I think I might be a travel addict. It occurred to me the other day when dreaming up our next trip that I have an unhealthy view of the world (ie. the view that I work in between my holidays) and that I’m not alone in this. A few of the signs that you’re a travel addict; Films make you want to travel, books make you want to travel, music makes you want to travel, and sitting on the bus makes you want to travel. Your wardrobe mostly consists of snowshoes, flip-flops, travel guides and different-sized travel bags and suitcases. The realisation that chees ..read more

There are some moments in your life that you’ll never forget – and I expect that the Coronation of King Charles III is one of those. To be living in London for such a momentous event (and that of the passing of his Mother, HM Queen Elizabeth II) is both a privilege and an honour. It’s also been an interesting insight into the British worldview. I popped up to Green Park on the eve of the coronation, mostly just to be nosey – and the avid royal fans had already been settled in for a few days, camping along the Mall. (Note the backpacks on the above ladies). Again, like the funeral, the arrange ..read more

I have a confession to make. I have a full blown cat addiction, and, I’m not even sorry. Those soft little ears, twitching tails and indifferent faces cast a spell that have us dashing around the globe and visiting enough cat cafes to have a shortlist of 10 of the best cat cafes in the world. All the while a sleepy, non-rent-paying little white & tabby cat snoozes at home in London… Once we’ve booked flights and perused hotels, Google searching for a cat cafe is one of the first things I do – and I’ve been accused of carrying out those 3 tasks in a slightly different order. It’s some ..read more

Both my friend and I had eyed up the beautiful scenery, cozy thatched cottages and wild beaches of the Cornish coast often enough to each have a wishlist of places to explore, so on our Cornwall road trip, we tried to fit in as many places as we could over a long weekend. Result? The best road trip we could have hoped for, complete with excellent tunes, copious snacks and occasionally crazy weather conditions. Full of pirates and smugglers, intriguing history, rampant gardens, cream teas where we discussed the big questions (cream then jam, or jam then cream, obv) and weather condition ..read more

I honestly can’t even remember how I actually decided to move 18,764 km away from the only home I’d ever known, all on my own. (Probably not very a helpful fact in a ‘how to move to the other side of the world’ article, but it’s full of actually helpful tips, don’t worry.) I was the ripe old age of 19, and not really enjoying my architecture degree. My grades were pretty good, but I remember being frustrated at only learning from books and idealistically thinking ‘how on earth am I supposed to create these amazing spaces if I’ve never actually experienced them?’ (nb: perfecting the blogg ..read more

Have you ever visited the Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna Temple, Watford? Back in February 1973, a property known as Piggott’s Manor was donated to the Hare Krishna movement in by former Beatle George Harrison, after the Radha Krishna Temple in central London had become inadequate to house the growing number of devotees. A mock Tudor Hare Krishna temple was the last thing I’d expect to see in the Hertfordshire countryside – but then there is the stunning Neasden Temple, a Wimbledon Buddhist temple and several mosques across London, so why am I surprised? It won’t come as a shock to reg ..read more

Greenwich, London – the home of time possesses a myriad of historic royal ties and panoramic views of London. What more could you ask for in a borough? I narrowed my favourite spots down to just 9 places to explore in Greenwich. It feels like it’s out of the city proper, and has a very different feel to central central London – BUT it’s still super easy to get to! I’ve loved visiting Greenwich many times over the years – whenever I have friends and family visiting London, it’s somewhere we always end up exploring. 1/ Visit the original Prime Meridien The line in Greenwich represen ..read more

Having flown 3 return flights to New Zealand in the space of 12 months one year, you could say I’ve learnt more than a few long flight hacks & tips. For each of those trips I spent over 50 hours hurtling through the clouds, cruising through 4 hemispheres, over several continents and hours staring at a screen roughly 8 inches in diameter. But, it was totally worth it for the smiles at the end of each journey. These are my time-tested hacks that make a difference on every single flight. Booking Your Flights Trust me. Fly direct (it’s worth the extra money for the least hassle) an ..read more

2022 has unequivocally been a year of highs and lows. I started the year in New Zealand, having a lovely Christmas with my family (which I appreciated even more after the years of lockdowns) only to find out that my blog website provider had let my blog lapse and hadn’t kept any of the content. The helpful tech on the other end of the phone sounded as upset as I was, and taught me how to lasso SOME of the 10 years of of memories and travel stories – but it wasn’t an auspicious start to the year. I’ve managed to get many blog posts back, and I’ve been slowly re-adding them as time allowed ..read more

Dear Santa (and associated anthropomorphic helpers, elves, family members etc who help your international delivery of Christmas gifts.) This Christmas, I know your elves are going to be super busy, so I would love you to support some of the small, amazing businesses here in the UK. Yes, I will absolutely do well out of the deal thanks to their creativity when their creations turn up under my tree, and yes, I’ll be able to add to my existing collections. NZ Art UK Bronwyn hand makes nature and New Zealand inspired sculptures, pendants, wall hangings and tea lights. They are completely original ..read more