A traveler’s guide to Australian cities
Apr03

A traveler’s guide to Australian cities

Australian cities offer backpackers a mix of cosmopolitan culture, outdoor living, great nightlife and some of the best coffee you will ever drink.

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Auckland’s Sea Life Aquarium
Dec11

Auckland’s Sea Life Aquarium

While we were housesitting in Auckland, we decided to check out their aquarium. We figured it would be something nice to do on a wintery, overcast day. Its official name is Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium. They were kind enough to offer us free admission so we could review it. Whenever you review a place, you always hope you’ll have positive things to say. Hope springs eternal, right? Our underwhelming experience began with finding...

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Antarctica for kids (and their parents)
Nov20

Antarctica for kids (and their parents)

This south polar continent is on many people’s bucket list and rightly so. It’s the only continent we haven’t visited yet, and it’s high on our list. It’s also an extremely expensive visit, so it’s going to be a while before we can make it happen. With the expense of travel and its extremely remote location, it isn’t exactly a hot family destination spot, but there is a way to experience Antarctica for kids and their families. While...

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Diving the Great Barrier Reef
Sep30

Diving the Great Barrier Reef

I think it would be fair to say most divers have the Great Barrier Reef on their scuba bucket or dream list. It’s easy to understand why considering it’s the largest barrier reef system in the world and is home to over 1500 species of fish. There are also 30 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises that live in the area or visit it. And it doesn’t stop there. The reef system also contains 400 species of coral, 30 varieties of...

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Visiting after the Christchurch quake
Aug20

Visiting after the Christchurch quake

In February 2011, the largest city on the south island of New Zealand, which is also the country’s 2nd largest city, was rocked by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake causing over $40 billion in damage and killing 185 people.. The center of town was devastated, and the eastern suburbs experienced liquefaction. Now 2-1/2 years later recovery still looks very far away. Visiting after the Christchurch quake today was a surreal experience....

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Traveling between the cities of New Zealand
Aug15

Traveling between the cities of New Zealand

When looking at New Zealand on a map, it can seem deceptively small. The country may have more sheep than people, but it is by no means a short trip to get between the various cities of New Zealand. In fact, a bus from Auckland to the nation’s capital is an 11-hour ride, and they’re located on the same island. There are several options for getting around, and it’s worth spending a bit of time doing some research to see what your best...

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