Oriental Parade. I wonder if there are other major cities in the world with the unofficial slogan “you can’t beat it on a good day.” Because Wellington is not alone in being beautiful when the weather is nice, just think of northern rival Auckland along Tamaki Drive with the sparkles of the harbour and the…
Category: Travel
Hobbiton Top 40 Photos + The Thigh-busting Wairere Falls
Outside Bilbo Baggins’ hobbit hole, Hobbiton. I’d held off visiting the preserved movie set of Hobbiton for two main reasons. One, at $79 for an adult it’s not exactly cheap. And two, New Zealand’s full of pleasant – let’s be honest, sometimes pleasantly dull – rolling farm country. Why pay for it when you can…
Where To Stay In Waikato If You Love Luxury And Gardens – Sarnia Park And The Acclaimed Hamilton Gardens
The lobby and grand staircase at Sarnia Park. As I continue my unexpected crusade to challenge the notion Waikato is less interesting than the rest of New Zealand, I was invited back to the province last week. I say “unexpected” because it’s a part of the country I’ve been to a million times for family…
Did Elton John Really Stay At A 2-Star Guesthouse In Cambodia?
The signed photo that hangs proudly at the Fancy Guesthouse. With news Elton John is about to release his 33rd studio album (entitled Wonderful Crazy Night*), there’s one lingering question that remains tantalizingly unanswered for fans: Did he or did he not stay at a 2-star guesthouse while in Cambodia a few years ago? According…
Waiheke Island Lonely Planet’s 5th Best Destination In The World – My Top 20 Waiheke Photos
Waiheke Island. Lonely Planet has followed Conde Naste Traveler’s lead in gushing over Auckland’s Waiheke Island. With only last week Conde Naste rating Waiheke the fourth best island in the world to visit, Lonely Planet has just listed the island as the fifth best destination – island or otherwise – in the world. Describing Waiheke…
Let’s Travel Magazine Akaroa Article – Top 30 Photos + Where To Stay
The cover of the latest Let’s Travel mag. The latest issue of New Zealand’s premier travel magazine Let’s Travel is out and it features two of my articles. One is about my return to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia where I lived as a child and the other is about the incredibly photogenic and historic town…
John Lennon’s 75th Birthday – ‘Imagine’ & The Devastating Final Scene In ‘The Killing Fields’
John Lennon. For what would’ve been John Lennon’s 75th birthday yesterday, we asked listeners to The Two (Newstalk ZB, Fridays 8pm-midnight, Sundays 8pm-11pm) to talk about how Lennon inspired them and what memories he triggers. Like millions of fans there are probably countless things that enter the mind when you hear the name “John Lennon,”…
The Opulence Of Lake Karapiro Lodge – Why Waikato Can Be A Destination And Not Just A Gateway (incl. 40 photos)
Lake Karapiro Lodge Provincial Waikato is unfairly unfashionable when it comes to New Zealanders’ own appraisals of their beautiful country. Probably because when we drive through Waikato it’s at 100ks and we’re always on the way somewhere. Somewhere more heralded as a tourist destination like Rotorua, Tauranga or the mountains and forests of Tongariro National…
New Zealand’s First Great Luxury Hotel: Why Staying At The Chateau Is Still So Worth It
The Chateau in Tongariro National Park, central North Island. I’d always wanted to stay at The Chateau. As far as historic hotels go in New Zealand there are few so iconic. So with it being my birthday last week I decided to see what the 86-year old dame is like. And given the lakeside town…
India: Temple Temptations – Adventures In Hampi – My 2nd Herald Article About South India + 30 Photos
From the top of Anjaneya Hill, Hampi. *UPDATED SEPTEMBER 19: Scroll to the bottom of this article to watch a one-minute video blog I filmed for Flight Centre and Intrepid in Hampi last year. Hopefully it gives you a taste of why this part of India is so beguiling. This place could seriously be the…
Victoria: Walks On The Wild Side – My Herald On Sunday Road Trip Article To Victoria, Australia
The unique rock formations of the Great Ocean Road. This past weekend the Herald On Sunday published my feature about some of the things to do in Victoria (Australia) beyond just Melbourne. I’d spent a week driving all over the state being wined and dined (tough gig I know!), exploring national parks both lush and barren,…
Road Tripping Through Canterbury In New Zealand’s South Island – My Top 50 Photos
Boats on the shores of Lake Alexandrina, near Tekapo. Continuing my series of ‘Top 50’ photo-essays that I enjoy making for The Roxborogh Report, here are my 50 favourites from last week’s road trip through Canterbury. This was my first time seeing Christchurch since the devastating earthquakes of almost five years ago. It was sobering…
