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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Mud volcanoes, sulphur pools, boiling water, bubbling mud and spitting lakes @hellsgatenz in @rotoruanz has it all. It’s not surprising it is named #hellsgate and it’s important to stay on the path. However, you can experience the ‘health-giving’ mud and healing waters at their Mud Spa. #rotoruanz #geothermal #astw_inc @escapesnapsWhen you fly to White Island, New Zealand with @volcanicairnz for an extra $100 you can include a stop on Mt Tarawera too. This mountain was split open in the 1886 eruption, leaving gaping wounds in the harsh, dry mountain top. Barren and beautiful, it is pretty windy up there! @rotoruanz #rotoruanz #mttaraweraWhite Island, off shore from New Zealand’s North Island, is an active volcano (apparently there were 183 earthquakes recorded in a 24 hour period last week) that you can visit by air or sea. Today I flew out to #whiteislandnz from #rotoruanz with @volcanicairnz in a helicopter. We landed on the island and spent about an hour wandering around the stark sulphur encrusted landscape and steaming crater lake. What an incredible trip, and remarkable topography. #activevolcano @rotoruanz @purenewzealand @escapesnaps #astw_incZip lining guides have a knack of pushing your boundaries. Here I am before the gorgeous girls at @rotoruacanopytours had me plunging backwards off this platform to zip backwards through the forest! (I look way calmer than I felt.) What I love about this tour is the conservation aspect. Between zipping through the trees they teach you about the forest and the native birds, along with their pest eradication program. An exhilarating and educational few hours. @escapesnaps @rotoruanz @purenewzealandWhat is this? Looks a bit like a flying saucer from a Sci-fi movie. But it is one of many art installations st @treewalknz in #rotoruanz Nightlights light up the redwoods for a magical experience in the forest after dark. If you don’t like heights, it’s a good time to visit, as you can’t see how high the suspended walkways are above the ground! @rotoruanz @escapesnaps #treewalknzSo, this is how we travelled from @so_auckland to @cable_bay_vineyards on Waiheke Island. After organising a private viewing of the America’s Cup, the hotel organised a private transfer on a Riviera 51 to the island where we transferred to the winery for lunch. Nothing is too much trouble for this hotel. @signatureluxurytravel @purenewzealand #astw_inc #waihekeisland #waiheke- My Tweets
Category Archives: Shopping
10 Inexpensive Travel Gifts
Travel accessories make excellent gifts, whether for a work colleague, family member or friend (even yourself!) and sometimes it’s the small, inexpensive items that make a huge difference to life on the road. Here are 10 of my favourites, some … Continue reading
Shoe shopping in Madrid
The Spanish make some fabulous shoes; quality leather, good craftsmanship and contemporary design. I know because I used to be a footwear buyer. But walking the tourist trails in Madrid, I didn’t come across a single trendy footwear store. There … Continue reading
