Traveller Profile: Craig Lawton

Introducing Craig Lawton. Talented writer. Global Traveller. Well versed in Australian travel and culture. And funny down to earth guy.

Hear what he has to say about Melbourne, his home city, and Australia, the land he calls home.

1. Name  Craig Lawton

2. Occupation  Infrastructure Architect Telstra Pty Ltd.

3. Country of Residence Australia

4. Country of Origin Australia

5. email/contact/ website

www.anacoluthia.net

6. Why do you love Travel?

I have a difficult relationship with travel. Dave Graney song is my reference. Mt Gambia. Gave his memoirs.

“You want to go there, but you don’t want up travel.”

When you’re moving it’s not stressful, but it’s the planning and the preparation and thought of it that daunts me.

To go to places that you don’t know anything about can be scary and exciting. Act of travel is stressful. Not knowing where you’ll sleep? Not knowing layout of city?

I like going to places that friends don’t know. Something different.

The Trans Siberian is def one.

7. Favourite place in your home country and why?

Stretch of coast from Cairns to Cooktown. There is a trail up there. Only bout 1000m or something but it’s laid back and reminds me of being on the frontier. Cooktown is great. Looking out over Endeavour River, can see the country going all the way North from there like it could go forever. It’s like going wild, back to the wilderness. You get the sense up there that you can imagine what it used to be like.

Giant fishes in the water. Very chilled out. I just keep going back.

You gotta go for the drive, it’s one of the great drives!

8. Best place for tourists to visit in your country?

People come so far and travel so long to get here it’s a shame if they don’t explore. In Victoria visitors must go to Wilsons prom, it’s totally under appreciated.

South West of WA is also a little undiscovered but beautiful. Pemberton and Margaret River.

9. What other country would you live in if you had to leave your country?

Have lived in England for a couple of years. And I would choose that. Great location. History. Friends there. Easy to travel to virtually anywhere from there including Asia, Europe and the Americas. First-world country so easier with kids and a family.

10. Best travelling experience anecdote in your own country?

Time at Wilson’s prom, on windy saddle a few hours into this walk, all the travellers sitting, elderly couple sitting on other side of the Grassy clearing, head of brown snake came out from behind a man, and then behind the woman. Sat there watching and just went in slow motion. The snake went right around them and then went back into the bush and they were none the wiser.

Another story,

In eastern Kimberley on my honeymoon at Emma Gorge. Semi luxury tents, El Cuestro , hotel cabin, tent roof, en-suite. Wife wanted to go for walk , something wrong with toilet, went to use shared ones. I stood around looking dazed in the sun. Heard a scream but was off in the distance….. my wife, who had screamed, then laughed, waited for aftermath, then she started laughing.

Wife picked a toilet. And frog jumped up and out into the air then felll back in and slid down the toilet bowl.

11. Favourite activity when around your city?

In city everyday for work but I love walking through the city through the lane ways. Trekking through city and never going on main roads. State library is a must see and jus to enjoy the reading rooms.

Explorer!!  City safari man!

12. Do you feel you know your country well, or is more exploring of your homeland needed?

I know the country and it’s people. I think on one level we’re quite shallow so not so hard to understand. Local peculiarities you forget when you’re away.

In terms of the whole country, you could travel your whole life and still not see the whole thing. Open spaces. Nothingness. Because we don’t know what’s there?

Something terrifying and haunting about the Australian interior. Memories of Lindy chamberlain, Falconio.

Aboriginals history.

Dark side of it.

Sense of the country that would be hard to understand now, the aboriginal side,

Maybe do a tour like that and learn more about the indigenous heritage.

13. Any warnings for travellers visiting in your country?

Don’t go to the interior. Who knows what’s there?

Shit stirring stories just for fun i.e. Drop bears, spiders, then brown snakes

Seriously – around the coast, beware of the water. If we put up warnings, we mean it!!

Snake stories. Ran straight over a red belly black snake once. Just another day in Oz.

14. Must see movie featuring your country and Why?

The hunter

William de foe

Tassie wilderness, myth of Tassie tiger

Lantana – captures Sydney suburban without the trite.

Mature and honest look into suburban Sydney and Australian life.

15. The best book to read before visiting your country?

Dirt music. By tim Whitton.

For Melbourne – photo book.

16. The must eat dish or delicacy of your country?

I wouldn’t say anything. All exciting stuff is blend of Asian and European.

Come to Melbourne. Go to Vic market and get fresh produce.

17. The top three sayings to make travellers stay in your country easier? E.g. How much? Too expensive or Hello.

- How ya goin mate?

- No worries

- Get ya hand off it.

- Ya dickhead

I reckon I’m less passionate about Australia then I am about Melbourne.

Love being Sarcastic

18. Best time of year to visit?

Melbourne. Autumn. Or spring. The changing seasons.

