Hiking and swimming in the rock pools of Kakadu National Park

Kakadu is the highlight of the top half of Australia’s Northern Territory.  A vast national park where the combination of scorching dry seasons and flooded wet seasons have created sharp rock formations and billabongs that attract a variety of wildlife and make it feel like the definition of what you have in mind when you think of Australian Wilderness.

In addition, its one of the best places in the country to experience the traditional Aboriginal way of life with its ancient rock art.

Only a brief travel entry on this occasion as we only had a day in this wonderful place.  But key tip is to head out to one of the many hikes that finish with a refreshing swim in the rock pools and views across the national park.  Motorcar Falls was in particular beautiful.

 

Ayers Rock and The Olgas dazzling in different lights

It’s a big rock in the middle of the desert.  Famous, for sure, but just a big rock . . . right?  This is the general view of many people who haven’t visited Uluru – Ayers Rock – before.  In reality, the experience offers so much more:

 

#1 The rock itself is just huge – 3.6km / 2.2miles long, rising 348m / 1140ft up, and, with two-thirds of the rock still lying beneath the sand, it is the largest single monolith in the world.  So, simply staring at it from close or afar is an experience you won’t forget in a hurry.

#2 The rock gives the mesmerising impression of changing colours through the day from red to orange to purple, and the changes are surprisingly dramatic – enough to make you gasp looking back at your photos, especially for sunrise and sunset

#3 The site is not only about Uluru (Ayers Rock).  35km / 22miles from Uluru are Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) – domed rocks that are actually taller than Uluru, typically a bit less busy and no less impressive

#4 So much of the trip is about being in the red centre of Australia – the red sand, big skies, Aboriginal culture, sapping heat and general feeling of adventure.  A great feeling.

 

Overall, a superb experience and a truly Australian one

 

Only one tip – I wish I’d cycled around Uluru.  It’s only around 15km / 9miles all the way round, including stops right next to the rock itself.  Would really add to the “fun factor”.

 

 

 

Checking out Coober Pedy

If making the drive through Australia’s Red centre from Adelaide to Darwin, there is a lot of nothing on the way and you’re kind of keen for any place to stop at and have a look around.

For the Adelaide to Alice Springs / Ayers Rock section, once you get past the Flinders Ranges, the only realistic stopping option is Coober Pedy, an opal mining town made famous for its locals living in caves to avoid the scorching summer heat.

In truly backhand complement style, its worth stopping an hour at the Old Timers Mine to see the excavated tunnels if you’re driving through on your 12 hour drive to Alice Springs.

 

Melbourne city break

Melbourne is consistently voted one of the most liveable cities in the world based on its arts scene, access to outstanding restaurants, outdoor lifestyle and, well, lack of many of the usual frustrations other large cities have.

But more than anything, it’s the vibe of the place that makes it stand out, especially in comparison with its natural rival Sydney.  Whilst Sydney has the big ticket world famous items like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, Melbourne is more about the street cafes, chilled out lifestyle and sports scene.  So, to get the most out this wonderful city, its best to focus on these things for a couple of days.

Its years since I lived in Melbourne, ,which also means there are fewer photos to share!  But my 5 biggest tips for 2 days:

 

#1 Sports – see if you can combine your visit with one of the major sporting events as Melbourne really comes to life when these are in town.  Best ones are the Australian Tennis Open (January), the Melbourne Cup horse racing (March), Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix (usually March) and the Australian Rules Football at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) throughout the year.  Even if not a sports fan its a must.

#2 Cafe culture – Melbourne is the most European of Australia’s cities and a large part of this comes from the street cafe culture.  The best places are always changing, but I’d suggest heading into Fitzroy as it has the added benefit of being next to the UNESCO World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens.  Another option is Richmond, which can tie in nicely with a the end of a walk along the Yarra River and visiting the MCG.

#3 Walk along the Yarra River – the city centre of Melbourne is actually quite beautiful and nothing brings it to life more than the walk along the river.  Start at Crowne Casino on the South Bank with the skyscrapers surrounding you and then walk east past the magnificent Flinders Street Station, Federation Square and onto the lovely gardens of Queen Victoria Gardens and Kings Domain.  From there walk over the Swan Street Bridge through Melbourne Park and finish at the MCG.

#4 Chill out in St Kilda – whilst Melbourne may not have the wow beaches of Sydney, St Kilda is far cooler.  Give yourself an afternoon to chill by the beach and enjoy the neighbourhood.

#5 Be prepared for extreme temperatures – Melbourne is often highlighted as a city that can have 4 seasons in a day.  Famous for its 40 Celsius / 104 Fahrenheit days of blistering heat, it can also be grey and rainy shortly after.  The first day I arrived, it snowed.

