*Trigger warning: I talk about watching a Hindu cremation in this post. There are photos. If this is going to upset you, please do not read this post!* The sun is high in the sky as my taxi slowly navigates the pockmarked streets of Kathmandu. I’m heading to Pashupatinath Temple, along the river, site of…
Category: narratives
a brush with spontaneity: sailing in the bay of islands, part two
If you missed part one about sailing in the Bay of Islands, check it out here. Monday morning, the start of Christmas week, dawned bright and early with us moving anchorages to the other side of Mimiwhangata Bay, to a spot later populated by several fishing boats. The night before, during our solstice-party planning party,…
a brush with spontaneity: sailing to the bay of islands, part one
*also known as the adventures of Kiwi Rob and Papito* Many of you know that I recently spent some time in the Bay of Islands, but what you don’t know is that it tested every ounce of my spontaneous yearnings and made me realise that I may not be as spontaneous as I’d imagined myself…
a brush with spontaneity: scuba diving in the great barrier reef
Many of you commented on my Facebook photo from a few weeks ago where I shared my tired and sunburnt, yet very happy, face post scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. Let’s talk about how that happened and why I thought it was a good idea to submerge myself six metres underwater. Let me…
a brush with spontaneity: flying over the great barrier reef
As you maaayyyyy have seen on my Snapchat and Facebook several weeks ago, I took an amazing small plane ride out over the Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef during my time in Airlie Beach. I’d been working hard on this website, dealing with panic attacks and frustration over the messy way it went live….
a brush with spontaneity: baby wallaby adventures
Those of you following my Instagram feed or Snapchat story likely saw the quick snaps of me holding a baby wallaby a few weeks ago. Well, I wanted to share a little bit more about how that happened and what I learned. On my second day in Bermagui, on the Sapphire Coast – I went…
a brush with spontaneity: the moeraki boulders
I was undecided as to whether this post should go under “tinder tales” (possibly coming soon) or spontaneous adventures. It might make a reappearance, honestly, but for now, it was a spontaneous adventure with a new friend. (It is absolutely no secret that I take serious advantage of Tinder while travelling. How else am I…
travel essay: flying over the remarkables
While in Queenstown over the Queen’s birthday weekend, I took the opportunity to explore the Remarkables mountain range by helicopter. I had contacted several tour companies asking about media rates and had been in contact with The Helicopter Line, based out at the Queenstown airport in Frankton. They said they had a 2:30 flight available,…
travel essay: a love affair with the northland
When I first arrived in New Zealand, my plan was to spend time in Wellington. I wanted to get a job and make some money, then explore the North Island, and finally head South. I wanted to spend the majority of my time in this country on the South Island. I’ve been there. I knew…
travel essay: hiking at stephen’s garden, svalbard
It isn’t the North Pole, and it isn’t even the northernmost point that my feet touched land that week. But hiking at Stephen’s Garden in Svalbard is the highest we went: approximately 1500 feet. Leaving the ship anchored in her small cove in front of a glacier, our zodiacs zipped around the fjord entrance, depositing…