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TRAVEL: What it’s like to sleep on the Great Barrier Reef
Never have I looked less attractive and never have I been happier to appear so. Dressed in a pink stinger suit that makes me look like a novelty condom from hell, I am in underwater heaven, snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. But it gets better. There is no one [read more]
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TRAVEL: Aboriginal Sydney. In two days.
TRAVEL: Two days, three square kilometres and 40,000 years of culture and history Only got a couple of days in Sydney and want to spend it near the world’s most beautiful harbour, but also take in art, culture, history and some exercise? Then join local author Anita Heiss as she shares her favourite contemporary spaces that [read more]
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TRAVEL: The lowdown on cruising the high seas.
TRAVEL: Before March, my knowledge of cruises had been gleaned entirely from the ‘70s TV series The Love Boat. Captain Stubing, Julie McCoy and the rest of the crew taught me everything I needed to know: cruises are for couples whose relationships were on the rocks, people with terminal illnesses and [read more]
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TRAVEL: Bali. My own Eat Pray Love journey
“Are you free for four days? I want you to go to Bali and write about the experience …” It was the type of question I dream about being asked. The chance to do my own mini Eat Pray Love adventure! And so 10 days later my suitcase was packed with shorts and sarongs and [read more]
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TRAVEL: The most surprising beach
My beautiful wife and I do not see eye-to-eye when it comes to surf beaches. She got dumped on her head in Hawaii and has hated the waves ever since. I got dumped on my head at Coolum and have loved it ever since. Throughout our marriage, we’ve agreed to disagree [read more]
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TRAVEL: A map-free guide to London shopping …
Emma Killick knows London well. And like us, she prefers a map-free, app-free guide to the best shopping in Knightsbridge – from Gucci to Chanel via Harvey Nichols. Put on your best frock and give your credit card company a warning call: you’re off for a day of shopping in Knightsbridge. [read more]
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The 10 types of people that drive flight attendants nuts
At the end of many years observation as Cabin Crew, in my office at 30,000 feet up, some things could still surprise. Forget Hollywood stars and business travelers, the following groups are the ones I found most fascinating. If you find yourself on a long flight look around and you will be guaranteed to see [read more]
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TRAVEL: ‘My Canberra tales. What are yours?’
My plans for world domination began at the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra. Here was, literally, a license to print money. A fascinating realisation that money doesn’t grow on trees … but it does spring forth from a building which doesn’t require watering or favourable soil conditions. Bingo. My youthful spirit was later doused when [read more]
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TRAVEL: Kuala Lumpur: the ultimate weekend
Got 48 hours to kill in Kuala Lumpur? Hanna Marton recently discovered the best places to shop, sleep, drink, eat and, um, eat in Malaysia’s capital. SHOP OK, no-one really visits KL for the Bird Park. Hightail it to Jalan Bukit Bintang (jalan simply means “street”), the city’s answer to Fifth Avenue in New [read more]
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TRAVEL: When jetlag is a good thing: London as it’s rarely seen
Jetlag affects some more than others – and whenever we travel it hits me in a big way. I struggle to adjust to my new timezone and I sleep odd hours for days afterwards. But sometimes, that’s not such a bad thing. Sometimes, it actually works out quite well. On our first visit to Europe [read more]
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TRAVEL: Celebs & paparazzi at Wilson’s Promontory National Park
They sit quietly, eyes focused on possible spotting sites, ready to pounce at any moment. SNAP! Got one! Inch a little closer… SNA… Damn! The target’s eyes glance towards the snappers and, diverting their faces from the camera lens, off they dash. This last photo, the one that should be the money shot, is of [read more]
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TRAVEL: Sacre bleu! Paris at just $50 a night …
A glass of champagne in a Paris cafe for Valentine’s Day has never been this cheap. As the Euro plunges to record lows, Australian women who only dreamed about The Louvre before can do it – on a good airline, with a fifty-buck, charming, one-star hotel. Australians, who have long been kept from Paris by [read more]
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TRAVEL: Canada’s infamous “Warrior Dash” …
You’d think my beautiful wife had already done more than enough to earn the title of ‘warrior’. Born in the British Columbian interior town of Prince George, where men are lumberjacks and women are…lumberjacks. Came to Australia with a few dollars and no plan. Married a dodgy Aussie bachelor. Gave birth to twins. Raised an [read more]
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TRAVEL: Shopping the New York sales online!
Now that the American dollar and Australian dollar are almost equal, it’s time to go sale shopping. Visit cult New York stores like Kate Spade or Bond No.9 without standing in line – or try Bloomingdales without the escalators. BLOOMINGDALES This legendary New York department store offers Australians free shipping for orders [read more]
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TRAVEL: How to survive a long-haul flight with kids
So, I have five top tips for flying your kids to the other side of the world (and surviving the journey with your sanity intact): 1. Invent tele-transportation 2. Send your children as unaccompanied minors on the 22 hour flight 3. Accidentally take a sleeping tablet on boarding the plane, inform your partner of [read more]
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TRAVEL: The best Christmas window displays in Paris and Sydney
Some women like wow factor Christmas displays. Some prefer old-fashioned sheep in a department store window. From Paris to London, though, grandmothers and grandchildren (and a few hipster fashionistas) are queuing up to see the best of Christmas. All too soon, the January sales will be upon us, and the windows [read more]
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TRAVEL: The magic of the German Christmas markets.
