Ulva island, land of birds
Ulva island is one of New Zealand’s only open island sanctuaries. The moment you step off the boat (15min water taxi from Golden Bay in Oban) you’re greeted by birds. The songs carry… Continue reading
Tag Archive: Wildlife
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Stewart Island and the Rakiura Great Walk
Stewart island where birds roam in large flocks and bush is everywhere. We did the Rakiura Great Walk while we were there.
Wildlife adventures in the Catlins, New Zealand
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted about my travels, but my latest trip was just too good not to share. After completing the Milford Track Great Walk (hopefully if I get into the… Continue reading
The impact of travel
If it wasn’t for travel where would I be? I can’t even imagine the sort of person I’d be if I hadn’t studied in Austria, become close friends with other international students, one… Continue reading
10 Peaceful spots of New Zealand
As it gets towards the time of year that I spend time reflecting, I like to find peaceful spaces to be alone with my thoughts in. I thought I’d share some of my… Continue reading
Top 10 Travel Take Aways
And no I don’t mean fish n’ chips on the beach… though that could be a pretty tasty takeaway about now… (forgive me if food takeaways are just a Kiwi thing). This month’s… Continue reading
The Borneo Adventure Roundup
From leeches in the jungle to island delights. From rivers with monkeys to sanctuaries with orangutans and sun bears. Borneo was a mixed bag with definite highs and a few lows. It was… Continue reading
Sun Bear and Sepilok Orangutan Wildlife Sanctuaries, Borneo
WARNING: CUTE PHOTOS AHEAD! Wild and free animals (or lack of) behind me, it was onwards to cute wildlife cared for in the popular sanctuaries of Borneo. Sun Bear Conservation Centre My first… Continue reading
Kinabatangan River Wildlife Spotting, Borneo
I was excited. This was it. This was the chance to see wildlife in the wild. It was going to be great. Note: This post contains Proboscis monkeys with no shame and due… Continue reading
Making a difference while travelling
Whether it’s smiling at a stranger, helping someone with their bags, giving food to the homeless or just complimenting someone on a piece of clothing, it all goes a long way to making… Continue reading
Postcards from Moody Doubtful Sound, Fiordland
Saying farewell to the sunshine in Wanaka, I packed up the car for a few nights of camping before New Year’s Eve. The drive over the Crown Range into Queenstown always freaks me… Continue reading
Reflections of Christmas: Roadtrip to Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers
Hokitika > Franz Josef Glacier > Lake Matheson > Fox Glacier Spotting ice during a summer Christmas… sounds a little unusual right? Well last Christmas I did just that during my roadtrip in… Continue reading
Seals and Pancake Rocks: Driving the West Coast of New Zealand
Westport > Tauranga Bay > Punakaki Leaving the sandflies behind the West Coast of New Zealand just gets better and better. Westport is the first decent town you’ll hit South of Karamea, it’s… Continue reading
The REAL middle of nowhere: Oparara Arches
Day 2 Route: Picton > Westport > Karmea > Oparara Arches > Kohaihai Campsite, Kahurangi National Park Where the heck are the Oparara Arches you may ask? The Oparara Arches are nestled away… Continue reading
Journeying into the unknown
This month’s travel blog linkup is all about Journeys, somewhat appropriate for me since my entire life feels like a journey! For me a journey is discovering the unknown around the world and… Continue reading
Long Weekend Getaway: Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Countryside, wine, food and friends – what more do you need for a decent break? I recently ventured down to a new part of New Zealand that I’d never properly visited. The Hawkes… Continue reading
WARNING: Cute animals! A day at Wildlife Habitat, Port Douglas
Disclaimer: I cannot be held accountable for a few too many ‘awww’s’ or mentions of cuteness in this post. Read (and smile) at your own peril. I’m always wary about wildlife sanctuaries and… Continue reading
Kuranda: Queensland’s village in the Rainforest
Watching out the window as the forest passes me by, I notice openings of stunning scenery below as the scenic train to Kuranda climbs through the mountains to reach 327 metres above sea… Continue reading
A place called home
Home… This month I was kindly asked to be a joint host in a monthly blog linkup. The topic is oh so appropriate given I’ve just reached my 2 years back in New… Continue reading
The ultimate travel menu of locations