Extra tip – give yourself a day trip to the Great Ocean Road, one of Australia’s most famous driving routes, with its gorgeous coastline, rainforests with koalas housed in the trees, pretty seaside towns, and the eye catching 12 Apostles.  Only a 3 hours drive from Melbourne, part of which is taken up by the gorgeous drive along the coastline itself.

 

Views from St Kilda Pier, Melbourne city break, Australia

 

Climbing the Frans Josef Glacier

As part of the trip up the stunning west coast of New Zealand, one of the must-do activities is to see one of the fastest moving accessible glaciers in the world, and, even better, to climb through it

 

5 tips:

  1. Climbing – climbing through the glacier with the crampons on and the ice axe at the ready was what made this such a great experience, so be sure to give yourself the day to include this.  The only issue is the price.  A few years ago you were able to simply rock up to the glacier and climb through it (NZ$250), whereas unfortunately now you often need to take a helicopter further up the glacier and explore from there (NZ$795).  On the plus side, you’ll get some amazing views of the glacier from the helicopter
  2. Climbing can get a bit hairy! – when climbing, be prepared for it to be a little scary at times.  We thought it would just be a walk but, depending on your guide, you may be climbing up sheer slopes and starring down into the ice abyss below – you’ve been warned!
  3. Fans Joseph or Fox? – both are similar, but their nearby towns make it a choice between bigger with wider facilities but a bit busier (Frans Jospeh) and smaller with few facilities but quieter (Fox).  When I visited, I went for Frans Jospeh and it was a great experience.  It also has Glacier Hot Pools which would be great to enjoy after the climbing
  4. Hiking – if you don’t want to climb, one activity that you simple must do is a hike to get a feel for the scale of the glaciers.  The Glacier Valley walk for Frans Jospeh is fantastic as its gives you a nice walk past the small lakes and view out across the glacier.  6km / 3.7miles return and will take around 1.5hours
  5. Two things we wish we’d done – we left thinking that we would have loved to have taken a scenic flight to see the glaciers from the sky (you can cover this now with the helicopter trip) and also kayaked in the more tranquil nearby Lake Mapourika, with the “Classic Trip” taking 3 hours in the early morning

Skiing in Queenstown

Skiing in Queenstown is a very fun trip – but not because of the skiing alone.

The ski fields themselves are good but not world-class compared to the Alps or North America. But what makes Queenstown special is the combination of skiing during the day, then coming back to a beautiful lakeside town with great restaurants, bars and a lively atmosphere at night. Add in the scenery, nearby day trips and the general New Zealand “adventure” feel, and it becomes a very enjoyable winter trip overall.

So if you are a serious skier chasing the best snow and biggest mountains in the world, this probably isn’t the place. But if you want a really fun winter trip — skiing, scenery, good food, bars and a great travel atmosphere — then Queenstown is a very good option.

 

The skiing in Queenstown isn’t in the same league as those of the Alps, North America or Japan.  With only Coronet Peak (4 ski lifts total) and The Remarkables (also 4 ski lifts total), and with no interlink between the resorts, it can feel a tad underwhelming on the comparison.

 

But that being said, it is the best skiing within a 10hour flight radius and the stunning views all around Lake Wakatipu, great restaurants and nightlife, and nearby mega wow experiences make it very much worth it as a ski destination.

 

Biggest tip is to aim for a week on the south island, with a day skiing in each of the Remarkables and Coronet Peak, and combine the rest of the time with seeing the amazing other activities that Queenstown and this part of New Zealand has to offer.  In  particular, Paragliding through the mountains and clouds in Queenstown, Bungy jumping the Thrillogy in Queenstown and the nearby experiences of Taking a boat trip through Milford Sound and Climbing the Frans Josef Glacier.

 

Views from skiing in Queenstown, the Remarkables, New Zeland

 

10 days campervanning around the South Island of New Zealand

New Zealand’s South Island has some of the most rugged natural beauty of anywhere in the world.  World famous sites such as the fjords of Milford Sound, the Frans Joseph and Fox glaciers, and the adrenaline sports of Queenstown.  Yet is also super accessible by road and very compact to get around.  The combination of these factors makes it one of the most appealing places for a roadtrip, scores the maximum Wow-factor rating and I’ve listed below a great 10 day itinerary to get the best of the island.

Bungy jumping the Thrillogy in Queenstown

If you’re going to bungy jump, you may as well do it in style at the home of commercial bungy jumping and with some of the most sensational views in the world.  Queenstown offers:

✅ The first ever commercial bungy jump site at Kawarau Bridge with its 43m / 151ft fall towards the icy waters of the Kawarau River below.

✅ The bungy swing which may only be 47m / 154ft but swings far above Queenstown so it feels like you’re throwing yourself off 500m.

✅ And finally the big one – the Nevis at 134m / 440ft with 8 seconds of free fall and the former title holder of tallest bungy jump in the world.

Package them all together and you have AJ Hackett Compay’s The Thrillogy – wonderfully terrifying . . . not for the faint hearted . . . and an unmissable experience.