Magnetic Island
Magnetic Island, or ‘Maggie’ as it is affectionately known by locals, is one of the many islands that make up the Great Barrier Reef. It boasts many beautiful but quiet beaches and is an undisturbed home to lots of wildlife. It lies 8km offshore from Townsville and is a magical escape from the mainland, accessible on a 20 minute ferry ride. We thought it would make a fantastic spot to take a day off from the days of driving on our roadtrip. Car and passenger ferries operate between Townsville and Magnetic Island and should be booked ahead of travel, to ensure you can get on. The ferries arrive into Nelly…
Platypus and Possums at Eungella
Eun-what? I’m told it is pronounced ‘young-gala’ but all the Australians I’ve mentioned it to recently have put up with me calling it all sorts of other things. Eungella means ‘the long cloud’ and nestles at the top of the Clarkes mountain range in the Mackay hinterland. It is about 90km West of Mackay, on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef coastline, making it accessible from the coast in a daytrip. Eungella It is most famous these days as the home of the world’s most reliably seen platypus colony and that is precisely why we broke up our roadtrip with a detour here. The drive itself is beautiful as you wind up…
Viva Las Vegas
Las Vegas is something else. It is an incredible place but I don’t wholly mean that in a good way. Most towns and settlements are near water, water being essential for human life and all. Las Vegas, however, is a town built inexplicably in the middle of the Nevada desert. There is not a drop of water in sight. Each day brings blazing desert temperatures. I burned myself badly on a seatbelt buckle the first time I went to Vegas. Nowhere else in the world have I seen pierced hosepipes elevated above pavements spraying a cool mist over pedestrians. It is very, very hot. The heat is only one reason…
Strolling on the Via Dell Amore in Cinque Terre
Walks along stunning and rugged coastline are a popular activity in Cinque Terre. Walking, along with atmospheric olive groves and beautiful countryside attract endless visitors to the Italian Riviera. No walk is more famous than the Via Dell Amore and unlike some other local walks, and unless this is your first foray off the sofa for a while, it is easy peasey, so nobody should miss out. So, where is it? There are walks connecting each of the five villages in the area and some of them are more challenging than others, so it is important to make sure you get the right one. The Via Dell Amore is the…
Gulet sailing on the Turquoise Coast
The South West of Turkey has a gorgeous coastline and the best way to admire it and truly appreciate it is by spending a few days on a boat. Fortunately Turkish sailing boats, or gulets as the traditional wooden sail boats are called, sail along this coast all the time, so it is easy to join one. Where do Turkish gulets sail? Common routes are from Marmaris to Fethiye & from Fethiye to Olympos (although this route actually ends at Demre and involves a bus ride to Olympos). There are also lots of options around the Bodrum peninsular. What is it like? I have been lucky enough to go on…
Mountain climbing for beginners
Imagine my surprise one afternoon at work in Egypt, when two backpackers who I had taught to dive a few weeks earlier turned up in front of me asking me to teach their Advanced course. We had got on really well so I was delighted to see them again and when it turned out none of us had climbed Mount Sinai yet we decided to go together. Early start We met at an entirely inhuman hour and made our way to the meeting place. After what seemed like forever in a minibus bumping through the Sinai desert and the armed police check points in the hazy pre-dawn we came to…
