Mark & Karen Hobbs, Author at Hoblets On The Go

Ethiopia: Bahir Dar – Blue Nile & Lake Tana churches

Bahri Dar, a picturesque city nestled along the shores of Lake Tana in northwestern Ethiopia, serves as a captivating gateway to the ancient island monasteries and centuries-old churches scattered across the lake’s tranquil waters, while also offering stunning views of the Blue Nile as it begins its dramatic journey southward, cascading in misty splendour over the iconic Blue Nile Falls and winding through lush landscapes steeped in cultural heritage and spiritual significance.

Ethiopia: Addis Ababa – “Political Capital of Africa”

Addis Ababa, the vibrant capital city of Ethiopia, situated at the heart of the country and often referred to as the political capital of Africa due to its historical, diplomatic, and cultural significance, is renowned for its diverse population, rich heritage, and rapidly growing infrastructure, which together create a unique blend of tradition and modernity that captivates visitors and residents alike.

Poland: Gdansk – “Pearl of the Baltic”

Gdańsk, Poland, though a world away from Peru, would likely strike a Peruvian visitor as a captivating blend of maritime history, colourful architecture, and Baltic charm, offering a refreshing yet unfamiliar contrast to the Andean landscapes and coastal culture of their homeland.

The Mexico City Cathedral

Mexico: Mexico City

Mexico City is a sprawling and electrifying capital where ancient Aztec heritage meets contemporary culture — a city of world-class museums and remarkable street food that rewards every curious traveller with unforgettable experiences at every turn.

Western Australia

Australia: Unique Attractions in Carnarvon, WA

Carnarvon's unique attractions — from the iconic Giant Banana Statue and whimsical Humpty Dumpty figure to the exotic Cactus Garden and vibrant street art — offer visitors a wonderfully quirky and colourful side to this outback Western Australian town.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Carnarvon, Gwoonwardu Mia Cultural Centre

Gwoonwardu Mia is a multi-award winning Aboriginal heritage and cultural centre in Carnarvon that unites the five language groups of the Gascoyne Region through immersive exhibitions galleries a training café and a vibrant artist-in-residence programme celebrating 30000 years of living culture.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – One Mile Jetty Museum

A captivating heritage museum on Babbage Island honouring Carnarvon's maritime and pastoral legacy through immersive exhibits on the 1941 HMAS Sydney II naval disaster and the region's iconic jetty tramway history.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Carnarvon OTC Dish Space Technology Centre

The Carnarvon Space and Technology Centre celebrates Australia's extraordinary contribution to the Space Age through the iconic OTC Dish and its remarkable role in global satellite communications history.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Carnarvon

Carnarvon is a tropical Coral Coast town renowned for its fresh produce World Heritage neighbours stunning blowholes and fascinating space history along the Gascoyne River.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Shark Bay

Shark Bay is a remote UNESCO World Heritage Site on Western Australia's Gascoyne Coast, celebrated for its ancient stromatolites, abundant marine life and breathtaking coastal wilderness.

Poland: Pomorskie – European Solidarity Centre

The European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk is an impressively designed and thought-provoking museum that offers a powerful and honest portrayal of Poland’s fight for freedom, though its depth and detail may feel a little overwhelming if you try to take it all in during a single visit.

Poland: Pomorskie – Malbork Castle

Malbork Castle in Poland, with its vast red-brick walls and meticulously restored Gothic architecture, is an awe-inspiring testament to medieval craftsmanship, though its sheer size can make exploring it in a single day feel somewhat overwhelming.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Monkey Mia

Monkey Mia is a world-renowned wildlife reserve in Western Australia's Shark Bay where wild dolphins greet visitors on the shoreline each morning amid breathtaking desert-meets-ocean scenery.

