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Just the ticket: The best new
rail journeys around the world
Traveller, 7 September 2024
"Europe’s renewed affair with long-distance train
routes continues apace, and this time the
destinations being linked are popular big cities:
Paris and Berlin. It was in December last year
that the French and German capitals were
connected, with great acclaim, by sleeper train
for the first time in nine years. The next step
will be the start of direct high-speed daytime
services between the two cities..."
Describing ten upcoming developments in
rail travel across Europe, North America,
Asia and Australia.
[Read
the full article here]
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Prince
Rupert
chapter
Lonely Planet:
Offbeat North America (ed. 1), May 2024
A guide to the
attractions of the port city in British
Columbia, Canada, covering attractions, art,
food, entertainment, history and culture.
This book can be
purchased online from Amazon.com.
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Venturing into the imaginary
town of Twin Peaks
The Post, 7 April 2024
"The words of Special Agent Dale Cooper pass
through my mind as we head out of Seattle on a
tour devoted to the legendary television series Twin
Peaks. At the wheel of the vehicle is tour
guide David Israel, echoing Cooper in the outfit
of an FBI agent. To our surprised delight he’s
accompanied by James Grixoni, a young actor who
appeared in the third season of the show and who
sometimes leads these tours. My wife Narrelle and
I are in the back seat, looking forward to
visiting the locations of the quirky drama..."
Exploring filming locations associated
with Twin Peaks in the hills east of
Seattle, USA.
[Read
the full
article here] |
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The ride stuff
Traveller, 10 March 2024
"'We all did justice to the good things, and as we
washed them down with bumpers of sparkling Krug
whilst we sped along at the rate of thirty miles
an hour, agreed it was the fastest living we had
ever experienced. Then to bed in luxurious
couches, where we slept the sleep of the just.' In
June 1869, the New York Times correspondent 'WS'
was living it high on the rails as he rode
westward from Nebraska to California on the first
trans-American railway. However, long-distance
rail travel across America is not always so
pleasing over 150 years later..."
Detailing the pluses and minuses of
travelling via Amtrak trains across the USA.
[Read
the full
article here]
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As bad as the Titanic: The
cruise ship disaster the world forgot
Traveller, 24 November 2023
"It was a night to remember – but strangely, no
one seems to remember it. On May 29, 1914, the
ocean liner Empress of Ireland was
steaming along the St Lawrence River in Quebec,
Canada, when unexpected thick fog descended and it
collided with a Norwegian coal ship. It was a
disaster reminiscent of the collision of the RMS
Titanic with an iceberg just two years
earlier, but with a major difference: while the
Titanic took over two hours to sink, the Empress
of Ireland went under in just 14 minutes. With
more than 1000 fatalities, it was a huge disaster
– but hardly anyone has heard of it today..."
Learning about a strangely forgotten
disaster at a maritime museum in Quebec,
Canada.
[Read
the full
article here] |
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Return Serves (one item)
Traveller, 29 October 2023
"I always assumed I wouldn’t like LA… but then I
went there. Now I’m a great fan of the City of
Angels, and particularly of its revitalised
Downtown. One of the most walkable neighbourhoods
in this sprawling city, DTLA is a repository of
wonderful architecture from the early 20th
century, much of which has been repurposed in
recent years. A prime example is The Last
Bookstore, which occupies a magnificent former
banking chamber in the Spring Arts Tower, a 1914
structure which was a cornerstone of the historic
Spring Street Financial District. The interior is
a delight..."
One item in a multi-writer article
about places we always return to; in this
case, a location in Los Angeles, USA.
[Read
the full
article here]
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How to see the dazzling skyline
of Chicago - from train and water
Explore, 26 October 2023
"I had my doubts about viewing buildings from this
angle, but they're immediately dispelled as we set
sail. Right ahead of us is the magnificent Wrigley
Building, opened in the 1920s as a gleaming
example of Chicago's architectural ambitions. And
it's not the only soaring structure I can see from
my seat, on this clear sunny day. 'What do you
need when you're a hustle-bustle boom town?' asks
guide Marc, referring to Chicago in the 19th
century. 'Tall buildings, of course! So before
long, the city became an architectural
playground...'"
Using two very different means of
transport to explore the architectural
heritage of Chicago, USA.
[Read
the full
article here] |
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Toronto: Chilling in The Annex
Traveller, 20 August 2023
"What do you do when you’re revisiting a city and
have already seen all the big sights? I like to
pick a neighbourhood that’s popular with locals
rather than tourists, and hang out there. Which is
why I’m sitting outside First & Last Coffee,
in the Toronto suburb known as The Annex. The
district’s curious name came about in the 19th
century when the Canadian city annexed land to the
north. Nowadays, located near the University of
Toronto campus, it’s a lively residential district
dotted with cafes, bars, restaurants and
entertainment venues..."
Exploring a lively neighbourhood in
inner-city Toronto, Canada.
[Read
the full
article here] |
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Empire games
Traveller, 16 July 2023
"My epic rail trek across seven US states began
illustriously at Seattle’s marvellous King Street
Station. Resembling an opera house with gleaming
white interiors, this 1906 edifice was a hugely
confident statement in the railways and the wealth
and prestige they brought to the Pacific
Northwest. Running north then east, the Empire
Builder must forge its way through the coastal
Cascade Mountains before tackling a bigger
challenge, the Rocky Mountains..."
Riding Amtrak's Empire Builder
train all the way from Seattle to Chicago,
USA.
[Read
the full
article here]
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Secret history of Chicago’s
speakeasies
Escape, 25 May 2023
"'This is going to be a crash course in
Prohibition,” says our guide, Jonathan. “And a lot
of what I do is dispel what Hollywood has put in
your head.' Sounds good to me, and we’re in the
right place for it. The members of the Original
Chicago Prohibition Tour meet up at Butch
McGuire’s, an old-school saloon that’s jumping on
a Saturday. It’s an atmospheric place, dark and
wood-lined, with raucous groups of friends having
a good time. Shortly we’ll be boarding a bus to
visit three other drinking holes, all of which
operated as a speakeasy, or illegal bar, during
Prohibition..."
Visiting bars with a past on a fun bus
tour in Chicago, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
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Taking a fall
Traveller, 7 May 2023
"As I step into the Niagara Parks Power Station, I
draw my breath in wonder. This former
hydro-electric facility is a vast space with a
lofty roof, beneath which sit numerous huge blue
turbines. Nearby are the mighty falls. From the
terrace in front of the Table Rock Centre there’s
a marvellous view over the jade-green water, as it
drops away over the horseshoe-shaped ledge to the
depths below. It does not disappoint up close, as
I take in the gushing torrent and the enormous
cloud of spray..."
Exploring diverse attractions in the
Ontario Peninsula region of Canada.
[Read the
full article here]
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One of the world’s coolest
neighbourhoods has overcome a bad reputation
Traveller, 4 May 2023
"'We’re going to see a whole different side of San
Diego. It had a bad rap for a long time, but now
Barrio Logan is one of the coolest neighbourhoods
in the world.' Tour guide Stefan Calvaruso talks a
good game, but he does have reason. For many years
the Mexican-American neighbourhood of Barrio Logan
was perceived as being on the wrong side of the
tracks; sliced by a freeway and hemmed in by
polluting industries, it was a district that most
San Diegans knew about but never visited..."
Enjoying food and art on a walking tour
of a Mexican-American district of San Diego,
USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
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Minneapolis’ most memorable (and
messy) meals
Stuff, 12 March 2023
"If a Hollywood filmmaker wanted to find the
Minneapolis bar that most suited the cliché of a
warm, friendly, busy local with loads of
character, they couldn’t go wrong choosing Matt’s.
Timber-panelled walls are lined with vinyl-covered
booths beneath retro lampshades, gleaming in the
light of beer ads made of vivid neon tubes. I take
a booth with my friend Doug Mack, a local writer,
and we both order the same thing: a Juicy Lucy.
This burger is distinguished by one thing – the
cheese in the centre of the beef patty, which
becomes molten when cooked..."
Dining out at three distinctive
restaurants in Minneapolis, USA.
[Read
the full
article here] |
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George Floyd: Moving memorial to
the man whose murder sparked Black Lives Matter
Traveller, 17 February 2023
"'Are you a tourist or a visitor?' It's a fair
ask. Standing near the memorial site in
Minneapolis where George Floyd was murdered by a
police officer in 2020, sparking the worldwide
Black Lives Matter protests, I'm unsure how to pay
the proper respect to my surroundings. I'm
wondering if it would be OK to take a photo, when
a man in a yellow shirt asks me that leading
question..."
Joining a thoughtful 'pilgrimage tour'
through this site of great tragedy in
Minneapolis, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
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Brand-new US attractions, only
one flight away from New Zealand
Stuff, 8 February 2023
"In October 2021 a marvellous new live show
started treading the boards at the intimate Club
Fugazi in the city’s popular North Beach district:
Dear San Francisco. Intended as a love
letter to the City by the Bay, this show combines
circus skills with theatre, music and song, with
scenes illustrating aspects of the city’s history
from the gold rush days to the tech revolution. A
highlight is the sequence involving the Chinese
yo-yo, an hourglass-shaped object that’s tossed
into the air and caught on a cord attached to two
handles..."
Outlining a series of new attractions
in seven cities across the USA.
[Read
the full
article here] |
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Four Ways to Enjoy Chicago's
Iconic Pizza
Escape, 6 January 2023
"'This is going to be less of a pizza tour, more
of a pizza support group,' says Jon, our guide on
the Downtown Pizza Walk. We laugh, and only partly
in jest. Of the five of us joining the tour today,
two are running in the Chicago Marathon a couple
of days later. I guess they need the carbs, but
what about the cheese? No matter. Pizza has a long
and honoured history, says Jon. 'It’s a universal
form of food on this planet, every country has a
form of pizza...'"
