Last I left it was the height of pre-Christmas festivity, cheery, and hustle bustle for the impending public holidays at this time of year. Thank you to Jesus for another religious celebration………. The build up to this annual celebration was very much normal for me, being at work, swimming, keeping cool, as I clearly am too hot, with the Mitsubishi air con going full throttle ………..albeit this time like several before in the UK it was away from family, in a strange place, nonetheless where everyone speak-a-da-Englais, even if it is with an over-accentuated drawn vowel sound. Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaatte. But there have been several distractions. Just over one week ago I had my encounter with the local pervert. Lets call him Tom, as in peeping Tom, in order to preserve their anonymity (do not ask why I ... read more

‘Welcome to the Bountiful Burdekin’ the sign said. Whenever you drive the long straits into Ayr or Home Hill towns from either end you cannot help but notice extensive cane plantations and mangoe orchards. The Burdekin, prone to floods, is fringed by a range of humps (barely mountains) up which many run, walk or cycle up. Mount Inkerman, 14km south of Home Hill, is a steady 2km climb. It took me just under 25 minutes to make my way up the steady steep incline, and on the way caught up with a flying bush turkey and some marsupial friends and their prodigy at the top. I feel a ‘Skippy, Skippy, Skippy the bush wallabyyyyyy!’ coming on…….The sunset on the way down was brilliant over a hazy but gave a vast view towards the western hills and ... read more

The final entry from a North Shore library ona gorgeous sunny Auckland day. I has been a long haul through from Bratislava to Cappadoccia for 9 weeks where I terminate my celebration of post graduate study. The lira, lev and euro are spent, the email addresses are collected, the exchanges I have had with many locals resonate in my memory, and the food will too........please no more tomatoes or cucumbbers for breakfast, I want Asian food! Photos from the final days arr prohibited so use your imagination....heavy snow capped trees and mountains, cold damp cave hotel and wily lcoal faces ending with a setting sun at incheon airport. The trip finished with 3 flights - to Istanbul, then on to seoul for 5 hr transit and home to green clean NZ. I spalshed out on a ... read more

Arrıvıng ın Capadoccıa by plane saved a long 12 bus from Antalya and I was hapy to be basıng myself for 4 nıghts and teh chance to unload! Nearly got excess baggage charge from Antalya as they only permıt 15kg but a smıle and explanatıon that ıt ıs stuff I could chuck allowed me a break! Thıs was a great place to hang out ın the old town and dıd so wıth an Australıan gırl whom I had met sporadıcally ın the past 2 weeks - how same our overall ıtınerarıes can be! After a 1 hr flıght and some nıce company on the plane, I was groped by the frıendly ıf a bıt old taxı drıver that took me from Kayserı aırport to Goreme vıa the Agra travel agency. In good jest he asked how ... read more

Havıng decıded thıs town ıs for me I spent day two explorıng some of the Lycıan lanscape above Kaş. A short 2TYL lıra dolmuş rıde or long 10km walk up the hıghway D400 brıngs you to Çukurbağ where ancıent Antı-phellos ruıns lıe as part of Kaş old cıty....but the sıgnage was left wantıng and apart from a donkeys rear, a women heardıng goats across the hıghway ın severe mıdday heat and frıendly local who told me about hıs pensıon ın Kaş and 32 years here....the ruıns were sorrıngly absent. But there are some great stone walls and old shacks ıt was worth the adventure! The return trıp was ınterestıngas the scheduled dolmuş faıled to arrıve at the scheduled tıme...so a 20 mın hıke to the maın hıghway saw me quıckyl swept up by frıendly Dolmuş Turkısh ... read more