Adolf Hilter's bunker at the Wolf's Lair - Poland

Warmian-Masurian

Poland: Gierłoż – The Wolf’s Lair

Visiting Gierłoż, the Wolf’s Lair in Poland, is a haunting experience, as the moss-covered ruins and dense forest surroundings evoke both the chilling weight of its dark wartime history and a sobering reminder of the consequences of unchecked tyranny.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Hamelin Pool Stromatolites

Hamelin Pool in Shark Bay shelters the world's finest living marine Stromatolites — ancient microbial structures offering an extraordinary glimpse into Earth's earliest life forms.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Kalbarri National Park

Kalbarri National Park in Western Australia stuns visitors with ancient river gorges dramatic coastal cliffs vivid wildflower displays and the iconic Skywalk overlooking a vast sun-baked wilderness.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Hutt Lagoon

Hutt Lagoon is a strikingly pink salt lake on Western Australia's Coral Coast famous for its vivid algae-driven colour and spectacular aerial views near Port Gregory.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – The Pinnacles Desert

The Pinnacles are thousands of ancient limestone pillars rising from the desert within Nambung National Park just 245 kilometres north of Perth in Western Australia.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australian – Lake Clifton Thrombolites

Lake Clifton in Western Australia's Yalgorup National Park is home to one of the world's most significant and accessible communities of living thrombolites — ancient microbial reef structures that offer a direct window into the early history of life on Earth.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Yallingup

Yallingup is a small coastal village in Western Australia's Margaret River Region, celebrated for its dramatic surf beaches, ancient limestone caves, and proximity to some of Australia's finest wineries and artisan producers.

Warmian-Masurian

Poland: Reszel – Reszel Castle

Staying at Reszel Zamek in Poland offers a fascinating blend of medieval charm and historical atmosphere, though some guests may find the facilities a little rustic compared to modern hotels, making it best suited for those who value character over luxury.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Torndirrup National Park

Torndirrup National Park is a rugged coastal reserve near Albany, Western Australia, renowned for its dramatic granite headlands, powerful ocean blowholes, and sweeping views across the wild Southern Ocean.

Warmian-Masurian

Poland: Gierłoż – Wilcze Lotnisko Aviation Museum

Wilcze Lotnisko Air Museum in Poland offers a fascinating glimpse into aviation history with its collection of well-preserved aircraft and memorabilia, though its somewhat remote location and limited on-site facilities mean it’s best suited for dedicated enthusiasts rather than casual tourists.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Albany

Perched on the edge of the Southern Ocean in Western Australia's Great Southern region, Albany is a city of wild coastal drama, deep-rooted history and remarkable natural beauty that rewards every kind of traveller.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Denmark

Denmark, Western Australia, is a welcoming south coast town of roughly 5,000 people, celebrated for its ancient tingle forests, pristine beaches, rich birdlife, award-winning wineries, and a relaxed creative community framed by the stunning Wilson Inlet and the Rainbow Coast.

Poland: Białowieża – Apartamenty Carskie

Apartamenty Carskie in Białowieża, Poland, is a lovingly restored tsarist railway complex offering boutique accommodations in royal carriages, a historic water tower, and period apartments, set within the ancient UNESCO-listed Białowieża Forest.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Serpentine National Park

Serpentine National Park, nestled on the Darling Scarp 55 km south-east of Perth in Western Australia, is a beloved natural retreat centred on the spectacular Serpentine Falls, ancient jarrah forests, and remarkable wildlife, all within an hour's drive of the city.

Australia: Convict Sites of Australia – UNESCO

The Australian Convict Sites UNESCO World Heritage Property is a series of eleven penal places spanning New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia, and Norfolk Island, collectively representing the largest surviving record of British convict transportation and colonial expansion in the world.

Western Australia

Australia: Perth – The Art Gallery of Western Australia

The Art Gallery of Western Australia, situated in Perth's Cultural Centre, is a free-entry public gallery housing more than 18,600 works that celebrate First Nations, Western Australian, Australian, and international art across striking heritage and contemporary spaces.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Fremantle Prison

The Fremantle Museum in Fremantle, Western Australia, occupies a landmark convict-built Gothic limestone building with a rich and layered past, offering visitors immersive exhibitions on local history, community heritage and the cultural identity of one of Australia's most storied port cities.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Aviation Heritage Museum

The Aviation Heritage Museum in Bull Creek, Perth, is a world-class collection of over 30 military and civilian aircraft, thousands of artefacts, and immersive experiences that bring Western Australia's aviation history vividly to life for visitors of all ages.

Poland: The Białowieża Forest

The Białowieża Forest, straddling the border between Poland and Belarus, is one of the last and largest remaining parts of the immense primeval forest that once stretched across the European Plain, and it serves as a remarkable sanctuary for a diverse array of flora and fauna, including the iconic European bison, while also standing as a poignant symbol of Europe’s natural heritage, conservation efforts, and the delicate balance between ecological preservation and human intervention.