Tropics – June / June

19. The 4 words that best describe your country:

Young, clean, open, conservative

Make sure to check out Craigs blog: www.anacoluthia.net

Photos by http://www.steveweller.net/

Life through a Lens – Sarah Churcher Photographer

Sarah Churcher is a photographer and friend. She takes beautiful images through the lens and from behind the lens make you smile with her good heart and lovely sense of humour.

Sarah was one of the first friends I made in Melbourne and she has helped me greatly by providing me with some beautoful photgraphs for my portfolio. She is a Kiwi of Origin but a Melbournian at heart.

Emma Lovell by Sarah Churcher

Emma Lovell by Sarah Churcher

Sarah at work

 

 

Learn more about her wonderful photography, her love of New Zealand and her new home in Oz.

 

Traveller Profile

1. Name: Sarah Churcher

2. Occupation: Photographer

3. Country of Residence: Australia

4. Country of Origin: New Zealand

5. email/contact/ website:

sarah@sarahchurcher.com

www.sarahchurcher.com

0423 281 324

6. Why do you love Travel?

I love to see and photograph new things in new light. I think travel is vitally important to our growth as human beings. I wish I could do more travel, to be a Travel Photographer is an ultimate dream of mine!

7. Favourite place in your home country and why?

My favourite place in New Zealand is Wanaka – in Central Otago. There is nothing better than being surrounded by the stunning landscape with a glass of local wine in hand! Balmy nights…live music ….Wanaka is simply breath taking!

8. Best place for tourists to visit in your country?

Central Otago – Wanaka and Queensland! Stunning, and so much to do! John Travolta did say “If God lived on Earth, he’d live in Queenstown”

9. What other country would you live in if you had to leave your country?

I have already left my home country and live in Oz…if I had to leave here I fancy myself somewhere along the shores of Italy. Who doesn’t!

10. Best travelling experience anecdote in your own country?

We went whale watching off Kaikoura and not only were we surrounded by two whales but also a pod of over 500 dolphins! Completely stunned by our experience on the way back to shore the engines were suddenly turned off and two hector dolphins swam past. Felt like a dream! It was unbelievable!

11. Favourite activity when around your city?

In Melbourne it’s hard to select one particular favourite! The beach, the shows, the exhibitions, the laneways, the bars, the restaurants…

12. Do you feel you know your country well, or is more exploring of your homeland needed?

New Zealand – very well! Australia needs much more exploring!

Hawea

13. Any warnings for travellers visiting in your country?

Visiting NZ – dress warmly.

14. Must see movie featuring your country and Why?

Obvious answer, sorry! Lord of the Rings. Or how about The Piano – also a goodie!

15. The best book to read before visiting your country?

Lost in New Zealand by Craig Potton

16. The must eat dish or delicacy of your country?

Any seafood! Bluff oysters! Hockey pockey ice cream! Watties tomato sauce! YUM

17. The top three sayings to make travellers stay in your country easier? E.g. How much? Too expensive or Hello.

Not sayings so much as words you should know!

Esky = Chilly bin

Togs = swim suit

Thong = Jandle (this is an important one – thongs mean g-strings in NZ!)

18. Best time of year to visit?

Different benefits to going all year round!

19. The 4 words that best describe your country:

Picturesque, mountainous, relaxed … perfect

Contact Sarah for her Great Work

Adventure Photographer Krystle Wright – Traveller Profile

Krystle Wright is an amazing adventure photographer who is always on the next big adventure. She’s been to Baffin with a crew of base jumpers, Pakistan to capture para-gliders and even to Chitwan, Nepal for the elephant polo.

 

She has quality work and has been published in magazines and papers all over the world. Not only that, she is a top chick. She has become a friend through our connection on www.explorergirls.com.au where we are both ambassadors. Read why Krystle loves her own country, Australia.

 

Krystle in action

 

1. Name: Krystle Wright

 

2. Occupation: Adventure Sports Photographer

3. Country of Residence: Australia

 

4. Country of Origin: Australia

 

5. email/contact/ website : www.wrightfoto.com.au

 

6. Why do you love Travel? Travelling can offer so many unique experiences whether it be meeting new people or discovering new places. It’s always a different experience continually opening your mind to new things.

 

Krystle's work

7. Favourite place in your home country and why? Probably Sunshine Coast because it is where I grew up and it’ll always have the home feeling. Plus the vibe there is relaxed and it’s easy to find your own beach to play on or escape to the hinterland.

 

8. Best place for tourists to visit in your country? Australia is incredibly diverse that it’s hard to only choose one place. The central desert area showcasing Ayres Rock is amazing to visit, or the picturesque Lizard Island surround by crystal blue waters and the majestic Great Barrier Reef. The choices are endless and Australia has something to offer to any tourist visiting.

 

9. What other country would you live in if you had to leave your country? Well I haven’t been to Europe yet and I think Spain sounds pretty good.

Krystle enjoying BAFFIN

 

10. Favourite activity when around your city? I love bodysurfing at the beach as it’s such a good release for the body and mind. Otherwise I’m usually on the hunt for a plate of awesome dumplings in the city.

