Global travel. On local public transportation.

Browsing Category 'Oceania'

New Zealand: The South Island by backpacker bus

We all know they have the fjords and the mountains and the bungee. But they also have rainforests right next to the ski resorts. They have corals, they have penguins. And my personal favorite, they have alpine parrots. New Zealand’s South Island has all those things you didn’t know you wanted.

Queenstown, New Zealand: Bring extra underwear

You say resort, and I think of beaches, pools, Swedish restaurants in Spain, Finnish bars In Turkey, and hotel after hotel after hotel. I certainly didn’t think of serene mountain scenery, cool crisp air, and adventure sports where half the experience is the nature around you. After my visit to Queenstown on New Zealand’s South […]

Canberra: Flowers try to bring life to deserted city

There are only two reasons to go to Canberra, the capital city of Australia. Government business is one. Floriade, the annual month-long flower festival, is the other. Hoping for anything else is asking for disappointment, they told me. Were they right?

Train to Canberra: Syringes welcome

What can a train ride between Sydney and Canberra teach us about Australia? That it’s big. And that everybody gets a fair go. Even intravenous drug users and wallabies.