Morocco: 14 Day Tour

Morocco is a North African kingdom of extraordinary contrasts — where imperial cities hum with centuries of history, rose-pink kasbahs rise from sun-baked plains, and the Sahara's vast silence meets the restless energy of the Atlantic coast, all within a single, spellbinding 14-day journey.

Morocco: Essaouira

Essaouira is a wind-sculpted Atlantic port town on Morocco's south-west coast, celebrated for its UNESCO-listed medina, Gnawa musical heritage, world-class kitesurfing conditions, and a bohemian atmosphere that has drawn artists and free spirits for decades.

Egypt: Alexandria – “Pearl of the Mediterranean Coast”

Alexandria, Egypt's second-largest city and a historic Mediterranean port, offers a unique blend of ancient heritage and modern culture, with attractions such as the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the remnants of the Serapeum and Pompey’s Pillar, as well as a scenic corniche lined with cafes, colonial architecture, and access to nearby Greco-Roman archaeological sites, making it a compelling destination for travellers interested in history, coastal leisure, and vibrant urban life.

Western Australia

Australia: Western Australia – Perth

Perth, the sun-soaked capital of Western Australia, is a sprawling coastal city of golden beaches, vibrant neighbourhoods, world-class wine regions, and extraordinary natural landscapes that together create one of the southern hemisphere's most compelling and liveable destinations.

South Australia

Australia: South Australia – Art Gallery of South Australia

Nestled on Adelaide's celebrated North Terrace, the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) is a landmark institution founded in 1881, home to nearly 45,000 works of Australian, Indigenous, European, Asian and Islamic art, with free daily access and a rich year-round programme of exhibitions and events.

Egypt: Aswan – The ancient city of Swenett

Nestled along the tranquil banks of the Nile in southern Egypt, Aswan captivates visitors with its rich tapestry of ancient history, vibrant Nubian culture, and awe-inspiring landscapes, where sun-drenched temples, such as Philae and Abu Simbel, stand as enduring testaments to the grandeur of past civilisations, while the bustling souks, serene felucca rides, and the monumental Aswan High Dam together weave a compelling narrative of timeless beauty and modern ingenuity.

Egypt: Aswan – The Unfinished Obelisk

The Unfinished Obelisk, lying abandoned in the granite quarries of Aswan, offers a remarkable glimpse into ancient Egyptian engineering, revealing through its sheer scale—measuring an estimated 42 metres in length and weighing over 1,000 tonnes—and the visible tool marks and cracks along its surface, the extraordinary ambition of its builders and the unexpected flaw that ultimately halted its completion.

Morocco: Marrakech – Jardin Majorelle

Jardin Majorelle is a luminous botanical garden in Marrakech, Morocco, famed for its electric cobalt-blue architecture, extraordinary plant collection from five continents, and its deep connection to painter Jacques Majorelle and fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent.

Morocco: Marrakech – Medina

Marrakech Medina is a UNESCO-listed labyrinth of ancient souks, ornate palaces, and vibrant squares at the beating heart of Morocco's most storied imperial city, offering travellers an immersive encounter with centuries of Berber, Arab, and Andalusian culture.

South Australia

Australia: South Australia – Adelaide

Adelaide, South Australia's elegant and unhurried capital, captivates visitors with an outstanding festival scene, world-renowned wine regions, sun-kissed beaches, and a food and arts culture that is rich, accessible, and quietly extraordinary.

Morocco: Imlil and the High Atlas

Imlil is a compact Berber village in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains, serving as the principal base for ascents of Jebel Toubkal and offering walkers, trekkers, and cultural travellers a vivid introduction to highland Amazigh life.

Australia: Northern Territory – Alice Spring & Uluru NP

Alice Springs and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park sit at the spiritual and geographical heart of Australia's Northern Territory, offering travellers a rare encounter with ancient Aboriginal culture, extraordinary desert landscapes, and one of the most iconic natural landmarks on the planet.

