Backpacking in Australia: The Magic of Bruny Island, Tasmania

Bruny Island is one of many islands off the coast of Tasmania. Obviously it’s Australian. Again I decided to visit there as I wasn’t sure how long I’ll stay in Tasmania and whether or not I will ever be in Tasmania again after this long stint on the island.   Bruny Island is situated on Read more about Backpacking in Australia: The Magic of Bruny Island, Tasmania[…]

“Here’s A Truck Stop Instead Of St. Peter’s – Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah”

“Here’s a truck stop instead of St. Peter’s Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah”, I have to admit that I don’t have a clue what that means. I am often confused by lyrics, and especially some of those REM lyrics from the early 90s. This particular lyric could easily have applied to my overnight stay at St. Read more about “Here’s A Truck Stop Instead Of St. Peter’s – Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah”[…]

West Coast Wilderness Railway Part Three – Searching For Gold at Lynchford

WEST COAST WILDERNESS RAILWAY PART THREE – SEARCHING FOR GOLD AT LYNCHFORD   The journey from Queenstown to Lynchford is probably around 12 kilometres. The magic had already begun as soon as we left Queenstown. We were travelling on a track through the middle of nowhere. A work of engineering genius, which had taken years Read more about West Coast Wilderness Railway Part Three – Searching For Gold at Lynchford[…]

Jonny Blair's travel blog

West Coast Wilderness Railway Part Two – Queenstown

    I had only 40 minutes in Queenstown, and although it was small, I quickly looked at what I wanted to see. In the end, just walking round the town for 30 minutes was enough time to “see” it all, if not experience an overnight stay in this quite remarkable little enclave.   I Read more about West Coast Wilderness Railway Part Two – Queenstown[…]

strahan to queenstown

West Coast Wilderness Railway Part One – Leaving Strahan

  I have always enjoyed railways and train journeys. As a kid it was spotting the different stations on the Bangor – Belfast train line. My home country of Northern Ireland is hardly blessed with a lot of train lines. I grew up about 5 miles from the nearest station, and my birthtown of Newtownards Read more about West Coast Wilderness Railway Part One – Leaving Strahan[…]

Broccoli Harvest: East Sassafras

Depending on your knowledge in life, Sassafras is either a type of tree, a type of tea, a type of soap or a village in Northern Tasmania. So where does that leave East Sassafras? And why? About 20 kilometres outside Devonport is where it leaves it. Broccoli farming being the reason why. So East Sassafras Read more about Broccoli Harvest: East Sassafras[…]

“There a Bottle-O in Wesley Vale?”

It was a question by my co-worker Cameron after another long long tough day on a broccoli field at Wesley Vale, just over 3 months ago during my farming work in Tasmania. “Bottle-O” in case you’re wondering, is a brand name for off licences here in Tasmania, as is the “Thirsty Camel.” The Australians call Read more about “There a Bottle-O in Wesley Vale?”[…]

TasmaNIan WilderNISC – The Green Devils – Planet Earth’s Southernmost Norn Iron Supporters Club

Not another Northern Ireland Supporters Club surely? And not just any old Northern Ireland Supporters Club! I just happened to form the world’s southernmost Northern Ireland Supporters Club. Or as we called it “Planet Earth’s Southernmost Norn Iron Buck Eejits,” so it is. There I was in March 2010, about to turn 30 years old Read more about TasmaNIan WilderNISC – The Green Devils – Planet Earth’s Southernmost Norn Iron Supporters Club[…]

Backpacking in Australia: Watching Karisma Katz Live At Eucalypt Lawn, Canberra

Nobody turns down a free concert do they? Well, I don’t. Though on this occasion, I almost did. My mate Neil has a knack of spotting random things happening nearby. He reads newspapers and magazines and keeps up to date with what’s going on, much more than I do. This means it’s great to travel Read more about Backpacking in Australia: Watching Karisma Katz Live At Eucalypt Lawn, Canberra[…]

Backpacking in Australia: Visiting Canberra’s Carillon

What is a Carillon? I’m not really sure and I’m not going to look it up in a dictionary, and the first time I’d heard that word was January 2010, while in Canberra, Australia’s under-rated and often over-looked capital. Sitting nicely and obviously in front of Lake Burley Griffin, lies this “Carillon”, which is actually Read more about Backpacking in Australia: Visiting Canberra’s Carillon[…]