Top of the Morning...

Am off to one of my favourite countries in the world - Ireland - for a 12-day coach tour for a story. Am most excited about channelling my Downtown Abbey fantasties at the glorious Ashford Castle  and having a go at falconry.

Oh and then flying to Hamburg for three nights at the end to see a mate.

See you on the other side.

   
(Pic of Dublin from The Telegraph)

Sleepless in Seattle

And Portland. Tomorrow I fly to the US for a 10 day media road trip which will be fun (if I can manage to shake this horrible cold I brought back from South America, that is). Defo looking forward to some sunshine, though.

See you on the other side.

(Pic credit: Google Images)

Sunshine Coast

Packing the sunhat and swimsuit because I'm off to Australia's Sunshine Coast tomorrow for six nights on a media trip and the interweb tells me its 32+ degrees there. Eeek! My comfort zone usually hovers around the 28 degree mark.

Oh well, time to put on my big girl pants (and a tonne of sunscreen) and suck it up. See you on the other side.

(Pic: Queensland.com)

Hong Kong

The travel gods do love me, afterall! Am off to Hong Kong, one of my favourite places on the planet, tomorrow for a quick media trip.

Hello exquisite dumplings, shopping and the best subway system on the planet.
See you on the other side.

 
(Pic Credit: Google)

Oops

So I went to Bali for Kia Ora Magazine and came back, and then went to Oamaru also for Kia Ora Magazine and also came back.

In between, there has been a heap of deadlines and renovation of the new house and all the other usual twists and turns of life. Apologies to the three people who are still reading this blog.

But here are some pics of the Bali media trip where we stayed at the ever glorious Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay and then Alila Villas Uluwatu (both of which I stayed at last year for a story). This time we also ventured to Canguu where we stayed at the fantastic Hotel Tugu Bali, a traditional Balinese hotel which is charmingly old school, an oasis among the sometimes chaos of Batu Bolong Beach. If you're headed to Canguu, then I would definitely recommend it.

         

Bali bound

For the second time in just over a year, I will spend a week in Bali for a magazine. It was supposed to be Lombok but then the devastating quakes happened last month and, not surprisingly, that media trip was pulled.

But am looking forward to returning to Bali tomorrow - just hope the quakes there this week have also abated. Wish me luck!

Today's visual is of one of the gorgy resorts I will be staying at - Alila Villa Uluwatu. Be still, my beating heart.

    

Coast and Country

A few months back, I 'did' the three-day Tora Coastal Walk at the heel of the North Island.

That story is published in the June issue of North & South Magazine (click here to read).

   

Apologies

Naughty me, have been home two and a bit weeks and still haven't posted any pics of the Japan trip. Too much work, too much time spent on Instagram rather than here, is pretty much what it boils down to.

But hopefully some of this visual loveliness will help assuage my neglect of this blog. I vow to do better next time.

     

Land of the Rising Sun

Apologies for the radio silence, I've been literally running to meet deadlines before I fly to Japan tomorrow.

It's been a while since I visited this fascinating country, so I'm really looking forward to reacquainting myself with Tokyo and Kyoto.

See you on the other side.

 
(Pic credit: You Tube)

Porto

Yes, I know I've been back a month but I have literally been running since I returned. Deadlines have been coming so thick and fast, my brain is literally leaking out of my ear.

But here is visual evidence that I was indeed in Portugal's second city last month and cruising along the Duoro (and not, as some wag on Instagram suggested, at home in Welly wearing sweatpants, eating takeout and posting travel images ripped from the web).

I'm still writing the stories from this leg of the media trip but in the meantime, here are some visuals of this gorgeous city which is now my BFF.