• Travel in Covid Times
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    Travel in Covid Times

    With the ongoing effects of Covid on the travel industry things had been so much quieter in the office over the past year. In July this year, after getting double vaccinated, I relished the opportunity of travelling to Europe to spend some of the winter staying with friends. Like many, working remotely is achievable, and…

  • For the Love of Lions

    For the Love of Lions

    Where is the best place to see lions? Asking me about my favourite place to see lions is like asking me to choose a favourite child. From the wide-open plains of the Masai Mara to the waterways of the Okavango Delta, there are some incredible safari camps and lodges who make it their mission to…

  • Memories of Mana Pools

    Memories of Mana Pools

    Zimbabwe was the first African country I visited and, as a result, it has always held a special place in my heart. Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park and Lake Kariba are all ‘must-sees’ but Mana Pools National Park actually ranks above all of them as one of my favourite places – not just in Zimbabwe,…

  • I Have Loved It All

    I Have Loved It All

    As is the case with many travel-nuts, my early days were peppered with jaunts around the country, and an immersive exchange experience to Tahiti. Learning to bargain was eye-opening, particularly in French, igniting in me an intense curiosity about our incredible world, its landscapes, cultures and languages.  After studying linguistics at university, I told my…

  • A Latin Affair

    A Latin Affair

    Growing up in Christchurch, my desire to travel was first awakened when our next-door neighbour travelled to Kingston, Jamaica for the 1966 Empire (Commonwealth) Games. He worked for an airline, and I thought “how amazing”! I decided then and there, at the age of 12, that tourism was going to be my future. So I…

  • From Arkansas to Africa

    From Arkansas to Africa

    It is with great restraint that I am having to hold back on travel right now – in fact 2020 was the first in more than 25 years that I haven’t travelled! My formative travel experiences began as a child of four years old, relocating to Arkansas in the U.S. and then again at 10…

  • Dreams are free…

    Dreams are free…

    Just like that, Covid-19 changed us; Jack London or Stephen King could have had a field day. We learnt a new language which included: social distancing, Zoom meetings, elbow bumps and self-isolation. Planes were grounded, families were separated across the world, swathes of jobs disappeared, and what was with the dearth of toilet paper? I…

  • Driving Iceland

    Driving Iceland

    As a horse-crazy young girl, the photos of Icelandic horses in my library of equine picture books caught my eye every time.  Noticeably smaller than other breeds, their coats were covered with a gorgeous range of colours and patterns, with fluffy manes blowing in the wind, their eyes reflecting their gentle nature. These adorable beasts…

  • Georgia On My Mind

    Georgia On My Mind

    You’d be forgiven for thinking I was about to wax lyrical about Atlanta or Savannah, but if I ever catch a strain of Ray Charles, my mind drifts to Tbilisi instead. Perched on the shores of the Black Sea and surrounded by the exotic delights of Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, Georgia has a few…

  • Donkeys Rule

    Donkeys Rule

    Deep within a maze of dark alleyways in the Fes el-Bali (Medina of Fes), amidst a labyrinth of spice stalls and an aroma that I can only describe as ‘fragrant’ (sometimes in a good way, sometimes not so much), donkeys rule. Welcome to Fes, Morocco.  Firmly in north Africa, Morocco is so close to Europe…

  • Lofoten Islands

    Lofoten Islands

    I have a real soft spot for far flung places, either very far north or very far south, so the Lofoten Islands in Norway had always been high on my list of countries to visit. Sparsely populated, but rich in dramatic scenery, the roads of this wild and unique outpost twist and turn to reveal…

  • From Henderson to Hoi An

    From Henderson to Hoi An

    My favourite little restaurant in West Auckland is virtually a hole in the wall but it produces the most delicious, fragrant, fresh, and divinely moreish Vietnamese food served by smiling, fresh cheeked staff with little English. My journey to Vietnam was therefore destined to be food driven as much as by my fascination with different…