by Nicole | 25 Oct, 2017 | Travel
There is so much that is so intriguing about the culture, society and politics of Bhutan and so much I want to write about. (And so much of it that I think would be appalling and infuriating for a right wing libertarian). But in the meantime please enjoy these...
by Nicole | 25 Oct, 2017 | Travel
You know you are in for something special while flying into Bhutan. The airport in Paro is at one end of the long valley and our plane, after flying up up up into the mountains from sea level Dhaka, had to make a sharp banking turn to slot into the valley so the plane...
by Nicole | 2 Oct, 2017 | Travel
It was raining when we left the Agriturismo and caught a train from the grim stazione of Gioia Torre. There were many hours of travel ahead of us and so our expectations for the day were low. We had a couple of hours to kill in the port of Villa San Giovanni on a grey...
by Nicole | 1 Oct, 2017 | Travel
Reykjavik to Napoli felt like a good natured slap to the face. From Nordic reserve and order to Southern Mediterranean chaos in just a few hours. We imagined that for an Icelander, coming to Southern Italy must be the equivalent of an Australian going to SE Asia. And...
by Nicole | 23 Sep, 2017 | Travel
I have been wondering if we had initially over-reacted to Iceland. Wondering if we were so astonished by it all because we had that wide eyed wonder of the jetlagged and the newly left home. But looking through photos again a week later I think our overblown...
by Nicole | 13 Sep, 2017 | Travel
It was a long long drive out to the remote Westfjords from Blonduos so it was kind of OK that it was the coldest day we had experienced, made even worse by a biting cruel wind. We witnessed the incredible fjordur scenery from the warmth of the car. Except when we...
by Nicole | 12 Sep, 2017 | Travel
Phrases most often heard between us in Iceland: 1. WOW! 2. Look where we are! 3. Look at those colours! 4. It is geology in action! 5. Will we break the camera if we use it too much? 6. I don’t think that photo remotely captured that scene. I think Iceland is...
by Nicole | 7 Sep, 2017 | Travel
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Where to even begin? Seven days in Iceland and my mind is so full to the brim with wonder and splendour that I am feeling a little befuddled. This seems like a good start. This tourist book was in our accommodation in Reykjavik. The...
by Nicole | 3 Sep, 2017 | Writing
The two weeks I spent at KSP Writers’ Centre would have to be the most intensely productive of my short writing life. From the moment I stepped into Aldridge cabin on the Monday afternoon, unpacked all my books and opened my laptop, I was entirely focused on...
by Nicole | 17 Aug, 2017 | Creativity, Writing
Getting to Israelite Bay is not easy. It is a major setting for my novel and I have only managed to step foot on the sandy salty ground twice. The first time was in 2006, when Tim and I were at the very beginning of our trip around Australia. Marcus, a friend of Tim...