 

11. Do you feel you know your country well, or is more exploring of your homeland needed? There is always more exploring to be done especially when your country is as vast as Australia.

 

12. Any warnings for travellers visiting in your country? Use your common sense. Like any country, there are good and bad things and just keep alert of your surroundings.

 

13. Must see movie featuring your country and Why? The Castle. An absolute classic Australian comedy though it tends to be a movie that people absolutely love or the complete opposite.

 

Krystle and I with my friend Sundar and her friend in Kathmandu, Nepal

14. The best book to read before visiting your country? I’m more of a visual person so my book to recommend is; A Day in the Life of Australia: Photographed by 100 of the World’s Leading Photojournalists on One Day, March 6, 1981

 

15. The must eat dish or delicacy of your country? Have a massive BBQ surrounded by friends or family. Perfect way to spend the afternoon!

 

16. The top three sayings to make travellers stay in your country easier? E.g. How much? Too expensive or Hello.

Whose next shout?

About as useful as tits on a bull

Hit the frog and toad

 

17. Best time of year to visit? Anytime. It just depends on what activities you wish to do!

 

18. The 4 words that best describe your country: Relaxing, Breath-taking, Unique, Beer

Krystle's article from Pakistan

Y Travel? Ask Caz MakePeace – Traveller Profile

Caz and Craig Makepeace are true travellers and lovely people! With 12 years of travel under their belt and so many amazing experiences, they are certainly the go to people for Travel advice. I met the great team through blogging and have really enjoyed getting to know them, in person and through their writing.

Learn more about Y they travel and Y they love Australia!!

At a beautiful Aussie beach - The lovely family

1. Name Caz Makepeace

2. Occupation formerly a teacher, now a blogger/ publisher/editor

3. Country of Residence currently Australia

4. Country of Origin Australia

5. email/contact/ website

http://ytravelblog.com

East Coast beach

6. Why do you love Travel?

Travel gives me the freedom to live my life the way in which I choose. It gives me the opportunity to explore this beautiful and diverse world of ours and to learn so much about it and myself. When I travel I feel as if I am truly alive and doing what I was born to do.

7. Favourite place in your home country and why?

I think Broome, Western Australia would have to be high up on the list. It is a small country outback town on the beach. I think it is a really unique town to Australia. Cable beach is consistently rated as one of the world’s best and Broome is the entry to the spectacular Kimberly region.

8. Best place for tourists to visit in your country?

This is a difficult question to answer as there are so many different areas. The East Coast is the most popular area as this is where the majority of tourist places are. I like to recommend Western Australia to tourists though as it is so untouched and very beautiful. It is not heavily populated with tourists so your experiences may be a little more unique.

9. What other country would you live in if you had to leave your country?

Thailand or the USA, but there are many more countries I could live in for a short while. We wrote a post on it called 11 places we could live around the world

Our pearl farm in WA

10. Best travelling experience anecdote in your own country?

Craig and I lived and worked on a pearl farm in the Kimberly region, Western Australia for 4 months. It was a fantastic experience to live in a remote area in the outback region. We would fly in and out of work on a sea plane and our camp was surrounded by dingos, snakes, wallabies and plenty of underwater life.

On our weeks off we would fly to Broome and explore more of the beautiful gorges and waterfalls of the Kimberly region.

11. Favourite activity when around your city?

We love to walk around around Sydney Harbour, it is just so beautiful and there are plenty of walking paths. We might stop for lunch and a pint at one of the pubs in the Rocks area and catch a ferry around to Darling Harbour. We recently went to Taronga Zoo which we felt was a great Sydney day out

12. Do you feel you know your country well, or is more exploring of your homeland needed?

Australia is so big and diverse, I feel that I haven’t even touched the surface. We definitely need to explore more of Australia and would love to travel around it in a motorhome for at least a year.

13. Any warnings for travellers visiting in your country?

Bring plenty of cash! Australia is expensive so be prepared for it and look for ways you can reduce the cost.

Also wear sunscreen. Many tourists coming here don’t understand just how harsh our sun is until they go out in it for ten minutes on a hot summers day and they turn into a nice shade of vibrant red. The sun in Australia is brutal.

Sydney harbour

14. Must see movie featuring your country and Why?

Priscella Queen of the Desert- it is fun, flamboyant and hilarious- showing a different side of Australian life and the country as well.

15. The best book to read before visiting your country?

I love anything by Bryce Courtney that is set in Australia as he predicts our culture and history very well.

Bill Bryson’s ‘In a Sunburned Country” is also good.

16. The must eat dish or delicacy of your country?

Vegemite. Its our most famous spread and much loved by Aussies. You also must try a meat pie, a lamington and some pavlova.

17. The top three sayings to make travellers stay in your country easier? E.g. How much? Too expensive or Hello.

G’day mate- is for hello

The dunny is what we call the toilet

Fair dinkum- aussies use it all the time so its best for you to know what it means. It can mean “truly” or in asking if you “are being serious” or can be used in replacement of a swear word.