Sampling four types of pizza on a tasty
walking tour in Chicago, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
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Time Works Its Charms
Escape, 6 November 2022
"As we step into the main market hall, our guide
points out the slight slope of the floor towards
the street. 'At the end of the day they just
washed everything into the streets,' he says. 'The
blood, the eyeballs…' We chuckle at his theatrical
tone, but that’s Bell’s thing. A former actor, he
segued to tour guiding, in which his skills are
useful. Leaning into its history, Bell takes us
past highlights of the market hall – meats,
cheeses, maple syrup, butter tarts – to give us a
taste of a Toronto classic: peameal bacon..."
Joining an entertaining tour of food
and history in Toronto, Canada.
[Read the
full article here]
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Cruise from Rimouski, Quebec to
Remote Villages On Board a Supply Vessel
Traveller, 28 October 2022
"The scenery we're all enjoying surpasses words,
as we admire the ever more rugged coast and tiny
fishing villages on our way east. The Bella
Desgagnés is very much a working vessel.
Though it contains comfortable cabins and a
pleasant restaurant for we round-trip passengers,
it also functions as public transport for locals.
Beyond Kegaska the highway system ceases and towns
are only accessible by water or air, so the ship
is a lifeline..."
Exploring the Gulf of St Lawrence by
sea in Quebec, Canada.
[Read the
full article here] |
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Discovering the Hidden Murals of
Montreal
Traveller, 16 September 2022
"There are times when it's better to be loitering
in an alleyway behind a popular music venue than
standing at its entrance, and one of those times
is now. That's because it's the middle of the day
when no gig is scheduled, and there's a fabulous
piece of art to see at the rear of Montreal's Club
Soda. As we peer at the brickwork, it seems to be
covered with random splotches of colour. But our
guide, Thomas, patiently points out the form of a
musician playing a cello. Who knew? Now he's
opened my eyes, I can see other musicians among
the colours..."
Viewing vivid artworks in the streets
of Montreal, Canada.
[Read the
full article here]
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Montreal Biodome: Former Olympic
Velodrome Now Houses Penguins and Puffins
Traveller, 5 August 2022
"Everyone needs a puffin in their lives, I
realise, as I peer through the glass of an exhibit
at the Montreal Biodome. There's something
inherently comical about Atlantic puffins'
spherical heads and curvy orange beaks, as if
they're an unlikely children's toy which came
alive and was released into the wild. Next door to
them is a more familiar bird: the penguin. These
bird species normally live thousands of kilometres
apart, but I'm able to see them together because
they share the Subpolar Regions section of the
Biodome..."
Visiting an intriguing collection of
environments in Montreal, Canada.
[Read the
full article here]
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Airline Review: Air Canada
Premium Economy
Traveller, 26 July 2022
"The selection of onboard entertainment is good,
with recent release films such as Licorice
Pizza and Belfast, and TV shows
ranging from the science fiction series Station
Eleven to the costume drama The Gilded
Age (I watch the recent Matrix movie
sequel and regret it, but it passes the time).
Audio entertainment covers diverse musical genres,
along with audiobooks and podcasts..."
Reviewing this class of service aboard
a flight from Sydney, Australia, to
Vancouver, Canada.
[Read the
full article here]
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A Dream of Trains
The New Daily, 3 June 2020
"Locked down in my apartment in Melbourne’s CBD, I
dreamt of trains. For the past decade I’ve
increasingly written about rail travel, drawn more
and more into a love of trains. It doesn’t matter
what trains they are – luxury 'rail cruises' are
impressive, but so to me is a berth in a weathered
old-school sleeper car or a seat on any intercity
train..."
Discussing the delights of rail travel,
with examples - including
train journeys in North America.
[Read the
full article here] |
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The
Best Travel Experiences for 2020
(including a section on rail travel by
me)
Traveller, 2 January 2020
"This continent is often overlooked by fans of
train travel, but since 2017 Belmond has been
running the luxurious Andean Explorer sleeper
train through Peru, from Cusco at the foot of the
Andes via Puno on Lake Titicaca, to Arequipa. Add
to this the company's Hiram Bingham train, which
takes passengers from Cusco up to Machu Picchu in
stylish art-deco comfort..."
Detailing my tips about rail
travel, including rail experiences in Peru and
Canada.
[Read the
full article here] |
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My
Window Seat Through Canada’s Amazing
Wilderness
Escape, 15 August 2019
"Given that we’re starting in the Canadian
Rockies, it doesn’t take long for remarkable
scenery to appear. A couple of hours in we pass
Mount Robson, the highest peak in the range. An
announcement tells us there’s only twelve days in
the year when you can see the whole mountain – and
we can see it today. It seems a good omen. We’re
soon running between two great mountain ranges –
the Rockies to our right, the Cariboos to our
left..."
Catching a train along a scenic
route from Jasper to Prince Rupert, Canada.
[Read the
full article here] |
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A Quirky Town Where
You Should Expect the Unexpected
Traveller, 19 March 2019
"When you visit Alaska you expect to see ice, and
I'm seeing plenty of it just outside Juneau. The
Mendenhall Glacier is a huge, impressive sight, a
vast frozen object wedged between hills. At its
base there are bright blue surfaces, from where
icebergs have calved into the lake below. Though
it's summer, the breeze is chilly as I sit on a
bench marvelling at nature's handiwork. To the
right of the glacier the Nugget Falls gush down
from the mountains, and I can see tiny dots that
are hikers admiring them up close..."
Investigating the diverse
attractions of Juneau, the capital city of Alaska,
USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
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The Ride of Your
Life: Chile Glacier Cruise
Traveller, 10 March 2019
"We're sitting in a small excursion craft off the
coast of southern Chile, wrapped in orange
lifejackets, when – without warning – our pilot
rams the boat into a small iceberg. It's a
surprise, but not as unexpected as what happens
next. A crew member pulls out an ice-pick, bashes
away at the berg, and extracts a large chunk of
ice. Within moments we passengers are milling
around on deck, clinking glasses as we toast each
other – with 12-year-old whisky containing
50,000-year-old ice..."
Recalling an impressive cruise, as
one item in a set of memorable journeys.
[Read the
full article here] |
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Balboa Park:
Museums, Gardens and Architectural Gems
Traveller, 18 February 2019
"This broad pedestrian promenade is lined by
graceful buildings with sand-coloured facades,
featuring intricate swirls and flourishes and
pillars entwined in floral carvings. Add the palm
trees and ornamental ponds, and it feels as if I'm
somewhere in southern Europe. That's no accident.
San Diego was part of the Spanish Empire, and then
Mexico, until it joined the US in 1850 within the
new state of California..."
Wandering through a graceful park
of heritage buildings in San Diego, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
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A Glimpse of North
America's Fishing Industry
Traveller, 5 December 2018
"Standing on the dock of the North Pacific
Cannery, on an arm of Canada's Skeena River, all I
can see is tranquillity. The still silver waters
are a mirror, reflecting the trees and snow-capped
mountains of this remote part of British Columbia.
What's boggling my imagination is the contrast
between the serene vista and its reality a century
before. In those days a thriving salmon fishing
industry centred on the facility, and it would
have been a busy, smelly, messy place at odds with
the beautiful surrounds..."
Visiting a museum within a former
cannery outside Prince Rupert, Canada.
[Read the
full article here] |
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Ten Australian Cafes
Around the World
Traveller, 18 October 2018
"Space is at a premium in Midtown Manhattan, so
this café is squeezed into a compact Lexington
Avenue shopfront. It's busy but cheerful, the menu
featuring simple brekkie dishes along with
inventive salads and sandwiches. They include the
Charcoal Chook with mashed peas, bacon and
chipotle mayo; and the Holy Shishito, made from
lavain batard bread with shishito pepper scrambled
eggs..."
Detailing Aussie-style cafes in
locations around the globe, including the USA and
Canada.
[Read the
full article here] |
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The Cheap Way to See
Alaska’s Inside Passage
Escape, 25 September 2018
"The doors swing open, and we stroll along a broad
ramp into the rear of the vessel, past parked cars
and upstairs into the passenger areas. The lads
head farther up, but I’m due at the Purser’s
Office to collect my cabin key. We have a two-day
voyage to Juneau ahead, and I fancy my own space.
This is not an Alaskan cruise aboard a massive
floating hotel. Instead, the Alaska Marine Highway
System is used by locals..."
Cruising via local
ferry along the scenic
Inside Passage of Alaska, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
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The
Dry Past –
Vancouver Under Prohibition
roundtheworldflights.com,
24 July 2018
"'You might have seen a blind pig here,' says
Lenard, leader of the Forbidden Tour which
probes Vancouver’s less respectable past. We’re
standing at the top of Market Alley, an
unsavoury back street strung with electrical
cables. What he’s taking about isn’t an animal,
but a nickname for the illegal drinking dens
which flourished here a century ago. The
Prohibition era in 1920s USA is well known, but
Vancouver got there first – the Canadian city
banned alcoholic drinks between 1917 and
1921..."
Joining a tour
detailing a colourful historical era of
Vancouver, Canada.
[Read
the full article
here]
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Alaska to Canada by
Rail
Traveller, 29 May 2018
"It's an extraordinary engineering achievement.
From sea level the railway climbs almost 900
metres over a 30-kilometre route, twisting and
turning as it negotiates slopes, bridges and
tunnels. The WP&YR closed in 1982, defeated by
a new road and a mining slump, but reopened six
years later for tourism. Nowadays it draws its
riders from the cruise ship passengers who swarm
the docks where Soapy met his end; along with
hikers walking the popular Chilkoot Trail..."
Catching a narrow-gauge train
through the mountains from Alaska, USA to Yukon,
Canada.
[Read the
full article here] |
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The Surprising
Stories Behind Vancouver's Murals
Traveller, 29 May 2018
"The dire wolf leaps at me, its snarling mouth
revealing terrifying long fangs. Its shiny blue
coat is offset by flying shards of red, yellow and
white, and its eyes glow an otherworldly yellow.
