Short Trip to Canberra

March 19, 2017 by Brad

In late 2016 I travelled to Canberra for work. It was my first time visiting Australia’s capital city.

Getting to Canberra was an adventure in itself, the original flight I was on was cancelled and then the second flight also got cancelled. In the end I ended up flying on a flight which was due to leave before my original cancelled flight which itself was delayed until after my original departure time. After I arrived in Canberra I caught an Uber to my accommodation in the suburb of Forrest. From there I walked to the centre of the city which is a rather long walk so I rewarded myself with dinner and an Uber ride back to my hotel. The following morning I quickly went to both the old and new parliament buildings before meeting up with my colleagues for a day and a half of work meetings.

Below are some photos from the trip.

Photos: Auckland Weekend Adventure

February 18, 2017 by Brad

In November a friend of mine from Europe was visiting Auckland. I went across for a weekend to show them around my hometown.

Below are some photos from that day, they were taken at Mt Victoria, Long Bay, and Western Springs Speedway.

The highlight of the day was capturing a photo of a tui in the bush at Long Bay.

NZ Winter Adventure – Part Six: Wanaka to Queenstown

January 2, 2017 by Brad

On my final day in the South Island I drove from Wanaka to Queenstown, did some sightseeing and jumped on a plane to Auckland.

My day began at midnight where I stayed up until the clocked rolled over so I could change my flexi-time airfare to a later time in the day allowing me to see more during the day.

NZ Winter Adventure – Part Five: Skiing at the Remarkables

December 30, 2016 by Brad

On my second day in Wanaka I went skiing at the Remarkables with some friends.

NZ Winter Adventure – Part Four: Treble Cone

December 17, 2016 by Brad

My first day in Wanaka started with a decision to go skiing at Treble Cone for the day.

Treble Cone isn’t too far from Wanaka, however, it is one very impressive and dangerous drive to get up the mountain.

NZ Winter Adventure – Part Three: Christchurch to Wanaka Road Trip

December 11, 2016 by Brad

Following a weekend exploring Christchurch, Methven and Ashburton I drove from Christchurch to Wanaka. Direct driving time for the 430km trip is just over five hours, but in reality it takes all day. Starting out from Christchurch right on 9am, I first stopped at the Cookie Time factory which is located on the outskirts of the city.

NZ Winter Adventure – Part Two: Ashburton Gorge

November 26, 2016 by Brad

After spending an afternoon exploring Christchurch I met a friend at Christchurch airport and drove to Methven for the night. The following morning I slept in and was woken by housekeeping (they were stunned that people were still sleeping on such a beautiful day).

NZ Winter Adventure – Part One: Christchurch

October 15, 2016 by Brad

In mid-September I went to New Zealand for ten days for a short holiday. The trip began with a flight from Sydney to Christchurch. This was the first time I’ve visited Christchurch since 2009. After landing, collecting my bags and picking up a rental car I drove into the central city. As I drove through the suburbs I didn’t see any damage from the various earthquakes that have rocked the city over the last five years. However, once I got into the CBD I was surprised by the extent of the still visible damage and empty streets. The rebuilding has produced a number of impressive new buildings but there is still much more to be rebuilt – and even buildings left to be torn down.

Central Europe Adventures 2016 – Part Twenty Three: Frankfurt

July 16, 2016 by Brad

My final day in Germany began by being woken to the sound of Worms Cathedral’s bells tolling. After taking a shower in the freezing bathroom of my hotel room (it was more of a B&B) I carefully packed my suitcase and carry-on backpack for one final day of adventure and then the long journey back to Sydney.

Once I had finished breakfast I rugged up as it was a very cold morning and walked through the pedestrian mall of Worms back to the Worms’ Hauptbahnhof to catch a train to Frankfurt. As I walked I discovered a plaque noting the place where Luther had lived during the Diet of Worms.

Central Europe Adventures 2016 – Part Twenty Two: Technik Museum Speyer

July 2, 2016 by Brad

The Technik Museum Speyer was the biggest surprise of my trip. As stated in my previous post I had not heard about the town of Speyer until the previous evening and I went there on a whim. Visiting the museum was then a last minute decision as I had a few hours spare.

The museum is very large and has an amazing collection of planes, trains and automobiles from all areas of the globe. Seeing the Buran Space Shuttle alone would have satisfied me but also walking through a Boeing 747, Antonov 22 and German U-Boat made this museum the best I’ve ever been to – better than Kennedy Space Center.