It started with Tinder. I know, I know, that sounds bad. But if it wasn’t for Tinder, I might never have heard of that place in an alpine valley mere kilometers from the Tibetan border. I might never have seen the photos of misting waterfalls, glacial lakes, and fluttering prayer flags which inspired me to alter …
national park
Tiger Leaping Gorge: the Full Trek
My pack sat heavy on my shoulders as I set off along the road, squinting up against the sun to see the path snake up the hillside. It would be a tough hike, that first day at Tiger Leaping Gorge, but not an overly long one. I’d decided to spend two nights in the Gorge, so I …
The Peace of the Wild Things
I stepped out of the cab and was immediately assailed by a blast of hot, sticky Hong Kong air. The Sai Wan pavilion is nestled in a bend in the road and marks the starting point for several treks through Sai Kung East Country Park; I was there on a friend’s recommendation to escape the bustling madness of …
Ten Things to Do in Taupo
There’s a saying which goes, ‘time flies when you’re having fun!’, and is it ever true! The past three months have been a blur, spent working, hiking, making new friends, and experiencing the best that Taupo has to offer. I got extremely lucky with my position as a receptionist at Rainbow Lodge Backpackers and was able …
Hiking the Abel Tasman
It was a frigid dawn, and the interior of my car was frozen over when I blinked myself awake. It was time. After over half a year in New Zealand, I was finally embarking on one of the Great Walks. I was hiking the Abel Tasman. Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the …
The Pancake Rocks of Punakaiki
I woke to the sound of surf, and stretched cat-like in my double bed — enjoying the snap, crackle, pop of my spine as my vertebrae realigned themselves. One week of sleeping in my car had taken its toll, and I was enjoying the comfort of my room at the Punakaiki Beach Hostel. The previous day …
Driving the West Coast Highway
The morning was cold, and I crawled out of my cocoon in the backseat of Te Namu to the sound of distant surf and the blasted buzzing of an infernal sandfly. I killed it before I dressed, and immediately felt positive about the day ahead. I would be driving the West Coast Highway to a place …
Highlights of the Catlins
Morning walks are one of those things: I like to take them, but I won’t get up for one. The good thing about sleeping in the trunk of a car is that sleeping in isn’t a luxurious prospect, it’s a chore. So it was that at the crack of dawn I found myself out of bed and …
Driving the Southern Scenic Route
I woke to the car shaking from the wind, to the clatter of rain on the roof. It had been a blustery night, parked by the seashore at Moray Terrace, but I’d caught a few hours of sleep and had made the snug confines of Te Namu as comfortable as possible. The day would start …
Living on the Edge
This year, I’m going to be featuring some guest writers on my blog, other travel writers whose work has inspired me. Each person will be writing a post about the following question: What’s an experience you’ve had on the road which has changed your life?” The goal is to gather some intriguing tales involving the …