Exploring Queensland’s Cape Hillsborough with kids […] read more…
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Like a lot of people, Raffles love animals. But unlike a lot of people he thinks twice about attractions that involve them, because we’ve seen some pretty hideous stuff calling itself animal tourism on our travels. Especially when it comes to his beloved elephants. He was just seven when he announced that even if he […] Read more…
Sure, Sri Lanka has endless beaches, a rich ancient culture, a cuisine that borders on the addictive and some of the loveliest people you’re ever likely to meet, but it also has elephants. Lots of them. So, when my British-based BFF agrees to meet me in Sri Lanka for a week of gin-infused cultural adventure, a […] Read more…
“What do you mean there’s no social media?” are amongst the first panicked words out of my mouth on arrival at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport. I’m trying to sort out a SIM card to stay in touch with my kids, my husband and the world at large, but am informed that while I was airborne, […] Read more…
One of the best things about travelling with Raffles and Sugarpuff is how what started as an organic introduction to art has become something of an obsession. But it is something that I hadn’t realised had captured them quite so wholly until I saw their reaction to the Dunedin Street Art Trail. I mean they’ve […] Read more…
Move over Howarts Express. Dunedin Railway’s scenic Taieri Gorge route to Middlemarch has stolen the kids’ hearts as our favourite rail journey to date. And while we may not be en route to wizard school, it’s certainly a magical journey. The amazing Taieri Gorge Railway journey begins in Dunedin at the city’s historic railway station, a renaissance […] Read more…
Not only does Dunedin, the South Island’s Scottish heritage city, offer world class museums, epic castles, and some of New Zealand’s prettiest scenery, it’s also packed to bursting point with gastronomic delights. In fact, Dunedin turned out to be quite the culinary revelation for this food fixated fam. Their sublime fine diners and cool cafes […] Read more…
New Zealand and I share more than a bit of history! You see, not only was my beautiful mama born and raised there, but it was the very first overseas destination I ever visited. The country wormed its wily wonderful way into my heart on that very first visit, and has drawn me back again […] Read more…
Houston, we have a problem. Well, at least Raffles does. You see the boy is so obsessed with space that’s he’s saving up all his pocket money for a $250,000 a hit ticket on a yet-to-launch Virgin Galactic space flight (yes, he’ll be saving until he’s about 157 by my calculations), and has grand plans […] Read more…
With United Airlines launching flights direct from Sydney to Houston, an already popular hub that connects travellers to America’s Southeast, Midwest, East Coast and Latin America, Australians are wondering what the city, America’s fourth-most populous and most diverse city, might have to offer visiting families. I discover, after a few days of the city’s extreme congeniality, […] Read more…
There’s a distinct chill in the air and that only means one thing at Casa Eats World! Nagging. Incessant freakin’ nagging! Because, you see, both my wee powder pups are hooked on ice. Thankfully though, it is the type that falls from the sky as opposed to the stuff that’s manufactured in dodgy suburban garages. As […] Read more…
It’s sooo fluffy” declares Raffles happily as he leaps out of our coach into the nearest heap of fresh snow, disappearing somewhere into its powdery depths. We’ve arrived at Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Tomamu, just a 90-minute drive from New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, to flurries of snowflakes dancing in the sky like frosty fairies. I’m so entranced […] Read more…
The Cambodian people love a little charred protein. But they things a little differently to us Aussies when it comes to a barbie. Like my kids, they love cooked stuff on sticks. And not just any old stuff… well, actually I suppose it is pretty much every old stuff. We braved a fair few of […] Read more…
My mama is the only person I know who can actually make magic happen. She’s always conjuring up incredible creations in the kitchen and has this way of making everything my sister and I wish for come true. And she does it all without even needing to use an accio summoning charm. She is so magic, I […] Read more…
There was no way we could come all the way to Old Blighty without a visit to Marlow, a town on the Thames that also happens to be our daughter’s namesake. And darned if it isn’t as full of character and charm as she is. Located between Windsor and Henley on Thames on the River […] Read more…
