Stories behind the stories. By Travel Writer, Amy McPherson
Summer is when Sydney really shines. As the weather gets warmer, organisers are busy doing their last minute preparations to the many festivals to come. Now is the time to really enjoy this harbour city. October Starting with Crave Sydney International Food Festival, which began earlier this month and will run until 31 October 2012. …
A high pitched trill shoots out of nowhere and I jump with excitement. “I think I just heard a tui” I whisper, looking toward the direction of the sound. “No actually, you heard him” Alice points at John, her guide partner whose lips are pouted getting ready for another call. Disappointed that I hadn’t been …
Did you know, that the word souvenir is French, and it means ‘to remember’? We all bring souvenirs home, and these are the items that provide most of the tourism dollars to many of this world’s locals who rely on our need to bring something home. Souvenirs now come in all different forms, shapes, ideas and …
I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Extract from ” I wandered lonely as a cloud” by William Wordsworth, 1888. The mist opens …
It was time for that over-due weekend away from the busy life of Sydney, and instead of an exotic location we chose to go camping in the HunterValley. Two and a half hour’s drive north of Sydney, Hunter Valley is New South Wales’ premier wine region. Many major brands such as De Bortoli, Jacobs Creek, …
Ricky Martin, Enrique Ingles… we know the type, the type that can dance, shake their bum bum and look lusciously Latin. Now, keep that thought in your mind, and welcome to streets full of that vibe: Buenos Aires. Besides being the capital of Argentina and home to the story of hit Broadway musical Evita, it …
There are people who are quite happy working, living life and staying put, never set foot on another city, let alone a country. They are loyal to their friends, their family and most importantly, their comfortable lifestyle of never changing routines. And then, there are people who are constantly on the go, never happy with …
The historic Hahndorf is the oldest surviving German settlement in Australia. A mere twenty-minutes drive south east from Adelaide in South Australia, Hahndorf is among one of the favourite destinations for locals to escape the hustle bustle of the city, to enjoy a weekend afternoon browsing through the many boutique and craft shops, or to …
Bavarians have an attitude. They are so much better than the other Germans. They have some of the world’s bests, including cars and beer, and well known for the world-wide celebrated Oktoberfest. Yes, indeed, Oktoberfest is just around the corner, with celebrations to start on the 22nd September. Beer tents will be erected large enough …
The European summer is slowly drifting away, but the waters off the coasts of Cinque Terre remain warm, sparkling and inviting. What does Cinque Terre mean? In Italian words meaning ‘five lands’, Cinque Terre lies dotted along the Ligurian Sea north west of Italy. Although relatively inaccessible from major cities, Cinque Terre remains a popular …
There is a saying that you haven’t properly experienced Taiwan if you haven’t visited its night market culture. Night markets are the essence of Taiwanese culture and if you are travelling around Taiwan you’d be silly not to experience one! So we took on the challenge and visited as many night markets in Taiwan as …
Checked in: 27 July 2012 Checked out: 28 July 2012 Room: 1407 City view king room Price paid: $249.00 (Stay and Play package, breakfast included) Sheraton on the Park is located right by Hyde Park and well know for its old world charm. It may not look big on the outside, the hotel has 557 …
I am not weird. I just like to step out of the usual tourist attractions and seek for that special something about a place. So I found a hobby – I visit the dead. It’s not just me. A lot of people are doing it as part of their search into someone else’s life. Some …
There are fantastic destinations for cat lovers. I want to shout about it! People are inspired to travel by many things. Some want to see the biggest and tallest things of the world, some want to see the oldest things of the world. Some just want to sit down and relax on a beach and …
Checked in: 22 June 2012 Checked out: 23 June 2012 Room: 1818 Price paid: $286.92 room only (booked through Zuji.com.au) There are only a selection of Sydney hotels where celebrities and world leaders choose to stay when they are in town, and the Four Seasons one of them. Four Seasons Sydney is located on George …
One hours train ride away is one of the wonderful wine regions from Wellington. The Wairarapa Valley may not be as famous as the Marlborough region for NZ wines, it does have some really charming towns and beautiful scenery. The day I visited happened to be wet, and Helen from Destination Wairarapa laughed when she …
On Monday, I was treated to a food tour. Yes, I hear you. I was also a little skeptical too. Why go on a food tour if you can just find out about restaurants on the internet or follow the Michelin’s guide to dining? I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the tour. It …
The past two days have been… busy. My itinerary was packed with visits to Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand), an interview with the concierge at Rydges, a night tour of Zealandia, a Capital Tastes Tour with Zest Food Tours, a ride on the cable car up to the Carter Observatory then back down …
The hype is coming to Wellington again. With the world premiere set for 28 November and the release of the first movie set for 13 December this year (with the second movie to follow on 13 December 2013) the city is preparing for the estimated 250,000 people that will gather – with and without costumes …
It is surprisingly comfortable. Before coming I had expected Wellington to be freezing, grey and lifeless, but the sun shun through the clouds and it was like some one’s just pulled opened the curtain – Wellington immediately became colourful, lively and really not all that cold. We arrived here last night at around 12:30am. (well, …
There is something about Melbourne. I used to have to go around twice a year for work and now it’s like our second home, our ‘getaway from Sydney’ home and we can never get sick of it. Makes me think perhaps it’s time for us to move there? Arriving in Melbourne around 6pm on …
After having visited Kuala Lumpur many times, we were running out of things to do. I do love Kuala Lumpur, and make sure that I try to stop over on all our westward international trips. However there is only so much eating and shopping you can do after you’ve seen the sights, and one must …
Many come to Fiji for its beautiful resorts along the country’s coast lines. They come to sit on the beaches, to enjoy cocktail by the pool, to tan. However, it is worth to get inland and visit some of the towns and sights on Viti Levu, the mainland of Fiji, experience the local culture and learn …
I love a good story, especially one related to places I have been to. In Asia stories about dragons are practically every where, and it’s not different in this northern part of Vietnam. The legend to Halong Bay varies. Yes, there was a dragon involved, but just how does the dragon relate to this …
