South West Australia Road Trip
2 December 2025The coastline of South West Australia has so much to offer, from dazzling beaches to maritime history to towering giants of trees. Starting from Perth, the largest city in Western Australia, a road trip to Esperance could take anything from a few days to two weeks. Then probably back to Perth again, if you have a rental car to return. That’s what my parents did: they stayed in Esperance with old friends for a couple of weeks, then travelled inland via the mining town of Kalgoolie. I travelled back earlier, on a flight instead, so I missed that part. Anyway,…
Long Weekend in Perth | Australia
Australia is big, and Western Australia is the biggest state in it. I mean, it’s a third of the entire country! I explored a fair amount of the other states when I was in Australia last year, but I didn’t…
A Year in New Zealand
A year very nearly to the day! Yes, after arriving in February 2024, my 1-year working holiday visa in New Zealand expired at the end of January. I could have extended but decided against it – more on that below…
A Weekend in Christchurch | New Zealand
We’ve almost made it to the end of the road! After travelling north from Dunedin, with a couple of days for my parents to experience Tekapo en route, we arrived in Christchurch. This was my final destination, not just of…
Highlights of Dunedin | New Zealand
Did you think I was going to travel all the way to New Zealand and not visit their version of Edinburgh? The Gaelic name for Edinburgh is Dùn Èideann, deriving from the earlier Din Eidyn. And every time I mentioned…
Te Anau & Fiordland | New Zealand
Down in Southland, at the very bottom of New Zealand, lies Fiordland National Park and its gateway town of Te Anau. My journey through New Zealand’s South Island had included several national parks, from Abel Tasman to Westland to Mount…
A Week in Queenstown | New Zealand
Adventure capital of the world, Queenstown is probably the top location for most tourists visiting New Zealand. I’m not really an adrenaline junkie and I’m terrified of heights, so that ruled out a lot of activities as far as I…
A Week in Wānaka | New Zealand
The Southern Lakes region of New Zealand is one of the most beautiful and most popular areas of the country. And a big highlight of my summer trip around the South Island that I was really looking forward to. I…
Highlights of the West Coast | New Zealand
The West Coast of New Zealand refers to the region that stretches almost the length of the South Island. It’s a fairly narrow spit of land, tucked between the Tasman Sea and the Southern Alps. It’s also known for being…
Highlights of Lake Tekapo | New Zealand
Lake Tekapo (or Takapō in Te Reo Maōri) is the name of both a town and a lake in the centre of New Zealand’s South Island. Situated beneath the Southern Alps, both lie tucked in the Mackenzie Basin, surrounded by…
A Week in Kaikōura | New Zealand
When planning my summer on New Zealand’s South Island, I decided to include a week in Kaikōura for one main reason: whale watching. I’m a big fan of marine wildlife (as long as it’s observed in an ethical, conservation-oriented way)…
