The high pampas of southern Patagonia reminded me, immediately and unexpectedly, of home. Not the lush, subtropical home of southeast Queensland, but the older, drier home of the Darling Downs: flat country, big sky, occasional hills rising without particular justification from the plain. The grasses are a different gold. The animals are different animals. But
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There’s a moment, somewhere in the roaring 40s, when you look out over the water and realise you are genuinely far from anywhere. The Chilean archipelago extends for hundreds of kilometres south of Puerto Montt — islands upon islands, most of them uninhabited, unsuitable for human habitation, apparently indifferent to human existence. It is exhilarating
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I’ve been to deserts before, but nothing quite prepared me for the Atacama. This is the driest place on Earth — and it looks it. At first glance, it seems impossible that anything could thrive here. Then, by some sleight of hand, the landscape proceeds to astonish you. We’d flown into Santiago, transferred north to
Continue reading ...As much as I’m longing for home, I am always sad when I leave this town. 10 visits later, it feels like a second home to me, having spent some formative years here a long time ago. London is a place that truly one can never tire of. It’s so different to when I first
Continue reading ...Listen! My last night in NYC in 2010. After a week in the city walking mostly the theatre district around Broadway, I decided to take in one last show, the Tony Award winning NEXT TO NORMAL. The gracious Marin Mazzie, who played the lead, came to the stage door and spoke with the audience for
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Holiday time coming up … overseas again for the first time since last January. This time it’s off to the US and Canada with daughter in tow for the first two weeks. Sadly, she has to return to wage-slave duties while I continue solo on my merry road trip. It’s time again to consider making
Continue reading ...Image by Getty Images via Daylife And so it’s off to Sydney for the weekend for some theatre and catchups with friends. Cate Blanchett is playing Blanche in Sydney Theatre Company‘s production of Tennessee Williams‘ A Streetcar Named Desire. I hear she’s not too bad at all! To stay in touch I’m equipped with a
Continue reading ...I must say I’m missing my northern-summer travels this year. Perhaps it’s the cold westerly wind blowing outside as I sit here writing, while my thoughts turn to long, hot July days in the Mediterranean. This picture is where I was one year ago – Knidos in Turkey. For a few years now I have
Continue reading ...Image via Wikipedia I’ve written before about the various challenges I’ve set myself when travelling either to conferences or overseas: what to pack, how to minimise the clutter, how to stay in touch effectively and economically (time and $). One other challenge that remains for me is to get everything into one carry-on bag. I’m
Continue reading ...Fellow-blogger Sue Waters cry for help on how to organise herself for a conference trip, evoked a stream of advice and tips. I couldn’t wait to join the queue ready to tell her how to reduce travel-anxiety, make lists, pack the right stuff, and arrive unflustered, have a great conference, and leave with everything (including
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