Things I love about hotels
They may not ever be perfect (although some come close), but there’s a lot to love about hotels. And after staying in countless different types of…
What I love to hate about hotels
This year, I have stayed in 51 hotels. I was stunned when I added them all up. They’ve ranged from five-star city hotels to a YHA,…
A very antipodean Christmas
Christmas in the southern hemisphere is almost incomprehensible to those who haven’t experienced it. For those who live on the far side of the planet, where…
Porvoo: a medieval town
Finland has six medieval towns, and when I visited recently I was lucky enough to visit two of them, both within easy reach of Helsinki. Founded…
Helsinki’s quiet places
Even for those who aren’t church-goers, the great churches and cathedrals of the world hold a certain allure. They are quiet and beautiful spaces, respite from…
My Finland favourites
Finland is a country that’s still a mystery to many people, but it’s being tipped as a travel hot spot next year as it celebrates 100…
A bird in the hand at O’Reilly’s
There’s a little bit of the “twitcher” in me. Some of you might understand what I mean by that; for the uninitiated it means that I…
Writers retreat to hotels
Short stories are a great read when you’re passing through somewhere and don’t have a lot of time to devote to a long novel or just…
The happy house-sitter
Travelling on a budget can take many forms – and who doesn’t want to save a bit of money where they can in order to splurge…
Yarrabah – reality hits home in a place called ‘paradise by the sea’
As the crow flies, it’s only about 12km across Trinity Inlet from the bustling Far North Queensland tourist centre of Cairns to the Aboriginal community of…
A Glass Half Full 