It's a piece of street art, but a fiendishly
dynamic one; part of a set of wolves that were
painted by artist Ben Tour for the first Vancouver
Mural Festival in 2016. Lurking behind bins, they
stand ready to surprise the passer-by..."
Exploring the murals created by a
street art festival in Vancouver, Canada.
[Read the
full article here] |
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YVR
Forever - Vancouver Airport Highlights
roundtheworldflights.com,
17 April 2018
"Even I have noticed the interior of Vancouver
International Airport. There’s something about
its blue-green decor, dotted with timber
carvings, that relaxes the incoming passenger on
the long march to Customs. And I’m not the only
passenger who likes the place. In 2017, YVR was
named the Best Airport in North America in the
Skytrax World Airport Awards. So what’s so good
about this airport, and why does it make an
attractive alternative entry point to North
America?"
Detailing the
highlights of Vancouver International
Airport, Canada.
[Read
the full article
here]
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Yukon, Canada: The
Gold Rush Town that Time Nearly Forgot
Escape, 18 March 2018
"Yukon! Just the name of Canada’s remote
north-western territory sparks excitement, with
visions of wilderness and far frontiers. Yukon is
still all that, even in the 21st century.
Travellers regularly fly into Whitehorse, the
territory capital, to hire an RV and head north to
Dawson City and its relics of the 19th century
Klondike gold rush. Before heading out, however,
it’s worth taking time to explore the ‘big city’
(population 25,000)..."
Detailing the highlights of the
capital city of Yukon, Canada.
[Read the
full article here]
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I Travelled the
World Without (Much) Cash
The Age &
Sydney Morning Herald,
31 January 2018
"It was at Vancouver's Museum of Anthropology that
I finally had to stump up some cash. Since
arriving in the Canadian city two days before, I'd
been paying for everything via my phone using
Apple Pay. It had been such a successful strategy
that I still had the C$100 I'd arrived with in
cash. Now, however, I needed to hire a locker
before I enjoyed the institution's spectacular
collection of First Nations totem poles. To do
that, I had to break a note and put a Canadian
quarter into the slot..."
Trying to pay for everything using
contactless payment methods in Hong Kong, Canada,
the USA & the UK.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
LA's Enthralling
Museum of Confusion
Traveller, 30 December 2017
"Having paid my entry fee, I'm soon in a warm and
stuffy interior packed with displays. But what,
precisely, does this museum exhibit? An
audiovisual introduction traces the role of the
museum back to Noah's Ark and the displays of
relics in medieval churches. There's also a
suggested link to the 17th-century wunderkammers.
This concept of 'wonder rooms' is, I think, a key
to understanding the MJT. For what I find as I
walk through its cramped chambers is a collection
of disconnected but intriguing exhibits..."
Deciphering the curious collection
of a mysterious museum in Los Angeles, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Bushwick: Is This
New York City's New Coolest Neighbourhood?
Traveller, 29 December 2017
"'The East Village moved across the river to
Williamsburg first,' Loren Beri says. 'And when
Bob Dylan's spirit went across the river, it
eventually trickled all the way here to Bushwick.'
If that's the case, I'd like to think that Dylan's
spirit is hovering about us now, as we sip coffee
at Wyckoff Starr, a cafe in this up-and-coming
Brooklyn neighbourhood east of Williamsburg..."
Exploring the attractions of the
Bushwick district of New York City, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Stanley Park Tour
Reveals its Secrets
Escape, 30 November 2017
"Will Woods likes to set a grand stage for his
Secrets of Stanley Park walking tour. 'Cast your
mind back 32 million years,' he says. 'We'd be
floating in a giant lake.' At the end of a
promontory and surrounded by water, 400ha Stanley
Park is popular with residents and visitors. Not
that tourists penetrate to the heart of its
greenery, being more likely to skirt its edges by
bus. This is where Woods comes in, venturing into
the trees and the park’s lesser-known history..."
Learning the secrets of this vast
park on a new walking tour in Vancouver, Canada.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Airline
Review: Air Canada Premium Economy
Traveller, 4 November 2017
"In Premium Economy you're looking for more width
and legroom than the passengers down the back are
enjoying, and this seat has a good amount of both.
The seat is reasonably firm but its angle of
recline is generous, allowing me to snatch a few
hours of sleep on this night-time flight (though
there's still a subtle tussle between myself and
the neighbouring passenger for our shared
armrest)..."
Reviewing the Premium Economy
experience on a flight from Vancouver to
Brisbane.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
After Being
Upgraded, I Can Never Travel Economy Again
Executive Style, 3 October 2017
"It feels like I don't sleep much at all, but when
I wake I'm surprised to see that I've actually
managed five hours. If there's a moment I decide
that business is worth the extra money, it's now.
Having a decent chunk of sleep on a flight that
lands at 6.30am means I can actually get the most
out of the day once I've left the airport. It also
makes me less likely to succumb to jet lag after
crashing at my hotel at a random hour. From a
business point of view, that's ideal..."
Experiencing the benefits of
Business Class aboard a Qantas flight to Los
Angeles, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
How to Build a DIY Rail and
Cruise Tour of Canada and Alaska
www.lonelyplanet.com, 14 September 2017
"A luxury rail journey combined with a coastal
cruise is the hottest way to see western Canada
and southeast Alaska. Each summer, thousands take
a gourmet train journey through the Rocky
Mountains, then admire the Inside Passage by sea.
If you’re an independent traveler, however, it’s
possible to bypass the expense and crowds by
piecing together your own rail tour and cruise..."
Piecing together a train and ferry
journey to western Canada and the coast of
Alaska, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
A Walking Tour with
the Emperor of the United States
Traveller, 17 August 2017
"It's not every day you draw a royal as a tour
guide. And what a splendid personage is this
Emperor Norton I (channelled by Joseph Amster).
Clad in a fine military uniform with gold
epaulettes, a scarlet cummerbund and a hat
festooned in colourful plumes, Norton stands out
even in San Francisco, a city no stranger to
strangeness. Which is fitting, as the real-life
Norton was the king of the city's eccentrics in
the 19th century..."
Joining a tour delving into the
eccentric past of San Francisco, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Using Uber Overseas:
Why it’s Better than Taxis
Escape, 14 July 2017
"My favourite Uber driver in California was the
musician who drove to make money between gigs. His
band toured a lot — even overseas, like Queen
before they were world-famous. He was 'big in
Japan'. Another Uber driver who picked me up from
a comedy venue on LA’s Sunset Strip was a showman
who led a passionate discussion of superheroes. He
also chanted 'Five stars!' to encourage me to
grant him that rating on the ride-sharing
service’s app..."
Relating my experiences of using
the ride-sharing service in California, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Wild at Art
The
Sunday Telegraph, 11 June 2017
"In an empty old office on Los Angeles' Spring
Street, a saxophone is playing while a man in a
red shirt belts out a love poem. He's succeeded by
a sinuous barefoot dancer who writhes around the
room, inviting onlookers to join her as she passes
beneath framed photographs of dancers. Though this
mishmash of artforms seems a bit wild there's a
lot of goodwill in the room, and onlookers are
happily caught up in the energy on this warm
weeknight..."
Enjoying the Downtown Art Walk, a
monthly cultural event in Los Angeles, USA.
|
|
How to Score the
Best Economy Class Seat on a Plane
Escape, 6 June 2017
"Squeezed in tight, with a battle for the armrest
and a seatback in your face. We’ve all been there
– it’s a battle for space when you fly
long-distance in Economy Class. It doesn’t matter
how great the plane’s entertainment system is, or
how tolerable the airline food, if you can barely
move with discomfort. But take heart, because I’m
going to reveal my formula for securing the best
Economy Seat on any plane..."
Revealing how I choose the optimum
airline seat in Economy Class, with reference to
an LA-Fiji flight.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Review: The Redbury
Hollywood
Traveller, 20 May 2017
"The hotel seems to have soaked up some of the
louche glamour of Hollywood's golden age. Its
public spaces are decked out with heavy drapes,
low lounges, and giant photographs of actress
femme fatales. The dominant colour is a deep wine
red, accentuating the air of forbidden luxury – as
if one had stumbled into the private hideaway of a
reclusive starlet..."
Reviewing a vibrant hotel located
on Hollywood & Vine, in Los Angeles, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Welcome to Twin
Peaks
www.lonelyplanet.com, 25 April 2017
"This may be the Golden Age of Television, but
such gilded eras must start somewhere – and that
somewhere might be Twin Peaks. Co-created
by David Lynch, this cult-classic drama series of
the 1990s blended crime, mystery, philosophy and
humor in a fictional Washington town populated by
quirky characters. With a new season airing this
year, here’s how to visit key filming locations..."
Visiting the real-life locations of the
classic TV series in the hills east of
Seattle, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Review: Hotel
InterContinental Century City
Traveller, 31 March 2017
"Some of the glamour of neighbouring Beverly Hills
has rubbed off on the InterContinental. The lobby
is a big modern space with a glass roof running
its length, letting natural light illuminate comfy
sofas and a piano. As a hotel dominated by suites
with balconies, it offers great views of the
sprawling metropolis, bookended by the high-rise
buildings of the Downtown in one direction and
Santa Monica in the other; and from some rooms you
can see the famous Hollywood sign..."
Reviewing an upmarket hotel in Los
Angeles, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Airline
Review: Alaska Airlines Economy
Traveller, 11 March 2017
"The seats on this 737 are squeezed for width,
particularly noticeable on this morning flight as
the economy section is completely full. However,
I'm pleasantly surprised by the relatively
generous leg room, which avoids having my knees
pressed into the seat ahead. Miraculously, the
passenger in front of me doesn't recline his seat,
which helps maintain the space..."