Egypt: Exploring the Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae

Stretching from the awe-inspiring rock-cut temples of Abu Simbel, built by Ramses II to assert his divine status and power in Nubia, to the elegant island sanctuary of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis and relocated to Agilkia to preserve it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Nubian Monuments represent an extraordinary collection of ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman architecture, religious devotion, and cultural fusion, all meticulously relocated in the mid-20th century through a remarkable international campaign to save them from submersion following the construction of the Aswan High Dam, making them not only enduring symbols of ancient craftsmanship and belief but also of modern global cooperation and heritage preservation.

New South Wales

Australia: New South Wales – Sydney

Sydney, Australia's largest city, dazzles with its harbour setting, landmark architecture, vibrant cultural scene, and legendary beaches, offering an exhilarating mix of urban sophistication and sun-soaked coastal living.

Australia: New South Wales – UNESCO, Blue Mountains

Katoomba sits at the heart of the Blue Mountains — a vast, World Heritage-listed wilderness of sandstone escarpments, eucalypt forest, and mist-filled valleys that stretches across the Great Dividing Range just west of Sydney, offering visitors an extraordinary blend of natural drama, cultural history, and cool-climate charm.

Morocco: Ouarzazate-Atlas Studios

Ouarzazate's Atlas Studios is the world's largest film studio by area, a Moroccan desert landmark where over 200 major productions — from Gladiator to Game of Thrones — have been brought to life, and which now welcomes visitors on guided tours through its extraordinary, still-standing sets.

Egypt: Aswan – Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel, a breathtaking monument to ancient Egyptian grandeur, captivates visitors with its colossal statues, intricately carved interiors, and remarkable relocation story, standing as a powerful testament to both pharaonic ambition and modern engineering ingenuity.

Morocco: – Ait Bin Haddou

Aït Benhaddou is a breathtaking UNESCO-listed ksar in southern Morocco — a pre-Saharan fortified village of rammed earth and sun-baked adobe that has served as a caravan crossroads, a living Berber community, and one of cinema's most iconic locations.

Australia: Tasmania – UNESCO, Tasmanian Wilderness

The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area encompasses nearly 1.6 million hectares of south-west Tasmania, protecting one of the Southern Hemisphere's most ecologically intact and culturally significant landscapes, from ancient rainforests and glacial peaks to Aboriginal rock art and wild, wind-scoured coastlines.

Egypt: Aswan – Temple of Philae

The Temple of Philae, majestically situated on Agilkia Island in the Nile near Aswan, is a beautifully preserved sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Isis, renowned for its elegant columns, intricate reliefs, and fascinating history, having been painstakingly relocated stone by stone in the 20th century to save it from the rising waters caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

Australia: Tasmania – Tasmanian Aboretum

The Tasmanian Arboretum is a 66-hectare community-founded botanical tree park near Devonport, Tasmania, harbouring over 5,000 temperate plants, world-class platypus sightings and a rich limestone heritage within a serene valley landscape.

Australia: Tasmania – Unique Attractions

Tasmania's most eccentric attractions — from a Swiss village in the Tamar Valley to a giant platypus and convict-built bridge — prove that odd is simply another word for extraordinary.

Egypt: Kom Ombo – Temples of Sobek and Haroeris

Nestled on the banks of the Nile in Upper Egypt, the remarkable twin Temples of Kom Ombo—dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, associated with fertility and the might of the pharaoh, and the falcon-headed god Haroeris (Horus the Elder), revered as a deity of protection and healing—stand as a unique architectural marvel, symmetrically divided into two identical sections to honour both gods equally, adorned with intricate reliefs, hieroglyphics, and medical carvings that provide a fascinating glimpse into ancient Egyptian religious practices, daily life, and early surgical knowledge.

Morocco: – Fes

Fes is Morocco's spiritual and intellectual capital — a living medieval city of ancient mosques, intricate tilework, and bustling artisan quarters that has changed remarkably little over a thousand years.

Egypt: Edfu – Temple of Horus

The Edfu Temple of Horus in Egypt, one of the best-preserved ancient sanctuaries dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus, stands as a magnificent testament to Ptolemaic architecture and religious devotion, featuring colossal pylons, intricately carved reliefs depicting mythological battles and rituals, and a remarkably intact inner sanctuary—all meticulously aligned with celestial events and enveloped in an aura of timeless reverence that continues to captivate archaeologists, historians, and visitors alike.

