Far Away

Dark skies and brilliant days at Ningaloo

Paddling along the remote Ningaloo Reef coastline. Picture: Sea Kayak Jervis Bay

This story is from a little while ago and talks about the 2021 complete solar eclipse that lured people from all over the world to Ningaloo Reef. While “dark sky tourism” is becoming a big thing, this is worth a read for any other unfit scaredy cats like me who might be considering taking a paddling tour of the world famous region. My trip was organised by Sea Kayak Jervis Bay all the way over on the east coast in my part of the world.

Walking on Namatjira country

I joined a three day walking tour in Central Australia’s famous Larapinta trail, where I wrote about being immersed in the beautiful landscape made familiar to us all by the paintings of Albert Namatjira.

Following Amalfi’s path of the Gods

One of the most beautiful day walks I’ve been on is The Path of the Gods high above Positano on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Writing this story also gave me an excuse to find out more about the popular local drink of this area, Limoncello. Of course, quite a bit of tasting was necessary for research purposes. Read more here.

The wild beauty of Ireland’s Aran Islands

Ireland is a country I have visted twice so far, and a place where I feel immediatly at home. There is so much to experience in Ireland and the people’s warmth and kindness is what really makes this destination so special. I wrote this story after spending an Easter weekend on the wild and beautiful Aran Islands.

A quieter corner of the Greek Islands

The stunning beach of Monodendri on the Island of Paxos.

Choosing a Greek Island stopover from the hundreds available (talk about first world problems!) wasn’t exactly a chore. A desire to avoid the party islands and to try somewhere a litte out of the way landed me on Paxos, a boat ride away from Corfu. Populated with three villages, all that was left to do was to walk through olive groves, eat fresh seafood and watch fireflies sparkle in the night. Read about it here.

Sardinia glitters with colours of the jewels

Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy, is one of the world’s “blue zones” where people live much longer than the world average. During a week long off-season visit, I managed to complete some amazing walks, visit the famous Grotta del Bue Marino, and eat my own bodyweight in fresh seafood. The siesta tradition is alive and well on Sardinia which could also account for the health of the locals. Read more here.

The music and tradition of Ireland’s west

A traditional music session in progress at Gus O’Connor’s bar in Doolin, County Clare.

One of the greatest pleasures of visiting Ireland is to grab a Guiness or two while enjoying a live music session at the local pub. The little town of Doolin in County Clare is the jumping off point for the Aran Islands and the famous Burren. Doolin has a rich tradition of music, dance and storytelling and a strong will to keep its customs alive. Read more here.