Travel
-
Travel Guide: Newcastle, New South Wales
Newcastle is Australia’s second oldest city and is located just a two hour drive north of Sydney. With heritage buildings, top class museums and a stunning coastline it’s a great place to spend time in whilst visiting the Hunter Valley. Newcastle Beach Located in the centre of town, Newcastle Beach is very popular both with…
-
Travel Guide: Port Stephens, New South Wales
Port Stephens is located an easy two and a half hour drive north of Sydney covering an area that’s even larger than Sydney Harbour. It’s surrounded by natural beauty, wildlife reserves, pristine beaches and the largest moving sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. For visitors preferring to use public transport, there are regular trains between Sydney and…
-
A Day in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales
The Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s renowned wine regions and is also home to the beautiful Hunter Valley Gardens. The region is located around a two hour drive from Sydney and getting around by car is definitely easiest as although many of the wineries and the gardens are centred around Pokolbin, they are not…
-
Top Things to Do in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, NSW
Having spent the last five days exploring Sydney it was time to move on so we collected a hire car from the airport, loaded our luggage on board and set off for the next part of our Australian adventure. Our plan for the day was to visit Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Located approximately one hour…
-
A tour of Government House and a ferry to Cockatoo Island, Sydney
New South Wales Government House, Sydney Government House was built in 1845 and resembles a small castle and is the official home of the Governor of the State of New South Wales, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, 39th Governor of New South Wales and Mr Dennis Wilson. Her Excellency is the 28th Governor…
-
Sydney Itinerary: Opera House Tour and a Day in The Rocks
The Sydney Opera House is one of Australia’s most iconic buildings and is located on the headland of Bennelong Point. If you’re curious about its history and what it looks like inside then consider taking a one hour tour as we did. We started off the day with the 9.45 a.m. guided tour, standard admission…
-
Exploring Darling Harbour, Sydney
Darling Harbour is a popular waterside location that’s close to the centre of Sydney so after enjoying breakfast on the balcony of our suite at the Quest, St. Leonards we boarded a train to the Town Hall station which was nearby. Australian National Maritime Museum We started our day with a visit to the Australian…
-
Exploring Circular Quay: Sydney’s Best Walks, Ferries, Views, and Landmarks
Arriving in Sydney After enjoying a fabulous three day stopover in Singapore we boarded a late night Singapore Airlines flight down to Sydney, arriving at 11.00 a.m. local time. It had been many years since our last visit to Sydney and we were very excited to return. Passing through the e-gates was even quicker than…
-
The Jewel Changi Airport Facilities Guide: Attractions, Dining & Shopping
The Jewel is a huge shopping mall and entertainment complex located landside at Singapore’s Changi airport. There’s much more to it than that though as it is home to the world’s tallest indoor waterfall that is known as the Rain Vortex. This stunning waterfall is surrounded by lush tropical gardens with terraced seating. Getting there:…
-
Singapore Botanic Gardens and National Gallery
We were up bright and early so enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the semi-outdoor setting of the hotel’s restaurant. With a wide selection of both Western and Asian dishes to set us up for the day and our favourite cappuccinos it was the perfect start. Our plan for the morning was to visit the Singapore Botanic…
-
Arriving in Singapore
Singapore is one of my favourite destinations for a stopover, on this occasion to break up the lengthy journey to Australia from the United Kingdom. We flew with Singapore Airlines from London Heathrow, receiving attentive service, good food and comfortable seats in our economy class cabin on the 12 hour 25 minute journey. We landed…
-
Moxy Manchester City Centre Review
Hotel Review Moxy Manchester City is part of the Marriott family of hotels offering a fun vibe combined with affordable luxury. The previous year I’d had the pleasure of staying at Moxy The Hague so I was interested to find out how Moxy Manchester compared. Location: Moxy Manchester opened in early 2022 and is located…
-
Four Counties Ring – Part 4 Completing the Circle
