We had the pleasure of exploring Akaroa, just outside of Christchurch, with our friends, Faye and Ian. We visited some of their favorite bars, enjoyed Blue Cod Fish and Chips, art galleries and another delightful place, The Giant’s House (above), an art gallery and garden filled with whimsical mosaic sculptures created by artist Josie Martin, […]
New Zealand 3 – Landscape Photo Tour 3
Glen Howey, our local guide, kept bringing us to new photogenic places in rapid succession. One late afternoon he brought us to the Glenorchy jetty on Lake Wakatipu and suggested it would be a good location for dramatic images. I was skeptical at first, and captured a standard photograph of the pier (lower-left) in late […]
New Zealand 2 – Landscape Photo Tour 2
Sunrise on Aoraki/Mount Cook, which is home of the highest mountains and longest glaciers in the Southern Hemisphere. It is an impressive landmark in the Southern Alps at 12,218 feet. The mountain was formed by the collision of tetonic plates that uplifted to form the Alps. Aoraki is the Mäori name for Mount Cook, meaning […]
New Zealand 1 – Landscape Photo Tour 1
New Zealand is photographically best known for its stunning landscapes. Many of the best locations are well off the beaten track though, and difficult to find when traveling solo. We therefore decided to include one more organized photo tour to finish 2023, and to introduce us to the grander landscape scenes in New Zealand. Our […]
Australia 2 – Melbourne 2
As part of our 3-hour long walking tour of Melbourne, we were introduced to the story of Chloe (right bottom). Chloé was painted in 1875 by a French painter, and was displayed at the National Gallery of Victoria. Chloé grew controversial when the painting started being exhibited on Sundays, when a local minister condemned it. […]
Australia 1 – Melbourne 1
Whenever we travel to a new city, we love going on walking tours. We love discovering the off-the-beaten-track places that only a local will know. We signed up for a fun 3-hour walking tour with Depot Adventures in Melbourne. We explored the cafe scene for coffee, hidden speak-easy bars, Aussie chocolates, art galleries, museums, great […]
Tasmania 2 – Hobart
Tasmania is widely known for its clean air, unique wildlife, stunning scenery and a rich history of slavery. They also drive on the wrong side of the road, so coming from America, it can be a terrifying experience, when we drove from Launceston to Bichena to Hobart. We never overcame turning on our windshield wipers […]
Tasmania 1 — Our 100th Country
Up to this point, we had travelled to 99 countries. We wanted #100 to be special, so we decided to go to Tasmania. Officially, Tasmania is an island state of Australia, but the list of countries we use to count is from the Traveler’s Century Club, where membership requires having traveled to 100 countries. Here’s […]
Cambodia/Laos/Vietnam #3 -Wrap Up
The tour to Laos/Vietnam/Cambodia was promoted as a scouting trip by Mehmet. However he scoped out many of the places in advance to ensure that our small group would be comfortable. As always, no one ever goes hungry on these trips. Food in SE Asia is amazingly affordable, made with fresh ingredients, and delicious. The […]
Cambodia #2 – Tonlé Sap & Market
The Tonlé Sap floodplain in the northwest of Cambodia is home to more than 3 million people and supports one of the most productive freshwater fisheries in Asia. During the monsoon season, the lake quadruples in size flooding the area with life and is the largest fresh water lake in SE Asia. The floating village […]
