Welcome to Australia! – I lately hear this phrase pretty often. It is the beginning of my new adventure. I’ll be staying in Sydney here for at least a year or maybe two. In fact, after two full weeks here, I am optimistic about this idea. It all came quite unexpectedly, like many things and travels in my life, and I’m considering it a great opportunity to know better this far away continent. Let me share with you five things I found rather surprising in Australia. Everybody runs Jogging and running are extremely popular. The CBD from early morning throughout the day with a peak in lunch hours is full of runners. They are mostly heading towards Botanical Gardens which is a fantastic place to run. Not only the views are breathtaking but also the shadowed paths and the nature around you are very encouraging. I came with no running shoes because of the luggage weight restrictions which was a mistake but luckily for me I found great running shoes in one of the stores and bought it right after my arrival. The weather is just amazingly beautiful which makes the whole running in Sydney pleasant. Everything is sweet This is something I found awkward: most of the food here, including yoghurt, tomato sauces, drinks and even milk is really sweet. I am not used to the sweet foods thus this was striking. I now pay attention in shops and before I buy any food I check the nutrition information for sugar quantity. Also, when I have my coffee I specifically ask for no sugar in it. When you come to Sydney remember to repeat ‘no sugar’ phrase, unless you want it sweet. Every day is sunny I’ve heard a lot about the weather in Sydney but let’s be honest: after living in Italy for years I did not believe it. The last two weeks were extremely sunny. From the early morning until late evening the sky is blue and the temperature is way above 20 degrees. Thanks to its location there is a slight wind from the bay which makes his city so easy to love! Everyone is chilled out Obviously not everybody but in most of the cases, I found the Australians easygoing folks. Not only they sit and lay down on green grass in parks and gardens but they also finish working early so they can enjoy life by visiting bars, restaurants, spending time with their friends or simply exercising. The peak hours are pretty narrow and after 5:00 p.m. everybody leaves offices heading home or leisure spots. Every tourist will find something interesting here Sydney has a lot to offer. From high adrenaline activities, through the music and theatre events, up to craft beers. In last two weeks, I went to two museums, had a few drinks here and there, run in the park, watched the huge ferry cruises muring in the harbour, walked along the beaches, did shopping and had a few dinners outs. All in all, you will find everything in Sydney. A huge variety of activities, places and fun things to do awaits for the tourists here. Sydney, I have a feeling we’ll come along quite nicely! Keep coming back for more info about Sydney, Australia and adventures of a foreigner in the Antipodes.  

The post Sydney at First Glance appeared first on Null & Full.