Reviewing the economy experience on a
flight from Seattle to Los Angeles.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Santa
Barbara - History and Illusion
roundtheworldflights.com,
24 November 2016
"I’m standing outside the Santa Barbara County
Courthouse, and I’m impressed. With its lofty
tower and a Spanish inscription carved above its
archway, I assume it must be a relic from the
19th century. I later find out it was built in
1929. That’s one of the interesting things about
this Californian city; you can never tell how
old anything really is. It some ways though, it
makes sense that Santa Barbara resembles a
Hollywood set..."
Exploring the
attractive Spanish-style architecture of
Santa Barbara, USA.
|
|
Ocean
Rail: Riding the Pacific Surfliner
Traveller
(The Age & Sydney Morning
Herald),
12 November 2016
"The year 1915 was a big one for San Diego. To
celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal,
California's southernmost city threw a
two-year-long party: the Panama-California
Exposition. To welcome visitors to this event, a
new train station, the Santa Fe Depot, was built
in the pseudo-Spanish Mission Revival style. I'm
at that station to catch Amtrak's Pacific
Surfliner train, which runs north through Los
Angeles and Santa Barbara before terminating at
San Luis Obispo..."
Heading north along the Pacific coast
by rail, through Southern California, USA.
Available
for republication (print and
Web).
Images available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Unknown
Nevada
lonelyplanet.com, November 2016
"If all you know about Nevada is the razzmatazz of
Las Vegas, you’re in for a surprise. The Silver
State is packed with unexpected experiences. Step
into its vast wilderness and you’ll find lonely
deserts, eerie ghost towns and spectacular night
skies. Who knows? You might even spot a UFO as you
travel Nevada’s wide-open roads in search of these
lesser-known lures..."
Investigating attractions across the
wide open expanses of Nevada, USA.
Not
available for republication.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Top
10: Comedy Clubs Around the World
Traveller, 7 October 2016
"Co-founded in 1972 by Mitzi Shore, this club on
LA's infamous Sunset Strip has hosted an array of
comedians who became stars, including David
Letterman, Roseanne Barr, Eddie Murphy, Robin
Williams and Whoopi Goldberg. It's still a great
place to spot both established and upcoming
comics. The entry fee gets you a long bill of
performers, each doing a snappy set, so there's
plenty of bang for your buck..."
Listing great comedy venues in the USA, Canada,
UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South
Africa and Singapore.
Available
for republication (print only).
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Comic-Con:
The World's Biggest Pop Culture Convention
Traveller, 16 September 2016
"It's the male Wonder Woman that finally conveys
to me the true meaning of the San Diego Comic-Con
International. I've spent the morning strolling
vast distances between panels, before queuing to
get into each one. Now I'm squeezing my way past
the hordes shuffling through the cavernous Exhibit
Hall, where traders sell every item imaginable.
Then I see him – an Asian-American guy dressed as
Wonder Woman..."
Experiencing the queues and costumes of
this massive pop culture event in San Diego,
USA.
Available
for republication (print only).
[Read the
full article here] |
|
San
Luis Obispo: the Perfect Pitstop
www.lonelyplanet.com, 1
September 2016
"There’s nothing like an American road
trip, and the coast road between Los Angeles
and San Francisco offers one of the best.
Hitting the wide open road between these two
cities, you’ll encounter ocean views, historic
sites, wineries and pretty towns. These
attractions merge neatly in San Luis Obispo on
California’s Central Coast, making it the
perfect place to take a break..."
Exploring attractions in and around San
Luis Obispo, USA.
Not
available for republication.
Images
available.
[Read
the full article
here] |
|
Airline
Review: Qantas Premium Economy
Traveller, 26 August 2016
"The Premium Economy section is located on the
upper deck of this big aircraft between Business
and a small outpost of Economy. Qantas' version of
Premium Economy has distinctly wider seating than
Economy, and more generous legroom. Tray tables
and video screens are concealed beneath armrests,
leaving plenty of width for a larger-than-average
person like me..."
Reviewing the premium economy
experience on a flight from Melbourne to Los
Angeles.
Available
for republication (print only).
[Read the
full article here] |
|
The
Science of LA
www.lonelyplanet.com, 24 August 2016
"You might think that Los Angeles is all about
entertainment, with major drawcards such as
Hollywood and Disneyland. But there’s another side
to the city, in which science and technology are
celebrated. From prehistoric fossils to space
travel, LA is home to excellent museums which
explore human ingenuity and the world around us.
Here are four of the best..."
Investigating insitutions dedicated to
science and technology in Los Angeles, USA.
Not
available for republication.
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Artist's
Haunt Paints a Picture
Traveller (The Sun-Herald),
26 June
2016
"I like using local laundromats when I travel.
There's something soothing about taking time out
of the sightseeing routine, and you inevitably get
to meet locals. In this case, I meet up with an
unforgettable local, though one who's been dead
for 70 years: Emily Carr. The Emily Carr House, a
museum devoted to an apparently well-loved local
artist of whom I've never heard, is located a
block away from where I'm sitting. So after the
tumble dryer's done its work, I head there to
learn more..."
Visiting the former home of a great
artist in the James Bay district of
Victoria, Canada.
Available
for republication (print only).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Ten
Attractions Keeping Portland Weird
Traveller, 21 June 2016
"If you watch the sketch comedy TV series Portlandia,
you might assume the city of Portland is the
epicentre of all that is hipster, eccentric, and
downright odd on the west coast of the USA. You
wouldn't be entirely wrong. In recent decades,
this formerly gritty industrial city on the
Columbia and Williamette Rivers has reinvented
itself as a creative, diverse place with lively
arts and food scenes, and with unusually good
public transport. It's easy to get around, and
it's also quirky..."
Listing ten unconventional attractions
of Portland, USA.
Available
for republication (print only).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
The
New LAX
roundtheworldflights.com,
25 May 2016
"It’s fair to say that LAX has a poor
reputation among travellers. For years its long
queues, dingy terminal buildings and minimal
facilities were an ordeal for those using the
Californian airport as their gateway to the USA.
It’s while waiting for a flight out of LAX that
you notice vast improvements in the passenger
experience, courtesy of an $8.5 billion dollar
modernisation program which has been underway
over the past few years..."
Outlining
improvements to the passenger experience
at Los Angeles International Airport, USA.
|
|
Sleepers
to Seattle
Traveller (The Age
& Sydney Morning Herald),
21 May
2016
"'The last of the great train stations.' When it
opened in May 1939, no-one could foresee that Los
Angeles' Union Station would soon receive this
accolade. Train travel had helped knit the vast
territory of the United States together, after
all, and every major city wanted a rail terminal
that proclaimed its significance and prosperity.
Even now that aircraft have taken most of the
market for long-distance travel, LA's main station
remains a magnificent piece of architecture..."
Taking a sleeper train from Los Angeles
to Seattle, via San Francisco and Portland.
Available
for republication (print only).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Manhattan
and More
BNE, May-June 2016
"New
York, New York! As the old song says,
it’s a hell of a town. But there’s more
to explore in the Big Apple than the
well-worn tourist trails to the Statue
of Liberty, Empire State Building,
Central Park and the elevated walkway
known as the High Line. At street level
Manhattan and in the city’s other
boroughs there are boutique tours,
quirky sights and great places to eat
and drink. After you’ve given your
regards to Broadway, here are some other
places to check out..."
Revealing lesser-known
New York City attractions for this Brisbane
Airport magazine.
Available for republication
(print and Web).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Is
This Portland's Best Street for Eating?
Good Food
13 April
2016
"'I'm not vegetarian,' says Eric, owner of MF
Tasty. 'But I wanted the mushroom cemita to be so
good that I'd want to eat it.' His outlet is, like
so many in Portland, a kitchen on wheels. Food
cart MF Tasty serves just two types of cemita, a
Mexican snack involving a sesame seed bun: one
filled with achiote-glazed pork, the other
with Korean barbecue marinated mushrooms. I
shouldn't be eating before I join a food tour, but
it's hard to resist the highly diverse output of
Portland's food cart scene..."
Taking a walking tour of a popular eat
street in Portland, USA.
Available
for republication (print only).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Visiting
LA? Ten Reasons to Go Downtown
roundtheworldflights.com,
22 March 2016
"Believe it or not, Los Angeles has a Downtown.
Though it was the hub of the city before 20th
century urban sprawl stretched LA in every
direction, many travellers never set foot there.
It’s fair to say that Downtown has a reputation.
Many assume it’s a dump, and a dangerous dump at
that. But that’s increasingly a faded memory of
the crime-ridden bad old days. Nowadays the
district is a lively place with a great
architectural heritage..."
Exploring the
highlights of Downtown Los Angeles, USA.
|
|
In the Footsteps of Agent Cooper
The Age, 13 February 2016
"'I have no idea where this will lead us, but I
have a definite feeling it will be a place both
wonderful and strange.' Special Agent Dale Cooper,
the quirky FBI agent of cult TV series Twin
Peaks, uttered these words within the
fictional town's mysterious Owl Cave. I'm feeling
much the same about the road from Seattle to
Snoqualmie, a tiny locale in the leafy hills east
of the city. It was here that Twin Peaks
was shot, granting the surrounding forests a
sinister, whispering screen presence..."
Visiting the filming locations of the
TV program Twin Peaks, in
Snoqualmie, USA.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
West
Coast USA by Rail
Get Up & Go,
Summer
2016
"In
my view, a good breakfast is the
foundation of a long-distance rail
journey. So it’s lucky that Philippe the
Original is a short walk from Los
Angeles’ Union Station, on the edge of
Chinatown. You couldn’t ask for a more
genuine slice of Americana before
heading on a train journey up the USA’s
west coast. I eat a sprawling omelette
studded with spinach and onion, on a bed
of hash browns; then I walk to the most
beautiful railway station I’ve ever
seen..."
Taking
the train all the way north from Los
Angeles to Seattle, USA.
