It’s nearly time for me to leave Sydney and I’ve had an amazing time here. On my first day, the host of my guesthouse recommended that I take a bus to Bondi Beach and follow the coastal path for about 6km south to Coogee Beach, which is her favourite. The path takes in several famous…
Vanuatu to Sydney
Yesterday, my last full day in Vanuatu, I kayaked across the bay from my resort to Hideaway Island. It’s about a 3km trip and it did occur to me several times that I might have finally lost my mind, but I just kept paddling and eventually reached the other side after about an hour and…
Hello from 2019!
I thought that Fiji was beautiful, but Vanuatu is really on another level. I’d highly recommend visiting here if you ever get the chance; it’s just a shame it’s so far from the UK. That may be a little unfair on Fiji, however, as I felt ill for most of my time there, whereas now…
Tanna
A couple of months ago, I changed my flight from Fiji so that I had time to visit Tanna, an island in the south of Vanuatu, and I don’t regret it! Paul Theroux calls this “the strangest island in Vanuatu” and it’s famous for three alleged world records: the longest-erupting active volcano, the largest banyan…
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas everyone! It’s pretty bizarre to be sitting here on Christmas morning with “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” playing in the restaurant. Fat chance of that in 30 degree heat! The staff here rose to the challenge of finding something for me to do on the Sunday before Christmas and sent me to…
Bula from beautiful Fiji
Lots of places claim to have the most beautiful scenery and the friendliest people in the world, but I think that Fiji might actually win on both counts! It’s hard to believe that a place this beautiful actually exists. I am staying in a bure (bungalow) overlooking the sea on the south of the main…
From Hong Kong to Fiji
I made the most of my last half-day in Hong Kong and took a Star Ferry from Central to Kowloon, as recommended by my friend Jess and pretty much every travel guide every written. The ferry costs an incredible 30p or so for the 10-minute journey across the bay on an historic boat, with views…
Hong Kong
I’m posting briefly from my stopover in Hong Kong before flying to Fiji later. I’m not quite sure how to sum up the past 36 hours in a family-friendly way; I’m not sure that’s possible, so will probably need to gloss over large parts of it. Suffice to say that HK has lived up (down?)…
Peaks and troughs – mainly the latter
This is not an easy topic to write about, but I feel it’s important to do so and have promised some of my piano pupils that I would. After my first couple of months learning the clarinet, during which time I was excited and soaking up new skills like a sponge, I hit a bit…
Stephen Hawking
Much has been said and written about Professor Stephen Hawking following his recent death from motor neurone disease. I don’t intend to repeat what others have already said so eloquently, but I do want to say that this sad news has re-focused my attention on the charity I am raising money for – the Motor…
Helen the Liege 