Last winter I completed a journey around the world. If you followed my adventures, you are aware that I was staying mainly in so-called AirBnB. As many people are looking for reviews and impressions I’ve decided to share my experiences of all AirBnB I stayed at. The overall impression is positive so you might find this review biased but I assure you that this is not s sponsored post nor the content was any other way influenced by a host involved. I don’t feel like an expert in AirBnB but I have few tricks that will help you if you’re looking for one. To all who has no idea what AirBnB stands for: it is an alternative accommodation in apartments of houses provided by the locals. There is a variety of types of accommodation, but this should create a sort of ‘home-like’ atmosphere. What I like the most about AirBnB is the connection with a place through the people you’re staying with. I absolutely love it! Also, the feeling that the accommodation is as close to the ‘normal’ home as possible. And last, but not least, kitchen facilities (when available), so not only you save the money on dining out, but this is also a great opportunity to share time with your hosts. I found AirBnB accommodation most helpful in long term traveling, when after few weeks you just start hating the hotels. It was a lifesaving strategy in my RTW trip! Bearing this in mind, here are 6 rules on how to pick up the best AirBnB. Rule 1: read the description & watch the pictures In all cases, the description and pictures were highly relevant. There was not even one apartment I was surprised about when I entered. The number of rooms, bathrooms and all the facilities was always correct. Thus, I urge you to read the description and stick to the information provided. I met some people who, despite reading the description, they are sometimes hoping for more. It is not fair and, at the end of the day, you might find yourself disappointed. Rule 2: room is always cheaper than the whole apartment If you are looking to save your money, narrow down the research engine on Air BnB site to ‘Private Rooms’. Do not include ‘Entire Place’ as this is always a more expensive version. I used them all: a room with shared bathroom, a room with ensuite bathroom, whole apartment and a separate house in the garden. Out of my experience, the choice should be influenced by the purpose of your visit. If you are focused on ‘living like a local’ I would encourage you to share the apartment with the owners. If you are planning more private stay focused on relax, reading books and solitude go for the apartment on your own. Rule 3: check ‘interaction with guests’ AirBnB service allows you to ask about the type of interactions with the guests preferred by the hosts. I consider this to be crucial in picking up the right place for you. There is a whole variety within this option: starting with interaction limited to ‘online’ one in Japan, through ‘casual’ in Pacific Islands, up to ‘we will treat you like a family member’ in New Zealand. Each of them is great, but it is crucial for you to know in advance so you could make a good decision you’ll be happy with. I personally enjoyed one of my stays in New Zealand where the owners not only had a dinner with me every evening and let me meet their family but also took me to their yacht so I could meet their friends. It was great that they were very clear about their attitude from the very beginning and I was happy about it at the stage of picking up a place to stay. Rule 4: fix the details BEFORE you pay Here is one is a bit negative experience I had, but it was due to the fault of us as guests. We rented an apartment in 4 friends in Greece and it was not clear how much is the stay of the third and the fourth person. We assumed, wrongly, that the total price for 2 people staying in the apartment will  not double when 4 people will stay. How silly of us! And at the end of the day, we had to pay some extra money we were not prepared to. Make sure you’re clear about the number of people who are coming. It sometimes does not influence the total price and sometimes it does. Rule 5: read the comments Always read the comments of previous users! Always! And also, leave a comment as precise and clear as you can. While usually people are honest about their apartment and their expectations regarding their guests’ behavior, there is a slight chance that it is their wishful thinking rather than a reality. Slight. Thus, make sure that a place that you wish to rent is suitable for you by reading comments. I had only one case when I was not happy about my stay in AirBnB and it was due to the owner’s meddling. There was no way to know about it in advance because as few as 3 reviews and it was a risk to rent it. I hope that my comment will help others to be prepared for these sort of issues. Remember: the more comments there are, the less risky the choice is. Rule 6: make an effort to introducing yourself As the AirBnB hosts can reject your request for staying with them, make sure the description of your journey and the purpose of your visit is clearly stated. If you are staying in a place to attend a music festival and will come back home at 4 a.m. every day be honest about it! Searching AirBnB is like matchmaking: you need to find a good partner. Otherwise, this will not work! Perhaps the owner goes to this very same festival too, and...

The post How to pick up the best AirBnB? appeared first on Null & Full.