18. Best time of year to visit?

I think from November to Easter is the best time. The weather is warm and sunny and there are so many festivals and events on to enjoy.

19. The 4 words that best describe your country:

Outdoorsy, laid-back, diverse, exotic

Dismas (MUFASA) Alex, TANZANIA, Travel Profile

Introducing you to Tanzania by Dismas (Mufasa) Alex.

 

Mufasa is a dear friend to me who I only recently met on my amazing and epic journey, Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. As head guide, mufasa is responsible for all arrangements with staff and for the primary care of all 9 international participants on the trip. He commands his crew and orchestrates his tribe incredibly for a seamless and highly enjoyable tour.

 

I cannot wait to go back to Tanzania (planning 2 years time) to see more of the wonderful country and with my best guide and dear “Rafiki” (friend) by my side.

 

Read more about wonderful Tanzania from Mufasa and see his contact details below for those who are going!

 

 

1. Name: Dismas Alex (MUFASA)

 

2. Occupation: Tourism

 

3. Country of Residence: Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

 

4. Country of Origin: Tanzania

 

8 NORTHER ICE FIELDS FROM THE RIM

5. email/contact/ website ( If happy to be published on a website):

dismasguide@hotmail.com, safaris@tanganyikaparks.com

P.O.BOX 7711, MOSHI

Cell: +255 768 848 323; + 255 658 848 323

 

6. Why do you love Travel? I feel happy to participate and deliver my community with responsible travel caring about nature flora and fauna living free in wilderness.

 

7. Favourite place in your home country and why?

Kilimanjaro (the roof of Africa), been there more than 150 times. I feel freedom of mind on the highest peak of Africa, as on the foothills where I grew up in Marangu volcanic fertile land, God given us. I’m so proud of it.

 

Snows of Kili background

8. Best place for tourists to visit in your country?

Places in combination eco-tourism Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro & Serengeti.

 

9. What other country would you live in if you had to leave your country?

I love my country Tanzania; more important, it’s a peaceful country; If it happens I’d like to live in any country similar as my home country.

 

10. Best travelling experience anecdote in your own country?

That is during my childhood, when I first climbed Kilimanjaro 14 years ago; with no proper gearsuntil 4,600 meters, and that I was happy getting closer to those big blocks of permanent glaciers I use to see from the bottom, and also landscape when on Ngorongoro crater rim and Serengeti endless plain with vast wild beast migration.

11. Favourite activity when around your city?

Chatting and exchanging tourism ideas with friends and colleagues

 

12. Do you feel you know your country well, or is more exploring of your homeland needed?

I know most of my country places of interest physically in spite of the fact that more exploring needed (eco-tourism) to the new places for Tourists to visit as Tanzania is big and believed to have plenty of virgin interesting places to visit.

 

13. Any warnings for travellers visiting in your country?

Others are normal like any other country, to bring/have copy of their yellow fever certificate.

 

14. Must see movie featuring your country and Why?

Novels and movies featuring Tanzania, so they can have an idea what kind of a country they are going to visit

October 2011

 

15. The best book to read before visiting your country?

The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernst Hemingway.

 

16. The must eat dish or delicacy of your country?

Ugali (stiff porridge- corn flour) Banana stew, banana beer,

 

17. The top three sayings to make travellers stay in your country easier? E.g. How much? Too expensive or Hello.

“Karibu” – Welcome

“Hakuna matata” – No worries, no problems

“pole pole” – slowly slowly

“Poa kichizi kama ndizi” Crazy cool like a banana.

 

Our mountain tent

18. Best time of year to visit?

All year around, except the raining season March & April for hikers

 

19. The 4 words that best describe your country:

Tanzania the land of “Kilimanjaro”, “Serengeti”, “Ngorongoro” & “Zanzibar”

 

Emma and Mufasa on the SUMMIT!!!

 

 

 

 

 

KILIMANJARO

Mountain Guides & safari Outfitters

Post Office               Home Address:-

7711 Moshi              Taifa rd.

East Africa               Tanzania

Phone +255 768 848 323

E-mail: dismasguide@hotmail.com

Climbing/Safaris & Beaches

Adventurous Rotorua New Zealand

Adventure, outdoors, stunning scenery and thrills of a lifetime. Does this sound liek the ebst holiday ever?

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Well, for my mate Tak, this is LIFE. Tak lives in Rotarua New Zealand and started an adventure activity business offering white water rafting, biking, climbing and basically anything else which gets the heart rate going and the endorphins surging. The website for the action is www.multidayadventures.co.nz and Tak is happy to talk through your activty needs with you at any time.

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I visited New Zealand in 2003 and was surprised how different it is to Australia, as I always expected it to be similar. The people are just as friendly and lovely though and they will definitely have some fun joking around with you. New Zealand is diverse and exciting and it’s a must on any explorers destination map!

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Read why Tak is urging you to visit him in Rotorua, NZ!

