Hidden away in the rolling hills of Northumberland, a remarkable herd of white cattle roams freely across ancient parkland, carrying in their genes a story that stretches back over 700 years. These are the Chillingham wild cattle—perhaps the most extraordinary...
Travel
Te Anau: The Gorgeous NZ Setting for Hunted Pack
Te Anau is a small New Zealand town known as the gateway to Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park. It’s a picturesque place with a beautiful alpine lake and snow-capped mountains. Mr. Munro and I visited and walked parted of the nearby Kepler Track. I fell in love...
In Praise of Packing Cubes
For years, I’ve been hearing about the marvelous creation called packing cubes. Packing has never been a problem for me. I’m an experienced traveler and, therefore, have a lot of experience packing suitcases. Who needs packing cubes, I thought. Oh, how wrong I was....
A Magical Visit to Hobbiton
We recently spent four days touring Matamata, the National Park, Taupo, and Rotorua before returning to Auckland and jumping on a cruise ship to Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Milford Sound, Dunedin, Wellington, and Tauranga. Excellent weather, splendid company, and many...
Review: Country Cruise P & O, Pacific Explorer
P & O Cruises Dates: 17 November 2023 (Three nights) Auckland return. I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t anticipating this cruise with the same enthusiasm I might have for our other holidays. I'd sailed with P & O a few years ago and was underwhelmed. A...
Cape Reinga, NZ – The Northernmost Point
Last weekend, Mr. Munro and I visited Cape Reinga, a place I'd never gone to before. Cape Reinga is at the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand, and from here it's possible to see where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean collide with currents going in...
Muriwai Gannet Colony
From August to March each year, visitors get a ringside seat to the goings-on at the gannet colony. There are nests with chicks and busy adult birds feeding their offspring. We watched the birds for ages as they flew back and forth, rode the air currents, and...
Nemrut Dagi, Turkey ~ Inspiration for Star-Crossed with Scarlett
Back in the early 1990s, Mr. Munro and I did an overland trip from England to Kathmandu. The trip proper started once we reached Turkey. It was my first visit to Turkey, the country where the west and east meet, and I loved the food, the beaches, the history, and the...
The Scarlet Macaw #research #travel
One of seventeen species of macaws, the Scarlet Macaw is becoming increasingly rare. In Costa Rica, Central America, we visited the Natuwa Macaw Sanctuary where they rescue, breed, and release the Scarlet Macaw. I was very excited at the thought of seeing macaws. When...