Over and over again the travelers argue that one of the best things about traveling is living the dream that was impossible in their daily life dominated by a routine. Every now and then the routine is blamed for the general unhappiness, dullness or even depression. Selling your house and car and starting a journey is considered not only the best antidote for this sickness but, most of the time, as an act of courage. But if you think for a while this proves to be far from healthy logic and, for sure, from the human knowledge on behavior and learning. It made me think, why travelers hate routine so much and here are few thoughts on this issue out of my own experience as a long term traveler. A Routine In most cases, the routine involves boring regular job from 9:00 to 17:00, followed by a conclusion that people who perform their duties on an everyday basis are tired, burnt out and unhappy. A routine emphasizes doing the same things every day with no pleasure out of it. And writers are very quick in judging how unhappy these people are and how terribly they are wasting their time. Quite skillfully writers and bloggers follow this logic to a smooth discovery: you should change it! I wholeheartedly agree with the need for a change but with what I’m having difficulties to agree on is that travels make it for you. Before I’ll go further in the discussing the illusion of this belief, let me stop for a while and show you how the routine is good for you. Every possible guide on healthy lifestyle argues about healthy sleep habits, proper diet, physical activities and healthy relationships. If you feel that you are missing something in your life, if you feel down, if you realized that your current status is not something you dreamed about, you can change it. Anytime, really. And there is no need to sell everything and travel. On the contrary: travel will make all of the above more difficult to introduce a change into your life. Mission impossible To make a real difference in your life, like building any healthy habit, you need time, patience and recurrence. Out of the three, the last one is a decisive factor if the process of improvement is successful. Philosophy of zen argues that you need as many as 21 days of repeated action to turn it into a habit.  Three weeks is a long time. And if you change your hotel or even country twice during that time you effort of changing things looks like mission impossible. Thus, people prefer to believe that instead of a regular effort and recurrence of their actions there is an alternative solution. A travel comes handy. Preferably one year long and round the world. It definitely brakes the routine, but it is much less successful in helping you keeping good habits, personal growth, and a meaningful life. An Illusion What happens if you travel continuously for months or years? First thing is that you cut the ties that connected you with the place you lived in and people you lived with. Sure, you keep telling stories about the city you come from to all people you meet along the way and you are trying to keep your family and friends informed about travels but let’s face it: it is different. And you might feel quite happy about it until you realize you belong neither here nor there. Some people need years to realize that a lifestyle focused on continuous travel makes you very distant from ‘normal’ people and their ‘boring’ lives. And it is true for both: people you left at home and also exotic and new people you meet when you travel. And some day you simply realize that even those who are left at home have changed and that there is nothing to talk about with them. Perhaps you experience it when you go home for couple of weeks and after only a few days, when the emotions cool down, apart of telling fantastic stories there is not much left out of the things you had in common. The best is the enemy of the good You may say that everything has a price to pay and particular difficulties referred to long term traveling is no different. True. But have you really thought about it before you decided that full time traveling is what solves all your problems? A routine gives you a sense of stability, security, and continuity. All conditions that you need for your personal development. I’m not saying that travels make personal development impossible, but I’m arguing it makes it harder. “I like challenges” – you may say. Perhaps you do. If so, why don’t you try to work on yourself first, in your every day and “boring” life and travel when all your serious problems were sorted out. Personal development, becoming a better person and having a positive attitude towards the world and the people is important. Start before you go.  

The post Why the Routine is Good appeared first on Null & Full.

The real journey is a serious matter. If you wish to experience the world through all you senses you need to leave your comfort zone behind and be prepared for the challenges you have never faced before. I am traveling for years now, and traveling is both: a breathtaking experience and a very difficult process at the same time. The real journey gets to you and it changes you. This is important to keep a good balance between the new and old things, to keep track of the events and make the most of your journey. I find my travels powerful and fulfilling for many reasons, one of which is a constant update of the way I see the world. And my way of doing it is through writing. Since I remember, I have been always writing down some thoughts on accidentally found napkins, chewing gum wrappings, maps, folders and postcards. And it was never enough space to write everything I wanted. It eventually became annoying to my friends as my postcards were unreadable! The need for a travel notebook became pressing. I remember the first time I bought a typical travel notebook. This was at the Venice (Italy) airport and I was taking a plane to Boston (USA), with a short stop in Zurich (Switzerland), to visit Nova Scotia (Canada). I saw it in a bookstore and it got me from the first sight. It was six years ago and since then the pile of notebooks on my desk has been steadily growing. To Capture a Moment Taking pictures is one thing. Remembering your journey is quite another. Although I am taking hundreds of photos and making some short clips it should never substitute the real memories. I agree that some beautiful spots are impossible to describe, but the pictures taken have a nasty side effect: when you watch it hundred times they slowly take place of the way you remembered things. I went to the Swedish part of Lapland once and took my notebook with me making notes every day, running a sort of travel diary. Despite taking 800 pictures in 10 days the most precious thing was still the content of my notebook. When I read it after three months since I got back from Lapland I was surprised how quick I was forgetting things. Short stories or funny words- it all brings your memories back. To Keep Track of the Journey If you travel once a year it is easy to remember places visited, people met and things seen. If you drive 25,000 km in four months it is much less so. It’s not that I record every second of my travels. Rather, I capture the memorable events so I could get back to them when I needed. Writing things down make it possible to re-enter your experience after years have passed. The written word, more than a simple picture, brings you back to a situation described in every detail. Details impossible to capture in a photo but so much more important! To Evaluate My Experiences Having a habit of writing down the events of the day allows you to think about them again. Often, when days are packed with places and people you can’t follow them in a real time. The journey forces you to stay attached to a present rather than consider the general issues. Writing things down is a good opportunity to cope with emotions and reflections accumulated during the day. When doing notes it happens to me that I realize I wish to meet someone again or visit the same place twice. The advantage of daily writing is that it is sometimes possible to do it while you’re still there, rather than regretting this after getting back home. To Get Involved This might be weird, but people tend to start a conversation about my writing. It happened few times that other travelers were interested in my making notes and they started to ask questions about it which- obviously- often turned out to be an interesting exchange of our travel experiences. This is also true for keeping in touch after you get back home: having addresses written down in a place where you won’t lost them is crucial. I’m still in touch with a bunch of people met when I travelled here and there. No need to write embarrassing things about losing somebody’s card BEFORE I started using a travel notebook. To Escape Well, there are some difficult moments when you travel, no doubt about it. Even if they don’t happen often it is still important to have your own mode to deal with unpleasant aspects of travelling. If the new place is overwhelming, is shouting at you with vivid colors and unbearable noise you can always turn to writing. It distracts your attention from annoying person or event and helps you to calm down when things get nasty. I’m not saying that writing resolves every travel problem but in my case it helped me too many times to not appreciate it. To Write My Own Story My notebook is my own version of my story. And it gives me enormous pleasure to watch somebody reading it. My closest friends enjoy this privilege and I totally love the moment when they read something funny I wrote the day before and suddenly they laugh. And I get rewarded for the effort I made when I travelled and wrote everything down. Because their smile is priceless.  

