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6 Reasons to write your bucketlist
Bucketlists mean different things to different people. To some they represent a shopping list of places to tick off their travel hitlist, to others they offer the chance to fulfim dreams, meet people and learn and embrace new cultures. How do you view them? It’s good to have goals Modern life comes with lots of pressures and we are encouraged, expected even, to have goals and ambitions. Why not have some travel goals? Travel is one of those things that does not usually happen unless you intend it to. Make it your goal. Focus If you want to travel you need to make it your priority. The difference between those…
Inspiring Travel Quotes
Many people have had their say about travel over the years. Although travel has developed since many of these quotes were first recorded, the principles behind them remain. The following are my favourite travel quotes and the ones I find most inspiring. What are yours? Do you have a favourite travel inspiration quote? Please share it in the comments below.
Queensland Turtles
With the Great Barrier Reef just offshore the Queensland coastline is home to many marine creatures. Turtles are one of the most commonly seen and you don’t even need to get wet to see them. The beaches at the southern end of the reef, between Bundaberg and 1770, are popular breeding grounds for various species of turtles, including Loggerhead, Flatback and Green Turtles. The largest turtle rookery in the South Pacific is at Mon Repos Conservation Park, which is 14 kilometres from Bundaberg. Between November and February each year adult female turtles come ashore after dark to dig nests, lay their eggs and cover them before heading back to sea.…
Tuk-tuk Tales
Bangkok is a big, crazy, polluted city, so what better way to see it than to get right in the middle of things and take a ride in a tuk-tuk? It is certainly a unique experience. Nervous about using a tuk-tuk Being aware that I would struggle to communicate clearly I was wary of accepting inexpensive tours of the city from tuk-tuk drivers, anticipating a time-wasting tour of dodgy commission-earning jewellery haunts, rather than the places I actually wanted to see. So when I got talking to a tour guide outside Wat Pho and he hailed a passing tuk-tuk and told me the driver would take me to the places…
Driving adventures
Driving is one of those life skills that makes travelling easier. Being able to drive provides freedom and opportunities. It can also lead to many amusing adventures. Here are a few of mine. Driving in Turkey Moving to Turkey in my late teens introduced me quickly to driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. I learned to drive on the left, but suddenly I was driving on the right. Not only was I consciously trying to remember to drive on the correct side of the road but the mountain roads had sheer drops on one side and often a rock wall on the other which was quite frightening. While…
Top 10 Things to do in Broome
Broome is a quirky little outback town on the Dampier Peninsular along the dramatic Kimberley coast of north-west Australia. It is a beautiful pearling centre with a complicated and unique history. Before visiting Broome I knew very little about the town and what to expect of the place, other than it being somewhere Western Australians visit during their winters and rave about. It didn’t take long before I fell for Broome too. Willie Creek Pearl Farm The Willie Creek Pearl Farm lies at the northern end of Cable Beach, 35km north of Broome and offers a fascinating insight into modern pearl farming, as well as explaining how pearls are cultivated.…
Exploring Dalyan Delta
Dalyan is a small town in Turkey’s south-west Mediterranean region that keeps its secrets tucked away behind the coastline. Overlooked by ancient Lycian rock tombs the town itself is only small but the region offers many distractions for explorers. Tourists swell the population of Dalyan during the summer months but the region is otherwise occupied with being a productive agricultural region. Especially noticeable in the fields surrounding the settlement are crops of citrus fruit, pomegranates and cotton. Things to do in Dalyan Kaunos Rock tombs embedded in the rock slope facing Dalyan, across the Dalyan river, evidence the area’s ancient history. The grandness and height of tombs above others indicate…
5 Things to do on Khao San Road
The Khao San Road area is a vibrant part of Bangkok. It buzzes all day but really comes alive at night as the temperatures fade and the night sets in. It is a busy place and a notorious stomping ground for backpackers. Shop Khao San Road Khao San Road is the destination of choice for bargain hunters as all the thrifty backpackers keep prices low. Souvenirs of every sort are available from the many, many stores that line the streets in the area and it is also possible to find rows of miniature Buddhas. inexpensive clothes, fisherman trousers, Buddha hand carvings, wooden elephants, wedge-shaped Thai axe pillows, artwork, bags, jewellery,…
10 Reasons to visit South East Asia
South East Asia consists of eleven countries, spread along the edge of the Asian continent and across island nations. The area offers a variety of exciting experiences from walking with tigers in Thailand, visiting ancient temples in Cambodia, joining a small group tour in Laos and scoffing tasty noodles in Bali. Adventurers reap many rewards. Discover Asian culture South East Asia offers wonderfully diverse cultures. The origins are mainly Indian and Chinese with Arab, Portuguese, Spanish and Malay influences depending on where you go. One great way to absorb local culture is through talking with people or experiencing local storytelling. The Barong dance in Bali is an easily accessible example.…
Expat Banking
Living overseas can make managing your finances difficult at times, especially when you have significant ongoing expenses in your home country. Fortunately there are various ways to send money internationally. Here are a few I have used (and a chance to win a hamper of sweets!) With the increasingly global movement of people these days the ability to transfer money internationally is more important than ever before. Whether it is to keep on top of mortgage payments or simply to send Christmas or birthday gifts, as soon as you become an expat, and even in the planning stages ahead of a move abroad, the need to be able to control…
