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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Streaked toffee, caramel swirl, honeycomb, hokey pokey. All hidden behind the drab grey exterior of Hawkesbury sandstone. When water, wind and rain nibble, chisel and carve away, these stunning sculptural shapes and patterns appear. Thousands like these line the shores of Cowan Creek in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, which survived this fire season almost unscathed. Best seen from the water, in a kayak or tinnie. If you don’t have your own you can hire them from @cottagepointkiosk at Cottage Point. @nswnationalparks #sandstone #sydneysandstone #kayakingCape York might be at the very northern tip of @queensland @australia but it’s not hard to get there. Catch a flight with Rex Airlines from Cairns to Bamaga then it’s an easy day trip from @capeyorklodge to The Tip. It’s a wonderfully multicultural region with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the scenery varies from red dirt to rugged coastline. Read my story in the latest issue of @trueblue_mag and add #capeyork to your travel list. #exploretnq #capeyorklodge #publishingbychelleGorgeous #sunset in America Bay in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park this week. After the crowds from Australia Day weekend dispersed, we had this bay to ourselves. The blessing of mid-week boating. #solitudeonthewater @nswnationalparks #boatingIt is devastating to learn of the deaths on White Island. It's a terrible tragedy for everyone involved and my heart goes out to them. The power of nature is an alluring attraction (I visited White Is earlier this year) but is always unpredictable. My blog post may give you a perspective on this regularly visited active volcano. Link in bio. #whiteislanderuption #whiteisland #volcano #astwToday @flightcentreau launched their WOW List 2020 of 50 travel experiences to consider for next year. You can pick up a copy of the Travel Ideas mag in store or find online. They have made four inspirational video clips, one of which I love in particular. Read why in my blog post. Link in bio. #wowlist2020 #travelinspiration #flightcentreauAll the ferry wharves on Pittwater are cute, but I think this is my favourite in Elvina Bay, near @tidesreach Luckily the ferry stopped for us because we didn’t realise you are supposed to put out the red flag out if you want to catch the ferry. Some friendly locals heading to Church Point in their tinnier kindly offered us a ride, but we were just doing a tourist round trip. #pittwater #boatinglife #tidesreach- My Tweets
Category Archives: Animals
Ethical and sustainable travel – let go of the guilt
Learning more about ethical and sustainable travel brings on bouts of guilt about past indiscretions, however unintentional. Riding in a timber seat on an elephant’s back in Thailand years ago springs to mind first. It was part of a hosted … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Ethical travel, Sustainability, Tourism, Travel
Tagged Animal protection
4 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
Whale of a tale – on Australia’s Gold Coast
Sometimes the tale behind an image is as breathtaking as the image itself – this time literally so. I was enthralled by the image on the cover of the latest issue of Where* Gold Coast magazine this month. The juxtaposition of … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Australia, Photography, Travel
Tagged Blue Dog Photography, Gold Coast, humpback whales, photography courses, whales
2 Comments
Postcard of the week – furry cuteness
I just love wombats. There is something about their short, squat shape, their waddling walk and their super cute faces that make me smile whenever I see them. So I was thrilled to see so many in the wild on … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Australia, National Parks, Postcards, Tasmania, Travel
Tagged Maria Island, Maria Island National Park, wildlife, wombat
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Bottoms up to Kakadu Bird Week 14-21 October 2015
A bums-up salute from magpie geese greeted us at Mamukala Wetlands last month as they scrabbled to stretch their necks to the bottom of the billabong in search of juicy bulbs. It was a comic display and one that was … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, bird watching, birds, Kakadu Bird Week, Travel News & Events
Tagged Australia, Kakadu, national parks, Northern Territory, travel
1 Comment
Trek with Camels for Drought Relief
How about this for getting away from it all – join a camel trek from Alice Springs to Port Augusta – and raise money for drought relief by tagging along. I’ve recently come back from the Uluru Outback Fest, in … Continue reading
Pelican capers on Kangaroo Island
“I feel like a first-rate idiot with a seagull on my head,” says John Ayliffe as he stands on the waterfront at Kingscote on Kangaroo Island surrounded by a shivering squadron of pelicans. Dressed in khaki waders, industrial rubber gloves, … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Australia, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Travel
Tagged family fun, Kangaroo Island, Kingscote, local characters, Local events, pelican feeding, pelicans, South Australia
6 Comments