As far as family travel destinations go it might not make it to the top of the charts, but Cambodia is the stuff of kids’ Indiana Jones and Lara Croft-infused fantasies and should definitely be on your family holiday hit list. Not only are the people welcoming and the resorts kid-friendly, it’s easy and fun to […] Read more…
It’s no secret that Raffles is a bit of Sir Richard Branson fan, speaking often about how he wants to be just like him when he grows up. You know, “successful, kind… and a billionaire”. And I have no problem with that. But Raffles has a huge problem with the fact that I am enjoying […] Read more…
There is a mysterious vortex just south of Christchurch on the Banks Peninsular. Either that or our driver has taken a wrong route… by about 18,000 kilometres, because somehow, we appear to have pulled up in France. Not that I’m complaining. I’m a Francophile from way back and am quite happy to find myself strolling […] Read more…
If it flies, speeds, falls or rolls, then there is a good chance Raffles, my mini man of action, is going to want to try it, which is a little problematic given his mother is something of a coward. When he leaps, jumps and slides his way into mischief he assures me “Danger” is his […] Read more…
Despite the fact that we have explored the destinations immediately above and below it many a time, Queensland’s Mackay Region is one of those places that we just seemed to keep missing. But a recent visit made us realise what a major oversight that has been. From its Art deco buildings and pretty palm-tree lined […] Read more…
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, travel for Mr Eats World and I meant finding a bargain deal for a random destination, chucking a handful of clothes, a camera and a toothbrush in a backpack and buggering off. But when two became three, booking a holiday suddenly required actual thought and planning, and to […] Read more…
We’re leading a small flotilla of long boats across Inle Lake, the machine gun rat-ta-tat of their engines shattering the silence in this serene water world, almost as much as the squealing “woohoos” coming from Raffles as we rev up and race our way across the freshwater lake. Strewn with marshes and floating gardens, and skirted by teak stilt-houses and pretty […] Read more…
Disguising myself with my darkest glasses and a wide brimmed hat, I slip unnoticed into the shadows as my kids bury the body. Ummm… maybe I should rephrase that. It’s barely 10am, and with the sun’s heat already pounding onto the white powdery sand of Maré’s Yejele Beach, I’m determined to nab a shady spot so […] Read more…
Travel means different things to different people. When you’re flying solo, it may be for the chance to discover the world, or to discover yourself. And when you travel with kids, you might view it as a chance to bond or an opportunity to raise globally aware humans. No matter how or who you travel […] Read more…
We’re raving fans of Dunedin’s food scene. We’ve lavished praise on its scones and soufflés, extolled the virtues of its bagels and bombe Alaska and written sonnets of salivating praise on everything from its dumplings to its degustation dining. But sometimes in our excitement we forget the obvious and inescapable, and in this case, that […] Read more…
Though Raffles hasn’t had the pleasure of visiting Hawaii, he did get to enjoy a taste of what it has to offer with Chef Ryan Urig, Executive Chef, Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, who joined the Hilton Hawai’i team to showcase Hawaiian ingredients and the produce of the islands at the Hilton Sydney. So, […] Read more…
My first ever degustation experience was at a restaurant called Mugaritz in San Sebastian in Spain. Allegedly it is amazing. I wouldn’t know though because I was like five months old at the time and slept in my pram as mum and dad shoveled food in their faces. And ever since they’ve been showing me […] Read more…
Located on the southern edge of New Zealand, Dunedin is a small but pretty city that packs a remarkably educated, creative and innovative punch. It is home to the world-renowned University of Otago, New Zealand’s oldest, and has a rather clever population that boasts more PHDs per capita than an episode of the Big Bang […] Read more…
They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re all together ooky … not unlike their quasi-Goth mama! I’m talking, of course, about my very own gruesome twosome! Raffles and Sugarpuff are more excited than usual at the prospect of a weekend at one of our favourite Sydney “haunts”, the Novotel Sydney Central. It’s not […] Read more…