Exceeding expectations at Colca Canyon
Just a few hours out of the quaint town of Arequipa, after seeing the not-so-nice edges of town you can head out to see the world’s deepest canyon: Colca Canyon. Given my knee… Continue reading
Category Archive: Travel
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Arequipa and the Monasterio of Santa Catalina
Amongst the white washed old buildings of Arequipa lies a nice Cathedral and a beautiful church, but the highlight attraction is the monastery of Santa Catalina. This was one of those moments where… Continue reading
Bolivia, diverse and surprising at every corner
As I left Argentina/Chile a few weeks ago I was a bit down in the dumps for various reasons. I was determined to cheer up and appreciate what was ahead of me. Leaving… Continue reading
Lake Titicaca, Isla del Sol and the Floating Islands
Altitude increase again, heavy breathing and I was standing on my balcony (of my hostel room) staring out at the blue waters of Lake Titicaca from Copacabana in Bolivia. A truly stunning spot.… Continue reading
The Pampas, Amazon region in Bolivia
The rain started and didn’t finish for over 12 hours. Torrential downpour is an understatement. Trugging out in the mud and rain from my hostel, I walked to the office where the adventure… Continue reading
Salar de Uyuni
After spending the night in a salt hotel, freezing after a luke warm shower and hearing rain pounding down, we weren’t sure if we would be able to get to Salar de Uyuni… Continue reading
Roughing it in Bolivia
Colourful mountains from Chile. Colourful lagunas. Pink and white Flamingos. A bit of altitude sickness. All part of the 3-day adventure from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile to Salar de Uyuni in… Continue reading
Farewell Argentina, how you have changed me
After almost a month and a half in Argentina (and 3 months into my entire trip) I bid farewell to the lovely diverse country and will be heading north into Bolivia. It’s interesting how travel changes… Continue reading
Rocking it up in the last of Argentina
Okay so that sounds more exciting than it actually was… to be honest Salta was a mix of tiredness and frustration where things continued to build and go wrong. However, I did have… Continue reading
Wining and dining in Mendoza, Argentina
3 hours. Yes 3 hours. 3 freaking hours at the border crossing from Chile to Mendoza in Argentina. Welcome to summer! Trust me to cross borders a few days after New Years. It… Continue reading
Daytrip to Valparaiso
Colour. UNESCO. Views of the ocean. Culture and art. What more could you want from a city? Taking a bus from Santiago (just under 2 hours each way) I ventured out to the… Continue reading
Ringing in the New Year in Santiago
Fireworks were lighting up the sky in typical New Year fashion for a good 20 minutes in Santiago, Chile. Yet it was a quiet one this year. A few beers and champagne on… Continue reading
Christmas in Bariloche
Christmas can be a lonely time for the solo traveller. This year I opted to choose a nice hostel (Penthouse 1004) and participated in the shared Christmas Eve dinner that they organised. So… Continue reading
Hiking in El Chalten
Having been in Buenos Aires for what felt like far too long, I was excited to come to Patagonia and get some hiking in the fresh outdoors. I’d had the chance to spot… Continue reading
The travel and adventure year ahead
As you may realise, I’m on an eight month stint of travel around Africa, South America, Central America and even a brief visit to North America. As we begin the new year I… Continue reading
A day in Chile at Torres del Paine
Five layers were never enough. Ten minutes outside was too long. It was safe to say Torres del Paine was freezing. I gave away the dream of doing the W Trek in Torres… Continue reading
Merry Christmas to all!
Here I am, spending Christmas all alone this year in a new town in a new country on a new continent that I’ve never visited before December. I’m travelling solo until June next… Continue reading
Hitting the ice at Perito Moreno Glacier
First you hear cracking. Then you hear a shudder. Then you hear crashing. That’s ice falling from Perito Moreno Glacier. Taking the afternoon bus from El Calafate in Patagonia, Argentina, my newfound friend… Continue reading
Whales, seals, penguins, all in a day at Peninsula Valdes
Just a few minutes out from shore and we’re surrounded. All around us are families of Southern Right Whales. From babies (that are still massive) to super long mothers. These whales bob up… Continue reading
Colour, culture, taste and life in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Argentina is Passion. Colour. Food. Coffee (Cafe). Style. After about a week I’ve seen many sides to Buenos Aires in Argentina. It’s not what I expected, but its still a vibrant and interesting… Continue reading
Being awestruck at Iguazu Falls in Brazil and Argentina
Stepping foot onto the first viewing platform in Brazil after a long (slightly torturous) nightbus experience, I couldn’t help but open my jaw in awe at the sheer size and volume of Iguazu Falls.… Continue reading
Day Trips from Cape Town, South Africa
Wine, incredible landscapes, chocolate, boutique shops. Penguins, lighthouses, mountains. All the incredible sights I saw during a few days trips out from Cape Town. Visiting the wineries of Franschhoek and Stellenbosch South Africa, like New… Continue reading
Sights of Cape Town
After almost 6 weeks travelling around Africa I had just under a week in Cape Town, staying in an apartment with friends for a few days and then a hostel for a few.… Continue reading
Victoria Falls to Cape Town Tour: The End
It seems fitting that after such a variety of landscapes that our tour ended in an incredible spot in South Africa called Highlanders – a camp ground surrounded by vineyards in South Africa. I… Continue reading
