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185 empty white chairs
All too soon my last day in New Zealand had arrived. The previous day’s drive from Queenstown to Fairlea had seemed to take forever and I wasn’t even the one driving. Jeff was such a good sport throughout my trip and was incredibly accommodating with my many, many stops for photos. Damn you South Island for being so gorgeous! We started our day with breakfast at the Fairlea Bakery which is well known in the region for its delicious pastries and in particular, its cronuts. For those who haven’t tasted one, the cronut is a cross between a doughnut and a croissant and the Fairlea Bakery version is absolutely enormous.…
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On the road to Fairlea
Sadly, our time in Queenstown had come to an end and it was time to set off for Fairlea. We stopped at Lake Hayes for a few minutes on the way to take in the views across the calm waters before heading to Arrowtown, just 25 mins from Queenstown and the first pitstop of our road trip. Arrowton is a very pretty historic town that dates back to 1862 when gold was discovered by a Maori shearer named Jack Tewa. The tree-lined streets are full of quaint stores, cafes, holiday homes and bed & breakfasts, none of which are cheap as an fyi. We were lucky enough to stumble across…
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Glenorchy day trip
Jeff, Judy and I set off after breakfast on a day trip to Glenorchy, a small town around 45 minutes drive from Queenstown. The scenery along the way was really beautiful with panoramic views across Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables and Mount Creighton. Judy and Jeff were incredibly patient with my constant requests to pull over at lookouts so I could snap off photos. Thanks you two! We stopped at Mrs Woolly’s General Store for a cuppa and snack and found a treasure trove of gourmet foods, souvenirs, outdoor gear and high quality gifts. I almost made it out without buying anything but found I couldn’t leave without a packet of…
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Queenstown Day of Adventures
I had been really busy prior to this NZ trip, so I’d done almost no research or pre-planning. I know, it’s completely out of character and I can almost hear the gasps of disbelief. Thankfully, my AirBnb hostess Trina had provided me with a very quick and easy way to book my adventures. She had sent me a code and a link to www.planitbnb.co.nz, which is a great one-stop shop for bookings. You can arrange almost any type of activity you’d like to try around Queenstown including extreme sports, spa getaways and Lord of the Rings tours. Within minutes I’d found a paragliding company and a place to zipline in…
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Destination: Queenstown
You might wonder why it’s taken me so long to visit Queenstown, particularly given it’s only a 3 hour flight from Sydney. I think it’s because I’ve always believed that while I’m young, fit and able to cope with long distance travel, I should be concentrating on Europe and North America. In hindsight, this is completely wrong because ideally Queenstown should be seen and experienced while you’re able to embrace every adventure it offers. And there are many. I had taken an early flight to make the most of my time off and my friends Judy and Jeff collected me from the airport. Judy is originally from a town an…
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A long weekend in the Southern Highlands
I love a good last minute getaway and the Southern Highlands did not disappoint. Somehow the stars aligned and I managed to find accommodation only a matter of days before the Labour Day long weekend. I took a leisurely drive down to Bowral via the Mittagong tourist information office to collect some brochures on the various hikes I could do in the area. I checked in to my Stayz accommodation, a cute room with a separate entrance attached to a lovely home in Bowral owned by some ex-Sydneysiders, then mapped out my plans for the next couple of days while enjoying a nice pot of tea. I decided to walk…
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The Big Day out in Copenhagen
The late night out listening to jazz at La Fontaine in Kompagnistræde with Jen meant for a delayed start to the day. I had felt sad it was my last proper night in Copenhagen and decided to walk home afterwards rather than catch a cab, so that I could soak in every last moment and detail. We had had a really fun time at the club but we were blown away when we realised that people were smoking in the bar. It has been so many years since smoking in venues was allowed in Australia that I had forgotten what it was like to come out of a bar smelling…
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Louisiana and Tivoli Gardens, Denmark
I’m not sure that the exhibition featuring used underpants and large balls was exactly my style, but I loved almost everything else I saw at the Louisiana Modern Art Museum! I took the train up to Humlebæk with Rebecca, one of the lovely American girls I met on the Hygge & Happiness tour and we spent around 3 hours there in the museum and the grounds. I managed to spend a load of money in the museum store, which was as trendy and cool as any of the stores in Copenhagen, then we had lunch in the restaurant overlooking the Øresund strait. Those of you who are fans of ‘The…
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Grand Day Trip, Denmark
I had researched getting around the four attractions of this tour independently, however it wouldn’t have been possible to visit them all in one day so I booked myself on a day trip on a small bus tour through Trip Advisor. The first stop was Roskilde Cathedral which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is situated only 30 minutes west of Copenhagen. It dates back 1000 years and 40 of the country’s kings and queens are buried in the church in ornate coffins, vaults and crypts. The cathedral was built by King Harald Bluetooth who united Denmark and Norway’s warring tribes. I wonder what he would think about his…
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Hygge, Happiness and Copenhagen Design
I started my day by attending a Hygge and Happiness tour booked via AirBnb. The tour was run by a group called Mie & Friends which was a great way to meet locals who show you around, take you to off the beaten track places and who give you loads of personal recommendations. Our guide Jam was a full-time musician and composer, who takes tours on the side to show people ‘his’ Copenhagen. He was clearly the best person for me to ask about where to go to see live music and he gave me a number of recommendations. His picks for jazz bars were La Fontaine and Jazzhus Montmartre…