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1. Name Takurua Mutu

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2. Occupation Company Owner/Operator

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3. Country of Residence New Zealand

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4. Country of Origin New Zealand

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5. email/contact/ website www.multidayadventures.co.nz

 tak@multidayadventures.co.nz

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6. Why do you love Travel?

The world has a lot to offer, it’s up to me to find it.

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7. Favourite place in your home country and why?

-My home town Rotorua. With 30 lakes in the region, 120km of purpose built mt bike trails, the worlds highest commercially rafted waterfall as well as 3 other grade 5 rivers nearby, surf 25mins away, snow 2 hours the other way, natural hot pools everywhere and of course the most important thing, my whanau. That for sure is the most important and wonderful thing about Rotorua. My tribe, Te Arawa, have always been very excepting and friendly as well as curious with foreigners and that’s what sets Rotorua apart from much of the rest of the country, our culture.

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8. Best place for tourists to visit in your country?

Do you have to ask?!? Queenstown is great, but Rotorua has that extra something special about it. It’s real, we have culture.

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9. What other country would you life in if you had to leave your country? Perish the thought, I couldn’t imagine not having this beautiful home of the Long White Cloud to come home to.

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10. Best travelling experience anecdote in your own country? They say there’s a problem binge drinking culture in New Zealand, well lets face it, after travelling around many a pub and clubs around the place you really do have to get as much drink in ya as you can when clubs only really get going for 2 hours a night.!!!!

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11. Favourite activity when around your city? The white water kayaking/sledging is pretty awesome but with our forest and trail networks set up as they are it’s pretty hard to go passed the mountain biking here.

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12. Do you feel you know your country well, or is more exploring of your homeland needed? I know New Zealand from top to bottom so well, but there are still so many rivers, mountains and forests I would love to explore.

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13. Any warnings for travellers visiting in your country? Watch out when visiting New Zealand, you may become hooked!!! Seriously, it’s a great place to visit and its safe. Like any country in the world we have the occasional crazy dude.

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14. Must see movie featuring your country and Why? Hard to say without getting clichéd. Lord of the Rings etc. were great, Whale Rider is a great little insight into Maori culture. But I suppose if you want an insight in to “good ol’ kiwi” sense of humour then you better watch Flight of the Concords (I realise this isn’t a movie but still….)

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15. The best book to read before visiting your country? 28th Battalion – It’s a non-fictional war book on our people in WW1 and 2. It’s a great book to see where the idea of kiwi ingenuity comes from and the background on the Maori people and we are called the Warrior race.

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16. The must eat dish or delicacy of your country? Have to try a proper Hangi or earth oven meal. Not many places do it well but if you ask the right person they may just put one down for ya. Otherwise try “Mitai” 

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17. The top three sayings to make travellers stay in your country easier? E.g. How much? Too expensive or Hello.

1) “Chur” – often followed by bro is a local greeting. But it is more than that, it can be used as an alternative to the following; – Hello – Good bye – Thank you – How are you? – I’m ok – That was cool/neat – Can I have that please? – Would you like one? (often refers to a beer or wine) – Are you alright? – Yes – No

2) “Sweet as” – Everything’s great

3) “Kia ora” – The bastardised way of saying hello in the Maori language. Really mean to live well and only said to someone you know or actually want to live well. Not really said to complete strangers until recently.

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18. Best time of year to visit? Depends on what you want to do. Surfing, some summer. Ski/Board, come winter. This place is great all year around.

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19. The 4 words that best describe your country:

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 Time of your life!

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Check out New Zealand with Tak – Visit www.multidayadventures.co.nz

Travel to KOREA with Juno

This week we have JUNO from Korea. I met Juno through her wonderful posts on her blog and her twittering! Now we share tips on travel.

Read about Juno’s experiences in her home country of Korea and check out her blog for great travel advice www.runawayjuno.com.

1. Name

Jiyeon Juno Kim (just Juno is fine)

2. Occupation

Mechanical Engineer.

3.Country of Residence

Seoul, Rep. of Korea for now

4. Country of Origin

Rep. of Korea

1. email/contact/ website

runawayjuno@runawayjuno.com /

twitter.com/RunawayJuno /

www.runawayjuno.com

5. Why do you love Travel?

It gives me un-describable thrill. Nothing gives me this much of thrill. Photography is one of my biggest passions in my life, so travelling and photography make perfect sense for me. The greatest thing of travel is meeting people. Wherever you go, you meet fellow travellers. Even though you came from totally different world, it’s so amazing that you can talk to each other with same values. This is what gives me a thrill during travelling. I’ve met so many great people on the road and planning to do so for a long time.

6. Favourite place in your home country and why?

Seoul. Because it is my hometown J  and has a lot of excitement.

7. Best place for tourists to visit in your country?

Seoul. Definitely.

East coast to beautiful nature (beaches and mountains)

Jeju island.

8. What other country would you life in if you had to leave your country?

Too many great places I want to live but I have to say NewZealand at this point. Because it is the best I’ve ever been so far.

