Exploring NZ bush – how to cultivate a spirit of adventure
A story about how I learned to be open to adventure. I grew up in the Waitakere ranges west of Auckland. Whenever I am home to visit my family, my father and I head out into the bush for a mini adventure. This time, he was keen to show me a track he had made, he does a lot of off track hiking (read wandering around aimlessly in the bush). The challenge of course is establishing a track well enough that you can find it again but not so well that other people will stumble acros
How to get cheap flights between New Zealand & Australia
Learn how to get the cheapest flights between New Zealand and Australia with these simple steps. There are a lot of expats who fly back and forth between New Zealand and Australia several times a year. So I thought I would do a post on how to get cheap flights for this route. You don’t have a lot of choices of airline on this route, which is disappointing as it tends to keep prices and quality at status quo (see my post on how we need to complain when we get bad service, or t
The gift of pancakes – how I make friends while travelling
A story about Couchsurfing, friendship and the important in being generous and open when exploring a new culture. I make a lot of pancakes when I travel, they are my go to “thank you for having me” treat and you can create them in ten minutes out of as little as flour and water if need be. When I first started travelling, eating out and trying all the local cuisines was an amazing treat. Six months on, I just wanted what I wanted, when I wanted it. A bit of culinary homesickn
Quiz - Is Solo Travel Right For You?
Take this easy quiz to decide if solo travel is something that will work for you. Personally, I love both solo travel and travelling with companions, though each has its pros and cons. I also believe that travelling solo is an experience that truly helps you grow as a person and become more comfortable in your own skin. However, some people are going to find the experience more enjoyable than others! What is right for you depends on your personality and travel style. Solo tra
5 ways to avoid expensive phone roaming charges when travelling
Learn 5 ways you can beat those roaming charges and not be met by a huge bill when you return from international travel. An unexpected phone bill is the last thing you need when returning from overseas! Even if you are using your phone sparingly, unless you have turned off all the automatic updates you could still be looking at hundreds of dollars of bills for a phone you never called out on. To avoid all this simply be prepared, contact your carrier and ask them what their r
{"items":["5fdaa317dbd75f001713b764","5fdaa317dbd75f001713b765","5fdaa317dbd75f001713b768","5fdaa317dbd75f001713b762","5fdaa317dbd75f001713b767"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1.3333333333333333,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":30,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":32,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"rotatingScatter":"","chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":1,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":1,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":true,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_THE_RIGHT","galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":0,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"jsonStyleParams":"","gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":670,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_5","value":"rgba(237,28,36,1)"},"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":2,"targetItemSize":670,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0.5},"container":{"width":670,"galleryWidth":702,"galleryHeight":0,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}