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Great Barrier Reef Birthday on Lady Musgrave Island
It is my belief that to come to Australia, let alone live in Australia for any length of time, and fail to visit the Great Barrier Reef would be unthinkable. Moving from Queensland to Western Australia limited opportunities significantly, so imagine my delight when the opportunity to spend my birthday on Lady Musgrave Island presented itself. Located on the outer southern Great Barrier Reef, Lady Musgrave Island is the highest point of a coral cay. The rest of the cay forms a ring around the island providing a natural lagoon filled with fish and, because the water is so sheltered, some magnificent coral. Obviously we had come to dive. SCUBA…
Exploring Britain with British Authors
One of the things I love most about Britain is the history and what better way to explore Britain’s history than through Britain’s authors who can transport you to a specific time and place in only a few pages? If you are even half the bookworm that I am, and are interested in understanding how some of Britain’s best writing came to be created, I suggest visiting some of the places that inspired Britain’s authors. There are too many magnificent British authors to list them all here. The following are five of my favourites and five that were clearly associated with certain places that are great to visit in their…
Goodbye Google Reader – Hello alternative RSS readers!
With the clock ticking, in the lead up to bidding a fond farewell to Google Reader, many internet users are looking for alternative RSS readers. Google Reader’s date with death row is June 30, 2013. As of July 1 it will be gone. Don’t panic though; there are several alternatives. Here are five that are free. Feedly Many people have transferred straight to Feedly. It is a user-friendly reader and offers flexibility in story displays. The feed can be set to display posts as text-only, in a list with the lead picture, tiled on the screen, or displaying entire posts. Users can mark posts as read and change settings within…
5 Towns to Visit on Your Next Daytrip to France
Day trips from the UK to France have been popular for a long time. Throughout my childhood my parents would regularly bundle my brother and I into the car to head over to France to fill the car with booze…er, introduce us to France’s wonderful culture and food, ahem. Read on for some great spots to visit on your next daytrip. Getting there There are several ways to get to France for the day. You can zoom under the Channel using the Channel Tunnel or take a cross-Channel ferry such as DFDS Seaways Ferries. It is possible to take your car on either and I would really strongly suggest this…
Violence in Istanbul as Police Attack Protestors
I awoke to shocking images and stories of violence on the streets of Istanbul today. It is probably something that has been a long time coming. Turkey is arguably the most westernised country of its Middle Eastern neighbours but the government has long neglected what many regard to be a basic human right, the freedom of speech. I usually share intriguing destinations, adventures and expat experiences on this blog, but I can’t ignore what is happening in Istanbul. Turkey was my home for years and while the current violence is terrifying the resistance, hopefully, marks a turning point in Turkey’s history. What is going on? A peaceful protest against the…
Where to stay in Istanbul
Spectacular Istanbul is a fascinating city spanning many different periods of history as well as the continents of both Europe and Asia. It offers many accommodation options across several areas of the (very large) city but most visitors opt to stay near the centre on the European side in either Taksim or Sultanahmet. Read on for more information that can help you decide where it is best to stay during your visit. This post is based upon these two areas of Istanbul because they are the areas with the highest density of visitor attractions and hotels (for more information on what to see in Istanbul click here) and also because…
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…
LARCing around in 1770, Queensland
The Queensland town of 1770 has a unique environment to explore. With creeks meeting the sea along this coastline a variety of ecosystems exist. Doing them all justice as you explore could be tricky unless you go on a LARC. “A what?” you say? Read on; I will explain. The Town of 1770 sees large differences in high and low tide levels so Lighter Amphibious Resupply Vessels (LARC) provide a simple solution as they can be operated both on land and through water. Originally used as military transport in coastal areas (not painted neon pink presumably) the LARCs of 1770 Environmental Tours now devote their days to showing visitors the…
Nerja – The Bustling Balcony of Europe
There are not many towns around the Mediterranean that claim to be the Balcony of Europe but, on account of its fantastic seaside promenade, Nerja on the Costa Del Sol does. This town on Spain’s southern Mediterranean coast has a town centre that must be the envy of many. Perched high above the sea on a clifftop the Balcon de Europa offers visitors sweeping panoramic views along the coastline and out to sea. It was so named after a visit from King Alfonso XII who visited in 1885, who it is believed took in the view and was so impressed he declared, “This is the balcony of Europe.” King Alfonso’s…
Australia – Two Years on
I realised last week that I have now been in Australia for just over two years. When I can so clearly remember the chaos of leaving London and the wave of fatigue that hit me when I arrived in Brisbane it seems incredible that two entire years have passed. Read on for an idea of what two years in Australia feels like. The Plan and the reality When I came to Australia the plan was to spend a year here and travel around the country. Rather unexpectedly, due to a job opportunity, I ended up in rural Western Australia, just about as far away from family and friends as possible…
