Travel Boating Lifestyle

18/11/2024

Day 4 riding Sri Lanka was my favourite so far. Why? It started with a misty sunrise before riding towards yet another UNESCO listed ancient city. The riding was easy and flat as our route wound around a lake before arriving at the 10th century former Sri Lankan capital of Polonnaruwa. Then, loaded the bikes in the bus, then jumped into a jeep to cruise through a national park, hoping to see elephants. Is there anything cuter than a baby elephant? No, I don't think so either... swoon
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18/11/2024

Day 3 was another epic day of riding the heritage trails of Sri Lanka. Highlights included:
Golden Temple of Dambulla
Monkeys & more monkeys
Sigiriya (aka Lion Rock) - an ancient royal palace hundreds of metres above the ground atop a rock reached by a heart-stopping set of stairs. Back in the Kings day he was carried up steps cut into the rock by his disciples, where 500 concubines awaited his arrival...
1,500 year-old-frescoes painted within a cave near the top of Lion Rock reached by a spiral staircase
Awesome riding alongside canals and lakes accompanied by friendly locals and their tethered cows

12/11/2024

So good to get on our bikes & start riding Sri Lanka. We started on the coast north of Colombo, winding through coconut plantations, fish markets & small villages. After lunch we packed the bikes into the bus & drove up to Kandy, visited a tea manufacturer, & the extraordinary 1500 year old Tooth Temple where a sacred Buddhist relic is enshrined in a golden casket, which we managed a glimpse of, amongst thousands of worshippers. Quite extraordinary.

11/11/2024

After an all-nighter in the air from Darwin to Colombo, then a drive to Waikkal in the early hours, I woke up to this. I already love Sri Lanka. Tomorrow we ride up a mountain, but for today I’m not going much further than a poolside sun lounge & a back massage.

10/11/2024

Goodbye Ruby… see you in Colombo 🤞🙏🚴‍♀️

29/10/2024

Storm season brings more dramatic skies

12/10/2024

Tropical sunrises never get old. Especially when enjoyed from a bike. With a multi-day ride in Sri Lanka just a month away, my long rides have ramped up to near 3hrs long. In Darwin’s steamy pre-wet season it’s a sweat fest doing anything more active than rolling out of bed.
But sunrise over Fannie Bay is a worthy reward for an early start!

06/10/2024

I love a bit of . So when "the world's most beautiful ship" Amerigo Vescpucci sailed into Darwin Harbour, I wan't going to miss her.

25/09/2024

I've just returned from the Desert Song Festival, where I was capturing content for Tourism NT. Over 6 days there are numerous events centred around music, art and culture. But without doubt the best event is a Capella in the Gorge. Set in Ormiston Gorge about an hour west of Alice Springs, it is a magnificent event starring the Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir.

The festival's future is in doubt (like so many others...), and I really hope it can return next year. If it does, put it on your calendar!
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22/09/2024

Looking for a little slice of tropical paradise in the ? Bremer Island is home to Banubanu Beach Retreat. After 9 months travelling north, south, east and west across the Territory collecting stories and photos, this is my absolute FAVOURITE place I've visited. Do yourself a favour and check it out. Banubanu is truly magical.
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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/visit-bremer-island-in-the-northern-territory-australia-for-a-slice-of-affordable-paradise/H5RWTMBKJRG4FFZEVXJ4JGPUHM/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=contentstudio.io

19/09/2024

Admittedly, Port Moresby is not on most people's hot list as a holiday hot spot. But it's a popular destination for business travellers from Australia. Paradise magazine asked me to find at least 7 reasons to linger in the PNG capital. The tough part of this assignment was what to leave out - there is surprisingly quite a lot to do in Moresby (though admittedly, as a solo woman traveller I did not feel comfortable without a guide by my side)
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https://www.businessadvantagepng.com/seven-weekend-activities-in-port-moresby/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=contentstudio.io

31/08/2024

I ducked over to Dili (Timor-Leste) for the weekend. Never one to tick off countries visited like a shopping list, it is always exciting however to visit a new-to-me country. Flight time is less than 90mins from Darwin, so it’s an easy getaway. I got here just before the Big fella from the Catholic church brings the place to a standstill. Though not everyone is thrilled to welcome Pope Francis (BBC reports that homes have been razed to make room for a mega Mass). 700,000 pilgrims are expected to attend…yikes!
Meantime, in downtown Dili people are getting by, selling whatever they can grow or gather to make a living.

28/08/2024

Darwin Harbour is looking her very best at the moment beneath cloudless baby blue skies. But the build-up to the wet season is looming. Humidity is rising. Tradewinds are inconsistent. It’s a beautiful time to be in the Territory!

26/06/2024

Friends, have you considered travelling to Africa and taking a safari? If you haven't, I recommend you seriously consider it. You'll likely never forget those majestic moments that come from twice daily safaris. One of my most treasured travel experiences is the half hour I spent in a dry river bed, sitting in an open-topped jeep a few metres away from two male lions. They were sleeping contentedly and we simply sat and listened to them breathe (ok, they might have snorted and snored too, like any self respecting male!). It was absolutely mesmerising.

A friend, wildlife biologist and tour guide extraordinaire Dr Martin Cohen, is leading an African tour in July 2025. It promises to be exceptional. Get in touch with Martin direct via [email protected]

Welcome To World Wildlife Journeys The idea of creating a unique travel company was conceived around a campfire alongside the Zambezi River, the brainchild of a small group of friends who were all veteran Safari Guides. The company they founded, World Wildlife Journeys, is committed to creating an u...

18/06/2024

Today’s office… checking out Berry Springs & Litchfield NP with . The photos don’t do the beauty of Berry Springs justice. The spring water is a balmy 29-ish degrees. Divine!

16/06/2024

Ushuaia is the capital of Tierra del Fuego and sits at the southern tip of Argentina. At 54° South on the shores of Beagle Channel, Ushuaia is the usual jumping off point for voyages to Antarctica. Which is how I found myself there in December after making my way south from New York after running arguably the world's biggest marathon. I spent almost one month in an apartment at the foot of the Martial Mountain Range finishing my third book while awaiting my departure for the White Continent.

In between long writing sessions I escaped to hike the mountain trails where snow still lay, wander the waterfront or poke around the shops selling Antarctic themed souvenirs along with outdoor gear. I really enjoyed the frontier nature of this outpost known as the town at the end of the world. One of the highlights came after I returned from Antarctica in time to witness Argentina win the soccer FIFA World Cup. The whole town went absolutely nuts with euphoric celebrations, and was an absolute to joy to witness.
Hope you enjoy the photos! https://fionaharper.photos/argentina-ushuaia/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=contentstudio.io
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06/06/2024

Camping on country with Leroy & Benji from near . It might be 3deg overnight but the campfire is most welcome!

02/06/2024

Wrapping up a week road tripping around Katherine and Kakadu, it's been a real thrill to finally walk on Kakadu, a place I've been hearing about since I was a kid. It's kinda weird that I've travelled all over the world as a travel writer but had not visited two of Australia's most iconic places - Uluru and Kakadu - until recently.

But beyond these icons, as I try and see this country from a visitors perspective, what I've learned is that there is absolutely nothing quite so valuable as walking the walk, talking the talks with people whose ancestors have lived here for 60-odd-thousand years. What a privilege it is to capture their lives and share their stories with the world, to encourage others to come visit the Territory, and to see and experience this incredible place for themselves.
📷 Fiona Harper travel writer & photographer

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