On entering the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal at Autherley Junction the character of the waterway changes once again. First, Pendeford Rockin, a narrow cutting with passing places through a rocky outcrop, then meandering with evenly spaced locks. We found this section of the canal to be very attractive with its many arched bridges. Slightly further on we came across…
-
The Four Counties Ring – Part 3: Cheshire, Shropshire and the West Midlands
Continuing our canal boat holiday around the Four Counties Ring from Nantwich, the Shropshire Union mainline canal journeys south leaving Cheshire after Audlem and then follows the Shropshire/Staffordshire border to the outskirts of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. The Shropshire Union Canal (affectionately referred to as the Shroppie) was completed in 1835 and played a…
-
Narrowboating on The Four Counties Ring – Part 2 Cheshire
Shortly after our passage through the Harecastle Tunnel we left Staffordshire behind and continued into Cheshire. It was to be a busy day as we approached the summit of Heartbreak Hill which is aptly named as the canal descends from the summit via 31 locks over 12 miles, meaning lots of work for us boaters!…
-
Narrowboating on The Four Counties Ring – Part 1 Staffordshire
Day One: After enjoying short break boating holidays over the previous two years we were definitely hooked and ready for a bigger challenge. The idea of following a ‘ring’ appealed to us instead of a ‘there and back’ boat trip where you need to turn the boat round and retrace your steps mid-way. A ring…
-
The Gomerino Hotel, Valletta, Malta Review
Hotel Review Malta is a small Mediterranean island that’s popular for its pristine beaches and guaranteed sunny weather between Easter and October. It’s also perfect for a winter break with temperatures averaging 18 degrees. In December, Malta transforms into a wonderland full of festive events, dazzling Christmas lights and plenty of seasonal cheer for all…
-
How to spend a layover at Helsinki Airport
With time on your hands at the airport why not check out my suggestions of attractions to visit nearby. One can easily be reached on foot while the other two can be visited by public transport or by taking a taxi from the airport. Finland’s capital Helsinki is beautiful but it’s also interesting to discover…
-
Motel One, Hamburg Airport Review
Hotel Review Motel One is a design hotel chain, founded in Germany and to be found throughout Europe with one hotel in New York City. Don’t let the name ‘motel’ put you off as the chain is far removed from the motel concept offering affordable, stylish hotel accommodation. Location: Motel One Hamburg Airport is situated…
-
The Old Police Station at Montgomery House, Leeds Review
Hotel Review The Old Police Station at Montgomery House has just opened its doors in the vibrant suburb of Headingley, a ten minute drive from Leeds city centre. The former police station had been abandoned for almost twenty years and was in a poor state of repair until Alex Ball, his partner and a couple…
-
Experience the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Explore Morningside Heights, NYC”
Morningside Heights Our day began with a subway journey to Morningside Heights, a district located between Upper West Side and Harlem. It’s the home of Columbia University which was founded in 1754 and an affluent neighbourhood with some architectural gems. Columbia University We explored the beautiful university campus with its grand old buildings standing proud…
-
Explore Little Island and Gantry Plaza State Park: NYC’s Waterfront Gems
Little Island Little Island is an award winning park located at Pier 55 within the Hudson River Park. Lying close to New York’s Meatpacking district and Chelsea neighbourhoods of Manhattan. The nearest subway station is at 14th Street/ 8th Avenue. The pier was created from the remains of Pier 54 which served as a port…
-
How to Visit Top of the Rock and Discover Brooklyn in One Day
Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center We woke to a bright, sunny morning which couldn’t have worked out better for our planned visit to the observation deck at the Top of the Rockefeller Center. It was only a short walk from our hotel but if you are staying further away the nearest subway station is…
-
Empire State Building and walking the High Line
Empire State Building After grabbing breakfast close to our hotel near Times Square we hopped on the subway to Penn Station so that we could visit one of New York City’s most iconic attractions, that of the Empire State Building, standard admission €44 (£34.82). Substantial savings can be made by purchasing a New York CITYPASS…
Love Travelling Blog 