UNSEEN TRAVEL AGENCY

Phones are good: creating, connecting and capturing on the road Personal | Technology Published: June 2019 | Disclosure: In paid partnership with Three Mobile UK ‘These kids today sure don’t appreciate the world around them’ muttered a deep voice from across the carriage, a scratched and stained train window framing the beauty of New Zealand behind him. It was intentionally loud enough to be an unsolicited dig, but quiet enough not to seem directed at anyone in particular; the passive aggressive comment might just have worked had there been anyone else around us. ‘Ever think of looking up from that thing?’ c huckled the silhouetted character as we caught eyes. I laughed back, hit send, and made a throwaway comment about the splendour of mother nature, settling in to enjoy the rest of the journey to Plimmerton in uninterrupted peace. Today was an exciting day, and nothing was going to rile me, especially with the insinuation I was still a ‘...

Whangamomona Republic Day: That time I went to vote for a cat in an election… New Zealand Travel Guide | Taranaki  Published: January 2019 In what may have been the most bizarre sales pitch of my life, I rallied around the crew in the hostel to sell them the idea of going to vote for a cat in an Election in the self-proclaimed republic of Whangamomona. I didn’t know how to pronounce it, I didn’t know if the cat would win, but somehow, I convinced my new found friends the Whangamomona Republic Day was an event not to miss. Having based myself in New Plymouth for the first few weeks of my time living in New Zealand, I was quickly coming to realise there were a lot of weird and wacky things celebrated here in New Zealand. From the giant carrots and L&P bottles I’d passed on the highways, to the surprisingly great New Plymouth light festival where we had seen a fire dancer accidentally launch their flaming button into a row full of children in the days before, the squad ...

Discovering the Dresden Christmas markets and Saxony festivities Germany | Europe Published: December 2018 | Disclosure: I was on a filming assignment with Visit Saxony When it comes to festive city breaks in Europe, there are a few cities that seem to hog the spotlight. But if you really want to experience the Christmas magic, Dresden and the region of Saxony is the perfect sized present you might now know you need. Boasting eleven Christmas markets in Dresden alone, alongside a whole host of other traditions that complete Christmas, my week-long festive filming session in Saxony transported me to a true winter wonderland. There was in fact so much festive cheer to see and do, I’ve split this article into two parts. While here I’ll focus more on the city-break side of exploring around Dresden, my second post on Christmas in Seiffen and the Ore Mountains will take you to total Christmas overload. But first, before taking you through how to make the most of your Ch...