Category: Culture
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Postcards from the Seaside
I know my beaches. I grew up in Sydney and had the advantage of swimming at the great urban beaches in this part of Australia’s east coast. Golden sand, the smell of coconut oil and hot chips, squealing children and days so long that they went on forever. And as I grew older and began…
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Art Deco capital of New Zealand (and possibly the planet)
Not often you get to thank a natural disaster and community tragedy for a splendid architectural creation. In February 1931 a bastard of an earthquake rocked Napier, a town on Hawke’s Bay on the east coast of the north island of New Zealand. The ‘quake measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and rocked the Hawke’s…
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How not to look like a tourist
You are a tourist but you need not be so obvious – try the ‘blend in’ tactic. We are on the move again. And with the current debacle with lost and lingering luggage maybe it’s time to fly with carry on luggage only. So pack carefully and think on how to mix and match limited…
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Kenya: first time traveller
I was enjoying a story by the fabulous writer, Christine Retschlag, on her experience in Kenya for https://www.dumbofeather.com/articles/out-of-africa/ While I was reading it I was remembering back over 22 years ago when I first visited Kenya and indeed the African continent. It was early days for international travel writing for me and this trip showed…
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Vienna – let’s waltz!
A museum of the waltz king Vienna invites you to dance into a museum dedicated to Johann Strauss, creator of the Blue Danube Waltz, and his family. But there are also plenty of other places for fans of the waltz king to visit, from his apartment to his final resting place. Only Vienna could do…
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USA – Red Rocks and a Mile High City
Denver has been the subject of many songs by famous artists especially native son, the late John Denver, but my fave is by Jimmy Buffet: I’m about a mile high in Denver Where the rock meets timberline I’ve walked this ground from town to town Just to finally call it mine Dating back to the…
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How to see York – in 48 hours
I love cities that have many layers of history, where the stones speak of grim deeds, majestic events, innovative creations and the odd ghost. If your itinerary allows – spend some time in the atmospheric and elegant city of York, in Yorkshire, the UK’s second mediaeval city. Eat, drink, sleep and play – all budgets…
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The ultimate town of colour
I was so excited to finally visit the Blue Pearl – Chefchaouen in Morocco. Seeing images of the pretty town for years made me wary that I might be disappointed. No. This small city does not disappoint. How many words for blue? How many shades of blue are there? Baby blue, azure, cobalt, pale blue,…
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Travel: How to be bold in Boulder
Reposting this as I have fond memories of this lightning visit to Boulder and the tour of a tea making institution. I’m a total fangirl of Celestial Seasonings and many cups of its Sleepytime Tea got me through the panicky nights and insomnia of Covid-19. Only in Boulder. I had five hours to spend in…
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How to rock and rail like a movie star
Three Ways to Rock and Rail There are a few things that you must do/see/experience in Australia to get the rythmn of the place – and one of them is taking a train trip across the vast areas of this amazing continent. It’s the 90th anniversary of the Ghan this year and there are some…
Travelgal on the move 