, only around 130kms from Darwin. I seemed to have inadvertently booked myself on a day trip targeted to backpackers. The owner of the company picked me up from the hotel and drove me down to the meet the bus. He told me he came up from Melbourne 20 years ago and he couldn't believe his luck when he arrived to be a tour guide. "I was ... read more