Fish River Canyon, one of the biggest in the world
‘Coffee, Tea & Kudu Pies’ a sign says as we pass Fish River – more of a pond under the bridge rather than a river. Despite trying Kudu, Oryx and Springbok steaks I… Continue reading
Happy Birthday to me: Visiting the famous Sand Dunes of Namibia
5am. I’m hiking up Dune 45, 100 metres up a thin ridge of a massive sand dune. Terrified I manage to pass the sitting people to find a spot to see the sunrise.… Continue reading
Sandboarding in Swakopmond
In the centre of Namibia lies a colonial German town that has moved to the modern age in recent years and is now a tourist hub. It still has German road names and… Continue reading
In Namibia, but somewhat transported out of this world in Spitzkoppe
Wandering through the desert I was once again in a completely different landscape at Spitzkoppe. Greeted by a friendly meerkat we gazed on towards the area known as the ‘Matterhorn of Namibia’. The… Continue reading
The Cape Fur Seals of Cape Cross
The moment you hit the Skeleton Coast (part of the Atlantic coast down from Angola) you feel the change in temperature. I’m talking about going from wearing shorts and a sleeveless top and feeling hot,… Continue reading
Etosha National Park, wildlife galore
Elephants bathing in the waterhole, surrounded by giraffes, oryx, kudu and impala. This is Africa. Moreso, this is Etosha National Park, filled with wildlife around waterholes and hiding away in the desert planes.… Continue reading
Meeting the San Bushmen of Namibia
Crossing over the border to Namibia the next activity was going to meet the San Bushmen. A group of people living in the desert who showed us their traditional ways of life. Making… Continue reading
Scenic flight over the Okavango Delta
Elephants, water buffalo, hippos, giraffes galore – some people even saw lions! This was the subject matter for our scenic flight over the Okavango Delta – a river and lagoons that runs from… Continue reading
Going bush in the Okavango Delta of Botswana
Loading ourselves into a dugout canoe, known as a ‘mokoro’ (or makoro) we set out for a 1-2 hour canoe trip to our bush camp. Bush camp meant a hole in the ground… Continue reading
Camping and Game Drives in Chobe National Park, Botswana
After a few days of relaxation in Zimbabwe and some much needed pool time after volunteering for two weeks, came Botswana. The border crossing took a long time because of 3/4 of our… Continue reading
Touching down in Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls
The moment you step foot into the town of Victoria Falls you can hear the gushing sound of the falls and the mist rising up at the edge of the town on the… Continue reading
And so the adventure begins…
With any of my big trips the start to this one wasn’t going to be smooth. I should have expected that by now. I’ve ended up in a Thai hospital 2-3 days after… Continue reading
10 Things I will miss about the UK
Here it goes… in just a few days and I’ll be on a plane to Namibia to volunteer in a wildlife sanctuary to kick off my 8 months of travelling. It seems fitting to… Continue reading
Planning the Big Travel Trip
Whether you take one month or one year off to travel the world, it can be a daunting task to organise. I thought moving to the UK was a massive task. Then I… Continue reading
Crossing the globe back to New Zealand: The travel plan
As I mentioned in last week’s post, I’m leaving the UK to travel the world back to my home country of New Zealand. What lies ahead of me for the next 8 months is… Continue reading
Making the decision to leave the UK
Making the decision to leave the UK is probably the hardest decision I’ve had to make so far in my life. I’ve lived here for almost 5 years and as my visa comes… Continue reading
Meeting nature at the London Wetland Centre
A day out with a bunch of bloggers, a free play with the new Samsung Galaxy S5 phone, a fantastic informative tour around a stunning nature reserve and a scrumptious lunch to boot!… Continue reading
Room with a view
Nature, sunrises, sunsets, ocean… these are all the things we look for in a view when we travel. Sad thing is I usually don’t have a decent view. I travel cheap and far,… Continue reading
Photography Friday: O is for ‘O.E’!
This is a bit of a special Photo Friday. I decided since I’m up to the letter O in the alphabet I would celebrate with highlights of my ‘Overseas Experience’ (aka O.E) from the… Continue reading
Top 10 London Staycation Ideas
Stuck at home in London while everyone around you is jetting off around the world on summer holidays? Sound familiar? For the first time in the last 5 years, this is me. No… Continue reading
Bookbenches for Books About Town
Colourful art amongst the city of London, for all to enjoy! Having recently written an article for the New Zealand Times about Mandii Pope, a brilliant Kiwi artist, I decided to venture out… Continue reading
Newly designed site with new photography galleries
Time for a change. A responsive change. Time to make the galleries have bigger better photographs. Time to re-design and re-develop designack.com! Over the last few months I’ve been pretty busy, not only… Continue reading
Photography Friday: K is for ‘Kenya’
“Africa is not a country, but it is a continent like none other. It has that which is elegantly vast or awfully little” ~ L Douglas Wilder Kenya holds an incredibly special place… Continue reading
Favourite travel photos
As part of this month’s link up with a few other brilliant bloggers, it was put to us to choose our favourite travel photo. This was by no means an easy one for… Continue reading
10 ways to explain what travelling really is. Not a holiday.
