The question “Which Scottish settlement is Dunedin named after?” would have an obvious answer…and from the Scottish capital city of EDIN- Burgh, we find ourselves in Dun – EDIN. The “Burgh” obviously translating itself somehow as the word “Dun” in either Maori or Kiwi speak. Either way it wasn’t an obvious place for me to…
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The word “Township” has always confused me in life, and it wasn’t until 2010 that I thought I knew what it meant. I heard reports from people going to South Africa to watch the World Cup and they said they were visiting “townships”, which I seen as slums or working class black or white areas.…
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There are a lot of glaciers in New Zealand, and they are all in the South Island. For whatever reason it was always my plan to do the day hike up the Franz Josef Glacier. It seems to be the most obvious one to do, there’s the slightly bigger glaciers nearby of Fox and Tasman,…
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A mini airport and an isolated yellow private jet were the welcoming sign to the village of Makorora. Or rather West Makarora. That and the immense landscape of never ending trees, hills, rivers, valleys and mountains. A feast for your wandering eyes. When everything human has failed you, only nature can set you free again.…
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First night in the cold misty township of Franz Josef and I’m staying in Glow Worm Cottages. Quite mystical and spooky, and in total isolation seemingly from the parties of New York, the business meetings of London and the flair of Milan. Franz Josef Township is an extraordinary little place. Over dinner I met…
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Belfast or Beal Fierste, is obviously the capital city of my home country of Northern Ireland. That home will always be the original Belfast – where the name began, just like New York is really just York with skyscrapers. So around the world there have been scattered a few “Bangors” and “Belfasts”, and spontaneously I…
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Well I certainly didn’t mean to do Para Gliding. But then life is better when its all spontaneous. Queenstown, by the way is a very popular tourist resort nestled in between two massive mountains ranges and national parks near the south of New Zealand’s South Island. Over the years, Queenstown has developed into a party…
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New Zealand really can teach the rest of the world how to treat passengers travelling on buses, coaches and tour companies. The treatment of the passengers is always top class, and on any given route you get lots of stop-offs where you can decide to stay, get off or get back on. And the stop…
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After the Franz Josef Trek, it was time for a really really chilled out evening. This began by getting freshened up and dried up in the wetness of the Glow Worm Cottages. Then there was free soup to be had at the hostel kitchen. Excellent home brew and well needed in the cold climate…
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Arrival at Greymouth was via the immense northern mountains of the New Zealand South Island. On arrival there I was greeted by grey skies and drab surroundings, knowing a had a few hours sightseeing there meant nothing, though like many others its a popular venue to stay overnight and to do adventure sports. …
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