Posts from ‘My travels’
Hills made of chocolate and kooky critters.
Monday, December 3rd, 2012
Sadly the hills in central Bohol, Philippines weren’t made of chocolate, but it was home to one of the kookiest creatures I’ve ever laid my eyes on. After leaving the tropical paradise of Anda I headed inland to the town of Loboc on the the Loboc River where I stayed with Filma and her two children Joshua (9) and Isabelle (6) in another homestay through the Philippines Homestay Experience. This was quite the step up from my homestay in Anda. Filma had a cook and a maid and the shower was inside the house and it was actually a shower instead of a bucket. I spent my time there… (read more)
Where the HELL is Brian?
Sunday, November 18th, 2012
Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve blogged, but that’s because I’ve been incredibly busy. Okay, that’s not entirely true. I’ve been a little slack and so now I have a lot to catch up on. Most recently I’ve just returned from two weeks in the Philippines where I was doing some research for my new book. Although when you see some of the photos below you might say it doesn’t really look like ‘research’ – more like a holiday in a tropical paradise. Which I suppose it was… (read more)
Vagina soap and other great works of art.
Friday, August 31st, 2012
I’ve just got back from Hobart and MONA (Museum of Old and New Art). And what a great coup for tourism in Hobart it has been because people are flocking down to the capital of Tassie to visit this unique museum experience. Its owner, the multi-millionaire David Walsh, has put hundreds of items from his private collection on display, creating what he calls a ’subversive adult Disneyland’. My wife Beth and I absolutely loved it (maybe because we are subversive). I have to say, though, this place is not for the culturally incubated, prudish or sexually inhibited. It is an assault of the senses on so many levels, but this in my opinion is the triumph of MONA. There was graphic life-size scenes of castration, a chilling Nitchke suicide machine, a photo of a dog copulating with a man… (read more)
Getting on the piste.
Monday, July 2nd, 2012
I’m off to New Zealand tomorrow to go skiing. I’ll be based in Methven (near Christchurch) and I’ll be skiing Mt Hutt, Craigeburn and also heli-skiing in the Arrowsmith ranges with Methven Heliski. And boy, am I excited. The heliskiing day (which is NZ$975 for 5 runs!) is my birthday treat to myself (I’ll be doing it actually on my birthday!). The first time I went heli-skiing (back in 1995) was with Methven Heliski and it was one of the best ski days of my life (what am I saying, it was one of the BEST days of my life!). In fact, I often get asked what is my number one dream travel destination and it’s always the same answer: heliskiing for a week in Alaska (and I will do it one day!). If you haven’t guessed… (read more)
My travelling year on Instagram.
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
Earlier this year I discovered Instagram. It’s a FREE iPhone app that adds filters to your happy phone snaps and turns them into professional-looking photos that a hack like me would have no idea how to take. It’s also a caring, sharing App that you can share with your Instagram friends and, if you want the world to see your genius, send to Facebook, Twitter or Flickr. The photos are also tagged, so you can brag about where you are in the world. I took a few shots with Instagram on my trips this year and these are my favourites… (read more)
The Laundry Boat Express.
Sunday, July 3rd, 2011
After I finished my tour of duty in Vietnam with SNV I had a few days off before heading home. I went to a cooking class, had a massage (and no, not one with a happy ending!) and went on a 3-day cruise of Halong Bay. The cooking class (with Hidden Hanoi) was fantastic. There were only three of us in the class and we cooked up Vietnamese spring rolls, BBQ’d pork balls, fish sauce soup with green papaya and fresh bun noodle. We spent almost three hours cutting, dicing, slicing and cooking then I ate my body weight in food. It was the best… (read more)
Off the beaten track in Vietnam.
Monday, June 27th, 2011
I’ve just got home from another wonderful trip through the wilds of Northern Vietnam. Like my visit last November I was doing some work for SNV, a Dutch NGO. From Hanoi we travelled by car up into the Northern Highlands through areas that don’t get too many tourists. Last time I helped design four logos, write a few taglines and whip up a couple of brochures and a website, and this time we were just as busy. We did logo design and straplines for the remaining four provinces, plus whipped up a lazy three brochures in two days back in an ad agency in Hanoi. On this jaunt up north we visited the province of Cao Bang – pronounced “Cow Bung’. I suggested ‘Cowabunga, dude!’ for the strapline… (read more)
Travel highlights of 2010.
Friday, December 31st, 2010
It wasn’t a big travelling year for me compared to last year, but the few overseas and local trips that I took were full of great highlights. From staying at five-star resorts (with our own private butler) to skiing untracked powder (in Australia no less) to dining with locals in the mountains of Vietnam (oh, except the smoked pig’s intestines part) to snorkelling with a dole of turtles (that’s the correct collective noun I believe!). So, without further ado here is my Top Ten Travel Highlights from 2010 (in no particular order)… (read more)
Vietnam: The romance of parrots.
Saturday, November 13th, 2010
I just got back from a wonderful and very interesting trip to northeast Vietnam where I was doing some voluntary work for SNV. I flew into Hanoi and from there travelled by car up into the Northern Highlands through areas that don’t get too many tourists. My job (along with marketing expert and fellow Aussie Judi from Noosa) was to get a good feel for the region then design four logos, write a few taglines and whip up a couple of brochures and a website. Also along for the ride was… (read more)
Good morning Vietnam!
Monday, October 25th, 2010
I’m off to Vietnam this week. I’ll be doing some volunteer work for a Dutch based NGO and probably also drinking some Bia hoi. I’m not helping build a school (and if I did it would fall over in a week), but I am helping bring more tourists into the relatively untouched Northern Highlands. I’ll be visiting Lao Cai and Son La province (and some other places that I can’t remember), then I have to come up with creative concepts (this is where my advertising background comes in) for a logo and tagline for the Northern Highlands and three provinces. Should be great fun and… (read more)