‘You’re always on holiday’ “I go travelling not on holiday” ‘Isn’t it the same?’ No. Oxforddictionaries.com describes travel as ‘Make a journey, typically of some length’ whereas holiday is explained as ‘An extended… Continue reading
Travel Inspiration
Inspiration is all around and I for one am never at a loss for options of where I want to travel next. The tricky part is usually deciding between many top destinations. Years… Continue reading
Photography Friday: F is for ‘France’
This Photography Friday brings us to the stylish country of France. It is a country I would like to see a lot more of because it is so vast and unique from place… Continue reading
Getting cultured in Shakespeare’s hometown: Stratford upon Avon
Wandering through the house he was brought up in, hearing the stories from the guides inside, seeing the small four post beds, the nooks and crannies – it’s hard not to be astounded… Continue reading
A Fish out of Water: My first ever international travels
It’s 4am. The fire alarm had been set off. My roommate and I haven’t slept a wink from all the banging and crashing. Now we’re faced with some German-speaking police and firemen at… Continue reading
Becoming an Afternoon Tea addict
Checklist for Afternoon Tea: 1. Clotted Cream with scones 2. Continuous tea and milk, extra points for array of teas 3. Fresh sandwiches 4. Interesting sweets 5. Relaxed and beautiful surroundings 6. Good… Continue reading
Travelling around Russia
Expectations are a tricky thing, even when it’s not a physical thing you expect to see on your travels. I’ve learnt to try not have expectations as it puts a dampener on how… Continue reading
Photography Friday: A is for ‘Austria’
In an effort to start showing you some photographs from various times in my travels since 2008, I thought I would start with the alphabet! Some letters are bound to be tricky, but we’ll… Continue reading
A Surprising Destination: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Having travelled throughout Europe for the best part of the last four years (add another 6 months if you want to include my ‘studying’ in Austria), I started to feel like I needed… Continue reading
The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood, Saint Petersburg
Think gingerbread house at Christmas time all painted up and ready to eat… sorry but you may be fooled, this is the incredible Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood in Russia! For ‘Photography… Continue reading
5 travelling Kiwis and 5 of their favourite places to travel to
5 Kiwis walk into a blog post, there’s the one with love of exotic Morocco, the one who loves the sunshine of Portugal, the one that’s not sure the cause of her love for Japan,… Continue reading
Celebrating Kiwifootprints turning one!
Seems a bit sad saying happy birthday to your own travel blog, but this month has been a very exciting month on kiwifootprints and today is a moment to celebrate how far my… Continue reading
Expat living from a Kiwi in London
Exceedingly amazing travel experiences. Europe, Africa, America and Asia just to begin with. Being an Expat has allowed me so many incredible moments in my life. Could it be for you? As part… Continue reading
Solo travel, the good and the bad
Freedom, independence, adventure, excitement, these are all incredible qualities of solo travel. Solo travel can be awesome. It can also be some of the lowest moments of your life. Many people rave about… Continue reading
‘Pinch me’ moments to last a lifetime
Imagine this: you’re sitting on some stairs in the center of Prague’s town square. It’s St. Patrick’s Day 2008 and dusk has just kicked in. You are surrounded by Easter market stalls, brightly… Continue reading
The Homeland
Sunshine, warmth, pristine beaches, Pohutukawa trees, walks along white sandy shores, fish n’ chips wrapped in newspaper… these are things I remember from home, the land of the long white cloud, Aotearoa. As a… Continue reading
Adventure sports: some of the best moments while travelling
Jumping from planes, running off cliffs, falling off bridges, pounding through rapids. Some of the most thrilling moments and scariest to make you know you’re alive and kicking. ‘This might be your only… Continue reading
Most memorable night’s sleep while travelling
Bang! Bang! That’s the taxi driver thumping on the window as I wake up inside, stranded on a back road in Nairobi. Brushing the sleep from my eyes I see the road covered… Continue reading
A soggy (yet beautiful) visit to the Lake District
Can you say wet? Floods? Rain? A bit more rain? Rainwater is what most of the UK had the pleasure of experiencing over the recent Christmas/New Year period. However, at least I was… Continue reading
Feeling at Home / Thoughts of Home
If anyone had told me how hard it is to leave everything back in New Zealand and come to a new country with no friends, family, job or accommodation I probably wouldn’t have… Continue reading
A reflection of Christmas
London puts on quite a bit of glitz and glam for Christmas. From the Christmas Lights of Regent Street, Oxford Street and Carnaby Street to the details in places like the Ritz. With… Continue reading
2013 and 2014: What’s been and what’s to come
Every blogger does a year review right? Well I may as well join in and remind you all of my year. It’s definitely been a year of ups and downs, but definitely one… Continue reading