The post My Reasons to Bring a Notebook Everywhere appeared first on Null & Full.

So, I’ve just got back home after almost 100 days of travel around the world. Needless to say, this was a fantastic time! Travel around the world has a particular flavour: not only is a lifetime dream for many but also provides a particular set of experiences collected in a short piece of time. My travel was exotic, tiresome, full of wonders, tough, interesting, fascinating and rich in everything else imaginable. I hope it is your dream too. And if it is, read this guide before you go. And do everything you can to make this journey meaningful. Too many things I know that this one sounds so trivial. I know that everybody repeats it over and over again. But it is because it is true! Even if I was aware of that and I limited myself to one suitcase shared with my companion it was still too much. And it was not about the clothes that I always take the same but about books. I couldn’t limit myself to one and so I took few and it was few too much. So what happened was that from New Zealand I sent few things home, including a large part of my library. It was also related to the new regulation made by some airlines which are rigid rules on luggage. I don’t mind the weight limit, but I thought we can easily spread one suitcase of 25kg to 2 people and for the whole trip having our luggage checked-in was a nightmare. MY ADVICE: most of the airlines do not allow sharing the luggage and are very strict regarding the actual weight. Not to mention 3 scales of the same airline at the same airport show different weight. So my advice is this: leave home with a suitcase limited to 20kg because you’ll get few extra things along the way. And when you do, you’ll struggle at every luggage check-in procedure. Meetings Yes, meeting people is important but don’t push yourself too much. Even though this is one of the reasons why we all travel in the first place, try to think about yourself for a while. Each meeting of a new person means you’ll need to tell your story. And, however, fascinating it might be, when you say it ten times a week is not that fascinating anymore. It is a sort of trade: you tell your story to listen to a story of somebody else, but even this has limits! MY ADVICE: I tried to stick to at most 2-3 meetings a week and it was more than enough! For somebody else it might be more for the others it might be less, but it’s important to keep a good balance between being only with yourself and meeting others. Everlasting struggle What I found challenging during this travel was a constant need to discipline my mind in order to stay focused on the present. Having next three months scheduled I could easily get distracted and rather watching and enjoying with what I see in present I could think about places and time to come. I think this is really difficult but telling myself few times that present is all I have, helped. I consider this the most important element of a proper mindset. MY ADVICE: Always discipline your mind focusing on the present. Don’t plan too much and enjoy every day. Time management It was hard to follow time zone changes. Even if I stayed for weeks in one place, it brought many misunderstandings in skype scheduling. I had few important meetings over skype and G+ hangout and being there at the right time for all participants was always difficult. MY ADVICE: I don’t have any other advice to give despite planning in through Google Calendar and sending direct invitations with proper time zone. Unhealthy conditions of work I have always used to make fun of Work Safety procedures, but I think this journey taught me a good lesson: after a couple of weeks of typing when sitting on my bed my wrists started hurting. And it looks like this trend continued when I proceed with my journey. Unfortunately, hotels and AirBnB rooms rarely have something that looks like a desk, not to mention comfort place to work. MY ADVICE: The moment you notice returning pain is the right moment to act. I was using bandage to stiff my wrist and when pain was really sharp I was using a painkilling cream and 2 days offline (which is the best remedy, really). Also, it made me more conscious of choosing places to work. Give me a break! Traveling is so demanding that you sometimes just need a break. It’s not possible to go home every now and then just because you don’t feel well in a place, so here is how to deal with it. Stick to the places you are familiar with. When I was in Hong Kong – a place that drained me out in just a few days – I had to visit Starbucks. It was just too much for me. The language that I didn’t understand, food that I didn’t like, noise, dirt and rude people everywhere – it all made me miserable. So just to keep my balance I stayed in Starbucks for two hours or so just not to watch Chinese characters everywhere, not to be pushed all the time and just not thinking about how crazy this place is. MY ADVICE: Don’t be ashamed to visit chain restaurants and places you are familiar with. Just because you sit in McDonalds for an hour will not turn you into a lousy traveler. Sometimes it is the cheapest remedy and is a sign of being resourcefulness rather than anything else. Always return home The journey with no end is a big temptation. If you travel long enough it turns into a lifestyle. A dreadful one, to be honest. It cuts your relationships at home, it forces you to eat unhealthy food (not always but often it...

