It's not easy getting to Ushuaia, dear reader, which is the southernmost city in the world. Particularly when you travel overland on the bus from Santiago in Chile, now that's some commute! But the journal continues, and I'm glad to have made it. The city itself is spectacular as you stroll around the beautifully paved streets, while surrounded by a backdrop of snow capped mountains. The sights include taking in the gorgeous harbour which serves as the starting point for cruise ships setting sail for the final frontier of Antarctica. Ushuaia is without a doubt a unique travel destination and you can't help smiling as you walk around the city, because on this beautiful planet of ours this is truly…

I was looking forward to a change in travel destinations, to new experiences and new horizons. It was time to get out and explore a different culture, and a different language. Suddenly everyone was talking about South America as the place to be, and who am I to argue with the collective wisdom of my esteemed fellow travellers. So I was excited to board a flight from Sydney to Santiago; with Chile the first destination on my inaugural visit to South America. A Sydney couple who are great friends from home were winding up their Latino trip as mine began, so when my flight arrived I caught a bus to the hotel to greet them in downtown Santiago. When I…

Don't you love it when out of the blue a new travel opportunity presents itself? Oh yes, I know I do ... and continuing from the previous journal here's my story. My friend from Quebec and I were strolling around the Laos capital of Vientiane when a sign in a travel agency caught my eye. They were offering a direct bus trip to Siem Reap in Cambodia to view the world famous Angkor ruins. Was this for real, a single bus ride to the border, then all the way south through Thailand and into Cambodia? This opportunity was a dream come true, and I was galvanized by a sense of excitement. My friend was quickly won over, dear reader, but…

There are certain countries that always seem to pop up in travel conversations, and while exploring South East Asia the consistently good oil's on Laos. The planet is never so lonely after boarding an aeroplane, so let's go for a virtual tour ... to Laos! I took a flight from Sydney to Bangkok, spent a few days in the Thai capital and from there organised a bus trip to the Thai border on the Mekong river. After a short boat ride across the river I went through border formalities on the Laos side, before being stamped into this beautiful country of six million people. Laos was devastated by American bombing during the Vietnam War as the US airforce tried to…

The reputation of Manila precedes it as a city where trouble can find you, if that's what you're looking for. I boarded a flight from Sydney to the capital of the Philippines as the starting point of my trip to the archipelago. Manila is situated on the Luzon island group in the north of the country. I'd previously visited many years ago when an unscheduled flight stopover saw me spending a night in the capital. On that occasion I was taken to a hotel and made myself comfortable over a meal, but was told to bolt the door before going to sleep. That turned out to be good advice as a dodgy character tried to force his way into my…

The South Island of New Zealand, dear reader, is one of the world's most beautiful travel destinations. While most of the population and industry are concentrated on the North Island, mother nature has blessed the South Island with an abundance of natural beauty. In fact the stunning surroundings are enough to take your breath away. The journal continues from where we left off in Wellington, in company with the Kiwi Experience bus team that started our adventures out of Auckland. Our driver loaded the bus and his passengers on to the Interislander ferry, and we settled down for the three hour crossing of the Cook Strait before arriving in Picton. We'd landed in the south, and were ready to explore…

I crossed the Tasman Sea on a three hour flight to reach destination Auckland, the largest city of our closest neighbour and great mates from New Zealand. The country of four million people is blessed with sublime natural scenery, friendly people, superb tourist infrastructure and world class beer. Oh, and it's also the adventure capital of the world! If you have a taste for adventure and wanna do something wild and crazy ... sweet as a nut bro, just come to NZ and the Kiwis will take care of you. I was out of the airport like a shot, and had a few days to explore Auckland before joining a pre booked bus trip with Kiwi Experience. I chose the…

Perth is the most remote capital city in the world, dear reader. If you cast your eyes east the vast expanses of the Nullabor Plain stretch to the South Australian border and way beyond; if you cast your eyes west the vast expanses of the Indian Ocean stretch all the way to the South African coast and the nearest city of Johannesburg. The inhabitants of this booming city feel removed from the goings on in the Eastern States, and methinks maybe they like it that way. Perth is situated on the Swan River with a population of over one million people, who are bathed in sunshine for three hundred days per year. There's plenty to see and do if you…

The far north of Australia is one of the most remote places on Earth, and every day in the top end features stunning scenery and a sense of wonder at the vast distances travelled. There are three major towns stretching from the East Coast to the West Coast, and a whole lot of nothing in between. But this is the real Australia, where you can ride on the bus for an entire day and be lucky to pass a single car travelling in the opposite direction. I had a five week opportunity to explore the Far North, and a bargain three flight package from Qantas helped make some my destinations achievable given the short time frame. My top end adventure…

Sumatra is a travel destination that few people are knowledgeable about, and even fewer people visit. It is, surprisingly, the sixth largest island in the world and well and truly off the beaten track. The previous journal left off in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, from where I organised a bus ticket to Bukittinggi in West Sumatra. Unsurprisingly the bus was jam packed and my travelling companion, although not a tall man, spread his legs luxuriously for the thirty hour journey so that my legs were almost fused together by the end of the trip. This travel caper can be quite a gruelling experience in Indonesia. We arrived at Merak in north west Java, dear reader, and boarded the ferry…