New Zealand: Taupo to Napier

With the Tongariro Crossing conquered we didn’t have much time to stick around in Taupo. Whilst it seemed like a nice chilled out town, on the northern edge of the huge Lake Taupo, we were on a whirlwind tour of New Zealand with loads more […]

Napier Octopus New Zealand Aquarium

Taupo Tongariro Alpine Scenery

New Zealand: Taupo & Tongariro

Our main aim of visiting Taupo was to do the Tongariro Crossing. It’s one of New Zealand’s most famous one day hikes and as it also takes you right past the volcano that played Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies it is […]


New Zealand: Rotorua

After our extra excursion to the Coromandel we only had a half-day to check out Rotorua. That ended up being a bit of a blessing as the first thing you will notice is that, thanks to the local geothermal springs, the whole place smells like […]

Rotorua Geothermal Area

Cathedral Cove Scenery

New Zealand: The Coromandel’s Beauty

I had kind of overlooked the Coromandel in my initial plans for New Zealand. However after asking friends for advice on places it was a name that kept cropping up so we tried to work it in. The Coromandel is a peninsula on the northern […]


New Zealand: Auckland Exploration

After a good rest we had a day to check out Auckland and sort out some more logistical stuff for the next few destinations (bus passes, car rental, accommodation etc). A quick web-search of what was going revealed a sand sculpture festival in the beachy […]

Auckland Better Burger

Hobbiton Bilbo's Home

New Zealand: Waitomo and Hobbiton

We had to figure out a way of getting from Auckland to one of our next stops further south, but ideally with seeing some sights inbetween. Luckily a sister company of the Intercity coaches called Great Sights offered a tour which left Auckland, went to […]


New Zealand: Auckland Arrival

After three and a half months in Asia with 7 countries visited, it was time to switch things up. We waved goodbye to craziness and confusion and boarded a plane to New Zealand. We had three weeks to see as much as possible in New […]

Auckland Skyline

Bali Nusa Pedina Coral

Indonesia: Diving Manta Point, Nusa Pedina

One thing I did manage whilst in Kuta was to fulfil some more of my diving obsession. I had heard that Nusa Lembongan, just off the eastern coast of Bali, was one of the best places in the world to see manta rays – specifically […]


Indonesia: Kuta & South Bali

We concluded our mini tour of Bali in the South. The area that extends from the Airport through Kuta, Legian and Seminyak is a large urban sprawl hugging the coastline of one of Bali’s largest and longest beaches. Airport proximity combined with the beach has […]

Kuta Beach Boat Sunset

Bali Ubud Scenery

Indonesia: Ubud Art & Culture

For our second and final day in Ubud we decided to have a walk out in the countryside. I had read of a short looping walk you could do which took you back into town past the Museum of Indonesian Art, which we wanted to […]