The post Travel around the world – ultimate guide by a survivor appeared first on Null & Full.

My journey around the world is over. I returned home safe and sound. It will take me a while to bring you all amazing adventures I had, to share pictures and videos so let me just share some highlights of this journey. Slow travel Telling the truth, this was the best part of the whole plan: do it slowly, so as a result I stayed more than 2 weeks in the same place, with the exception of Hong Kong. It worked really well. Two weeks is enough to get friendly with people around, get your bearings, enjoy your stay, figure out how public transportation works, and, most of all, experience how people live in remote locations visited. I don’t know whether this would work for everybody, but I would argue that staying in the same place for longer than few days is beneficial to a general well-being and increases the quality of the journey. Small amusement Each journey, even if the most cost-effective, call for the small amusement along the way. It is really useless to travel around the world and limit yourself just to sleep and eat cheaply. Limiting yourself to the basic needs make the whole adventure stressful, money focused and, after a while, monotonous. Although my trip wasn’t neither budget nor luxury I balanced all my needs on an everyday basis. And from time to time I spoil myself with an evening at the cinema, sweets at Moomins’ Cafe and other things that I really like. It not only made my journey pleasant but also allowed me to experience the way people do things in places I visited. I often tried to capture their way of spending free time and relaxing and it worked pretty well. Meeting people This was one of the most rewarding experiences along the way: meeting people and listening to their stories. I am deeply satisfied with all new friends I met. It is always helpful to know the language so the most difficult and challenging country was Japan, as I don’t speak Japanese. But even there I met two Italian girls and one Japanese guy who were willing to share their stories with me. Keeping my habits This was a real struggle: keeping my jogging routine. I took running shoes and gear with me which was a sacrifice itself because it occupied literally half of my luggage. I tried to stick to jogging at least 3 times a week, but I must admit I didn’t make it. I run a lot on Rarotonga and Auckland, plus I cycled a lot but I was not able to run as much as I wanted nor needed. It was way too cold in Japan and way to hilly in New Zealand, but I was able to run little less than 100 km in these 3 months. After my return home I’m running every second day and feel much better. Sustainable travel I think that many of my colleagues from the blogging community pursue a lifestyle that is unsustainable in a long term perspective. After a year or two of traveling many of them are struggling with obesity, insomnia, being tired or even exhausted all the time. There are many reasons for that and traveling as an activity is really demanding. If someone is telling you it is effortless he or she is lying, because it is not. On the contrary: far from it! And although I think my way of traveling is still missing a bit of care for myself I consider it way above the average bloggers’ journey. Traveling is surprisingly similar to everyday life and if you don’t make an effort to do jogging or eat healthy food the travel will not make it for you. Best things Many people ask me: What was the best about this journey? And is it hard to reply in one phrase, but if you asked me what I consider the best element of this journey I would say: return home. Seriously! The moment I entered my house was the moment of true happiness. Does this make me a lousy traveler? On the contrary, I think. I’m having now time for digesting all information, emotions, impressions, tastes, smells, meetings, smiles, well literally everything I experienced. I need to stay with this for a while to fully appreciate it and enjoy all of my adventures. So although I’ll travel a bit next few months I’m going to focus on telling the stories that I brought with me. OK, true, second best thing about this journey was a stay in Kyoto with a book by Nicolas Bouvier in my hand. This is my favorite way of traveling: reading a book about the place I’m in. Truly fabulous experience! And highly recommended too. This long journey showed me how important it is to have a home. Surprise Last, but now least, I was writing a diary for the whole journey and it looks like a lot of materials to deal with but I’m really hoping to work on it and publish it as a book. I will keep you posted when I have more details. For now, please read my posts from a travel around the world and keep your fingers crossed!  