Available for republication
(print and Web).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Quirky LA – Experiencing the
Unexpected in Los Angeles
www.lonelyplanet.com, 22 January 2016
"It’s easy to sum up Los Angeles in three words:
Disneyland, Hollywood, beaches. But the City of
Angels is much more diverse – and stranger – than
those sights would suggest. Scattered across its
neighbourhoods are many quirky and intriguing
attractions that will add depth to your knowledge
of the city: historical, artistic and even
culinary. Here are six to chew on..."
Revealing six unusual attractions of
Los Angeles, USA.
Not
available for republication.
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Lights! Camera! Los Angeles
www.lonelyplanet.com, 13 January 2016
"Hooray for Hollywood! America’s movie industry is
synonymous with this neighbourhood of Los Angeles,
and the area is dotted with film-related
attractions: from actors’ handprints outside the
Chinese Theatre, to stars honoring movie greats
along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. If you’re really
interested in the art of film-making however, you
should join a tour operated by one of the big
movie studios..."
Investigating four tours of major movie
studios in Los Angeles, USA.
Not
available for republication.
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
The 60
Best Travel Finds of 2015
(five items by me)
The Sun-Herald, 27 December 2015
"Forget Hollywood, so long Disneyland – Los
Angeles' latest cultural attraction is dedicated
to the visual arts. The Broad is situated within a
spectacular new building opposite the Walt Disney
Concert Hall, with natural light helping to
illuminate the vast collection of postwar and
contemporary works, including pieces by Warhol,
Lichtenstein, Koons and Kruger. It's a fascinating
journey through decades of stimulating art, and
best of all it's free..."
I detail five of 60 interesting
attractions, in Los Angeles, Munich,
Singapore and Melbourne.
Available
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Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Walking
to the Beat
The Age, 12 December 2015
"'It's the bridge that counts,' recites Ryan
Russo, reading from Jack Kerouac's Desolation
Angels. 'The coming-into-San Francisco on that
Oakland Bay Bridge, over waters which are faintly
ruffled by oceangoing Orient ships, over waters
that are like taking you to some other shore.' The
'flower power' hippies of the '60s, the strip club
scene, the gay people looking for a place to be
themselves — each added another layer of
counter-culture to San Francisco, on the
foundation laid by the Beat Generation..."
Joining a walking tour of the Beat
poets' neighbourhood in San Francisco, USA.
Available
for republication (print only).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
What
Coffee is Really Like in the Home of
Starbucks
Traveller, 3 December 2015
"'It's a love-hate thing,' says Val, our guide on
the Seattle Coffee Crawl walking tour. 'Plenty of
people in Seattle drink Starbucks, and plenty
wouldn't be seen dead there. But I do remind
visitors that they brought coffee culture to this
country.' If I'm going to explore Seattle's coffee
scene without sneering, I'm off to a bad start. As
our group stands on the edge of the city's iconic
Pike Place Market, I can see a long line of people
waiting to enter the Starbucks opposite..."
Learning about the coffee scene of
Seattle, USA.
Available
for republication (print only).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
History
in the Walls of Santa Barbara
The Sunday Age, 22 November 2015
"There may be no better way of resetting one's
body clock than by taking a sunset cruise from
Santa Barbara. With the sun lowering as we glide
out into the Pacific, I hope this activity will
remind my brain it's now on US west coast time.
Even if it doesn't, it's a great way to relax in
the Californian city west of Los Angeles. Ahead of
the Sunset Kidd, the water stretches to the
Channel Islands; behind, the city spreads beneath
the Santa Ynez Mountains..."
Enjoying the natural and historic
attractions of Santa Barbara, USA.
Available
for republication (print only).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
A
Slice of Australia in Los Angeles
Good Food
29 October 2015
"When Samantha Bryan came to the US to design
women's shoes for a major shoe company based in
Colorado, it felt an awkward fit. When the
association came to an end, however, business
salvation arose from an unlikely source: the
Australian meat pie. 'I thought "That's got to be
a way of making money in LA, there's so many
Aussies here",' she says in her pie shop, Bronzed
Aussie, in the city's edgy but gradually
gentrifying Downtown district..."
Investigating Australian-owned
restaurants and cafes in Los Angeles, USA.
Available
for republication (print only).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Freaks
and Geeks on LA Vice Beat
The Sunday Age, 18 October 2015
"'Sin and redemption – you can't have one without
the other.' As our bus slides out of LA's newly
cool Warehouse District towards the city's rapidly
gentrifying Downtown, Esotouric's tour guide
Richard Schave is keen to take us back in time to
a grittier era. To him, 20th-century Main Street
and its surrounds was the epitome of eccentricity,
diversity, and 'fortune tellers who predicted doom
for a dime, or great success for 50 cents...'"
Learning about Los Angeles' shady past
on a true crime tour of its Downtown
district.
Available
for republication (print only).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Afterlife of the
Hollywood Stars
The Sun-Herald, 19 July 2015
"'People are drawn to stars who die young,' says
Karie Bible, guide on the Cemetery of the Stars
Tour. 'They never grow old, or lose their looks,
or make bad movies.' Her point is illustrated by
the crypt we're standing next to: that of Rodolfo
Guglielmi Valentino, 1895-1926. Better known as
Rudolf Valentino, he was the first great Hollywood
star of the silent movie era. For years after he
died, a mysterious woman in black visited his
crypt here at the Hollywood Forever cemetery,
placing a single red rose..."
Touring a cemetery of the stars in
Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA.
Available
for republication (print only).
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full article here] |
|
The Queen of Museums
The Sun-Herald, 19 April 2015
"At the fair, visitors crossed from the Trylon to
the Perisphere on the world's longest escalator,
then walked around its 60-metre wide interior to
view a city of the future. That sounds like fun.
But I'll take what I can get, which in this case
is the Unisphere, a relic of a later World's Fair
in 1964. Referencing the Perisphere, it's a huge
globe of the world, with the continents floating
on a sphere of curved steel beams representing
longitude and latitude..."
Exploring the history surrounding a
museum in the borough of Queens, New York City,
USA.
Available
for republication (print only).
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full article here] |
|
Aussie
Cafes Take Manhattan
The Sunday Age, 5 April 2015
"'Several times a day, someone comes in and asks
"What's the charcoal chook?"' says Leon Unglik,
ex-Melburnian owner of Little Collins, a cafe on
Lexington Avenue. There are many challenges facing
an Australian cafe owner who decides to set up
shop in New York, and language is one of them.
Aside from the Charcoal Chook sandwich, the Little
Collins menu includes items such as The Convict
(Vegemite toast) and The Big Dill (a sandwich of
salmon, scrambled egg, dill and chives)..."
Visiting five Australian-owned cafes in
New York City, USA.
Available
for republication (print only).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
One
Day Three Ways: Santa Barbara, USA
Traveller (The Age
& Sydney Morning Herald),
28 March
2015
"Breakfast at Scarlett Begonia, a café within a
beautiful garden courtyard. Its shrimp & grits
involves sautéed prawns, poached eggs, paprika
sausage and roasted capsicum. Then join the Segway
Mission Tour from the wharf to the historic Santa
Barbara Mission. Enjoy lunch at stylish Bouchon,
with dishes such as a shallot-glazed rack of lamb,
before taking advantage of Santa Barbara Zoo's
exclusive Backstage Pass..."
Detailing the attractions of the
Californian coastal city, from inexpensive
to luxurious.
Available
for republication (print only).
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Future-Proofing
The Sun-Herald, 15 March 2015
"Behind me, traffic rushes along Sunset Boulevard,
lined on each side by nondescript shopfronts in
this gritty, semi-gentrified neighbourhood. In
front of me is a display window containing a
life-sized mannequin of a caveman meeting a
tinny-looking sci-fi robot, to the backdrop of
mountains and a strange shimmering effect. Welcome
to the Time Travel Mart, LA's own supply store for
a very specific clientele: time travellers..."
Visiting an unusual shop in the
Echo Park neighbourhood of Los Angeles, USA.
Available
for republication (print only).
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Converts' Guide:
Long-Distance Train Travel
The Sun-Herald, 15 March 2015
"There are many types of long-distance trains,
from regularly scheduled services to those that
resemble luxury cruise liners. What they have in
common is ever-changing scenery. A train is a
unique mode of transport, akin to a small town on
wheels; always in contact with the world outside,
but also slightly separate. It's difficult to get
bored as the entire planet passes by your window:
people, farms, forests, dramatic landscapes, and
the normally hidden backyards of vibrant cities..."
Promoting the benefits of
long-distance rail travel, in one of a set of
travel essays; including American and Canadian
trains.
Available
for republication (print only).
[Read the
full article here] |
|
The Rhythm of LA
From the Bridge, Autumn 2015
"Hooray for Hollywood! The film industry has made
LA the dream factory of the world, spinning off
iconic local attractions, from the Hollywood Walk
of Fame and Venice Beach, to nearby Disneyland.
But beyond theme park rides and tours of celebrity
homes, there are vibrant and quirky neighbourhoods
waiting to be discovered. If you take a peek
behind the silver-screen glitz you’ll find some
real gems..."
Detailing several lesser-known attractions of Los
Angeles, USA.
Available
for republication (print only). |
|
Review: Fairmont
Miramar Hotel
The Sun-Herald, 8 March 2015
"As the hotel is slightly removed from both the
beach and the shopping streets (though it's an
easy walk to each), the property has the detached
feel of a resort. A long front drive leads to a
vast Moreton Bay fig tree in front of the lobby
entrance – legend says it was planted here in 1879
from a cutting provided by an Australian sailor
who couldn't otherwise pay his bar tab..."
Reviewing an upmarket hotel near
the beach in Santa Monica, USA.
Available
for republication (print only).
