The 2015 Soundwave Music Festival in Sydney

The Soundwave Festival is the biggest rock music festival in the Southern Hemisphere. Held annually in late Summer, Soundwave 2015 was for the first time held over two days, a regime that allowed for a greater number of bands on the bill whilst minimising clashes and sheer number of stages. Though I love live music, I generally hate festivals- too many people, too much noise, too tiring. But the Soundwave festival has such an impressive array of incredible punk and metal bands on the bill that clearly, an exception must be made. I went along this year for both days to see what was up.

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A Roadtrip Through The Netherlands and Belgium Part 2: Bruges, Ghent and Brussels

In last week’s episode, (Part 1: Amsterdam, Haarlem, The Hague and Zeeland), we’re unable to resist the tempation of a roadside corn maze and we’re running late for an important work conference call as we cross the border into Belgium. It begins raining torrentially, and somehow, inevitably, we miss a critical turnoff to Bruges and have to double back, wasting precious time. But I still don’t panic, because we’ve booked ahead of time, and the hotel website loudly proclaimed “FREE WiFi in all rooms and public areas”. What could possibly go wrong?

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A Roadtrip Through The Netherlands and Belgium Part 1: Amsterdam, Haarlem, The Hague and Zeeland

The Netherlands and Belgium? They’re flat as stroepwafels, rather small and half under-water. Who’d want to go there when you could visit France, Germany and the UK? Me. The lowlands of Europe are oft-maligned yet among the best the continent has to offer. If you enjoy canals, cheese, bikes, very tall blonds or geoengineering then you’ll enjoy the Netherlands, while if waffles, apple pie, beer, chocolate or national disunity are your bag then you’d really dig Belgium. I’ll be honest- all of those things appeal to me, which is why my roadtrip through The Netherlands and Belgium was so long overdue.

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The Last Place on Earth I Expected to get Married- Our Quest to Convince the Catholic Church to Marry Us in the Most Beautiful Church in Brazil

Brasilia is not usually regarded as one of the world’s beautiful cities. Spawned in 1956 from dusty red-dirt surrounds almost identical to the Australian Outback, the planned capital of Brazil resembles a curved white concrete dystopia in the middle of a desert- a vision perhaps of a future that never eventuated. But in the middle of this metropolis stands the world’s most beautiful church.

It was probably the last place on Earth I ever expected to get married.

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Watching the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil

Although I love to travel and had a good old time at the Olympics in Sydney in 2000, I have very rarely travelled for a major sporting event. This all changed recently when I headed to Brazil to get married to my Brazilian girl. We timed the wedding for the week after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, so that we and the guests could have a second reason to visit Brazil. So.. how was the World Cup in Brazil?

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Why this FIFA World Cup 2014 Means More to Me than Most- Getting Married in Brazil

As the world’s eyes turn towards Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, I’m getting excited not just for the football on display but for a passion of a different kind. I’m heading to Brazil for the World Cup Final, and the week after that, I will be getting married. In Brazil. To a Brazilian.

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The Colonial Romance of Malacca: Kuala Lumpur to Singapore Overland

Something is troubling me as I land at Kuala Lumpur late at night. It’s not nervousness at being in a new city, or wondering how I’m going to get from the airport to my hotel. I’m worried about how I’m going to get to Malacca. By the time we my driver Roger and I stop at the 2-and-a-half hour mark, palm trees all around, Roger again asking “you need piss?”, I’m beginning to wonder if we will ever arrive in Malacca. Because Malacca is where I really want to be.

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2 Days in Kuala Lumpur

Last work trip to Singapore, I thought “this time I am going somewhere I have never been before”. So I let my eyes trail north of Singapore and began Malaysia dreaming. The romance of the Malacca Straits. The Orient of yesteryear. But to get there I’d have to first fly to Kuala Lumpur- the Oriental megalopolis of today.

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Madness in Morocco Part 2: Road trips, Moroccan Marriage, Corrupt Officials, Crazy Camels and Sure-Footed Donkeys

Last week, we heard about Vince’s Moroccan adventures in Part 1: Intimidation, Mint Tea, and Hammams. It was nothing if not a heavy read, and this week’s tale’s both heavy and light in equal measure, as a good adventure often is. Vince is a mid-20s Aussie backpacker who recently spent 6 months in Morocco working as a surf instructor and got more than he bargained for, which he’ll continue to tell us all about in Part 2.

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