Category: travel
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Southern tracks: Slow journeys through Sri Lanka’s hill country and Colombo 2/2
Rattly train to Nuwara Eliya Leaving the faded colonial robes of the Queen’s Hotel behind, we made our way on foot through Kandy’s early-morning bustle to the train station. Distances in Sri Lanka can be deceiving; on the map, towns appear close, but the reality is otherwise. Of all transport options, trains set the gold…
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Travels in Sri Lanka, Negombo, Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, and Kandy 1/2
Sri Lanka sits off the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, an island marked by natural beauty and cavernous complexity. Its story is tangled with colonial exploits—first by the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch, and then the British, whose influence still permeates the island’s railways, legal systems, and architecture. After independence in 1948, Sri Lanka’s…
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Dark Mofo: Finding Light in Hobart’s Winter
Every year, in the depth of winter, Hobart shrugs off its sleepy charm and embraces a darker, more primal energy. This is Dark Mofo, the Museum of Old and New Art’s (MONA) annual winter festival, a phenomenon that has become a pilgrimage for those seeking art, music, and ritual in the longest nights of the…
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Hiking Mt Feathertop via Razorback
There’s something about a trip in a car that’s seen more kilometres than a one-way trip to the moon. Mark’s battered Subaru, with its bouncy suspension and a boot full of hiking gear, was our auto from Fitzroy to the high country for the ANZAC Day long weekend. Five hours of winding highways, coffee stops,…
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Easter on two wheels: A ride through Victoria’s Autumn highlands
The Easter long weekend stretched out ahead, four days that felt like a rare gift. I decided to make the most of it, setting out from Fitzroy on Good Friday with my motorbike pointed east towards Bruthen in Gippsland. The city was emptying fast; Highway 1 was thick with people eager to escape. It’s a…
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The Rubicon Heritage Trail
The Rubicon Heritage Trail is a peaceful weekend escape tucked away in Victoria’s Rubicon Valley, about two hours northeast of Melbourne. At just a few hours long, it’s the kind of walk that feels rewarding without requiring too much effort. The trail follows old narrow-gauge tramlines and aqueducts, winding through lush Mountain Ash forests and…