Australia: Tasmania – Maria Island

Maria Island is a pristine, car-free Tasmanian national park combining extraordinary wildlife, dramatic coastal scenery, and layers of convict and colonial heritage into one of Australia's most rewarding island getaways.

Australia: Tasmania – Eagle Hawk Neck & Tasman National Park

Eagle Hawk Neck and Tasman National Park form a breathtaking coastal wilderness on Tasmania's Tasman Peninsula, offering dramatic sea cliffs, geological wonders, and world-class walking trails within easy reach of Port Arthur and Hobart.

Australia: Tasmania – Port Arthur

Port Arthur, on Tasmania's Tasman Peninsula, is a UNESCO World Heritage convict site where sweeping coastal landscapes meet remarkably preserved sandstone ruins, museums, and living history that together tell the defining story of colonial Australia.

Turkey: 3 Week Western Turkey Roadtrip

The Sultanhani Caravanserai, a magnificent 13th-century Seljuk masterpiece located along the ancient Silk Road in central Turkey, stands as a remarkably well-preserved example of medieval architecture, showcasing intricate stone carvings, grand arched entrances, and a central courtyard that once offered shelter and security to weary merchants, travellers, and their animals journeying across Anatolia.

Morocco: – Volubilis

Volubilis is Morocco's finest Roman ruin — a UNESCO World Heritage Site of sweeping colonnades, vivid floor mosaics and weathered arches set against the rolling Moroccan countryside near Meknès.

Australia: Tasmania Bruny Island

Bruny Island is a wild, unhurried Tasmanian retreat of ancient forests, dramatic coastlines, abundant wildlife, and outstanding artisan produce, accessible by a short ferry crossing from Kettering, just south of Hobart.

Australia: Tasmania – MONA

MONA — the Museum of Old and New Art — is a subterranean, privately funded cultural landmark on the Berriedale peninsula in Hobart, Tasmania, housing one of the Southern Hemisphere's most provocative and boundary-defying art collections across ancient, modern and contemporary works.

Turkey: Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia

Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia are renowned for their extraordinary landscapes, featuring ancient cave dwellings, rock-cut churches, and fairy chimneys shaped by centuries of natural erosion and human habitation.

Turkey: Sultanhanı Caravanserai

The Sultanhani Caravanserai, a magnificent 13th-century Seljuk masterpiece located along the ancient Silk Road in central Turkey, stands as a remarkably well-preserved example of medieval architecture, showcasing intricate stone carvings, grand arched entrances, and a central courtyard that once offered shelter and security to weary merchants, travellers, and their animals journeying across Anatolia.

Morocco: – Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen is a centuries-old Moroccan mountain town celebrated for its striking blue medina, Andalusian-Berber heritage, cool mountain air, and a welcoming, unhurried atmosphere that sets it apart from Morocco's busier imperial cities.

Australia: Tasmania – Hobart

Hobart is Tasmania's vibrant capital — a compact, history-steeped harbour city where convict-era sandstone, world-class contemporary art, wild mountain scenery, and some of Australia's finest food and drink converge in one utterly distinctive destination.

Australia: Melbourne – Melbourne Museum

Melbourne Museum in Carlton, Victoria, is Australia's largest museum, offering sweeping galleries across natural history, First Peoples culture, science, and the living world — making it an unmissable destination for curious minds of all ages.

Australia: Melbourne UNESCO – Royal Exhibition Building & Carlton Gardens

A breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Melbourne, the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens blend grand Victorian architecture with serene landscaped grounds, offering visitors a timeless and enriching cultural escape.

Morocco: – Casablanca: Hassan II Mosque

Perched on a promontory above the Atlantic in Casablanca, Morocco, the Hassan II Mosque is a monumental masterpiece of Islamic architecture, welcoming visitors with its soaring minaret, ornate interiors, and an unrivalled setting where land meets sea.

Morocco: – UNESCO: Rabat

Rabat, located on Morocco's Atlantic coast, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2012 UNESCO for its remarkable layering of Almohad grandeur, Andalusian character, and French Protectorate urban planning — a city that reads as a living atlas of North African history.