The post Quick Look At my RTW journey appeared first on Null & Full.

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” This quote from J.R.R. Tolkien masterpiece came to my mind the moment I saw Shaun. He was sitting there in one of the cafes of North Shore of Auckland waiting for me. And I am pretty sure he was thinking about Hobbiton this very moment. Because that was the reason for our meeting. Interested in details? Where to start? How about if Shaun tells for himself what brought him to New Zealand? “In 2001 and at the age of 12, I watched The Fellowship of the Ring in the cinema… Having no clue about the LOTR books I left the cinema feeling pretty annoyed – how could an awesome film just end like that! A year later and after a bit of research the Two Towers came out and so began my new found love for film! After a final film, 3 extended editions and hours of special features later, I was obsessed! I needed to visit New Zealand – the landscape just looked incredible! My love for film continued to grow over the next few years – I wanted to be a filmmaker! I chose to study film at college then went on to study it at university. After making a few short films and in my second year of uni I found myself losing interest in filmmaking, studying it was destroying my passion! The same year I bought a little SLR and began experimenting with photography. During the last year of university our final film project had to be documented in photos and I quickly became the go-to guy for the on set photography. After shooting a few other uni events, I had found my calling. I ended up working with a kiwi photographer in Liverpool who helped develop my photographic skills. Last year 12 years after the first Lord of the Rings was released I finally managed to get to NZ. Now, being a photographer, I can share images that hopefully inspire other people to visit this beautiful country. I can’t wait to spend a few more years here!” After Shaun came to New Zealand he was taking pictures in many The Lord of the Rings locations, including Hobbiton. When he visited the Hobbiton Movie Site he shared his pictures with them and it happened that they really liked it. Eventually, after working for them for a while he became the official photographer of the Hobbiton. How cool is that? Through his excellent skills and interest in Tolkien books and Peter Jackson movies, his pictures taken in Hobbiton became iconic. You probably saw them more than once and I’m pretty sure watching them made you thinking How on earth there is a place like this? We were sitting in this cafe, talking about books, pictures, New Zealand, migration, bare feet, wines, Waiheke, well pretty much about everything what comes to mind in a warm summer afternoon. Shaun is a delightful person. It is rare to combine excellent skills and great passion just like he does. You can see it in his eyes when he is explaining the way he photographed Milky Way standing in front of his camera in a cold dark night in the middle of nowhere. I mean, what else would draw him there? So no he is living in New Zealand immersing himself in Kiwi chill out. Wonderful weather and breathtaking views make the South Island his favorite place on earth. So far. For me, this was not only a real pleasure to spend my day with him but also a great privilege to discuss the issues related to photography, Hobbit, New Zealand and traveling with a person like Shaun. I hope his pictures not only make you happy when you look at them but will also bring him satisfaction and fulfilment.  About Shaun Shaun Jeffers is currently Auckland based photographer specialising in event, commercial and landscape photography. Originally from Liverpool, at the age of 25 Shaun has worked with some of the biggest companies in the UK and in New Zealand. If you don’t follow his Instagram account and like beautiful pictures you should start following him today! Find out more about Shaun and his photography here: Official site – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter Disclosure: all pictures courtesy of Shaun Jeffers.  

The post A Hobbit’s Tale appeared first on Null & Full.

