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The Kindness of Strangers II, Turkey
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The Skipper had told us that the Turkish people readily go out of their way to help visitors to their country. A local bloke definitely made our visit to Ayvalik memorable, making sure three strangers and a dog felt welcome in his town.
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The Dardanelles, Turkey
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Today I motored down the Dardanelles, along the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey, one hundred and five years after my relative John (Jack) Gibbs arrived at ANZAC Cove.
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Topkapi Palace, Turkey
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The architecture of Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace is impressive to say the least, with buildings being added over the centuries as successive Sultans tried to out-magnificent each other
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Swallows and Amazons
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A chance discovery in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands Urupukapuka is the largest island in New Zealand’s aptly named Bay of Islands. During a recent kayak trip (see Paddling the Bay) I had the opportunity to explore Urupukapuka, and climbed the grassy walking track to the Island’s highest point. I…
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Bay of Islands, New Zealand
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Paddling the Bay New Zealand’s Bay of Islands is located on the north-east coast of the North Island. Maori called the Bay Ipipiri, however Captain Cook re-named it the Bay of Islands in 1769 on account of it being a bay of islands. Paddling the Bay’s intricate coastline promised a…
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Te Paki Coastal Track, New Zealand
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‘Round the Cape The Kiwis refer to Northland, the northernmost region in the north of the North Island, as ‘The Winterless North’. Now I’m here to tell you that winter in The Winterless North is still bloody cold, however it is just marginally warmer than the winter in The Wintermore…
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Driving around New Zealand
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The tardis nation New Zealand is a relatively small place. Covering only 268,021 square kilometres, this little nation is only 40,000 km2 bigger than the state of Victoria. In fact, if you were to add Tasmania to Victoria (I can hear the Victorians panicking from here…) New Zealand would fit in…
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There’s only one way of life and that’s your own
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I have often felt that I don’t really fit in. Whether this is true or a neurosis I’m not sure. But I often just feel a little bit on the outer. Travelling as a single, middle-aged bloke is unusual, at least that’s what I’ve found on my world tour of…
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Identity
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‘Can you tell me who I am?’ When I was young I couldn’t understand the question, but I was sure of the answer. Nowadays the question is clear but the answer is not.
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The Wreck of the Gairloch, New Zealand
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‘Near hidden reefs we appear in the gloom, luring mariners to their doom…’ Although New Zealand is a relatively small country, what it lacks in area it certainly makes up for in coastline. Aotearoa has an impressive 15,000km of coast, much of which is wild and rugged. The early European…