Australia: Victoria – Melbourne

Melbourne, the capital of Victoria in south-eastern Australia, is a vibrant, culture-rich metropolis celebrated for its thriving café culture, creative arts scene, eclectic neighbourhoods and spectacular access to natural landscapes — from surf beaches to ancient rainforest.

Turkey: Çatalhöyük

Çatalhöyük, one of the world’s earliest known urban settlements located in central Turkey, offers a fascinating glimpse into Neolithic life with its densely packed, mudbrick houses accessed by rooftop entrances, intricate wall paintings, and evidence of early agricultural practices, reflecting a surprisingly complex and organised society that thrived over 9,000 years ago.

Turkey: Konya – “City of Whirling Dervishes”

Konya, a sprawling city in central Turkey steeped in Seljuk history and known for its deeply spiritual atmosphere, enchants visitors with its mesmerising whirling dervish ceremonies, beautifully preserved mosques and madrasahs, and the striking Mevlana Museum—home to the tomb of Rumi—while offering a fascinating juxtaposition of modern life and ancient tradition, all set against the backdrop of sweeping Anatolian plains.

New Zealand: West Coast – Abel Tasman National Park

Abel Tasman National Park, perched at the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island, is an intimate coastal wilderness of golden beaches, turquoise waters and emerald forest, best explored on foot, by kayak, or aboard a scenic water taxi.

New Zealand: 40 Day Tour

A 40-day road trip through New Zealand — Aotearoa — takes you from the wonders of the North Island to the dramatic fjords, glaciers, and mountain passes of the South, weaving together adventure, culture, and extraordinary natural beauty at every turn

New Zealand: Obscure and unique attractions

New Zealand's scenic grandeur is well documented — but scattered among the mountains and vineyards lies a parallel itinerary of gloriously unserious roadside curiosities that reveal an equally irresistible side of the country's character.

New Zealand: Unique Places to Stay

New Zealand's most unusual places to stay — spanning retired aircraft, converted farm buildings, and structures that politely ignore the laws of conventional architecture — offer five honest accounts of accommodation that goes gloriously beyond the ordinary across both islands.

Turkey: Pamukkale-Hierapolis

Pamukkale-Hierapolis, located in the Denizli Province of southwestern Turkey, represents a uniquely integrated cultural and natural heritage site where the striking white travertine terraces, formed over millennia by the deposition of calcium carbonate from mineral-rich thermal waters, coexist with the extensive archaeological remains of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Hierapolis—founded in the 2nd century BCE—which include a remarkably preserved theatre, elaborate necropolis, thermal baths, and temples, collectively offering valuable insights into the religious, social, and architectural practices of the time while illustrating the continuous interaction between human activity and a dynamic geological environment.

New Zealand: Tasman – The Boot

Nestled in the heart of the Tasman region Jesterhouse, The Boot at Jester House Café is a fully self-contained, fairytale B&B cottage shaped like a giant boot — a singular romantic hideaway offering privacy, charm, and effortless access to some of New Zealand's most spectacular landscapes.

New Zealand: West Coast – Paparoa National Park

Paparoa National Park is a dramatic wilderness on New Zealand's West Coast, where ancient rainforest, sculpted limestone, pounding surf, and one of the country's finest Great Walks converge in spectacular, untamed harmony.

Poland: Zamość – “The Padua of the North”

Zamość, often referred to as the "Padua of the North," is a meticulously preserved Renaissance town in southeastern Poland, founded in the late 16th century by Chancellor Jan Zamoyski and designed by the Italian architect Bernardo Morando as an ideal city, where symmetrical planning, arcaded streets and a harmonious blend of Italian and Central European architectural styles continue to reflect its historical significance, earning it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list and offering visitors a rare example of urban planning that has remained largely intact through centuries of political change and conflict.

New Zealand: West Coast – Hokitika

Hokitika is a compact, culturally rich town on New Zealand's South Island West Coast, where rugged natural landscapes, a gold-rush heritage, and a thriving arts and crafts scene combine to create a deeply rewarding and distinctly off-the-beaten-track destination.

New Zealand: West Coast – Rocky Creek Shepherd’s Hut

A hand-crafted sanctuary set amid the ancient rainforest and glacial grandeur of Fox Glacier on New Zealand's South Island, offering guests an intimate, comfortable, and restorative escape into one of the world's last great wildernesses.