As part of this month’s travel blog linkup, I’m sharing my ultimate travel menu of locations. From an entrée (short haul) to a main (long haul) and a memorable desert. This menu will take… Continue reading
That place that Inspired me…
How can a travel destination be inspiring? Is it a place that changed your perspectives in life? A place that encourages you to do something more in life? Is it simply a destination… Continue reading
Hidden Gems of Travelling
It’s those places that you never considered visiting. Those spots that you stumble upon. Those aspects that etch away at your mind, heart and soul. Those places that you can never forget. Those… Continue reading
2016: The travel year that was, 2017: The travel year that will be
2016 Was a year of highs and lows, some epic lows, hence how quiet my blog has been lately. With the start of 2017 comes a time to start getting back into the… Continue reading
Wandering through Zealandia, Wellington, NZ
Just a short 10min drive from central Wellington (or with the free Zealandia shuttle) nestled amongst the bushland, is a nature sanctuary to delight any nature lover — whether you grew up in… Continue reading
#30 Top Travel Experience before I’m 30: Rediscovering New Zealand
Number 30 in my Greatest Travel Experiences before I’m 30 had to lead me back home to my homeland, New Zealand, Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. New Zealand was never high… Continue reading
Near-Perfect Travel Experiences: Travel Linkup
Well, nothing in life is ever perfect… right? At least my travels are never perfect. I think that’s what makes them some of the best stories I have to share! So this month… Continue reading
Meeting Condors in Colca Canyon, Peru – A Top Travel Experience
One of those moments. You know the moments. The ones that you pinch yourself that you can’t quite believe you’re seeing. And experiencing. This was one of those moments. I’m a world away… Continue reading
Wildlife volunteering: Top Travel Experience(s)
Getting down and dirty, deciding there’s no point in washing your shorts because you’re on enclosure cleaning yet again or it’s just so wet and humid, why bother? These are the joys of… Continue reading
Interesting ‘items’ discovered in and around travel accomodation
Sometimes I’ve been surprised to find a toilet seat on a toilet in Africa. Sometimes it’s been hot water in the depths of South America. Once or twice the surprise was a sign… Continue reading
Walking amongst chimpanzees in Uganda – A Top Travel Experience
Lush green forests. A scurry amongst the leaves. The call of the wild amongst shaking trees. These are the things that make me feel wild and free. As part of my East African… Continue reading
Delving into the Jungle and entry to the Amazon: Pampas, Bolivia – A Top Experience
It seems so long ago, yet so vivid, the memory of travelling down the Yacuma River in Bolivia after torrential rain that could have blocked my journey to the Pampas. The steaming sun… Continue reading
Unexpected Places
Consider for a moment a place you’ve never thought you’d visit. Is it dangerous? Is there some strange noises that you can’t quite comprehend? Do you find yourself holding a baby baboon in… Continue reading
A Greatest Travel Experience: Safari in Africa
Snap. Leopard darts from a tree. One of the only photographs taken of it was mine. Eyes wide open. Lion’s munching on a zebra on the side of the dirt path. They didn’t… Continue reading
A Greatest Adventure: Cruising around the Galapagos
Picture this: Waking up in the morning in a king size bed, strolling out to a balcony, gazing out over warm clear blue water, watching the odd turtle or stingray swimming by… that’s… Continue reading
A Greatest Experience: Hiking in Rwanda to see Mountain Gorillas
5 years on and the one experience that comes to mind when someone asks about my favourite trip – as hard as it is to pick just one, this one is usually the… Continue reading
10 Things I love about travel
This month’s travel linkup is all about love… here’s 10 things that I love about travel: 1. Waking up in the middle of nowhere and pinching myself that I’m actually there 2. Being surprised… Continue reading
Discovering Milford Sound: Daytrip from Queenstown
As the humpback whale sprayed and flicked its tail, I gazed around me, mountains, waterfalls, open water, birds singing and the gentle hum of the boat. I was finally here. Milford Sound. The… Continue reading
One Year. 20 Locations. A year of memories
On this day last year I left my home of almost 5 years, London, to begin a world adventure and return to my homeland of New Zealand. It’s hard to believe it’s been… Continue reading
Travel Personality – Travel Linkup
