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)

Beijing

Haven't even finished writing the stories from the recent North & South America famils but tomorrow I am off to Beijing for work for a week. This is kind how crazy life has been this year. Oh well, something to do on the three plane rides there and then back, I guess.

See you on the other side.

   

(Pic credit: Time Out Beijing)

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)

48 Hours in Hong Kong

My story from last month's Kia Ora Magazine (Air NZ inflight magazine) is here if anyone's planning a trip to this fascinating place.

Hola Chile and Argentina

I'm not quite sure how I've managed to swerve around these countries to date (actually, I do know: a few years ago, I was invited on a media trip to Chile but had to be in Oman instead!)

Anyway, tomorrow I head off on a 14-day media famil which I'm seriously looking forward to (apart from anything else, because I've been working like a dog to finish stuff before going and my head is about to explode if I don't see some different walls soon!)

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.

    

Lesser known river cruise destinations

My story about his was in last Sunday's Sunday Star Times (click here to read).

Sadly, I haven't done all of these but hopefully soon...

 
Pic Credit: Stuff NZ)

San Francisco - an Edible Excursion

Playing catch up but this ran a week or so ago, my story of the food walking tour of SF's Ferry Building I did recently (click here to read).

Bora Bora

So last week I spent six nights in Bora Bora, the French Polynesian idyll that's as nice to say as it is to visit.

Of course it was for work. And I was on my own (not so much fun in honeymoon central). And it rained most days (but it was bath-water warm and didn't last very long). And, don't hate me, but I got to stay at four amazing resorts for a magazine story - Four Seasons Bora Bora, the St Regis Bora Bora, Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa and Conrad Bora Bora Nui.

I was sooo spoiled but, of course, loved every minute of it. Now I have to go back to cooking and cleaning for myself (and generally deal with the trauma of not having a butler or five star service).

But when I'm scrubbing the toilet, I can always look at these pictures and be transported back to paradise.

Now I just have to write the bleeding story....

          

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).

   

Morocco and Portugal, here I come!

In a few hours I will get on a big silver bird to fly to Auckland and then after a few hours of fannying about at Auckland Airport, will do the first 17 hour leg to Dubai where I'll have a shower (thank you, god of airport lounges) and then a couple of hours later do the 8.5 hour schlep to Casablanca

I'll be doing a seven night tour of Morocco for a story and then flying to Porto for a five night river cruise, also for a story. Thank you Emirates Airlines for taking pity on a poor journalist and bumping me up to business class. I truly heart you.

See you on the other side.

(Images of Morocco and Porto c/o Google Images)

       

Christchurch

It's been a long time between drinks, but tomorrow I fly down to the garden city to spend two days eating and drinking my way around it for a story. The fast has begun in preparation.

    Pic credit: Google Images

Laos

Tonight I fly from Wellington to Canberra and then onto Singapore with the gorgeous @singaporeair. And then after an eight hour wait in Singers (thank you to the god of airline lounges) I will be on my way to Laos for a couple of stories.

See you on the other side.

(Pic credit: Google Images)

     

A travel marathon

Tomorrow I fly to Auckland and a few hours later, three journos and a PR fly to Doha (at 17.5 hours, currently the world's longest duration flight), where we spend another three hours, and then another five or six hours onto Heathrow. And then a two-hour bus ride to Bristol.

My frazzled wee brain can't even begin to compute how many hours of continual forward motion that is. At least we have managed to wangle seats in business class (thanks @Qatar Airways ).

There's barely time for a quick shower, before we hit the ground running in Bristol, with a full day of activities.I have arranged to meet one of Bristol besties, Anita, that night and much has happened since I last saw her a couple of years ago, so I will no doubt be employing clothes pegs to make my eyes stay open.

As always, I will miss my two boys terribly, especially the four-legged one.

See you on the other side.