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Flight
Test: British Airways
Traveller (The Age & Sydney
Morning Herald),
24 January 2015
"My wife Narrelle opts for the most
tongue-twisting dish I've ever seen on an airline
menu: chicken malagueta with biro biro rice, roast
peppers, okra caruru and chimichurri sauce. We
joke about the airline making up some of the
words, but Narrelle reports that it's a tasty
dish, moist and tender. She still doesn't like
okra (to which I reply 'Don't watch her show
then'), but is positive about the orange chocolate
mousse for dessert..."
Reviewing the premium economy
experience on a flight from London to New
York.
Available
for republication (print only).
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Bar-hopping
Through NYC's Literary History
The Sunday Age, 14 December 2014
"'I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman in me,'
recites tour guide Eric Chase, quoting Dylan
Thomas. The Welsh poet was notorious in the 1950s
for hitting New York on reading tours whenever his
cash was running low, then boozing it up in
Greenwich Village bars by night. One of his
favourite haunts was the White Horse Tavern, where
we're sitting at the start of the Greenwich
Village Literary Pub Crawl. Opened in 1880, it was
a hub of literary greatness for many years..."
Discovering literary heritage and beer
on an entertaining tour in New York, USA.
Available
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available.
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|
Morbid Fascination
The Age, 6 December 2014
"The core of the museum is its second-floor
gallery, where the current exhibition The Art of
Mourning features decorative arts related to
death. It's here that I find the death mask of
L'Inconnue de la Seine, the unidentified woman
pulled from the river in the 1880s. In an effort
to establish her identity, the body was put on
public display in the Paris mortuary, and became a
sensation because of its beatific smile..."
Examining the intriguing exhibits
within the Morbid Anatomy Museum in New
York, USA.
Available
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Images
available.
[Read the
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|
The Origins of
Halloween and the Best Places to Celebrate
Fairfax
Traveller, 31 October 2014
"When I was growing up in country Western
Australia, we hardly gave a thought to Halloween.
The closest we came to its pumpkins and pageantry
was via American television series. As Halloween
has become more popular here over the years,
Australians have drawn heavily on those American
traditions. So it can come as a surprise to
discover that Halloween's roots stretch across the
Atlantic to Ireland..."
Examining the origins of Halloween,
and its celebration in the USA and Ireland.
Available
for republication (print only).
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Best
Literary Walking Tours
Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2015,
October
2014
"There’s no better way to pay tribute to
your favourite author or characters than to
follow in their footsteps via these
entertaining tours..."
Listing ten distinctive literary walking
tours in locales across the world, including
the UK, USA, Sweden, Ireland, France,
Romania, China and Australia.
This
book can be purchased online from Amazon.com.
Not
available for republication.
[Read
the full article
here]
|
|
Another
Side to LA
BNE,
October-November 2014
"Many
travellers think they have Los Angeles
figured out. It’s Disneyland on one side
and the Pacific coast on the other,
Hollywood up top, and lots of freeways
in between. Right? It’s true that the
combined appeal of Mickey Mouse, beaches
and the silver screen isn’t going to
fade any time soon. However, in the
heart of LA where tourists rarely go,
there are
attractions
around the revived Downtown area which
provide new insights into the City of
Angels..."
Revealing lesser-known
Los Angeles attractions for the Brisbane
Airport magazine.
|
|
Las Vegas Museums:
Blasts from Sin City's past
The Sun-Herald, 31 August 2014
"Standing within Las Vegas' Mob Museum, this
patchwork of discoloured brown bricks is dotted
with holes surrounded by patches of red. I assume
it's a replica of the wall at which Chicago's
infamous St Valentine's Day Massacre occurred, in
which seven gangsters were cut down by persons
unknown. Then I read the notation: 'This is the
wall against which Bugs Moran's men were shot on
February 14, 1929.' This is the actual wall..."
Investigating several intriguing
museums in Las Vegas, USA.
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|
First
Time Québec City
www.lonelyplanet.com, 18 August 2014
"The heart of Québec City lies within its walls.
The 18th century fortifications on Cap Diamant
encircle the Old Town, and it’s understandable
that visitors should focus on this district. With
its beautiful assortment of historic buildings and
narrow, winding streets, there’s a distinctly
European feel to this French-speaking North
American city (with a touch of fairy tale thrown
in for good measure). But there’s more to Québec
City than its venerable centre perched high above
the St Lawrence River..."
Introducing the districts and
attractions of Québec
City, Canada.
Not
available for republication.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Fifty
Things We Love About Travel Right Now (Five items authored by me)
The Age & Sydney
Morning Herald,
28 June
2014
"It's always been easy to figure out how to use
public transport in a foreign city - as long as it
ran on rails. Train and tram routes were easy to
decipher, but local buses remained an impenetrable
mystery. As more and more cities around the world
make their transport data available to Google
Maps, however, that puzzle has largely been
solved. Tap in a query about getting from A to B,
and the app will tell you which buses to catch and
where to transfer. It opens up a whole new way of
getting around in the company of locals..."
Five items of fifty, covering Los
Angeles, Seoul, Ballarat, and useful travel
technology.
My items
available for republication (print only).
Images
available.
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|
A
Fine Desert Bromance
The Sunday Age, 22 June 2014
"The concealed hole by the main door has us
puzzled. Was it really created in order to unleash
a shotgun blast on bandits wanting the
householder’s gold? Or was it just a theatrical
gimmick to amuse guests? At Scotty’s Castle, a
stately home deep within Death Valley, little is
truly as it seems. For a start, it's a mansion
rather than a castle. Secondly, it didn't belong
to Scotty, although this mercurial con man did
hang around the place in the interwar years..."
Taking a tour of a desert mansion with
a bromance at its heart, in
Death Valley, USA.
Available
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available.
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|
Secret Las Vegas:
Where the Locals Go to Party
Fairfax
Traveller, 18 June 2014
"I’ve been invited to a party further south on The
Strip, which will prove to be an insanely
over-the-top event at an enormous pool within a
lavishly decorated casino, including go-go dancers
writhing around poles. Well, that’s Vegas. Or is
it? The west end of Fremont Street does share the
dazzle of The Strip, housing some of the city’s
oldest casinos beneath a zipline and a canopy of
night-time illuminations. A short walk away,
however, Fremont East is where the locals come to
drink..."
Seeking out small Vegas bars away from
the bright lights of The Strip.
Available
for republication (print only).
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full article here] |
|
It's Rooted: Aussie
Terms that Foreigners Just Won't Get
Fairfax
Traveller, 21 May 2014
"Australian travellers love heading offshore; and
with our dollar still defying gravity, we're not
about to stop. The only problem? Sometimes the
locals, and other travellers from beyond this wide
brown land, have trouble following what we're
saying. So here's a guide to problematic
Aussie-isms when you're going OS. In fact, let's
start with 'OS'..."
Identifying ten Aussie slang words and
terms which don't travel well overseas (with
particular reference to the USA, Canada and
the UK).
Available
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available.
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|
Encounters with
Ancients
The Age & Sydney
Morning Herald, 26 April 2014
"Whether you take your inspiration from spirit
guides or the 1990 movie Dances with Wolves,
Native American traditions are among the most
fascinating ingredients in the United States'
melting pot. For millennia before that pot
existed, these indigenous people lived and thrived
across the breadth of what is now known as
America. Their ancient cultures live on today.
Here are 10 ways to encounter them..."
Encountering Native American culture
and history across the USA.
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|
Postcard: Starr of
the Show
The Sun-Herald, 20 April 2014
"He's so very pink. The drummer is often the least
flashy member of a band, but you couldn't say that
about Ringo Starr on the cover of the Beatles' Sgt
Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. There he
is, sandwiched between John and Paul in the most
lurid pink uniform you could ever imagine. And the
suit really is that colour, I discover, as I gaze
in wonder into its case at Los Angeles' Grammy
Museum..."
Learning about a famous drummer at the
Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, USA.
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|
Plenty
to Savour in Heritage District
The Sunday Age, 13 April 2014
"Sitting inside the former Strathcona railway
station, I'm wrestling with the question that has
plagued travellers since the dawn of time: Is it
too early for a beer? Starting life as a separate
city in the late 19th century, Strathcona had a
promising beginning but was eventually absorbed by
its northern rival. An overlooked district, until
a heritage movement in the 1970s saw it reborn as
Old Strathcona, a lively nightlife district of
theatres and bars..."
Investigating the vibrant district of
Strathcona in Edmonton, Canada.
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|
Ghost Town
Issimo Magazine,
9
April 2014
"We’re
standing in a dimly-lit street in front
of the 1908 Strathcona High School,
listening to a macabre story about a
labourer entombed in the building’s
foundations. Then it happens. As our
guide Nadine Bailey relates strange
occurrences attributed to the victim’s
restless ghost, the silhouette of a man
appears in a window high above and leans
out on the ledge, as if listening.
Seconds later, when I glance up again,
he’s gone..."
Discovering the
horror-related attractions of Edmonton,
Canada.
|
|
Raising the Bar
The Sun-Herald, 6 April 2014
"Guitarist Christian Aubin suddenly appears
onstage. He's a confident, energetic presence, and
we lean forward for his first number. It's Cat
Stevens' Wild World. Sung in English. Quelle
surprise. With Cat disposed of, however,
Aubin belts out a Quebecois favourite, then
alternates between French and English-language
songs for the rest of the evening. This is good
fun, and one of the great Quebec City
experiences..."
Visiting a popular chanson bar in
Quebec City, Canada.
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|
Leaving
Las Vegas
www.lonelyplanet.com, 28 February 2014
"There comes a time when the party has to stop.
When your gambling fund is extinguished, the
endless neon signage looks garish, and the
theme-park facades seem tacky. Then it’s time for
a traveller to do what a traveller’s gotta do –
get out of town and explore Nevada. Rural Nevada
is a fascinating patchwork of desert landscapes,
mysterious government installations and small
towns with loads of Western character..."
Outlining a three-day driving holiday
in rural Nevada, also taking in Death
Valley.
Not
available for republication.
