Travel

What can one do in under three hours? Well, I can write a short article, for example. Or bake a cake! Or travel from Tauranga to Napier. But can one explore an entire city in three hours? That’s what Alex and I decided to check out on our layover in Qatar back in May.

‘With endless baroque and rococo palaces in turquoise, yellow and pink colours, iconic golden domes of the cathedrals, hundreds of bridges guarded by bronze statues, Russia’s ‘cultural capital’ is the most precious stone in the crown of the world’s largest country. That is the place where all the tsars and aristocrats wanted to live in the past and the place not to be missed today.’ That’s how my article on Saint Petersburg, published in Verve magazine, begins. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t describe this gorgeous city any better:)

We only had around an hour to whizz through the yet sleepy, early morning Arrowtown on our way to Tasman glacier, but you know what? It was enough to make us looking forward to another trip! The cutest lil’ town I have ever seen, that has that magical, enchanted feeling, as if you’ve accidentally took the wrong turn on the highway and found yourself in a new Universe, where everything is so familiar, yet a bit different, like in your favourite children’s book of fairy tales.

Rotorua reminds me of Hermione Granger’s beaded handbag: small from the outside, it was bottomless inside, so she could pack all the supplies she might need one day in it (those included Perkins’ tent, that easily accommodated seven Weasleys and Harry Potter – not sure I really need this detail here, but it’s Harry Potter, you know). Anyway, the population of Rotorua is only 71,700 people. Might look like a sleepy little place. But the truth can’t lie any further from that. You can never have enough time to explore all the activities and entertainments Rotorua has to offer! And I know what I’m talking about – we live in Tauranga. With Rotorua being located only an hour away, it has been our go-to choice for a cool weekend getaway for the last two years.

Many years of the ‘Iron Curtain’ regime certainly did no good to Russia as a touristic country. Even those once curious to see the biggest country in the world, the land of untouched nature, severe winters, gargantuan palaces and the most beautiful girls (no biased opinions, just facts) had ditched the dream in favour of more accessible and friendly destinations. But things has changed!

Landing on one of the tiny paradise islands, hugged by the warm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean is the moment we all dream about. The moment that draws the line between the life you knew and the upcoming days or weeks of pure bliss. With the shimmering white sand, world-best SPA’s, high-end design, diverse restaurants and 24/7 supportive team, Maldives is the best place to slow down, unwind and get a taste of a perfect life (we all need something to strive for, right?). Since the first days of the very first hotel, local resorts seek to shift all your problems and responsibilities on their shoulders. Though you might easily find yourself deciding nothing but meat or fish during the day while vacaying on Maldives, there is still some preparation and vital moves to make prior to the arrival.

Visiting Moscow two years after we left was a pretty surrealistic experience, should I say. On one hand, you know every single corner and know for sure where to go and what places maybe not that worth spending the time and money. On the other hand, I couldn’t believe my eyes – so much has changed in such a short period of time! Of course, of course, there is FIFA World Cup 2018 going on right now and Moscow just couldn’t humiliate herself in front of so many foreign visitors. That’s what Russia was always really good at – shaking off her favourite sleepy mode and doing the impossible right before the deadline. Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that besides simply being impressed with all the positive changes, we’ve also really enjoyed visiting new places. After all, even if you’re traveling to the country you’ve spent the most part of your life in, you’re still traveling ABROAD and want to be a tourist for a while. New ‘Kosmos’ (Space) pavilion definitely stood out among them.

I always felt that Karangahake Gorge is sort of an underestimated New Zealand walkway. Yes, it has made it into 101 Must Do’s for Kiwi’s. Yes, everyone have heard of it. But who has really been there? Photos of the stunning Karangahake Gorge views we’ve posted on Instagram were mostly met with one question: ‘Where is it?’ I think, it’s time to answer it!

Lying long and deep in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is the largest glacier in New Zealand. And though this…