About Briar
Briar Jensen is a Sydney-based freelance travel writer. Her blog covers travel tips, reviews, insights and inspiration, travel accessories and gadgets.
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Outback #sunsets are something else! This one, atop windy Sunset Hill in Tibooburra, Outback NSW, finished in a horizontal blaze of bright orange, like a strip of tangerine peel on the horizon. We stayed and watched the night sky reveal layer upon layer of stars and followed the path of the Emu in the Milky Way as it rose up and across the sky.The colours of #outbackaustralia are so vibrant as to be unbelievable. This collage of silcrete and rusty ironstone splashed with quartz was snapped on the walk to Mount Poole Cairn outside Tibooburra in Corner Country, #newsouthwales It is one of the many historical stops on Sturt’s Steps, a new 1100km circular driving route through the region, with excellent interpretation. @sturtssteps #outbacknsw @cornercountryandoutbacknswA magnificent #eucalypt for National Eucalypt Day on March 23, which I’ve only just learnt about @eucalyptaus I’m too late to enter their photography competition but I did vote for #eucalyptoftheyear and look forward to the results.The colours of #outbackaustralia are so vibrant that when Australian artist Eric Minchin had an exhibition in the US of his outback paintings visitors asked why he painted the dirt red. They didn’t believe it was realistic, so on his next trip he took some dirt with him to prove his paintings were realistic. You can see examples of his work on the walls of the #tibooburra Family Hotel where more recently Roxanne Minchin painted a stunning image of the #dogfence Take a road trip in @cornercountryandoutbacknsw following @sturtssteps and you will uncover stories like these. #roadtrip- My Tweets
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Category Archives: Accommodation
Tai Chi with the locals in Bangkok
Apparently, tai chi is all about internal energy flow, but the only energy I’m channelling is nervous energy. How much of a goose (or perhaps that should be crane?) am I making of myself? But I don’t care. I feel … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Bangkok, Thailand, Travel
Tagged Lumpini Park, Sofitel So Bangkok, Tai Chi
8 Comments
Postcard of the week – Outback recycling
I love this shot of a battered XXXX Gold beer can attached to a fence in the middle of the Australian outback. I hope someone enjoyed consuming its icy-cold contents before it was re-purposed to dangle like an earring on … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Adventure, Australia, Northern Territory, Outback, Postcards, Road Trips, Travel
Tagged accommodation, Kings Creek Station, outback, Quad biking, XXXX Gold
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Free accommodation on Sydney’s Pittwater
Fancy a weekend getaway in the bush free of charge, staying at a historic property overlooking Pittwater’s Morning Bay? Spend your free time watching the local wildlife, hiking through Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, kayaking the bays or just relaxing in … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Australia, Sydney, Travel, Volunteering
Tagged bush regeneration, Pittwater, voluntourism, YHA
2 Comments
Last weekend for Bondi sculpture walk
Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, finishes this Sunday 9th November. So it’s your last chance to see the exhibits, the work of 109 artists. We visited the exhibition this week, together with some friends from New Zealand. As my girlfriend … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Attractions, Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Travel News & Events
Tagged Bondi, Sculpture by the sea
2 Comments
Teen-friendly family accommodation on the Gold Coast
Finding accommodation that suits a family with teens can often be challenging. You want to give them some freedom and a room of their own, especially if they are older, but you also want to have them close and know … Continue reading
Au naturel is best – please don’t wrap hotel soap
Ok, I’ll be upfront, this post is a rant about a first world problem, so if you don’t care if hotel soap comes wrapped, sometimes multiple times, then you might want to switch off now. I just don’t see why … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Hotels, Travel
Tagged accommodation, environmental initiatives, hotel amenities, hotel soap, soap
4 Comments
Fairy Tale Castles – German Fairy Tale Route
Ever dreamt of sleeping like a princess – in Sleeping Beauty’s castle? Fancy letting down your hair in Rapunzel’s tower? What about a romantic weekend at Snow White’s palace? Or perhaps you just want to stay in a real palace, … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Germany, Travel
Tagged accommodation, castles, Fairy tale castles, Fairy tale route, travel
3 Comments
Travel Writer Gets Lost
As a travel writer it’s a bit embarrassing to admit you’re lost, and sometimes it’s a little bit frightening – although, often the best experiences can come from losing yourself in a destination. I experienced this recently when, travelling alone, I got completely … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Australia, Travel
Tagged accommodation, family fun, picnic at hanging rock, South Australia, travel
2 Comments
Talk to the animals these school holidays
Kids love getting up close and personal to animals and they can do just that at Mowbray Park Farmstay in Picton, just a 90-minute drive from Sydney. But this family owned farmstay in the lush Wollondilly Shire offers much more … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Animals, Australia, NSW Southern Highlands
Tagged accommodation, family fun, sydney
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Nudity in Outback Pub
There’s nudity-a-plenty at this family outback pub. But don’t let that put you off – it’s only of the artistic variety, from the likes of Clifton Pugh, Russell Drysdale and other artists of the bush. The walls of the Tooles Family Hotel in … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Australia, Food & Wine, Outback, Tibooburra
Tagged accommodation, Food and Wine, outback, travel
1 Comment
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