9. Best travelling experience anecdote in your own country?

I went to Jin-do (Jin-island) at very south of Korea. It is really small Island so not many people live nor know. It was a middle of summer. Even though I love beach in summer time, I don’t like to be in crowd so I never go. But that time in Jin-do, I went on a beach and there were 5 people in the water! Water was cristal clean, beautiful sunshine, just so peaceful. I can here little child giggling with the sound of wave. It was magical moment. Some place should remain just like that.

10. Favourite activity when around your city?

Among many excitements in Seoul, I watch many great musicals, go to special festivals (like St.Patrick’s day festival yesterday) and visit sub-urban city around Seoul by subway.

11. Do you feel you know your country well, or is more exploring of your homeland needed?

I travel lots of place in Korea, but Korea still does have more things to see for sure. I think, it will never end J

12. Any warnings for travellers visiting in your country?

We are very secured country. If you are worrying about security issues.

Although I recoment learn few Koreans before your visit. Actually many Koreans can speak English well but just in case. J

Additionally we have a lot of spicy food so smell or ask before you eat. J Ouch in your mouth!

13. The best book to read before visiting your country?

It is very hard beacause not many of our books translate to English. I will let you know this too with the answer of No.14 J

14. The must eat dish or delicacy of your country?

Actually I had article about this in my blog. Here’s a link!

http://su.pr/1s8Cdn

15. The top three sayings to make travellers stay in your country easier? E.g. How much? Too expensive or Hello.

Hello : An nyung ha se yo.

Thank you : Gam sa hap ni da.

I can’t speak Korean : Han guk mal, mot hae yo.

16. Best time of year to visit?

We do have clear 4 seasons. All seasons are great, but if you insist I choose spring and autumn. All the flowers and new born trees in spring and flame color maple trees in the mountain. It could blow your mind.

17. The 4 words that best describe your country:

Country of rising sun.

Thom and Sean Travel the GLOBE

This week is an exciting DOUBLE DOSE with the travelling duo – Thom and Sean from the UK.

I met Thom and Sean via their great posts on Twitter and by xploring their awesome blog, http://www.thomandsean.com. These two certianly know how to write. I can’t wait to follow the guys as they travel around the world and eventually arrive in Australia to party with me!

Here Thom and Sean reflect on their home country, England and share the best with you.

1.      Name

Thom Cornall and Sean Fraser

2.      Occupation

Theatre technician (T) and photographer (S)

3.      Country of Residence

Currently the United Kingdom

4.      Country of Origin

United Kingdom

5. Website

http://www.thomandsean.com

6.      Why do you love Travel?

I think for us it’s the opportunity to meet new people and experience new things, trying out the world and seeing what else it has to offer.

7.      Favourite place in your home country and why?

Sean: I think the favourite place that we both share is Brighton.  It’s a seaside town (technically a city) on the south coast of England and it is brilliant.  It has gorgeous Georgian architecture, friendly people, lovely little shops and vintage interestingness and then there’s the beach.  Although not a sandy beach but a pebble beach it’s still fantastic.

Thom: Definitely agree with Brighton, it’s a damn lovely city. I’d probably throw in Chester too. It’s where I went to university so holds lots and lots of good memories for me. The town itself is quite small and easy to get around but holds loads of interesting shops, pubs and restaurants within the (Roman) city walls.

8.      Best place for tourists to visit in your country?

If you accept that London is a given for every tourist, which it should be because it has so much to offer, then we would recommend WHERE????

Thom: I guess it depends on the tourist! The UK has got so much to offer and can cater to pretty much any taste! If you like the countryside and fancy yourself a bit of a rambler then head up to the Lake District and Northumberland or down to Cornwall and Devon. Both areas host stunning natural beauty spots and the very best of the English countryside!

If you’re a history buff, your in luck – we’ve got shedloads of it. From Tudor houses Roman ruins you could pick pretty much any town or city and have something to look at. For me, Edinburgh would be the pick of the bunch simply for the castle alone.

If you like you nightlife and consider yourself very much a city-based tourist, then it really does have to be London. Huge, sprawling and crowded it may be but you could spend weeks here without running out of things to do!

Sean: I think I would recommend London, you can’t avoid it, but once you have I’d pick somewhere like Bath, Bristol or Manchester. London gets a lot of stick from the rest of the UK for not being a true example of British life. So, mix it up and visit somewhere outside the south east of England.

9.      What other country would you live in if you had to leave your country?

Thom: Difficult one to answer this. I’d probably go for Australia. Good climate, good beer and good people. What more could you need?!

Sean: The United States. The older I get the more I appreciate the liberty and freedom of the USA. Also, I like the eccentricity. I know I’ll love Australia but I don’t know if I can live that far away from everything else that I know? Part of our year there is to find out if we can!

