Stories behind the stories. By Travel Writer, Amy McPherson
I had thought deserts were supposed to be dry and boring, yet I was driving through what can be described as tropical down pour as I headed up north from Perth on the Indian Ocean Drive toward the town of Cervantes, peering through thick drops of rain and maniacally overtaking road trains to get ahead. …
I have spent the past three days in Australia’s western frontier – Perth. We arrived on Saturday, after an early four hours something flight that was both extremely uncomfortable and long for a domestic flight. Being caged in a giant metal tin 32,000 feet in the air for hours and hours is my least favourite …
I went along to one of Claire’s travel writing workshops during the 2006 Sydney Writers Festival, where Claire talked about her path to writing and about her book Last seen in Lhasa. I’ve never been to Tibet, and haven’t read much in terms of travel journalism or literature about Tibet, so I decided to get …
Photos by Richard Busfield Richard and fiancée Jane travelled with Gap Adventures (now G-Adventures) on a 11 day journey from the Argentinian port of Ushuaia in 2010. Sailing through the rough conditions of the Drake Passage and crossing the Antarctic Circle to visit this magnificent part of the world. On their tour, the couple encountered ice …
To me, there is no experience so enriching, so challenging and so exciting as to travel. My travel experiences are what continue to make me who I am. Of course, not everyone share the same curiosity for other people’s cultures and traditions, and not everyone has the same reasons to travel. I will however, share …
White sandy beaches, beautiful corals, comfortable luxury resorts and the friendly “Bula!” are what we know of Fiji from the travel agents. Few visitors venture beyond the walls of their resort to explore what are known to the locals as alternative and unusual Fijian experiences, yet, these are the activities that will make a good …
Throughout my travels I find the conversations I’ve had with cab drivers the most interesting of all. All throughout the world, taxi drivers come from all walks of life, and they are often the people to speak to when you want to know the city’s darkest secrets. While I have enjoyed many interesting and thought …
At first, I was lured here by the romantic images of hot mineral baths from the tourism board of the region. For me, Daylesford had been just that, a place where I can get some soaking in a giant bathtub as well as indulge in expensive day spa treatments. What I didn’t realise, is that …
One thing about the Australian flora is that they are built for tough, extreme climate conditions, with tough evergreen leaves that stays the same shade throughout the seasons. In areas such as Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania where the climate is more temperate than the rest of the continent, European trees thrive and in autumn …
Checked in: 03 May 2013 Checked out: 05 May 2013 Room: Superior Suite King Bed with Kitchenette Price paid: $254 for 2 nights, room only You know, there are hotels where you really want it to be good, and while your first impression may be fantastic, you check out just a little bit disappointed. Novotel Forest Resort is one …
Photos by William McPherson Some hate it, some love it. While it’s just another harbour city, Auckland does have redeeming qualities. Its Parnell district and Devonport districts are so charming that visitors often forget they are in fact in the largest financial hub of New Zealand. My article Charming Parnell of Auckland describes one such …
I had flown up to the Sunshine Coast for the Easter weekend to escape the rat race in Sydney only to find myself stuck in traffic in Eumundi, a small historic town in-land from the Sunshine Coast. Bumper to bumper, we inched slowly into town and watched helplessly as parking spaces decline by the second. …
Noosa on the Sunshine Coast is almost like what I remember from years ago, it is still a holiday paradise with soft waves clashing on the clean sands of Main Beach, and the calm gentle river that feeds inland that is so relaxing to look at. The only difference is that shops and restaurant are …
Checked in: 29 March 2013 Checked out: 1 April 2013 Room: 622 (booked a superior garden room, but was upgraded to a river view king room) Price paid: $290 room only (breakfast $27 per person paid at hotel) I now understand why the main exterior photo have been taken in darkness. The resort stands out from the rest of …
I am struggling to like Auckland, and it isn’t just an Aussie vs the Kiwis thing. Having came from a harbour city to visit another harbour city, I just couldn’t find anything special about it. The ‘Auckland, Whats On’ guide I picked up at the airport urged me to get on the Auckland Hop on …
Do you realise we talk more about things going wrong than about the parts of our holidays where everything was going according to plan? I do. Every time we have a conversation about our trips, every time we reminisce on the details of our journeys, we always end up talking about the time when the bus …
Either my memories are failing me or Melbourne is starting to clean up. I stood in front of ‘the’ corner of Central Place famed for its gratified dumpster dead end usually covered with the vinegary stench of the human urine and found a brightly lit new entrance to an apartment hotel. (Read: Melbourne: Coffee, markets and long …
Date: 10 March 2013 Route: Melbourne to Sydney Scheduled time: 11:00 am departure (on time) Seat: 4A (window) Flying is never comfortable, no matter what the airlines tell you. For my short flight from Melbourne to Sydney however, Virgin Australia managed to turn uncomfortable to pleasantly bearable. Virgin started off in Australia as the alternative …
These are my own visions of Taipei during my last visit. I was born in Taipei, and have recollections of rice paddies and grey dusty buildings during my first ten years as a child. When I returned as an adult a few years ago, I found the city to be nothing like the city I …
While Kuala Lumpur is on my mind, I want to share this video of the New Year fireworks I filmed. It was for the 09/10 New Year, and with the intention of getting the best seat in the house, we had booked a Twin Tower view room at the Traders Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, and …
“Are you from Malaysia?” is generally the question Malaysians would ask me whenever I start talking about Kuala Lumpur (KL). I know the city like the back of my hand; I know how to work its public transport system, the locations of the best shopping malls, the best streets to hit up for a good …
I love reading, always have, and ever since I got the travel bug, travel books have started to overtake the fiction in numbers on my bookshelves. I enjoy reading other people’s tales and stories, their discoveries and adventures as well as the horrors of things going wrong that often accompany any good trip. Out of …
Beyond the harbour, the beaches and the expensive real estate that lines our shores, Sydney is a melting pot of cultures. It isn’t immediately apparent if you are only spending a few days in the city, but venture out to many of Sydney’s distinct suburbs, it is possible to eat around the world in a …
Photos by Paula Hanasz Mongolia, a land of nomads and expert horsemen, is a country full of beauty and contrasts. While the pristine natural landscape still accommodate some traditional nomadic lifestyle, the city of Ulaanbataar is fast growing into a modern metropolis. Visit during one of the country’s festival and join the crowds cheering on horse and …