The reasons to visit Europe in December make for a short list: No queuing at museums and the possibility of a white Christmas. But an absolute highlight not to miss are the Christmas markets. The markets pop up in late November/early December across Europe and most close just before Christmas. Europe in January and February [read more]
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TRAVEL: Christmas in Vegas (It seemed like a good idea at the time …)
Nobody writes toe tapping songs about fleeing from Christmas. Nobody crafts film montages of people determinedly striding through crowded streets, suitcases in hand – only to reach an empty hotel room. And nobody in their right mind runs to Vegas for the festive season. Like many tactical errors, it seemed [read more]
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TRAVEL: I travel the world with my kids. Here’s how ….
I love traveling, I have a few kids and I’ve been taking them along on holidays for the past five years. Baby number three has so far clocked up 11 flights in 15 months. Logic would suggest then that I have some idea of what I’m doing; some tips up the old sleeve to make [read more]
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TRAVEL: ‘It was a life-changing trip’: My Trafalgar tour through France & Italy PART 1
Wendy Squires savours the delights of hassle free travel through France and Italy … Ah, Europe. There is so much to see and do, it’s easy to feel like a tourist more than a traveller trying to get around to it all. Queuing up endlessly to take in must-see sights, falling prey to bad food [read more]
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TRAVEL: Hoi An: a quiet Asian experience
Vietnam is a wonderful place to visit. I’ve been lucky enough to visit twice and I can’t wait to return. But trying to narrow down an itinerary can be hard as there is so much to experience. While the big cities of Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south are [read more]
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TRAVEL: ‘It was a life-changing trip’: My Trafalgar tour through France & Italy PART 2
Wendy Squires savours the delights of hassle free travel through France and Italy. Here’s part 2 of her story … Arriving in Avignon, we head to Les Jardins do Quai, the restaurant of local culinary legend Daniel Hubet, for our first Be My Guest dining experience. In this case, we took over the quaint French [read more]
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TRAVEL: “It was a life-changing trip”: My Trafalgar tour through France & Italy Part 3
Wendy Squires savours the delights of hassle free travel through France and Italy. Here’s part 3 of her story … On the way to the fruit and vegetable market of Saint Ambrogio in central Florence, we picked up the delightful bon vivant and chef Libero, of Ristorante I Tre Pini fame Not content with [read more]
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TRAVEL: Queensland: 2 kids, 3 theme parks & a whole lot of fun.
“Mummy, I’m a bomb!” So chirped my bouncing 4 year old son as we checked in at the airport, right next to the “We take airline safety very seriously! Don’t even joke about it!” sign. Oh God. I instantly knew he was referring to the iPad app “Fruit Ninja” to which he’s become addicted, an [read more]
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TRAVEL: What makes a romantic weekend a success?
Depends who you ask. It’s a law of nature that it takes at least two weeks of hard work to prepare for a romantic weekend away. Work always gets busier as soon as you plan such a trip, unexpected issues always arise which means you have to work harder and longer than normal in order [read more]
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TRAVEL: Nashville’s 10 best off-the-beaten-track hot spots!
It’s funny how certain cities get under your skin. I’ve been around, but there’s something captivating about Nashville, Tennessee – a ‘crazy town’, as locals call it, bursting with culture, history and Southern charm (the kind of charm that prompts locals – easily the friendliest people I’ve ever encountered – to [read more]
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TRAVEL: Child’s play in Tanzania
Two long ropes orbit the boy, making that familiar “tsk tsk tsk” sound on the asphalt. Boys wielding the ropes at each end, double-dutch style, watch the jumper in awe. They’re probably hoping they’ll be as good as him in a year. One second he’s on his hands, his long, ebony-hued legs skyward, jumping upside [read more]
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TRAVEL: Going off the beaten track in the Kimberley
There’s something about the notion of going off the beaten track that’s so romantic and idealistic – and yet something that I’ve never really wanted to do. Ever. I fit all the Gen Y stereotypes – a total tech baby, very attached to my phone and laptop and with far more Facebook friends than I’d [read more]
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TRAVEL: There’s more to New York than bagels
You go to New York for the bagels and the Manhattan madness, right? Actually, a lot of New York locals would disagree with your choice. For them, Chinatown is the real New York. And if your travel budget just dipped below $50 a day, then this is the place for you. If you love Chinese [read more]
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TRAVEL: The London Rules for the 2012 Olympics
Editors working on the new Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide to Paris, London, New York and Rome give their London Rules for next year’s Olympics. Going over? We’re pretty sure you’ll want to do more than watch hairy cyclists going round a bike track. These are our handpicked suggestions for you. Weekday Markets Rule! Skip the [read more]