This was a delightful day! Although in the evening I was very tired I had a great time. It is the middle of the summer here, in New Zealand so last Saturday I went to Waiheke. This is a popular recreational destination, not only for tourists but most of all to Aucklanders. It is easily reached by a ferry from downtown Auckland. A ride lasts about 35 minutes and a ferry goes every hour. Bike Not always, popular places are beautiful. It often happens I am disappointed with top touristic sites. But this was not the case of Waiheke. Although there was a crowd on the ferry the island is large enough to accommodate all visitors. First, I went by bike, which was a challenge itself. I’m not a great bike rider as you probably remember from my previous post on Aran Islands, but I enjoy recreational riding just like I did in Athens. Anyway, this was a different story because Auckland is very hilly city and Waiheke Island too. The great thing about this trip was that I could take my bike to a ferry for free. I was wondering why more people do not do this. After all I checked the price for bike rental on the island and 50 NZD daily rate seemed to me very expensive. But soon enough I knew why people rarely take bikes with them. Making the long story short: Waiheke Island is very hilly. I was not prepared for this! The first part of the trip – from Kingsland where I live in Auckland to harbour – was downhill but the moment I started my ride on Waiheke I thought I should get back home at once! First kilometer was uphill and I felt like my legs and lungs were burning. And it was no better further: up and down for next 9 km! Only because I was really determined I eventually reached my destination: a winery and restaurant “Wild on Waiheke”. Wine Waiheke is called the island of wine. There are as many as 25 wineries on this island and most of them offer wine tasting, restaurant, garden and a place to have your party in. I tasted few wines in ‘Wild on Waiheke’ and I can tell you this: if only for wine this trip would not worthy my effort. Now, I know this might be due to my previous experiences in Italy and my particular taste shaped by Italian wines (not luxury nor expensive but still). And I really understand people who go to Waiheke to taste wines. I do! After all, this wine was better than the one I had in Paris (shame on you!). What is really great about Waiheke and wine tasting is that you can have a very small glass with your meal for just 2 NZD. It allowed me to taste as many as 4 different ones and I did not have to spit! The more friendly version of professional wine tasting. Just for people like me and a million of Aucklanders who come here. Food and people If not wine than food! What else makes you determined enough to ride up and down for an hour? “Wild on Waiheke” provides high quality and very tasty food. Their garlic bread, salad and a variety of cheese and ham were excellent! Also, people who work there are friendly and helpful. When I arrived at noon all seats and tables were taken but they were still able to find a place for me. I had a look at ‘typical’ Kiwis having a great time. These people are chilled out beyond my imagination. They are not slobs, though. They keep their being chilled out well balanced so people who watch them do not feel embarrassed or disgusted. Kiwis chill out makes you relaxed and eager to share their state of mind. In this restaurant, I felt like being a part of a big party. Even though people did not know each other it still felt like somebody’s wedding. And let me tell you that the dress code was not wedding focused! Landscape The best part about this island is landscape. I was riding a bike and at some point I felt really exhausted but it did not prevent me from watching breathtaking views. Little bays, hidden beaches, gentle green hills, white boats on the water and blue sky over all of this was a reward for riding uphill. Just like elsewhere the middle of the summer makes a place colourful and smelly (in a good sense!). A variety of trees and flowers is delightful here and the whole island was like a big garden. New trend What I found most amusing was a popularity of this place. Yes, it is beautiful but often this is not good enough for people to come. Apart from a chill out of New Zealanders I can’t still well understand I think creating new trends works really well here. Wine has become a desirable and widespread drink recently. It is fancy to drink red wine instead of anything else. So people do. They have their favorite wines but also visiting a winery for a day became a great idea for a weekend. Waiheke would be still beautiful without wineries but for its beauty people would not come. If you are spending your summer in Auckland this is a great one-day trip. I think it is worthy to visit this island for its atmosphere, beauty and for people. I enjoyed my stay there very much and I hope to go back there soon. Travel Tip When you take a ferry don’t sit on the back lower deck. I did and after 15 minutes I was completely covered with salt and water. I looked like a wet chicken and for the whole day I had sticky hands. So make yourself comfortable inside the ferry.  

The post Waiheke Island: wine, food and bike appeared first on Null & Full.

