We had been in New Zealand for a bit over a week. Our Juicy Camper had carried us from Auckland, through Middle Earth and across the Strait to the South Island. We’d pointed further south along the rugged West Coast…
Head in the Land of the Long White Clouds
I’ve explained my love of the Mackenzie Country in the Canterbury area of New Zealand’s South Island, but in so doing I glossed over a rather important landmark that sits in the northern corner of the region. Don’t worry though…
A Picture of Halong Bay
I have seen thousands of pictures of Halong Bay. It is one of the places I think almost every traveler considers at some point. Of all the ‘have you been’ conversations I’ve been a part, it has not only cropped…
Pies and Lodges in the Mackenzie Country
VISTA: There are miles of roads like this all across the South Island There is a lot to love about New Zealand, and anyone who has spent any amount of time in The Land of the Long White Cloud (a…
Extra Cut! Snow Boarding in New Zealand
It has been some time since my last post and during my hiatus, there have been plenty of adventures. They’ll be heading your way shortly, along with a few new stories from our past trips! To ease back into the…
New Zealand: Rushing through the North Island
Three weeks is nowhere near long enough to spend touring New Zealand. This was a concept that was abundantly clear to us, long before we picked up our van in Auckland for the 20-day tour of the North and South…
In search of Lorien: Finding Middle Earth in Glenorchy
Snowboarding in Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island was a far different experience to the comfortable, resort-style treat you might be used to in Europe or America. Each morning was an early start for a 45-minute or more drive up…
Picnic at White Island
Anyone who has attended middle school should have learned that volcanos – in addition to being fascinating – can be pretty hot, and an altogether inadvisable place for a picnic. With this wisdom in mind, it may come as a…
New Zealand, Middle Earth and The Shire
About two and a half hours driving south of Auckland will take you to another world. Much has been said before about the hidden world spread across New Zealand, but until you actually find yourself in Middle Earth, it’s hard…
Einstein’s Barber Shop Itinerary – New Zealand: Ice, snow, and Middle Earth
Itinerary 4 – New Zealand
Last on Hill
RED LEADER: Our first red run The sun had fallen behind the mountain and the golden hue that hung like a shimmering halo above the peak had shifted to the icy blue of impending dusk. Apart from the brief racket…
Einstein’s Barber Shop Itinerary – WA: The South West
Welcome to the second Einstein’s Barber Shop Itinerary! This week, we’re looking at the first significant trip I took in Western Australia (and the trip during which I met my partner Linh)! If you’d like to download the PDF which…
A New Year home away from home
I’ve spent the Christmas and New Year period in a number of interesting places. While I love our family’s (very loose) tradition of gathering to eat charred animal and sup from a 40 litre bowl of spiked punch to escape…
A short trip in a big state
Western Australia is massive. All that space houses a relatively modest population with a few far removed settlements – some of which are almost large enough to be classified as towns. In face, with the exception of Mandurah and perhaps…
Lantau Island – Escaping inside Hong Kong
When we arrived in Hong Kong, my expectations were certainly upheld. We stayed in the Mirador Mansion in Kowloon and wandered the shopping district before a stroll along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in the evening. I had expected this extended…
Barber Shop Photos 27 – Kalbarri
This will be the last Barber Shop Photos for now. I’ve enjoyed sharing photos, but it feels a little like I’m just filling this spot rather than presenting something I’m proud to attribute to Einstein’s Barber. This will mean I’ll…
Travelling the Cultural Triangle – Sri Lanka PART 2
Missed part 1? You can read it first here! There is something to be said about arriving at your destination by night. First, there is the anticipation of arriving after a busy day of exploring or driving. Then there is…
Barber Shop Photos 26 – An evening in Oxford
These shots are all the result of an evening walk through Oxford. We had no time to set up the tripod (which is tiny) so it was an exercise in breathing as much as shooting.
Travelling the Cultural Triangle – Sri Lanka PART 1
For such a small Island, Sri Lanka certainly overachieves when it comes to opportunities for exploration. The country’s diminutive footprint on a world map (430km from North to South) belies a wealth of historical, geographical, and biological wonders that are…
Barber Shop Photos 22 – Don Khong
Near the southern boarder of Laos is an archipelago of islands in the Mekong River where tourists go to party during peak travel periods, If you travel there in late September like we did you should miss the worst of…
Barber Shop Photos 18 – Augusta day tripping
Augusta in South Western Australia is one of my favourite day trips. It’s a rugged and beautiful spot about 5 hours south of Perth – It’s also the spot where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean. A spring-fed waterwheel…
O Starry Night
Although I have spent much of my life living in or around major centres in Australia, I have been fortunate enough to spend a fairly significant amount of time in The Bush. The Bush is one of those ubiquitous terms…
Barber Shop Photos 17 – Laos Horizontal Waterfall
I’ve always found it hard to capture the majesty of a waterfall. Something in the fluid motion always gets lost as you pull the trigger. It’s no different here – The mile long horizontal waterfall viewed here from the island…
The Home Range
While I love to travel for myself, there is also something to be said for sharing your local region with guests. After living in one place for a while as we start to do as we enter the Thirty Fraternity,…
What to do in Kalbarri when it’s raining.
As important as it may be for Western Australia’s farming community (and by extension the rest of us), I struggle with wet weather. The mercifully brief winter rains in Western Australia bring with them – for me – a dark…