Wednesday 23 October 2013

11 days away...


All has been rather quiet on the blog front as we took a brief holiday to Kaikoura. Stopping in Wanaka and Christchurch on the way, I've been enjoying the life of a holiday maker.  Going fishing, long bus journeys, eating seafood and swimming with wild seals (my new favourite animal) has been my life these past eleven days.  Lots to tell but for now I'll leave you with this lazy seal and Kaikoura's amazing mountain range.

 My silence has also been a little longer than planned after my laptop decided to break.  The WiFi doesn't work anymore so I'm back to internet cafes and less frequent posts.

Now we're back in Queenstown for a few days, preparing all the bits and bobs before we head to the Milford track to start work.  I'm currently trying to shift my brain out of holiday mode and into working, but still my head is filled with seal pups and overland travel. Wish me luck!!!!

Friday 4 October 2013

7 bloggers that are awesome

        *Picture from here

I love blogs and reading about the lives of strangers.  I'm kind of weird like that.  Although I read a variety of blogs, there is a pattern forming from the ones I really love. It seems I like blogs that are a personal journey, following the blogger's life and passions. Most are travel blogs but I just can't connect with ones that solely concentrate on tips and country counting. For me, I want to relate to the posts and be able to see how people are going about their adventures.  I'm a sucker for chronology  and how people's lives are evolving as they go about their business.

So without further a do, here are seven bloggers who have inspired me and been a bloody good read:


Rika at Cubicle Throwdown ditched the office cubicle in Canada for life on the Honduras island of Roatan.  There she lives the uber-cool life of a dive instructor, enjoying meet ups with  dolphins, hammer head sharks and the occasional whale shark  Rika does a great job on highlighting the realities of expat life on a small island, showing the good, the bad and the ugly.   Plus, she comes across as pretty great person.

Jill at Battered Suitcases has shared her experiences teaching in the middle east, traveling Australia for a year and now her current move to Morrocco.  Her posts are not only insightful but some really brilliant photography.  I especially love her 'From the hip' segments, which include some great spontaneous photos from around the world.

Scarlett at scarlet in wonderland. If there is any blog that was put on the world wide web to get people out of a bad mood, this would be it.  A life style blog for those who don't take themselves too seriously, Scarlett's narrative can make the most mundane activities hilarious.  The Liverpool lady is planning on heading to Oz next year and I cannot wait to read what happens...

Alli from Illustrated adventures spent last year travelling from Shanghai to Edinburgh by land. A gifted photographer, her posts through Eurasia are incredible.  Many of the locations and sights she documents I had never heard of but makes me want to go. Badly.

Jaime at Memoirs of a Pilgrim When I was in Australia, I came across Jaime's blog. At the time I was looking for other foreigners living in Oz, but even with her move back to the states I am addicted to her exceptional photography and glimpses of her adventures. I was especially envious of her job with a kayaking company.

Taru at the World Tour Stories is on one hell of a journey. Sailing the world with her partner Alex, the photographer/model captures her lifestyle, travels and passions.  After reading some posts I've had a google-fueled search binge on deckhand positions in the Caribbean that has lasted hours. This blog is probably the most 'professional' blog I follow, however don't let  the glossy photos fool you.  This blog often lets slip how living the dream also has is set backs - costly refits being just one.

Charlie at the Couch Potato Chronicles, is a very good friend of mine.  One of the best people you'll ever find.  She is one of the most well traveled people I've ever met and yet, her beautifully written posts haven't even got to the independent traveler extraordinaire yet, she is still chronicling the family holidays that scarred her for life and made her the sexy beast she is today.

So there you have it, seven blogger I want to thank.  Thank you for inspiring me not only to travel, write and take photos, but also to celebrate my life and adventures.


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