10.  Best travelling experience anecdote in your own country?

Sean: When me and my friends were 16 we went on a mini-holiday to Bristol where we were going out to celebrate a birthday (bear in mind the legal drinking age in the UK is 18). We walked through all of Bristol trying to find a guest house with vacancies and we finally found one that we named Toad Hall. There were statues, pictures and toys of frogs EVERYWHERE. The landlady was something out of a Hammer Horror Film who insisted: “NO MONEY, NO KEY, NO MONEY, NO KEY”.

Suffice it to say we told her we would go and get cash, at which point we legged it! We found a new hotel and 10 or more years later we still chant ‘NO MONEY, NO KEY!’

11.  Favourite activity when around your city?

Thom: Going down to the Greyhound Racing track in Wimbledon and putting on a few bets! Such a fun night out and very easy to pick up.

Sean: Photography. London is just absolutely amazing for photography, there is every conceivable kind of back drop or setting and I know that I’m really going to miss that flexibility and inspiration once we’ve left.

12.  Do you feel you know your country well, or is more exploring of your homeland needed?

Thom: I’d certainly like to do some more exploring as you can always learn something new about a place. Saying that, I think I know the country quite well. As a kid we couldn’t afford to go on family holidays abroad so I’ve been to many and varied places in the UK.

Sean: I definitely need to explore the UK some more, I’ve still not been to Northern Ireland (or the Republic) and the last time I was in Cornwall I was a baby. I think I’ve got a fairly good handle on my country though. The south is hard and stuck up and the north is soft and friendly. Luckily for me I like stuck up and I like friendly!

13.  Any warnings for travellers visiting in your country?

Thom: Um, not that I can think of. It’s a very safe place. Of course, city’s and towns have there dodgy areas, as they do anywhere, but nothing major springs to mind.

Sean: The UK is expensive, I think Japan is one of the only countries more expensive than the UK. You won’t get value for money I’m afraid. Visit now though because the £ is barely worth the paper it’s printed on so it won’t seem so bad!

14.  Must see movie featuring your country and Why?

Thom: Withnail and I. Possibly quite dated now, but a very very funny film. And very British.

Sean: Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The British are a sarcastic bunch and also quite leftfield in their comedic tastes. If you can’t get the sense of humour then a visit here is going to leave you stranded.

15.  The best book to read before visiting your country?

Thom: I honestly can’t think of a single book that’s worth reading set in this country.

Sean: Probablysomething by Dickens or Shakespeare (technically plays not books)

16.  The must eat dish or delicacy of your country?

Thom: The classic Sunday Roast. Roast beef, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, veg, stuffing, horseradish sauce and lashings of gravy. Perfection.

Sean: Yeah, Sunday Roast is the best!

17.  The top three sayings to make travellers stay in your country easier? E.g. How much? Too expensive or Hello.

Thom: Beer comes in pints or halves. “I’ll have a pint/half of lager please barkeep”

The Underground public transport in London is called the Tube not the Subway. (Sean: and it’s pronounced ‘Choob’ not ‘te-u-be’

Never try to use Cockney rhyming slang – you’ll just end up sounding like a tool.

Sean: If someone asks “You alright?’ when you walk into a shop or when you first meet it means hello, how’re you? It doesn’t imply that you look distressed or dissevelled. You should respond in kind: ‘Yeah, you?’

‘Quid’ is slang for ‘pound’, eg that’ll be five quid = £5.

‘A cuppa’ is what everyone calls a cup of tea – ‘I fancy a cuppa’, ‘do you wanna cuppa?’ British tea comes with milk and often sugar, if someone asks how you like it they’re not getting fresh. ‘One lump or two’ means one teaspoon of sugar or two!

18.  Best time of year to visit?

Thom: I’m a summer man myself. Always lots and lots going on over the summer – music festivals, fetes, outdoor concerts.

19.  The 4 words that best describe your country:

Thom: Eclectic, Historic, Contrasting and Innovative.

Sean: Old, quirky, sarcastic, beer!

Follow the guys on Twitter @thom_sean

or see their blog -http://www.thomandsean.com

Courtney Crow- THE EXPLORER GIRL

Courtney Crow is the founder and operator of the amazing website www.explorergirls.com. I was lucky enough to find Courtney when looking for extra places to blog and how glad I am. Through this amazing travel website just for awesome, out there, adventurous girls, I have met some true friends.

Courtney is a freelance writer and photogrpaher. Her most recent posting was at the 2010 Winter Olypics in Vancouver. Meeting the likes of Shaun White and Torah Bright are just the part of a normal day for the adventurous Courtney.

Read about why she loves her home country the USA and make sure to check out the awesome website she has created for us travel lovers!

1. Name
Courtney Crow

2. Occupation
Online Publisher and Professional Photographer

3. Country of Residence
Australia
4. Country of Origin
USA

5. email/contact/ website
www.ExplorerGirls.com and www.CourtneyCrowPhoto.com

6. Why do you love Travel?

I love travel because it can open your mind up to all kinds of things…adventures, people and places. It’s the best way to learn more about the world and yourself. You always meet amazing and interesting people always along the way.