In an effort to back involved with the blogging community this month’s travel linkup topic is all about travel personalities, so here’s my take on my own travel personality. Young and nervous traveller… Continue reading
Getting back to nature at Yosemite National Park
Sun, snow, birds, deer, squirrels, elusive black beers and an abundance of pure nature, all part of Yosemite National Park in California, USA. For years I’ve wanted to go to Yosemite National Park,… Continue reading
Farewell Latin America
So there it went. The end of my time in Latin America. I started at the beginning of December 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where I quickly moved to Argentina (for my safety… Continue reading
Puerto Viejo and Cahuita National Park, Costa Rica
During my last days in Costa Rica I ventured down the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica to meet the beaches, wildlife and… the wet season. That’s right the wet season. This affected my… Continue reading
Seeking wildlife in Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
Sloths, check. Monkeys, check. Racoons, check. Iguanas, check. Birds, check. Beaches, check. After a bit of a disappointing trip to La Fortuna/Arenal (was super expensive to do tours and not much else there),… Continue reading
Monteverde and Santa Elena: Cloud Forest of Costa Rica
Green trees and birds all around, this area of Costa Rica is a great starting point for any adventure in Costa Rica. Monteverde and Santa Elena are cloud forest reserves with a town in… Continue reading
The end of my time in Ecuador
Ecuador was a tricky country for me. The moment I arrived I was surrounded by lots of green banana trees for miles. I had hope of a fantastic time in the countryside. I… Continue reading
Santa Cruz, Galapagos
More iguanas, tortoises, a pier that lights up at night, sea lions that laze about and some white sand beaches. Santa Cruz is an expensive, but nice spot to stay in the Galapagos.… Continue reading
Cruising Around the Galapagos: Part 4 – Rabida, Santiago and Baltra Islands
Santiago Island Walking on moon-like rocks to creep up on the playful Galapagos fur sea lions you feel like you’re a long way from home… or at least I did. The fur sea… Continue reading
Cruising Around the Galapagos: Part 3 – Fernandina and Isabela Island
The Western Galapagos Islands continued to excite me, despite the incident with the sea urchin… Fernandina Island on day 5 was incredible. Definitely a highlight for many people on the tour. Back… Continue reading
Cruising Around the Galapagos: Part 2 – Western Isabela Island
Lava rocks, pink flamingos, iguanas and wildlife all around. This is what I came to the Galapagos for. To be honest, the Galapagos wasn’t as abundant in wildlife as I had expected or… Continue reading
Visiting San Cristobal island in the Galapagos
Red, Blue and Nazca Boobies – birds that is. Male Red Frigate birds with their bright red chest ballooned out. Green, Grey and Leatherback turtles. All just a few of the amazing wildlife… Continue reading
Volunteering at Yana Cocha in Ecuador
For two weeks I was recently based on the edge of the Amazon jungle in Puyo, Ecuador, volunteering at a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre called Yana Cocha. The centre is home to a… Continue reading
Cities in Ecuador
The start of Ecuador hasn’t been easy for me, but I have visited some pretty nice cities over the last few weeks, so here is a little insight into them! Guayaquil Underrated Guayaquil,… Continue reading
Heading up the coast of Peru
Sand Dunes, fancy cities and swimming with turtles – what more could you want? Gone were the ruins, onwards to sea level (no altitude issues) and sunshine. First up was Huacachina, then onwards… Continue reading
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Walking with Lions in Zimbabwe
Walking with lions was an activity that I wasn’t 100% sure was conservation-friendly. The more I travel the more I want to know more about what is good and what is bad for… Continue reading
Finishing up at N/a’ankuse Wildlife Sanctuary
By now I’ve described many high and low points at my time at the N/a’ankuse wildlife sanctuary in Namibia. Many people come here multiple times and love it. The volunteers range in numbers… Continue reading
Wish Day at N/a’ankuse Wildlife Sanctuary
Friday rolled around and it was my last full day, the weekend would be mainly food prep and less animal related. On your last day you have a ‘wish day’ where you can… Continue reading
Babysitting a baby baboon
They may be cute, they may make you go awwww, but they may also make you cry in pain and frustration…. all in the course of 12 hours of babysitting a little baboon.… Continue reading