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full article here] |
|
Halifax
Explodes
The Sunday Age, 23 February 2014
"Five years after the Titanic sinking, Halifax was
struck by another massive disaster, which the
world has largely forgotten. On the morning of
December 6, 1917, at the narrowest point of
Halifax's harbour, a Norwegian supply ship struck
an explosives-packed French munitions ship on its
way to war-torn Europe, setting it on fire. The
resulting explosion was the largest man-made
detonation in history before the atomic bomb..."
Investigating the dramatic maritime
history of Halifax, Canada.
Available
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available.
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full article here] |
|
Yesterday's
Stars
The Sunday Age, 2 February 2014
"Above me are glittering chandeliers, heavy red
curtains, painted columns, delicately curved iron
lace and moulded plasterwork. It looks like one of
Europe's over-the-top baroque palaces. But it's an
old cinema, in downtown Los Angeles. "It's like it
was modelled on the Palace of Versailles," I
murmur, craning my head to take it all in. Later,
I find out it was. The Los Angeles Theatre was
completed in 1931, hosting the premiere of Charlie
Chaplin's latest flick, City Lights..."
Strolling past the beautiful facades of
early cinemas on Broadway, Los Angeles, USA.
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available.
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|
LA Confidential
Issimo Magazine,
22
December 2013
"I’ve
only just arrived in Culver City, a
suburb wedged between Downtown and the
Pacific coast, and I can already see
it’s utterly unlike the LA stereotype.
Ever since the city lost its railways
and tramways in the postwar era, trading
them for freeways and suburban sprawl,
the car has been king. But in 2012
Culver City was reached by the Expo
Line, a light rail route. As a result, a
whole new district is available for
visitors to explore by rail and on
foot..."
Profiling the
attractions of the Culver City neighbourhood
of Los Angeles, USA.
|
|
How to Survive North
America's Coffee
Fairfax
Traveller, 27 November 2013
"They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
What should have stayed in the US resort city
after my recent visit there was this terrible
truth: I regularly drank coffee at Starbucks.
However, as Aussie travellers will know, sometimes
in North America a Starbucks outlet is the best
place you can find at short notice. I was
desperate for a long black, not a big weak watery
Americano. So I decided to see if I could create
one..."
Examining the world of coffee in the
USA and Canada, with advice from baristas.
Available
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available.
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|
Saucy Adventure
The Sunday Age, 3 November 2013
"It's not often that serendipity has changed the
course of history. There was the dropping apple
that inspired Newton's theory of gravity, the
accidentally mouldy dish that led Fleming to
discover penicillin, and the happy accident that
led to the 1908 creation of the French Dipped
Sandwich in a Los Angeles diner. 'Philippe Mathieu
was making a roast beef sandwich for a policeman
and accidentally dropped the roll into a roasting
pan,' explains Mark Massengill..."
Investigating the origin of the French
Dipped Sandwich at rival outlets in Los
Angeles, USA.
Available
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available.
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|
Drumming
to a Common Beat
The Age, 26 October 2013
"By the time I arrive it's a big, noisy gathering.
In the centre of the beats, by the statue, is a
melange of vigorous drummers. A central cluster is
playing in time with each other, while a few
individuals further out bang on smaller hand-held
drums or, in the case of one middle-aged woman, an
empty coffee can. But there's more to Tam Tam than
the drumming. The event spreads out in layers of
activity, a huge hive intelligence moving lazily
in time to the beat..."
Soaking up the vibe of Tam Tam drums
and Piknic electronic music in Montreal,
Canada.
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available.
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|
Viva
La Revelation
The Age, 14 September 2013
"On October 9, 1932, in front of a crowd of
celebrities, artists and reporters, América
Tropical was unveiled. As expected, it
featured the ruins of an Aztec temple, set
prominently against a lush jungle background. But
in the centre of the composition was the crucified
body of an indigenous Mexican, head lolling
lifelessly to one side. Above the body perched an
American eagle, its wings spread triumphantly..."
Visiting the once controversial América
Tropical mural
in Los Angeles,
USA.
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available.
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|
Illuminating
Signs of the Times
The Age, 27 July 2013
"Suddenly, there's the red-orange 1958 sign from
the Stardust, towering above us in its
retro-futuristic font, its thousands of lightbulb
sockets now mostly empty. For decades, this sign
was an icon of Vegas, its lettering contained
within a neon 'cloud' simulating stars and
planets. Conceived in a time of boundless
prosperity, the Stardust was the epitome of
space-age optimism in a city from which
above-ground nuclear test explosions could be
sighted in the 1950s..."
Exploring the spectacular contents of
the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, USA.
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available.
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|
Mouthwatering
Montréal: A Food-lover’s Neighbourhood
Guide
www.lonelyplanet.com, 17 June 2013
"What is it that makes Montréal such a fascinating
city for travellers? At first glance, it doesn’t
have the iconic attractions that sum up a city –
to love this city, you need to explore its diverse
neighbourhoods. The Downtown area is filled with
upmarket shopping malls and modern glass and steel
buildings. Not far away, on the St Lawrence River,
you’ll find the strikingly different Old Montréal
district. With its narrow streets, old low-rise
buildings and flowerboxes on windowsills, this
could be anywhere in Europe..."
Surveying the vibrant food districts of
Montréal,
Canada.
Not
available for republication.
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full article here] |
|
A World Full of
Cheap Thrills
The Age
& Sydney Morning Herald,
16 March
2013
"To be an Australian traveller is to be obsessed
by currency exchange rates, and certain cities
have a reputation among Aussies for their
crippling expense. But with the Aussie dollar's
dramatic rise, things must have changed. To test
this theory, I visited Lonely Planet's Melbourne
HQ to thumb through guidebooks used by travellers
ten years ago, comparing prices while factoring in
inflation. What I found should put a smile on
every Australian traveller's face..."
Exploring the effect of the Australian
dollar's rise on attractions in London, New
York, Tokyo and Reykjavik.
Available
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available.
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|
Cirque du Wheels
The Sun-Herald, 17 February 2013
"On my left are lofty mountains, covered with
greenery and occasionally interrupted by villages.
On the right is the vast blue-grey St Lawrence
Seaway, its distant opposite shore barely visible
through the morning mist. Directly opposite me,
across a table, is Pierre, an avionics engineer
from Montreal. Pierre and I get on like a maison
en feu (that'd be a house on fire), politely
offering each other dibs on the last muffin while
chatting about the difficulty of taking photos
through the carriage windows..."
Taking a luxury train journey into the
Charlevoix region of Quebec, Canada.
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|
World's Most
Expensive Cities Not So Bad
Fairfax
Traveller, 7 February 2013
"They were bitter, strong, smooth… and extremely
expensive at £18.50 each. In 2008, with the
Australian dollar buying 48 pence, that worked out
to $38.50 per cocktail. Ouch. I consoled myself
that I was doing much better than I would have
five years earlier when the dollar had been buying
only 35p; at that rate, each Vesper would have
cost $52.85. At the other extreme is the exchange
rate of today, currently hovering around 66p.
Assuming the cocktail cost the same in pounds,
that Vesper would now go for $28..."
Examining how the Australian dollar's
rise has made travel cheaper than ten years
ago in London, New York, Tokyo and
Reykjavik.
Available
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Images
available.
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full article here] |
|
Dining on the Edge
The Sunday Age, 20 January 2013
"I'm standing inside Jef Poissonnerie, talking to
owner Jean-Francois (Jeff) Mondou. His poissonnerie,
or fish shop, is a slick modern space with stools
made from tree trunks, and long glass cases of
seafood on ice. It's a symbol of the resurgence of
St Roch, located on the flat area beneath the
ever-popular Old Quebec, with its historic narrow
streets and 18th-century walls. St Roch, by
comparison, was, until recently, the dodgy part of
town..."
Tasting the foodie delights of the
district of St Roch in Quebec City, Canada.
Available
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available.
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|
A Theatrical Journey into
Canada’s Charlevoix
BBC Travel, 19 November 2012
"The Charlevoix Railway carried passengers until
1959. Fifty years later, Gauthier wanted to give
something back to the region that had kick-started
his success, and upgraded the line to make it
viable for a luxury train, hoping to encourage
travellers to visit the Charlevoix from Québec
City. Two versions of the Le Massif train leave
each morning from a suitably dramatic locale, the
spectacular Montmorency Falls..."
Catching the Le Massif gourmet train
into the Charlevoix region of Quebec,
Canada.
Not
available for republication.
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full article here] |
|
Oddest Food Museums
Lonely Planet's
Best in Travel 2013, October 2012
List of distinctive food museums in locales across
the world (including three in the USA, two in
Germany, two in Japan, one in Hungary, one in
Belgium, and one in South Korea).
This book can be purchased online from Amazon.com.
|
|
Canadian Cool
The Sunday Age, 13 May 2012
"I wish I had a Canadian
dollar for every time someone has told
me that Toronto reminds them of
Melbourne. Looking out the window I can
see a long straight street full of
scuffed two-storey shopfronts with
enticing displays, and trams trundling
down the middle every few minutes. It
doesn’t take much imagination for 'West
Queen West' to remind me of Brunswick
Street, Fitzroy..."
Exploring the cool shops and cafes of
Queen Street West, Toronto, Canada.
Available for republication
(print only).
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available.
[Read the
full article here]
|
|
World's Most Liveable City or
City of Sin?
Fairfax Traveller, 21 February 2012
"As we
walk, Jessica talks about 'Gassy Jack'
(John Deighton), the unofficial founder
of the township which became the nucleus
of Vancouver. Jack opened a saloon here
in 1867, to serve nearby loggers and
sawmill workers. In typically flamboyant
fashion, he persuaded the sawmill
workers to build his bar for free, in
exchange for as much whisky as they
could down in a single sitting..."
Discovering the sins
and shames of the past in Vancouver, Canada.
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available.
