Otago Daily Times
- Feb 27
The land of the Toraja
As I left the room, I respectfully bowed my head and thanked my host, Tanjkeara. His wife, Francisca, who I had met at a cock fight had...
New Zealand Herald
- Feb 13
Route 35
I first saw it through a 1973 Holden Belmont station wagon’s smoke-stained window. Staring back at 11-year-old me was a blue and yellow...
New Zealand Herald
- Mar 21, 2022
Palliser and Pinnacles
“38!!” laughed Alison, when I asked her the population of Ngawi, the small fishing village we’d just set out from. We were aboard the...
Sunday Star-Times
- Jan 25, 2020
Peru Navidad
Marden was ashen, it was obvious that the poison was starting to take effect. I knew what would happen next – the toxins making their way...
New Zealand Herald
- Oct 12, 2019
Barcelona Nights
“Li-ber-tat! Li-ber-tat!” The chant was sweeping across the square like a Catalan wave. The crowd ignored the soaring heat to remind the...
New Zealand Herald
- Aug 20, 2019
Disappointing a Nun
Vasillia gently touched my arm and leant in. “You are an Orthodox at heart,” she whispered, her eyes lighting up. “Yes, yes, I can see it...
New Zealand Herald
- Dec 11, 2018
Kenya's Lion Warriors
"Um, aren’t we a little low?!” shouted my fellow passenger over the Cessna’s engine. She was right of course, we were only 50 metres...
Get Lost Magazine
- Apr 6, 2018
Colour in The Streets
I was warned about getting shot in Colombia. The balaclava, reflective sunglasses and combat fatigues in the southern city of Pasto were...
Sunday Star-Times
- Feb 24, 2018
When Two Worlds Collide
“Smash it on the head” yelled Geranio, our guide. “Quick!” The freshly caught piranha was flip-flopping in a desperate attempt to get...
New Zealand Herald
- Oct 24, 2017
The Mentawai of Indonesia
“Hold on, I just need to scrape something off…” My guide had removed his gumboot and was reaching for a knife. Slowly he sliced the blade...
New Zealand Herald
- May 9, 2017
Guiding Principles
Even the most ardent solo traveller at some stage will need a guide - someone who knows their cantons from their arrondissements better...
New Zealand Herald
- May 2, 2017
Where the Ocean meets the Sky
“In the olden days,” began Apinelu, a tone of longing in his voice, “it was never this hot. Never. Now everything has changed, not just...
New Zealand Herald
- May 3, 2016
Deep in the Heart of Texas
“Y’all not from round here, are ya? Ain’t nobody drinks Budddd. This is Shiner Bock country, sir.” And with that the barman passed over a...
Sunday Star-Times
- Jan 24, 2016
On Safari in the Masaii Mara
The lion was just metres away now. “Look, he’s trying to find some shade so the meat doesn’t rot quickly,” whispered my guide, Nicholas....
New Zealand Herald
- Jan 12, 2016
Better than a Band-Aid
“Don’t worry ‘bout a thing, cause every little thing, gonna be al-riiight…” It seemed only appropriate that Bob Marley blared out the...
Sunday Star-Times
- Apr 26, 2015
The Strangest Town in Australia
We both looked up. It was a strange sound, obviously unfamiliar to my host. “When was the last time it rained here?” I asked. A pause....
New Zealand Herald
- Feb 5, 2015
Off-Grid Ocean Journey
“When the alarm goes you grab this,” Officer Cadet Dusan said as he pointed to my lifejacket. “And this.” An orange survival suit. “We...
Let's Travel
- Jun 4, 2013
Why Albania
“Why Albania?” “Why not?” “What have they done to us?” “What have they done for us?” “Nothing….” “See, they keep to themselves. Shifty....
The Press
- Jan 22, 2013
Leap of Faith
Oh my god, he’s going to do it!” screeched the American teenager to my left. Sure enough with a quick wave to the crowd, a furtive glance...
Dominion Post
- Jan 17, 2013
An Eye on Hvar Horizons
A car’s side mirror on a plinth. Next to it, a mounted set of papier mache breasts. Between them, a hanging axe. I was standing in front...
The Press
- May 12, 2011
Spires of Patagonia
Before you pull out the atlas, a word of warning: Patagonia isn’t officially a “place” as such. Rather it’s the name given to an area...
Que Magazine
- Apr 25, 2011
Brazil Rediscovered
We clap our hands for many things, but until this year I’d never actually applauded the sun going down – that is, until I was at Ipanema....
The Press
- Oct 27, 2010
The Greatest Train Journey in The World
Platform 3, Beijing Railway Station. And there she was - the fabled Trans-Siberian, ready to take me on the longest train journey in the...
New Zealand Herald
- Apr 13, 2009
Morocco in Focus
When you're in Morocco colour is inescapable. The contrasts, hues and shades that make up this North African country are evident from the...
Real Travel
- Feb 9, 2009
A Date with Hizbollah
For years the name Beirut evoked images of a vicious civil war and a hotspot of clashing cultures. It’s been a while since tourists...