7. Favourite place in your home country and why?
Just recently I visited the Grand Canyon in Arizona and Monument Valley in Utah. I was blown away with the beauty of the landscapes. It was somewhere I had never been before and only seen in postcards. I went back to Utah to go ATV riding near the Zion National Park and again was taken back with all the beautiful terrain.

My other fave would be all the beaches…Florida, California and Hawaii!

8. Best place for tourists to visit in your country?
Now, I live in Australia and have for 8 years…I would say tourists who visit Australia have to go into the Outback. It’s somewhere people often skip because it can be hard to get to, but totally worth it. Uluru is just awesome!

9. What other country would you life in if you had to leave your country?
If I had to leave Australia I would consider moving to Canada. After visiting here for the Winter Olympics and living here for over a month I have seen so many great things about this country. The people are friendly and welcoming, the landscapes are beautiful and there are adventures all around us…snowboarding, heliskiing, dog sledding, hiking, biking, climbing, sailing….and the list goes on!

10. Best travelling experience anecdote in your own country?
People love travelling in Australia for the Great Barrier Reef, surf beaches in Sydney and along the coast lines and the Outback.

11. Favourite activity when around your city?
My closest city is Melbourne and when I’m there it’s all about shopping!

12. Do you feel you know your country well, or is more exploring of your homeland needed?
After touring around the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley I realised how much I don’t know about the USA and how many more places there are to explore…Yosemite National Park, Montana and so much more!

13. Any warnings for travellers visiting in your country?
When visiting Australia I would say just make sure you don’t travel into the bush or outback alone…it’s so vast and large and people can get lost and disappear.

14. Must see movie featuring your country and Why?
I would highly recommend ‘Australia’ the movie – it is a great tale about the history of Australia and shows some of the amazing landscape Australia has to offer.

15. The best book to read before visiting your country?
I would recommend ‘In a Sun Burned Country’ by Bill Bryson, because it tells you so much about Australia and it’s funny.

16. The must eat dish or delicacy of your country?
You must try Kangaroo! I know it sounds awful, but it free range and tastes really good!

17. Best time of year to visit?
Australia is best to visit in the summer, then you can advantage of all the warm beach days and hit the famous Aussie surf!

Pete in Sweden

Pete is a world traveller in the true sense, havng lived in Sweden, France and the UK and regularly travelling throughout Europe.

I met Pete in a hostel in Madrid in 2006 and we have been great friends ever since. If I ever need travel advice, he is the first one I turn to.

Pete now lives in Sweden and is loving the summers and the random coffee breaks. Also, of course, the hot swedish girls!!

Name
Pete Hodbod

Occupation
Videogame Designer

Country of Residence
Sweden

Country of Origin
UK

contact/ website
http://thehamsterfactor.com

Why do you love Travel?
The world is such a big interesting place, and I feel a need to see as much of it as possible.

Favourite place in your home country and why?
The Supermarket, because it has everything I miss most from home under one roof!

Best place for tourists to visit in your country?
The Archipelagos – just beautiful.

What other country would you life in if you had to leave your country?
London – It’s so different to the rest of the UK, it’s like being in another country. It’s probably the most international city on the planet and you can travel just about anywhere on the cheap.

Best travelling experience anecdote in your own country?
The Swedish government deliberately go out of their way to make it difficult for you to buy alcohol. Supermarkets can only sell beer up to 3.5%, so for anything stronger, spirits, or wine, you’ll need to go to the state run “System Bologet” where they deliberately close when you want to buy it most – after 6pm on weekdays, or after 3 on Saturday. Swedish people have learned however to stock up in advance.

Favourite activity when around your city?
Fika. It’s a Swedish obsession to stop for a break in the afternoon for coffee and cake.

Do you feel you know your country well, or is more exploring of your homeland needed?
Sweden’s a big country, and so far I’ve seen only the big cities and the South West. The country goes all the way north into the Arctic Circle (where they have the famous Ice Hotel), so there’s a lot left to see.

Any warnings for travellers visiting in your country?
Wait until summer before coming!
Summers are short but beautiful while winters are long and cold. Many Swedes take holidays abroad in winter but stay home in summer.

Must see movie featuring your country and Why?
You should watch the Wallander detective series (Version Original) to get a feeling for everyday life in Sweden.

The best book to read before visiting your country?
“The girl with a Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson for a taste of modern, gritty, and brutal modern Swedish crime literature.

The must eat dish or delicacy of your country?
Kanelbullar (Sweet Cinnamon rolls). I gained a 5-a-day addiction when I first arrived, but have since managed to ween myself off them.

The top three sayings to make travellers stay in your country easier? E.g. How much? Too expensive or Hello.
Swedish people generally speak excellent english and enjoy using foreigners as a chance to practice their english. But saying Hello, Thanks and Goodbye in Swedish is always polite.

Hej = Hello (hey)
en öl, tack! = one beer please (en url tack)
hejdå = goodbye (Hey-doh)


Best time of year to visit?
May to September

The 4 words that best describe your country:
Hot Blond Swedish Girls!