Hello from Byron Bay. It took three days and many hours on a bus to get up here from Sydney, but at long last I’ve arrived. On Thursday, we drove up to Barrington and stayed at a lodge right on…
Around Sydney
I’ve spent these past few days exploring Sydney, and I’m having a great time – that is, I started having a great time once I switched hostels from a big impersonal chain to a small, friendly family-owned one. I’m staying…
Some sand, some snow, some kangaroos
Hello from Sydney, the city that Melbournians love to hate. I’ve just arrived into town after a 4-day Adventure Tour through national parks and snowy mountains. (No phones, no Internet for a lot of it, so apologies for delays in…
Around Melbourne
Melbourne is a big bustling city with tons to see and do. After figuring out the tram system (complicated at first but easy once you get the hang of it), I spent all day yesterday visiting the sights. The Victorian…
Bright lights, big city
Goodbye New Zealand, hello Australia. I’ve arrived in the land of Oz, and am feeling quite like Dorothy (but without the ruby slippers). After a month in a country barely bigger than a postage stamp, I’ve now arrived in a…
Goodbye, New Zealand
It’s the end of the road for me here in NZ. With less than 24 hours until I fly to Australia, I’m both excited and a bit sad to be leaving this beautiful country behind. This past month has been…
The fun way to get wet
I’ve made it to Christchurch, the south island’s largest city and my last stop in New Zealand. I’ll be here for a few nights before I fly to Australia. It’s a pretty city – more of a large town, actually,…
Penguins and lakes
Back inland again, on yet another beautiful turquoise lake. This one is called Lake Tekapo, and it’s on the other side of Mount Cook from Lake Matheson. So I’ve made a giant loop. The lodge here is right on the…
Life in the Otago
Greetings from Dunedin, the largest city I’ve seen so far in the South Island and center of Scottish descendancy in New Zealand. Dunedin is mostly a student town, but its Scottish heritage is plainly seen in everything from the giant…
When a camera just doesn’t do justice
Wow, where to begin? I’m here in Queenstown, the self-styled “adventure capital of the world” ever since A.J. Hackett decided it would be fun to throw himself off a bridge with a bungee cord tied to his ankles… and then…