Poland: Lublin – The Misfortune Stone

The Misfortune Stone in Lublin, Poland, is a modest yet haunting relic linked to medieval executions and enduring legend, offering visitors a quiet but compelling glimpse into the city’s layered past near Lublin Castle.

New Zealand: West Coast Region – Westland Tai Poutini National Park

Westland Tai Poutini National Park, stretching along New Zealand's rugged South Island West Coast, is a UNESCO World Heritage wilderness where glaciers, ancient rainforest, wild coastline, and the snow-capped Southern Alps converge in one of the planet's most breathtaking natural landscapes.

New Zealand: Otago – ‘Bradrona’

Bradrona in Otago is an unusual roadside landmark in the Cardrona Valley, where a simple farm fence covered in bras has evolved into a recognised local attraction, drawing travellers for photographs, curiosity and a glimpse of Central Otago’s playful character.

New Zealand: Otago – Wanaka Transport & Toy Museum

Wanaka Transport & Toy Museum in Wanaka, New Zealand, presents an extraordinary private collection of classic vehicles, aircraft, memorabilia and vintage toys, offering visitors an engaging journey through transport history and nostalgic glimpses of childhood across generations.

New Zealand: Otago – Arrowtown

Arrowtown in Otago, New Zealand, is a small gold-rush village near Queenstown, known for its preserved heritage buildings, autumn colours and peaceful riverside setting. It offers history, gentle walks and a relaxed atmosphere within easy reach of alpine scenery.

Poland: Lublin

Lublin, a historic city in eastern Poland, offers a compelling blend of medieval architecture, cultural heritage and post-communist resilience, where cobbled streets wind through the Old Town past Renaissance facades and hidden courtyards, while the echoes of its Jewish past and its role as a centre of academic and artistic life lend it a quiet yet enduring significance in the broader narrative of Central Europe.

New Zealand: Southland – Stewart Island / Rakiura National Park

Stewart Island is a peaceful, forest-covered island south of New Zealand’s South Island, known for its wildlife, remote walking tracks, dark skies and relaxed coastal settlement, offering visitors a genuine sense of wilderness and quiet escape from modern life.

New Zealand: Invercargill – Bill Richardson’s Transport World

Bill Richardson’s Transport World in Invercargill is a vast and thoughtfully curated celebration of vintage vehicles, motoring history and New Zealand’s deep connection with life on the road.

New Zealand: Southland – Invercargill

Invercargill offers a refreshing blend of heritage charm, expansive green spaces and access to some of New Zealand’s most striking southern landscapes, making it an inviting base for travellers seeking nature, culture and a slower, spacious rhythm.

New Zealand: Otago – Queenstown

Queenstown, in New Zealand’s South Island, offers alpine scenery, lake views and a lively town atmosphere. Surrounded by mountains and vineyards, it combines outdoor adventure with relaxed dining, scenic cruises and easy access to some of the country’s most memorable landscapes.

New Zealand: Otago – Rail Trail Cycle

The Otago Rail Trail is a 152-kilometre walking and cycling route through Central Otago, following a former railway line across wide plains, historic gold mining towns and striking semi-arid landscapes shaped by heritage and horizon.

New Zealand: Otago – Cromwell Heritage Precinct

The Cromwell Heritage Precinct offers a compact and atmospheric glimpse into Central Otago’s gold rush beginnings, where carefully restored nineteenth-century buildings, quiet lanes and lake views combine to tell the story of a town shaped by ambition, hardship and change.

New Zealand: Otago – Cromwell giant fruit monument

The Cromwell Fruit Statue stands at the town’s entrance as a bright and unmistakable tribute to Central Otago’s orchard heritage, welcoming travellers with a cheerful reminder that this dry inland region is famous for some of New Zealand’s finest stone fruit.

New Zealand: Otago – Chook Tree

A playful roadside landmark near Hector, the Chook Tree combines coastal scenery, local character and understated humour, offering travellers along State Highway 67 a brief yet memorable stop on the northern West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island.

New Zealand: Otago – Oamaru, Steam Punk HQ

Steampunk HQ in Oamaru is an immersive art gallery that transforms industrial scrap and Victorian imagination into a bold, interactive experience set within the town’s historic harbour precinct, blending heritage architecture with retro-futuristic creativity and mechanical spectacle.

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