You would be surprised what kind of people you can meet on Rarotonga! At first, it seemed like the end of the world. A paradise like island isolated from all other countries. Soon, I realised how wrong I were.  Journey in time The most unexpected person I met on the island was Tim. His story was a blast! There is nothing special of being a Brit, born in Manchester and moved to New Zealand with his parents. Not even his career as a lawyer and his decision to settle on Rarotonga. But his love to trains, so powerful that brought a real steam train to the island. And this is somehow understandable, you may say. Well, a man with passion. True, but the train he transported to Rarotonga comes from a place where I live. And this coincidence made us both laugh! Tim is an excellent storyteller so when we met over lunch in Salsa Cafe I wished that day would never end. He started his story from Napoleon Wars in Europe just to explain the connection between his client and a small estate in Poland he inherited. To have a careful look at the estate he went to Poland and BANG! there he saw it: trains for sale. It was the beginning of the 90. in Poland and as a result of serious political changes (a switch from communist regime towards democracy) many of previously state owned properties and other goods were for sale. It happened that Tim’s client knew about his love to trains and so after he saw a steam train for sale he phoned Tim and asked if he wanted to buy one. Passion He had also a free space in a container and so they could split the costs of shipping it from Europe. Tim had little money saved and soon they arranged the whole thing. He bought an old steam train that was still in a good shape and he planed to open a short railway road on Rarotonga as a tourist attraction. The train arrived to Rarotonga and Tim spent another 10 years renovating it! A dedication is the right word to describe what he did. Eventually, the train was fully operational but unfortunately the investment in railroad was not that successful. Years have passed when Tim realised he has no more time nor money to proceed with his daring idea so when a friend from New Zealand approached him asking to get the train out of the island he agreed. In next 6 months the train will be transported from Rarotonga to New Zealand where it will be a tourist attraction near Lake Wanaka. Luckily when Tim was working on this train he had all controls done by a New Zealand office so after all his train is fit and ready to ride in New Zealand with all formal conditions filled. Curiosity Tim’s story was epic. I listened to it with my jaws dropped. To find a person who visited and liked my country was unbelievable enough but to find out there is a steam train that I probably rode in as a kid as far away as on the Cook Islands was mind blowing. Although Tim’s story has a bitter – sweat end it shows few important things. First, that there are no limits for imagination, then, that where you really want something to happen and you are determined enough there is a high probability it will happen. And when you are travelling you should be prepared for amazing things. This is probably my favourite part of travels: meeting people who share their stories with me. Sitting in that cafe on Rarotonga and listening to a story told by Tim was something I could never planed nor even think of. But it happened for real. And for such moments I am ready to travel. Just to discover the connections between places and people. And to understand more even if it is very little.    

The post Unexpected journey appeared first on Null & Full.

New Zealand is not the most popular place to spend Christmas. Most of the people chose to go to Europe and participate in Christmas Markets. They sometimes attend Christmas carols’ concerts. There are many things in Europe that you cannot find in New Zealand, at least not at this time of the year. There is no snow because it is the middle of the summer. There are no Christmas trees all over the place because most of people go to the beach and have their barbecue on Christmas day. There are no Christmas carols played months in advance. And you simply don’t feel like Christmas. Last week I was complaining about all of this to my best friend. It’s so hard to feel Christmas here, I was saying. There is no darkness that help you focus, there is no smell of ginger bread in the kitchen, there is no snow, well there is nothing here like European Christmas. And he told me a very important thing: this is just perfect opportunity for you to focus on what is the most important part of Christmas. Birth of God. And suddenly I realised how true it is! Yes, all of these nice traditions may help you to feel the coming Christmas but what I think often happens is that it distracts you. You can easily use shopping, cooking and cleaning as an excuse for not doing more important things. And you will still have a feeling that you prepare yourself for Christmas time. So this year I’m spending Christmas totally different and I think I’m really enjoying it very much. There will be a Midnight Mass with a local community, Christmas carols sing by children and the real Christmas will happen. Merry Christmas everyone. I wish you the most beautiful time of the year, full of joy, peace and hope. Let yourself lost in thoughts about one important day two thousands years ago and a little baby that has changed everything.  

The post Merry Christmas! appeared first on Null & Full.