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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Loved meeting the inspiring women getting their hands dirty and doing what they love for my story on Passionate Producers for @greatersydneyliving mag. Organic flowers, cheese and vegetables, many delivered to your home. Grab a copy Greater Sydney Living mag when you do your next shop. #passionateproducers #greatersydneyliving #freshproduceTurn the volume up and listen to the awesome sound of Vanuatu’s water music. These are the women and girls from Leweton Cultural village in Vanuatu. Using just their hands in the water, these girls evoked the sounds of a waterfall, boiling water, a big swell hitting a stone wall in a cyclone and landing a big fish ashore. The sound was hypnotic! I could have listened all afternoon, but it is exhausting work for them. Wow, what a privilege to watch this. @vanuatuislands @mindfoodmag #vanuatumoments #watermusicFierce young warriors in full ceremonial dress ‘captured’ us on arrival at Leweton Cultural Village in Vanuatu, escorting us into the meeting ground where we were able to convey we had come in friendship. Then we were welcomed with cultural lessons, ceremonial dances and their amazing ‘water music’ (more on the latter in next post). Vanuatu @vanuatuislands #mindfoodmag #vanuatuculture #vanuatumomentsCheck out my digs at @ratuaislandresortandspa made up of two vintage teak cottages transported from Java and Sumatra, one for the bedroom and one for the bathroom, linked by a patio. The worn and weathered timber evokes years of stories and the simple, rustic furnishings work perfectly. Swipe left to see the views from each room. The last photo is the view from my bathroom!!! #spoilt #vanuatumoments #mindfoodmag #ratuaislandresortandspaSwimming with horses is a thrilling experience! 🐎 From @ratuaislandresortandspa we rode bareback out along a sandbank, slowly sinking deeper and deeper into the water, then we turned and the horses swam through the deep water back to shore as we held their manes and floated above them. Amazing! (Only the horses who like swimming do this activity.) Check out the clarity of the water!!! #vanuatumoments #swimmingwithhorses #ratuaislandresortA cooking class may not be top of mind on a holiday in Vanuatu, but spending a few hours at @papayalococookingschool you’re guaranteed to have a fantastic time learning to cook some island dishes for lunch, served with delicious sangria. The effervescent Marcus kept us entertained with endless stories (while partner Stoney tried valiantly to keep us on schedule) as we grated cassava for local dish tuluk, wrapped dolmades, and made tortellini. This energetic pair also offer a couple of rooms if you fancy getting off the grid, staying by the beach and enjoying their amazing food. Scroll through the images to see their ‘swimming pool’ and add a cooking class to your Island holiday. @vanuatuislands ##vanuatumoments #cookingclass- My Tweets
Category Archives: adventure travel
Tragic White Island Eruption
It’s tragic to hear that New Zealand’s White Island, an active marine volcano, has erupted with little warning, killing at least five tourists, with more still missing. It’s devastating news and my heart goes out to all those involved. White … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure, adventure travel, New Zealand
Tagged Guided tours, Volcano, White Island
2 Comments
Kakadu Bird Week 2019
Like me, most visitors to Kakadu National Park in Australia’s Northern Territory probably don’t come purely for the bird life. But it’s impossible not to be awed by the park’s proliferation of feathered friends, from a tiny, brightly-plumed azure kingfisher … Continue reading
New Zealand promotes Cycling Trails with Megan Gale
Two of my most memorable trips to New Zealand included cycling; one on the relaxing Otago Central Rail Trail outside Dunedin, the other on a hair-raising mountain bike trail through the Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest, Rotorua. The Otago Central Rail Trail, … Continue reading
