Travel advice, ideas & expert tips

Beacon Island, where the Batavia shipwreck survivors made their base.

Ghosts! Snakes! Sharks! It’s Australia’s scariest islands

Australia has many beautiful islands, but some are more terrifying than others. Whether due to shipwrecks, unexploded ordnance, perilous driving or dingoes, these eight islands are ones to be wary of. Carnac Island, Western Australia There are several islands just south-west of Perth in Western…

Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Visiting Point State Park, Pittsburgh: What to see, hours & parking

Point State Park sits at the tip of Pittsburgh’s downtown “Golden Triangle,” where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers merge to form the Ohio River. This practical guide explains how to plan a visit including access routes, park facilities, best times to visit, parking and essential…

Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta, New South Wales.

Elizabeth Farm, Parramatta: First-time visitor guide to Australia’s oldest home

Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta is Australia’s oldest surviving European homestead, offering visitors a rare chance to walk through rooms and gardens much as they were in the early colonial period. This 2026 visitor guide lays out how to plan your visit with up-to-date opening times,…

Third Beach in Stanley Park, Vancouver: Guide with hours, parking & advice

Third Beach in Vancouver's Stanley Park is a naturally sandy beach on the western edge of the park that offers swimming, picnicking and sunset watching in a setting that feels quietly removed from the downtown buzz. This guide, updated in March 2026, presents practical information…

Siwash Rock from Stanley Park, Vancouver.

Siwash Rock, Vancouver: Parking, best times & Stanley Park visitor tips

Siwash Rock is a solitary volcanic sea stack rising from the waters off Stanley Park’s seawall, visible between Third Beach and the Prospect Point Lookout. This guide lays out how to reach the rock and its lookout, the park’s access logistics, nearby facilities and what…

Prospect Point Lookout, Vancouver: Visitor guide with parking fees & best times

Everything you need to know about visiting the highest viewpoint in Stanley Park, Vancouver, from parking tips to cruise ship spotting. This guide was updated in March 2026 to ensure correct park opening times. Where ships meet mountains at Stanley Park's highest viewpoint Prospect Point…

The Stanley Park Totem Poles in Vancouver, Canada.

Stanley Park Totem Poles, Vancouver: Guide with hours, location, parking & history

The Stanley Park Totem Poles at Brockton Point are a series of carved wooden poles representing West Coast Indigenous art and culture, set within Vancouver’s large urban park. This guide explains how to reach the totem poles, what to expect on site, opening times, parking,…

View of the obelisk on top of One Tree Hill, Auckland.

7 memorable things to do in Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland is a much more enjoyable city when you leave the city centre and know which bits to focus on. I’ve written a first-timer’s guide to Auckland, but if you want something a bit special, these are the things to do in Auckland that will…

Turquoise Bay in Cape Range National Park, Western Australia.

Turquoise Bay, WA: Visitor guide with parking, fees & drift snorkelling tips

Everything you need to know about visiting one of Western Australia's best beaches, from drift snorkelling to avoiding the crowds This guide was updated in March 2026 to reflect current park entry fees. Where pristine reef meets powder-white sand Turquoise Bay is 60 kilometres from…

The Vlamingh Head lighthouse on the North-West Cape, Western Australia.

Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, WA: A practical guide for first-time visitors

Everything you need to know about visiting this historic Western Australian landmark, from driving directions to whale watching opportunities Born from tragedy on one of the world's most dangerous coasts The Vlamingh Head Lighthouse stands 61 metres above sea level at the northern tip of…