Update: Cadbury World closed permanently in May 2018 We only had two days and chose to focus on Cadbury World’s Tasting Tour, Speights’ Brewery Tour and a guided tour at the Royal Albatross Centre. Yet, Dunedin has a lot more to offer than just these highlights.  It has a stunning setting. Enveloped by towering but extinct volcanoes, and spread out like...

India is a vibrant country steeped in tradition, culture and contrasts.  She boasts mountain ranges, sweeping plateaus (deccans) and deserts, and modern sky-scrapers developed next to slums and temples. Udaipur nestles in the south western part of Rajasthan and revels in its title of “The Venice of the East” and home to James Bond’s Octopussy.  After a few days in...

Updated: November 2018 "Any final tips?" Vladimir nervously asks our guide, Lee - not entirely sure that he really expects an honest answer. With a smile the width of the Tongariro River, the response is quick and delivered with typical Kiwi humour - "Just stay in the raft". Bobbing up and down like excited toddlers on a fairground carousel, the sounds...

Australia’s Gold Coast boasts an endless playground for families and has become a mecca for theme-park addicts.  If you’re looking to brave some of the world’s tallest & fastest rides, interact with nature’s finest animals or simply looking for some aquatic adventure, you won’t be disappointed. Australia’s theme park capital boasts the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most varied selection of...

“Mine’s the orange one” Cerys demands with a mischievous cheeky smile.“I’ll have the lilac one” adds Cerys’ friend Laura. The remaining choice hangs in the balance and my wife Karen saves me some embarrassment as she grabs the “hot-pink” ball and leaves me with the more masculine mustard yellow one. King Tutt’s Putt Putt is in bustling Surfers Paradise...

I'm just a few minutes into 25 kilometres of heart pumping adventure and I think I know how James Bond must have felt careering down the Thames in The World Is Not Enough.  But I am not in London.  I am in Surfers Paradise on Australia’s Gold Coast. "Welcome to Paradise Jet Boating" Lisa greets us as we prepare for 55 minutes...

Our mission was simple.  I would lead a small task force of seafood lovers and infiltrate Huka Prawn Park to snatch as many prawns as we could in 3 hours and return to base. Codenamed “Operation Huka Prawn Park Hunt” we knew the risks.  We’d strike deep into the world’s only geo-thermal prawn park and use all of our stealth...

Travelling in Asia will never be complete if you have not visited the beautiful city of Singapore. Don’t be fooled by its size because although this country may be small, it is the most advanced metropolis in Southeast Asia. In fact, the capital city (also named Singapore) comprises one-third of the mainland making it almost the whole country in...

Updated: November 2018 The Bay of Islands has been a favourite holiday spot for generations of Kiwi families.  At its heart, lies the picturesque seaside village of Paihia, which offers a relaxed pace for locals and tourists alike. During summer, visitors use it as a base to explore the area’s enchanting 144 islands and experience its rich history. Needing to wind-down from...

Many whale-watching excursions result in nothing more than sunburn, disappointment and a wasted day.  My recent whale-watching trip with Auckland's Whale & Dolphin Safari certainly dispelled that myth. With 6 weeks of Rugby World Cup 2011 ending 6 days ago, Auckland has returned to a cosmopolitan lifestyle city offering more than just rugby.  With a Sunday ahead with no sport,...