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|
The Cat's Meow
The Sunday Age, 11 December 2011
"Leaning
across the railings, I can see a long,
low wooden structure shaped like a
miniature house, with a pitched roof and
a timber deck. It’s all charmingly
amateur in appearance, a pleasing
contrast to the austere and ornate
parliamentary buildings. I discover
later that it’s no coincidence that the
cats set up home here; until the 1950s
the Parliament kept a group of cats in
residence to combat rodents within the
buildings..."
Visiting an
unconventional cat sanctuary in Ottawa,
Canada.
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A Moving Experience
Medical Observer, 23
September 2011
"As we approach the
Rocky Mountains the landscape grows ever
more impressive, high and craggy with
snow-capped peaks, until we stop for 90
minutes at Jasper. The mountain town is an
attractive blend of both natural and
human-made attractions, as all the notable
civic buildings around the station have
been built in a harmonious style involving
stone, timber frames and steep pitched
roofs..."
Taking an epic train
journey between Vancouver and Toronto,
Canada.
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|
Fangtastic! The World’s Best
Vampire-spotting Locations
www.lonelyplanet.com, 9 August 2011
Revealing several ways of encountering
vampires in places around the globe
(including locations in Romania, the UK,
France, the USA, Costa Rica and Indonesia).
Not available for
republication.
[Read
the
full article
here] |
|
What Lies Beneath
The Sunday Age, 22 May 2011
"When
the architects of Montreal’s underground
shopping mall beneath Place Ville-Marie
drew up their plans in 1962, they had
little idea what they’d started. As
newer malls and office buildings were
constructed, they were all linked
together. Thus the Underground City was
born. RÉSO, a play on the French word
for network, réseau, is
now the largest underground complex in
the world..."
Exploring the maze of
subterranean passages beneath Montreal,
Canada.
Available for republication (print only).
Images
available. |
|
Montreal - with a Twist
NineMSN Travel, May 2011
"'What’s
funny about the cabaret now is that more
straight people than gay people come to
see our shows. We have boys, girls,
groups doing their bachelor parties and
birthdays, straight couples coming to
see the drag queens, it’s so amaaazing!'
It’s easy to be swept up in the
enthusiasm of Mado Lamotte, drag queen
extraordinaire, as she sits in front of
her dressing room mirror in a
leopard-print dressing gown and prepares
for an evening on stage..."
Uncovering the coolest and quirkiest attractions of
Montreal, Canada.
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24 Hours in Bismarck
The Age, 19 March 2011
"Take
in some country air at Papa's Pumpkin
Patch. Dotted around this site in autumn
are bright orange pumpkins and
attractions with a farm motif - but you
can't beat the trebuchet for sheer crazy
fun. This miniature catapult launches
pumpkins high into the air at a target a
few hundred metres away...'"
Exploring the
attractions of Bismarck, North Dakota, USA
in a day.
Available for republication (print only).
Images
available.
[Read the
full article here] |
|
Best Vampire Spotting Locales
&
Top Ten Historical Re-enactments
Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2011, November 2010
Two
lists of distinctive travel experiences in
locales across the world (including five in
the USA, one in Costa Rica, and one in
Peru).
This
book can be purchased online from Amazon.com.
Not
available for republication.
|
|
Curiouser and Curiouser
The Sunday Age, 3 October 2010
"'In
like Flynn!' It's an expression that
beautifully sums up Errol Flynn's
attitude to life. Not only did the
Tasmanian-born actor become one of
Hollywood's leading men in a series of
action movies in the 1930s, but he also
lived the rollicking life of a bad boy
star.Then he ended up dead on a slab in
Vancouver. I know this because I’m
standing in the former autopsy room..."
Detailing seven odd
but fascinating attractions in Vancouver,
Canada.
Available for republication (print only).
Images
available. |
|
New Slant on Native American
Way of Life
Escape,
11 April 2010
(News
Ltd's Sunday travel section)
"Guide Dakota
Goodhouse speaks in Mandan, the language
of the tribe which once inhabited the
village, thanking us for spending time in
this place. Then he switches to his native
Sioux tongue. He explains that the Sioux
message was much the same as the Mandan,
except he'd also expressed thanks for
spending time with him 'in the home of the
enemy'. But he says it with a smile and a
twinkle of the eye."
Covering the Native
American cultural highlights of North
Dakota, USA.
Available
for republication (print and Web).
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available.
[Read
the
full article
here]
|
|
At Peaks of Perfection
The
Daily Telegraph, 1 April 2010
"Everything about Montana is
big... and up the top of its “big” list
are the glaciers and peaks of Glacier
National Park, a spectacular spread of
craggy mountains, glacial lakes and huge
chunks of ancient ice. 'It’s incredible to
first timers,' says our driver and tour
guide Jana Grindheim. 'People don’t know
about Glacier, it’s not as famous as
Yellowstone. But it’s like nothing they’ve
ever seen, and they’re just amazed at the
mountains.'"
Touring the
magnificent Glacier National Park in
Montana, USA.
This
article also appeared in:
- The Courier-Mail (3
April 2010)
- The Herald Sun (16
April 2010)
Available
for republication (print and Web).
Images
available.
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Driving
with Dinosaurs
The Sunday Age, 7 March 2010
"Michele
Fromdahl works with a tyrannosaurus rex.
She’s cool with that, but some of her
visitors aren’t. The gigantic model of
the fearsome prehistoric creature is the
first thing you see as you step through
the door of the Fort Peck Interpretive
Centre, lunging towards you with its
jaws open for the kill."
Traversing the
dinosaur trail across Montana, USA.
Available for republication (print only).
Images
available. |
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The
Full Montana
The Sunday Age, 10 January 2010
"'We've
got some live ones on this flight. What
are you, British?' When it comes to the
sprawling American state of Montana, the
fun starts on the flight in. There’s not
much space in our snug 50-seater from
Denver to Missoula, so the sassy blonde
flight attendant is a disciplinarian by
necessity. However, the request for tea
has thrown her routine into a loop.But
you don’t visit Montana for the tea... "
Describing ten
essential attractions of Montana, USA,
including glaciers and beer.
Available for republication (print only).
Images
available. |
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American
Pie
The Age, 1 January 2010
"To
visit America for the first time is to
encounter the strangely familiar. Like
every Australian, I’ve spent a lifetime
immersed in the television and film
output of the USA, absorbing the nuances
of its culture. I even understand why
it’s upsetting to have been cast as
Benedict Arnold in the school play
(thanks, Brady
Bunch).
Which is why it’s mildly disconcerting
to find that America is, in fact, much
as it appears on screen."
A letter from
Bismarck, North Dakota, discussing the USA's
food culture.
Available
for republication (print only).
Images
available. |
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Bohemian Rhapsody
Medical Observer, 6
March 2009
"La Chascona is
charming and colourful, reflecting a man
with an extraordinarily creative and
active mind. That he also liked to stroll
around the house dressed as a sea captain,
or even a nun, is neither here nor there -
great men must be allowed their little
foibles. I suggest to Gonzalo that Neruda
could be regarded as eccentrico, and he
replies 'Si... or maybe loco.' But he says
it with a smile."
Outlining the
attractions of Santiago, Chile, with its
bohemian Barrio Bellavista quarter.
Available
for republication (print and Web).
Images
available.
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Ice(berg) With Your Drink,
Sir?
The Senior Traveller,
November 2008
"Salud, dinero y
amor! This is no idle toast. Without
warning, the pilot sails up to a small
iceberg, rams into its flank, and extracts
a large chunk with the aid of an ice-pick.
A few minutes later we’re milling around,
clinking glasses as we toast each other -
with 12 year old Scotch containing 50,000
year old ice. Sure, it’s a gimmick - but
what a gimmick."
A cruise through the
glaciers of Patagonia, in Chile's south.
Available
for republication (print and Web).
Images
available.
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Chilled Out
The Australian, 23
September 2006
"Sometimes, when
you’re travelling, there's a moment so
grand and inspiring that you want to crack
a joke or laugh, just to bring it down to
size and try to fit it inside your head.
This is one of those moments. The air is
freezing cold, a light rain has started
spattering our hats, and in the distance
is a massive dirty blue glacier stretching
back into the snow-capped mountains."
A cruise through
glacier territory in the Magallanes region
of Chile.
Available
for republication (print and Web).
Images
available.
|
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Eccentric Orbit*
The Age, 9 September
2006
"It may be pushing
midnight on a Tuesday, but it's all
happening at the Barrio. Barrio Bellavista
does a good line in perky black-clad
waitresses, along with energetically mad
beggars, folk who loom over your outside
table or harangue you with a smile as you
try to use a public phone. It's all part
of the local colour, and we take a
tolerant view of their unscripted
interventions."
The eclectic
highlights of Barrio Bellavista,
Santiago's bohemian nightlife district.
Available
for republication (print only).
Images
available.
*
My title
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Ice Blue Frontier
Medical Observer, 17
February 2006
"If you saw this
glacier in a movie, you'd assume it was a
special effect. Filling our field of
vision is a cathedral of ice, ranging from
pure white through blue shades to almost
indigo depths. Great vertical cracks
resemble caves, promontories look like
spires. Gigantic cracks hint from where
the next giant chunk of ice will fall, as
the glacier makes its way down from the
heights."
Account of a cruise
through the glaciers in Chile's far south.
Available
for republication (print and Web).
Images
available.
|
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From Tattoos to Tanks
Sydney Morning Herald, 1
October 2005
"One of the strangest
is the Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota.
The statistics are staggering: the museum
houses 4,752 cans of Spam from all over
the world. As visitors enter, they walk
directly beneath a towering wall of Spam
constructed from 3,390 cans. And the
museum houses a letter from President
Eisenhower, about the role the product
played during World War II."
Ranges through the
world's oddest museums, exhibiting
everything from sulphur to Spam.
Available
for republication (print only).
[Read
the
full article
here]
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