Spectacular Provence Beaches
Having grown up only a whisper away from France, in the UK, I had always rather disregarded the beaches, assuming they would be very similar to UK beaches, with shingle and cold murky water. In northern France they have vast sandy beaches stretching as far as the eye can see. Being the other side of the channel, the water is not very different. But with regards to the Provence coast, how wrong could I be? What a difference a land mass makes Of course Provence is on the south coast of France and the Mediterranean. This makes a huge difference. The water is generally sheltered and beautifully clear. Don’t be…
Brighton Rocks
Brighton is a seaside resort on Britain’s south coast bursting with colour and character. It offers a modern pier complete with rides and good old-fashioned British seaside fun, as well as ghost piers, cafes, restaurants, shopping and of course the beach. Brighton Pier (and old pier) Brighton Pier (also known as the Palace Pier) is the focus of the seafront. Opened in 1899 it stretches for out into the sea for 524 metres and plays host to a whole funfair of rides, games and funfair activities. It has something to suit everyone, from the traditional rollercoaster to the nasty newer rides that ‘drop’ you. The Pier also hosts more traditional…
Queensland Roadtrip
It took five days, but we eventually arrived in Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia. Roadtrips are a great way to see large countries like Australia. I feel that you see and understand more exploring by road, than you ever will flying. We basically stuck to the M1, of the ‘Bruce Highway’ as it is known here, for most of the 1400km. It is one lane in each direction, which seems incredible to anyone with any familiarity of the UK’s M1, but works out here, since there is so much less traffic. We drove north up to Rockhampton which still has a huge bull in the centre of the roundabout where…
The Split Personality of Barbados
Barbados lies East of the Windward islands of the Caribbean and faces the wrath of the Atlantic alone. For an island exploding with culture and activities it is surprising how small it is. The island is only 21 x 14 miles (34 x 23 km) at its widest and it is amazing how much variety of scenery can be seen on such a trim little island. Each coastline has a unique character, but which is for you? West coast of Barbados The West coast of Barbados, or the Platinum coast as it is also known, hosts the stunning picture perfect beaches you see on the postcards and in the guidebooks.…
Beaches of Auckland
Auckland, nestled between the Tasman sea and the Hauraki Gulf is the most densely populated region of New Zealand. It has a lot of coastline though, so when you want to hit the beach there are plenty of options. Here are a few favourites to get you started. Immortalised in songs by Crowded House and Salmonella Dub, as well as the movie The Piano, Kare Kare is about 35 miles West of Auckland and where the Waitakere mountain range drops away to a wide flat expanse of dark sand staring ominously at the ocean. It is an area of rugged natural beauty, first settled by Maori people but has since…
Great beach bars in Barbados
Dreaming of sipping that scrummy cocktail on the beach while watching a magnificent sunset? Dream no more. There are plenty of places to do this in Barbados. Here are my favourites. Carib Beach bar, Christchurch Carib’s open deck spills out onto a glorious beach of golden powder sand and gently lapping waves. It is a really friendly beach bar and popular with young families due to its location right on the beach. Good varied menu. A word of warning though. If driving, be careful your car doesn’t get stuck in the sand in the car park. Your rescue mission will be a very public one, with the whole bar watching! …
Beaches around Fethiye
The South West coastline of Turkey, or the Turquoise Coast as it is known, is magnificent and as you’d expect there are some fantastic beaches around. If relaxing on the beach feeling the sand slip between your toes is your kind of holiday, be sure to read this before you go. Oludeniz Oludeniz is the beach on just about every poster advertising Turkey. It is a glorious strip of beach reaching from the foot of Babadag mountain to the blue lagoon. It is a wide sand and shingle beach which shelves deeply on the main strip, but is shallow with calm waters at the lagoon. There are many beach bars…
